Checking off September 2010

Last month, I stated that August 2010 was the highest traffic month ever in PE’s short history. At the time, I didn’t think I would be able to make that statement again the following month. I was wrong.

September 2010 saw yet another solid increase in traffic. I’m really overwhelmed and humbled by the response. And I’m also really enjoying learning from everyone that comments here and contacts me by email.

Highlights from a Practically Efficient September

• In “A moment for the mundane,” I talk about the value of taken-for-granted things in your workflows, like cut/copy/paste and undo. I also illustrated a few ways I use TextExpander to automate writing in Markdown.

• I dumped my thoughts about Google’s 20 percent time policy, why I value creative time, and I also discussed how the Industrial Revolution era is finally waning.

• I recommended using two browsers to boost productivity. I use Chrome as an email / social media / calendar client, and I use Safari for all other web browsing.

• In a brief post on Parkinson’s Law, I thought out loud about how we can sometimes create our own personal bureaucracies.

• In “You’ve (still) got mail,” I discussed how enormously prevalent and dominant email has become as a force in our lives. Shortly after that, I warned against using email inboxes as task lists.

• If you’re an RSS power user, you might be leaving some efficiency on the table if you haven’t thought about how you organize your feeds. If you’ve been to RSS hell, come back soon.

• Grocery lists are really helpful, unless you leave them at home. Here are some tips for being in the same place as your grocery list.

• I put on my part-time economist/psychologist cap and discussed iRrationality and mobile apps.

• I wrote up my ideas for improving Notational Velocity as a web writer’s tool. If you use Notational Velocity, be sure to check it out.

• The month ended on a high note. Lots of new folks PE came my way via Patrick Rhone of Minimal Mac to see a few things I’ve written about TextExpander, Markdown, and how I use them in my writing workflows.