tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22554547933095398492024-03-20T08:11:35.141-07:00Rather GeekyTech tips and ideas to boost productivityJenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-50643096068001734182018-05-25T18:41:00.000-07:002018-05-25T18:41:41.039-07:00A Big Change After 12 YearsToday marks my last day at my current job.<br />
<br />
It feels strange to type that.<br />
<br />
This is only the second job I've had in my life. I've been here for 12 years.<br />
<br />
I've moved three times with this job. Got married. Coped with loss. Transitioned from part time, to full time, and back again as I pursued personal goals.<br />
<br />
Because of this job, I traveled alone for the first time. I lived in another state for a few months. I learned how delicious deep fried cheese curds are. (Thanks Sheboygan!)<br />
<br />
Before this job, I had only a small inkling of what I wanted to do professionally. I started here as an administrative assistant, answering the phones and doing other office work. That led to database design projects. I eventually found myself heading down a career path that has woven together things I discovered that I love to do - like teaching others how to use technology, creating tutorials to make technical concepts a bit more simple, and enforcing data consistency standards (I probably enjoy that far too much for my own good). It's the perfect blend of organization and creativity.<br />
<br />
While there have been many challenges, especially during mergers and changes in staff, I'm very thankful for all the opportunities for personal and professional growth that my time here has yielded, and especially thankful to the bosses and coworkers who have played a part in that.<br />
<br />
I start my new job next Tuesday. I'm excited, and not as nervous as I expected.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what my employment change will mean for this blog. I don't know yet if I will be able to share tips or technology that I'm using. But, I will always be rather geeky, and I'm sure I'll have tech tips from personal organization projects to share from time to time too.<br />
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<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-4056588634482255542017-12-28T21:30:00.000-08:002017-12-28T21:30:04.672-08:00My Geeky Year in Review: 2017 - Apps I Used and Tips I TriedYear after year, the tools that I use typically change. But the ones that last are usually here to stay.<br />
<br />
To start, let's review <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2017/01/how-i-became-geekier-in-2016-10.html">last year's roundup</a>:<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; width: 600px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="30%"><b>Tool</b></td>
<td width="20%"><b>Status</b></td>
<td width="50%"><b>Notes</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Habit tracking with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.isoron.uhabits">Loop</a></td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>I've been tracking tasks that I want to make sure to accomplish each day. There is something so satisfying about tapping those tasks to check them off.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Investing with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acorns.android" target="_blank">Acorns</a></td>
<td bgcolor="ffd966">Nope, but maybe in the future!</td>
<td>I liked this idea a lot but when our budget became tighter this year, I didn't like not knowing when or how much money would be transferred from my bank account. I wish the roundups were immediately withdrawn instead of in a lump sum.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gym tracking with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.jamesgay.fitnotes" target="_blank">FitNotes</a></td>
<td bgcolor="ffd966">Nope, but maybe in the future!</td>
