by Leo Wiles
06 January 2017
There’s nothing more annoying that being on deadline and dealing with a dodgy WIFI connection. Or knowing you’re behind on critical back-ups. Or trying to work when your computer is low on storage space and super sloooow to boot. So, while it’s not fun in the slightest, if you’re twiddling your thumbs waiting for your regular clients to come back after Christmas, now is the perfect time to streamline everything from your workflow to your workstation. Here’s what to do.
Fix… an annoyingly slow Internet
Just thinking about it makes me cranky, but there’s lots you can do to fix a slow online connection – even without an IT department on the other end of the phone. Start by clearing your caches and cookies, and checking that you’re using the latest version of Safari, Chrome or your browser of choice. I’m also a big fan of regularly using www.speedtest.net and complaining to my provider if it’s not optimum (which is how I found out I had a faulty line). One visit from the boys from Telstra and I was back up to speed.
Sort… all those niggly jobs you never have time for
You know what I’m talking about. Things like grabbing a tube of super glue to stick down the corner of your desk, actually sticking your corkboard to the wall instead of propping it up against the side of your desk or buying a more durable phone cover. In my case, all those niggly jobs involved working out why Finder wasn’t refreshing, iMessenger wasn’t syncing and my emails weren’t letting me bin them on the phone. While in themselves these niggles didn’t waste a lot of my time, each time they happened they disrupted my workflow and left me feeling annoyed.
Create… a good housekeeping system
Filing loose sheafs of paper, cleaning your screen and grabbing a clean cup/glass/vase to organise all those pens that stand testament to your stationary addiction is one way to start seeing your physical desktop again, and make room for the new tasks at hand.
Deal with… the wheel of doom
While I’m no IT expert, I have certainly talked to a lot of technical gurus in the past and so I know that if your spinning technicolor wheel (on the Mac) is a regular visitor, it’s time to check out your storage situation. For Mac users that means checking out how much space your computer has to get things done. Find out by clicking on the apple in the top left corner, go to ‘about my Mac’ and hit storage. From there you’ll locate the culprits to weed out.
Take stock… of all your gadgets
Up there with stocktakes as a necessary evil, I have updated my Excel spreadsheet insurance list to include new toys, along with their serial numbers and a quick snap on my smartphone as proof of purchase to file with a copy of the invoice as proof of purchase. Stage two will be touching base with my insurer to make sure I am covered should anything actually happen to my day to day work tools.
Log… all those essential diary dates
Inputting contract expiry dates for everything from my Dropbox account, home insurance to my iPhone two weeks out from the expiry date means I have enough time to shop around for a better deal instead of panicking and agreeing to roll over the existing terms when my time is up.
Schedule… your back-ups
Could you meet your deadlines or look your client in the face if your computer or phone fell over tomorrow? They say a lesson felt is a lesson learned, which is why I no longer ignore those pop up reminders to back the hell up. While I rely on iCloud for my phone my workhorse back-up of choice is Time Machine although I readily admit I also have a good old fashioned 2TB external Hard drive straight copy transfer too because hard drives fail people.
Unsubscribe… from newsletters you don’t need
The great news about personal growth is that you’ve probably outgrown some of the newsletters you eagerly subscribed to a year ago. Now is the time to unsubscribe rather than just delete. The same goes for all those apps that have sprung up like mushrooms on your phone. Just because they’re free doesn’t mean they have value.
Run… a comprehensive virus scan
Invest in regular protection as it’s amazing how many Trojan nasties can make it onto your computer. Last year my Hotmail was compromised three times and tonight I received a message warning me not to open a news alert about Donald Trump being arrested as sadly it was a hoax, hosting a virus.
How are you tackling all the mundane operational tasks to ensure smooth sailing this year?
You’re so good. I have to do all this. In fact, this is the year of the SCHEDULED back-up… so I keep promising myself 🙂