Well, we got past our first episode and in Episode 2 we discuss how using routines can help simplify your life, and some simple ways to get the most out of search and research.

Routines help make things predictable, let you better plan you time, and make things more efficient. So, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to tap into that power so routines can simplify your life, too! When something is new to you or you need more information, most people turn to Google to find answers. But are you using Google as effectively as you could? We’ll share some of our tricks to help you become a wizard at search and research! Read more…

Two Common Reasons People are Disorganized:

Key Components of Creating Routines w/Family, Co-Workers or Employees: 

Morning /Nightly Routines:

Paper and Mail Routines:

For a more detailed list of routines and links to helpful tips, check out the notes Vanessa created for a special presentation she gave to a group of moms: http://getsimplifized.com/routines-briefing

We all use the web to Search and do research, but many many of us were never really taught good search skills.

 Many other top links are what’s called Affiliate Links.

Crowd sourced reviews…like reviews on Amazon. 

For restaurants and service locally, check out Google Local and Yelp

A technique I use for lots of things, including searching and researching: Think in the obverse (or opposite)

Some simple tips for using your Google Search Bar:

Exact Phrase:  If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotes. [“simple life together”] will only find that exact phrase. However, if you type “simple life” together, you’ll find pages that contain the exact phrase “simple life” and also togther.

Either/or: Google normally searches for pages that contain all the words you type in the search box, but if you want pages that have one term or another (or both), use the OR operator

Not: If you don’t want a term or phrase, use the minus “-” symbol. Using the sample example as before, if I search for “simple life” in quotations, I’m swamped with results for the TV shoe “The SimpleLife” with Paris Hilton.  So, I could also choose to use “simple life” in quotations and then “minus symbol” Paris -Paris

Give music a test drive: Looking for the latest tunes or a song from your high school days?  just type the artist or song title in the search bar and you’ll probably get a few YouTube Options!

 Speaking of YouTube:  You know it’s the world’s #2 search engine, behind it’s daddy, Google (who owns YouTube).  Need to know how to do something? Install a car stereo, make an Everything Bagel Mix, Delete a Facebook post from your iPhone…YouTube is the place for you!

Current Weather Conditions: Type “weather” followed by the city and state, US zip code, or city and country.

Conversions:

Google Converts Units of Measure: Google’s conversion tool can convert between many different units of measurement of height, weight, volume and many others. Simply enter your desired conversion into the search box and we’ll do the rest.  This tool is perfect in the kitchen when you need to convert for recipes.  So, to convert from cups to tablespoons I simply type in: X cups in tablespoons.

But don’t stop there…you can use this tool to convert all sorts of things from currency, and distance, to measurements in time (although I have to admit I could easily convert years to days but still have no idea what 4 score and seven years equals…so sorry Abe).

Simple Math: Yep, the Google search bar also has a built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you’d like done into the search box.  To add use the “+” sign, to subtract use the (you guessed it) “-“ sign, use “*” to multiply, and “/” to divide.

Google Is a Dictionary: No more smelly old books if you wanted a definition, correct spelling, or a synonym!   To check your spelling, simply make a good guess, and Google’s spell checking software will automatically check whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you’re likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask “Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”

Definitions: To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word “define” colon, then the word(s) you want defined. To see a list of different definitions from various online sources, you can type “define:” followed by a word or phrase.

Movie Info: Just type in “movies” and your “area code” (e.g. movies 90210)

Area Codes: Just type the three-digit US area code, hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button and Google gives you the area code service area.

Track Flight Status and Airport Conditions (awesome):  For arriving and departing U.S. flights, type in the name of the airline and the flight number into the search box. Check delays at a specific airport by typing in the name of the city or three-letter airport code followed by the word “airport”.

Track Packages (way awesome!): Type in the tracking number for your UPS, Fedex or USPS package directly into the search box. Google returns results that include quick links to easily track the status of your shipment.

 You can check out these and other Google Search Bar tips at: http://getsimplifized.com/search

Vanessa:  Change is a process…even though we are on this journey to create a simple life together, we can backslide and fall into the trap of “wanting”more sometimes.  Just acknowledge that changing your lifestyle is a process and get back on track.

Dan:  Dan gave thanks to Cliff Ravenscraft the PodcastAnswerman at PodcastAnswerman.com or GSPN.tv. This podcast wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for him. Cliff has been a huge inspiration and Dan’s “personal podcasting mentor.” He coaches some of the biggest names on the internet in podcasting, such as Dan Miller from 48 Days to the Work You Love, 2 time NY Times best selling author Michael Hyatt, and Pat Flynn of SmartPassiveIncome. I took his Podcasting A to Z course and it was worth every penny. If you think about doing a podcast someday yourself, check out PodcastingAtoZ.com.  If you decide to take the course feel free to the Discount Code Cliff gave me…just type “Hayes” in the discount code box at checkout and get $100 off the course.

If you like the show, please subscribe and consider giving us a good review in iTunes

If you know someone else who might enjoy the journey too, send them a link to SimpleLifeTogether.com

There are links to our Twitter and Google Plus profiles and other contact info on the left side of the website. We’d love to hear from you !

Be sure to leave comments below, send us a voicemail from the little microphone icon on the right side of the page, or you can go “old school” and email us!  Comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…they’re all welcome and we’d love to hear from you!

DollyDrive.com: Dan chose them for our computer backup

PodcastAnswerman.com and GSPN.tv: Dan wanted to extent his gratitude to Cliff Ravenscraft, his “personal podcasting mentor”

Podcasting A to Z Course:  The premier course if you’re considering podcasting as a hobby or to expand your business. Use discount code “Hayes” for $100 off the price of the course.

Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show! Thank you!

Photo Credit: Pleuntje