<td>My gym membership lapsed a few months ago. I plan to renew it but family budget constraints have put that on hold.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Daily journaling with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt" target="_blank">IFTTT</a></td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>While I don't manage to journal every day, I do use this quick method to jot down a sentence or two on a regular basis.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Recipe organization with <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a></td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>I add new recipes to my Evernote notebook on a weekly basis. To keep up with the tag structure that I implemented last year, I make sure to update any recipes that I've cooked with the 'MADE' tag, and add tags when clipping from the internet.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Track what I've readin <a href="https://airtable.com/" target="_blank">Airtable</a></td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>I haven't done as much reading lately, but when I do, I make sure to update my custom Airtable database with at least basic information about the book.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scanned my journals into <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a></td>
<td bgcolor="93c47d">Completed</td>
<td>This was a project that I'd been working on for quite some time and just a month or so ago I finally finished it up! I scanned all of my paper journals from my childhood and teenage years into Evernote using a Doxie scanner. It was labor intensive, but allowed me to get rid of the paper copies without a hint of guilt.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.touchlab.android.onesecondeveryday" target="_blank">1 Second Everyday</a> videos</td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>While I haven't exactly stuck to taking a video every single day, I'm at least saving multiple videos per week. It's a fun way to look back on highlights (or just daily monotony) from the year.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Google Reminders</td>
<td bgcolor="6fa8dc">Still using!</td>
<td>Combined with Google Calendar reminders, using the voice recognition to remind myself about future tasks has been pretty effective.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Now, what about 2017?</h3>
This year, I didn't add a whole lot of new tools and techniques to my geeky repertoire. Instead, the focus seems to be on LESS. Less social media. Less digital clutter. Less time-wasting.<br />
<br />
Below is an overview. I'd love to hear about what you've implemented this year to improve your efficiency or organization (personal or digital). Please share in the comments.<br />
<br />
<h3>
1. Personal messaging with Marco Polo</h3>
<a href="https://www.marcopolo.me/" target="_blank">Marco Polo</a> is an app that lets you basically send video messages back and forth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHhGT4einnqNVPqp0ztOgpBKc3M8zo0Mn5JnLR7t7dO-WLp786MYtNNYPlJSaWHdbuCXV5cJd3WlU-aQ3ykXT30zeB01jZe8PQF6hh_5wksPX9Yulxb6kVC2-ZI3T7HyOI1FyBMHQzBul/s1600/2017-12-28_19-59-15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHhGT4einnqNVPqp0ztOgpBKc3M8zo0Mn5JnLR7t7dO-WLp786MYtNNYPlJSaWHdbuCXV5cJd3WlU-aQ3ykXT30zeB01jZe8PQF6hh_5wksPX9Yulxb6kVC2-ZI3T7HyOI1FyBMHQzBul/s400/2017-12-28_19-59-15.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's a lot quicker than recording a video and texting it.<br />
<br />
I'm only using it with a handful of close friends and family, but I've noticed that I feel a lot more connected with those people than I had just with social media and texting.<br />
<br />
I like that I can send a message when it's convenient for me, and the recipient can watch when it's a good time for them, although sometimes the conversation is back-and-forth in nearly real-time.<br />
<br />
These video messages give me the personalized feeling of a video call without being as obtrusive. <i>(My introvert might be showing a bit there.)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
2. Google Keep - for saving links and so much more</h3>
I've been using <a href="https://keep.google.com/" target="_blank">Keep</a> for a while now, but in the past year I've altered my usage. I used to switch between Evernote and Keep and hadn't defined when to use which. But here's my current method:<br />
<ul>
<li>Evernote = for things I want to save long term (recipes, journal entries, contact prescriptions, etc)</li>
<li>Keep = for things that I want to reference or take action on in the near future, or am not sure I want to save yet (articles, recipes that I want to try before saving to Evernote, coupon codes, blog post ideas, etc)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
I want to determine a color coding key, but for now I'm not that organized. I've just started using labels, such as Coupon, Research, and To Purchase. I love that I can add reminders to specific notes too!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also appreciate that I can edit my notes on any of my devices.</div>
