This weird, wired century makes it difficult to let go of business and be present for the holidays. So many of us have powerful computers in our pockets, making it hard to resist checking our various Web thingies under the Thanksgiving dinner table. It's important to have a strategy for managing and prioritizing work over the holidays, so we can plan ahead and stop worrying about it. In an always-on world, it's all we can do.
With us in mind, Google sent along a list of free Web services it offers to help us manage our holiday workload. As a Google Apps team ourselves, we at RWW will certainly be using some of these strategies. Here are a few suggestions of how you can use Google's vast toolbox of free Web gizmos to manage your workload and make your holidays more relaxing.
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- Gmail users can use Priority Inbox to filter out the important messages from those that can wait for after Turkey Day.
- The Tasks tool in Gmail makes quick, synced to-do lists that can attach deadlines to Google Calendar.
- Google Calendar has a Smart Rescheduler to take care of the unending challenge of finding appointment or gathering times that work for everyone.
- Google Calendar is also smart about converting time zones so you don't lose your mind trying to plan and travel at the same time.
- Calendar's next meeting reminders will count down to your next meeting for you, so you don't have to think about it.
- Google Docs has some holiday features, such as ready-made templates for invitations, wish lists and the like.
- You can also use Google Docs forms to keep track of the RSVPs and dietary quirks of your holiday guests.
And if you have to be apart from your friends and family over the holidays, you can use Google's Hangouts to spend time together virtually:
It's very kind of Google to give us all these services for free (in exchange for our eyeballs). What other tools do you use to keep your work and life straight over the holidays?
Funny old photo via Flickr Creative Commons.
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