Organization Tip - Optimizing Use of Your Browser

Set up your browser to inspire you when it opens and help you find what you need very quickly.  This exercise takes about 10 minutes and saves you tons of time from searching around.

• Set your start page to open up to the tools that you use to drive your progress.  Have the first page be the site that adds the most value for you to stay tuned into.  My screen opens up to a high level action plan that shows me the critical items happening across all projects.  This helps me stay aware by seeing the team's progress and encourages me to add in any missing updates.

• Organize your key sites in folders on your bookmarks bar that are sorted in an easy-to-find manner.  Figure out the main categories of bookmarks that you need, create folders for them on your bookmarks bar, and then sort your bookmarks in them in a way that works best.  Get familiar and friendly with your bookmarks manager until you find out the perfect setup for you.   The folders I find helpful are: Tools, Requirements and Outlines, Action Plans, Reports, Repositories, Reference Sheets, and Misc.

If you ever catch yourself taking more than 20 seconds to locate something, think about how you can improve that.  An easy way is to organize your browser bar.