<div>
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<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6g7j0kPKjQdIk15iFKB3wXIxlZ7PYIHPE4mWV0M3LFWOwXMVH59UC0cmv76chWGxA_ES_ZO6jHEGBWGxmeI42D4hT-bvz2-lhe8geZQ0dtBOyKgHh2ZR6DdoyN8UsmnMNKhhl3KE3Jia/s1600/2017-12-28_20-14-25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6g7j0kPKjQdIk15iFKB3wXIxlZ7PYIHPE4mWV0M3LFWOwXMVH59UC0cmv76chWGxA_ES_ZO6jHEGBWGxmeI42D4hT-bvz2-lhe8geZQ0dtBOyKgHh2ZR6DdoyN8UsmnMNKhhl3KE3Jia/s400/2017-12-28_20-14-25.png" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br />
<h3>
3. Walmart Grocery</h3>
Walmart now offers a grocery pickup service. You order your groceries online, schedule a pickup time, drive to a specified parking area, and they load your car.<br />
<br />
I know there are other stores that offer this (Target and Fred Meyer are two that I've heard of) but this is the first one I've tried.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulXj1e4h6tMTHYj5XPsNI_yYqUfPahwwo9tTqSxIRRenBU2RyR7S3fFZjC1tEZ42kEobY35HaX4THIK4Lg1RND3dkijEJbNHtFS67saxW_ev9xC5SJB55NTXOjfDcvg9KO62emToKcpsj/s1600/2017-12-28_20-22-22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulXj1e4h6tMTHYj5XPsNI_yYqUfPahwwo9tTqSxIRRenBU2RyR7S3fFZjC1tEZ42kEobY35HaX4THIK4Lg1RND3dkijEJbNHtFS67saxW_ev9xC5SJB55NTXOjfDcvg9KO62emToKcpsj/s400/2017-12-28_20-22-22.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here are two instances that made me especially appreciate this service:<br />
<ol>
<li>When I was sick and needed some cough medicine, Emergen-C and ingredients for soup. </li>
<li>When I had a super busy day and was cooking a dinner in the evening - I ordered the ingredients I needed to make several recipes by having the <a href="https://grocery.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart Grocery</a> site open in one browser window and my recipe in another.</li>
</ol>
<br />
A side benefit is that using this service helps me stick to my budget as I'm not wandering around and buying things that I don't really need.<br />
<br />
<h3>
4. Organized my inbox LESS</h3>
I used to be proud of my color-coded and organized email inbox. But lately, I'm more focused on just doing the stuff and less on making it look nice.<br />
<br />
I've stopped using most of the labels that I previously organized meticulously. Instead, I just rely on Gmail's search functionality.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJd4d06R62eooB09YrScpcqtEuPBALCzSEg4kY2xGXiSDM2d5VCs7HH690d8OA21wqdFuTBXcNpQRkU4Og3MZQSq4ikCnoGoyzlZvsQJLHcUzFZfmP4yoSsxqZCNNh29EFRKYIM8l0QI9/s1600/2017-12-28_20-26-53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJd4d06R62eooB09YrScpcqtEuPBALCzSEg4kY2xGXiSDM2d5VCs7HH690d8OA21wqdFuTBXcNpQRkU4Og3MZQSq4ikCnoGoyzlZvsQJLHcUzFZfmP4yoSsxqZCNNh29EFRKYIM8l0QI9/s400/2017-12-28_20-26-53.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So close to Inbox Zero! And note: no labels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h3>
5. Smartsheet for work tasks</h3>
Usually my preferred task management tools fade over time, but <a href="https://www.smartsheet.com/" target="_blank">Smartsheet</a> (for my day-job work tasks) has been going strong for most of the year. I really like the ease of customization, and how easy it is to drag and drop my tasks in card mode to update status.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeRkKbpo-Ilr8bxB22uR7nNbEfh5XAy0zvGcVenlJTfe0Lc6PyFRcWthL6Rpea7qm09_WJToM99EHbFyn4f9qz1vYjFfqTANa71OHE6POlrL1mVUWfmMAey88PxDycJ8hwidPuLU9FbtU/s1600/2017-12-28_20-54-42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeRkKbpo-Ilr8bxB22uR7nNbEfh5XAy0zvGcVenlJTfe0Lc6PyFRcWthL6Rpea7qm09_WJToM99EHbFyn4f9qz1vYjFfqTANa71OHE6POlrL1mVUWfmMAey88PxDycJ8hwidPuLU9FbtU/s400/2017-12-28_20-54-42.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
For personal use, I keep trying to use Trello but I just can't figure out a use-case yet. I likely will someday... because I remember feeling the same way about Evernote back in the day, and now I can't go a day without using it!<br />
<br />
<h3>
6. Workflowy</h3>
