Every time I load my washing machine and press the start button
I say a little “thank you” to God that I don’t have to spend my day
beating dirty clothes against a rock down by the river. You can
imagine how excited I get about the resources available at the
click of a mouse via the Internet. Every time I need a recipe, want
to know the lyrics to a song or have to find a moving company for a
client, I say a little “thank you” to Google. 

I’m in my mid-40s, which means that I graduated college before
computers were in every home, let alone wireless and portable. But
as a writer/perfectionist, the savings on Wite-Out and the promise
of turning out flawless documents convinced me to find my way
around a computer as soon as I could get my hands on one.

I remember clearly a venerated wine writer who refused to get a
computer and continued to turn in articles written via typewriter
well into the new millennium. Today, someone without computer
skills is practically unemployable as a writer (but perfectly
acceptable as a politician — just ask Rod Blagojevich). There’s
nothing morally or artistically superior about not using a computer
and it’s healthy for the brain to learn something new. I encourage
my clients to continually sharpen their computer skills, which are
vital to being organized and connected in today’s world. 

If you need to get organized, or just want to get the latest
gadgets and tips, the internet is an amazing resource. Here are
some of my favorite sites to give you an idea of what you can
find:

www.organize.com: A site full of great organizing tools.

www.tsa.gov: The Transportation Security Administration, where
you will find important updates and recommendations for traveling.
If you’re wondering if you can pack three ounces of shampoo in your
carry-on, this site will have the answer.

www.davidco.com: From the Day Timer to the iPhone, David Allen
has been on the forefront of the personal productivity industry and
was my initial inspiration to get into organizing, back in 1998 (I
turned pro in 2006). For me, there is no better methodology for
achieving your goals than David’s “Getting Things Done.”

www.scandigital.com: So many of my clients want to know how to
get their old VHS or 8mm film digitized. This is a useful site for
finally getting rid of those bulky video tapes.

www.wikihow.com: Want to know how to convert cassette tapes to
CD? That and so much more is available on this incredible site. A
“wiki” is a site that can be instantly updated or edited by users
with no programming knowledge required. www.wikipedia.org, an
online encyclopedia,   is another astonishing resource—but unless
you’re still living offline, you knew that.