In a moment of organization desperation, when I couldn't seem to organize my thoughts and upcoming tasks well and needed a tool that didn't have a steep learning curve to get myself over the hump, I started using <a href="https://workflowy.com/" target="_blank">Workflowy</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvAhcakV1m_vxvDyn5jpsWDnT3Pos-RARh_HWyOZTPVQrNfD_XLeTO9xomVG7zCIEPIbqQ9JVV5rzUD4dCo65uTWi6S10w6nvdcSjjeZOMjVEoTnr9kTbtAKH4M0cwg2kSKoC4XQHEAJ4/s1600/2017-12-28_20-36-08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvAhcakV1m_vxvDyn5jpsWDnT3Pos-RARh_HWyOZTPVQrNfD_XLeTO9xomVG7zCIEPIbqQ9JVV5rzUD4dCo65uTWi6S10w6nvdcSjjeZOMjVEoTnr9kTbtAKH4M0cwg2kSKoC4XQHEAJ4/s400/2017-12-28_20-36-08.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organizing my annual work goals and objectives with Workflowy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's a really handy tool that helps me to focus on getting ideas down and organizing my thoughts, instead of worrying about how to format the content.<br />
<br />
I'm trying this out for my work life and personal life. One particular project that I'm excited about is a novel that I've been attempting to write. I've made limited progress and was feeling overwhelmed, but after using Workflowy to outline the entire story, it's actually starting to feel doable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGY8kLkFDPe6H7iBUPEGGLIbuwmAJAqlRmQCEs9nLMLgtDJGeQCWzUQHSqiVklSr10FvWtWkU8NjBkpIxIAvlzUNld4R81jOstf4qhYK5tHBdAT-wR3IehSvW-ftFIbmld8-iv59aRTCX/s1600/2017-12-28_20-35-12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGY8kLkFDPe6H7iBUPEGGLIbuwmAJAqlRmQCEs9nLMLgtDJGeQCWzUQHSqiVklSr10FvWtWkU8NjBkpIxIAvlzUNld4R81jOstf4qhYK5tHBdAT-wR3IehSvW-ftFIbmld8-iv59aRTCX/s400/2017-12-28_20-35-12.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Documenting my novel ideas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h3>
7. Less social media</h3>
<h4>
Facebook</h4>
I recently tested out deactivating my Facebook account. I only posted a few times in the last year and have noticed that my interactions have become less meaningful over time.<br />
<br />
In addition, Facebook's reminders of what I posted in years prior often stirred up negative memories: the loss of a dear friend, a former relationship that didn't end well, things I shared when I was stressed. I'm not sure if I'll delete my account entirely; there are still some good memories there. But I don't see it adding a lot of value to my life at this point.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Pinterest</h4>
I still like to explore Pinterest when I'm looking for something specific, but it's amazing how much of a time-drain it can be when I find myself just 'browsing'.<br />
<br />
For me, Pinterest isn't the best way to organize ideas because there isn't a secondary level of filtering/sorting. eg: If I want to separate recipes I've made from those I want to try, without transferring pins from board to board. I prefer Evernote for that. I add recipes to a Recipes notebook and then add labels like 'Made' and 'Breakfast'.<br />
<br />
I also don't like the fact that I can't verify that the source of a pin is valid. For example, I might find a recipe pin that looks wonderful but the underlying blog that originally hosted the content is now private. That's disappointing. When I find a recipe (or other content) that I want to save, I clip it to Evernote for safekeeping.<br />
<br />
As I've realized that saving things on Pinterest doesn't work for me long-term, I've gradually migrated the majority of my pins (after verifying valid urls) to Evernote where I can more easily organize them.<br />
<br />
<h3>
8. Started mind-mapping some long-term goals with Coggle</h3>
I've never quite understood how to apply the idea behind mind mapping in a practical way. I liked looking at other people's mind maps but just couldn't figure out how to utilize them myself.<br />
<br />
I'm still figuring this out, but I started using <a href="https://coggle.it/" target="_blank">Coggle</a> to create a collaborative 'Our Future' map with my husband to document some long term goals and life plans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5g5UrRcUQfljUSAOKGiWGONXnWLvylDVPVhaax8up0hdGzeivJNyxccOIyVd6tBp4k9rESmE5r-JO1Hsds0E7ZFuRRe1q7FkR3QCjKTLcBs8I6Da0_Xgk2rosfoHgPO14G6iZTTGNOi9M/s1600/2017-12-28_20-01-32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5g5UrRcUQfljUSAOKGiWGONXnWLvylDVPVhaax8up0hdGzeivJNyxccOIyVd6tBp4k9rESmE5r-JO1Hsds0E7ZFuRRe1q7FkR3QCjKTLcBs8I6Da0_Xgk2rosfoHgPO14G6iZTTGNOi9M/s400/2017-12-28_20-01-32.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
That's it!</h3>
I really wanted to make it to 10, but maybe the fact that I'm not adding a plethora of new tools means I'm better utilizing the ones I already have. <i>Maybe</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iHrsA50pnJIyhkhGaqoRq2G1C2XDhA74pvHny7D-AyNGbsqmvzkwzoS6ajDJYFYKCKsfRHt05T1-3fR57hpcZ4gHhzAVas_EDgMK9_09Qm-YP9Df7B9ya3CSYWYBHubivbjfMNAwYozN/s1600/roundup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="hiddenpinimage" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iHrsA50pnJIyhkhGaqoRq2G1C2XDhA74pvHny7D-AyNGbsqmvzkwzoS6ajDJYFYKCKsfRHt05T1-3fR57hpcZ4gHhzAVas_EDgMK9_09Qm-YP9Df7B9ya3CSYWYBHubivbjfMNAwYozN/s320/roundup.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
What did you implement this year to stay organized or improve your personal productivity?<br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #666666;">Note: This post <u>is not</u> sponsored by any of the companies/tools that I've mentioned here. These tools may or may not work for you. I'm just sharing what I've found useful personally.</span>Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-9845555115546105642017-12-20T22:31:00.001-08:002017-12-20T22:31:43.244-08:00Blog Cleanup - Archiving Historical PostsI received a notification recently that my domain is going to expire in the near future. I don't want to lose the domain but whenever I renew, I find myself questioning the reason behind maintaining it.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned in my last post, I haven't quite figured out what the future of this blog will be. But, in the meantime, I've decided to do some cleaning up. I'm modifying the layout and clearing out some historical posts that aren't applicable anymore.<br />
<br />
If you maintain a blog, have you archived your past posts? or do you leave them for posterity?<br />
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I'd love to hear your tips and suggestions. Please leave a comment below.Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-22101411048206174712017-11-15T20:55:00.002-08:002017-12-20T22:33:36.293-08:00Creating a Graphical Comparison Without Graphics<b>Long time, no posts. </b>I'm trying to figure out where this blog fits in and whether or not I can (or want to) continue updating it on a regular basis. For right now, I'm just posting when the urge strikes... which obviously isn't often. Thanks for bearing with me.<br />
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Yesterday, I was working on a slidedeck that included a comparison of several different technical solutions. At the end, I wanted to convey a visual summary of the risks and benefits of each option.</div>
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Five minutes before I was to present the slides, I was frantically googling to find the perfect icons to use. I wanted some sort of red/yellow/green lights or gauges, some way to show high/medium/low risk or represent level of effort.</div>
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I couldn't find anything that I liked (and didn't have to pay for). I realized with just a minute or two to spare that I didn't need anything fancy for what I wanted to communicate. I could use simple colored bars in a table on the slide. </div>
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I had started off with text (low, medium, high) and changed the color of the text to correspond to a rating. Then I added highlighting and adjusted some spacing so they'd all be the same width (which is why the text looks a bit funny). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IQrGfiGaqNHJjYrvBMa4EUgZMwAsFciXSILXPFF-Es7WNbYFqJcN1fUIXknH3MHWTR4_IlA8_fYAtroSGW3BJdSjfmyt-C4wBf3FxFCa24FYf7_ihP7jBrKzIxzWNTb7K2r0uRhy-M-v/s1600/2017-11-15_16-11-17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IQrGfiGaqNHJjYrvBMa4EUgZMwAsFciXSILXPFF-Es7WNbYFqJcN1fUIXknH3MHWTR4_IlA8_fYAtroSGW3BJdSjfmyt-C4wBf3FxFCa24FYf7_ihP7jBrKzIxzWNTb7K2r0uRhy-M-v/s400/2017-11-15_16-11-17.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The resulting chart effectively conveyed my message. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayGuGUTPcAev_vspa-Vgtvgfy8B3tJGt-M5KkWSWkgnrFsEmDMEfBlO2O1GTjgytgI59wnn4b-GgZXNI6_5stUUKygjxk8n2YSx91mpQ0siwpwync4uzbqdcjm1VPclla913AeroOPWR7/s1600/2017-11-15_16-10-46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayGuGUTPcAev_vspa-Vgtvgfy8B3tJGt-M5KkWSWkgnrFsEmDMEfBlO2O1GTjgytgI59wnn4b-GgZXNI6_5stUUKygjxk8n2YSx91mpQ0siwpwync4uzbqdcjm1VPclla913AeroOPWR7/s400/2017-11-15_16-10-46.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Just a little reminder that sometimes simple is best.</div>
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-46947638449057827652017-03-16T17:13:00.000-07:002017-03-16T17:13:15.968-07:00Research Project: Getting Feedback on Internal SupportA large chunk of my job involves providing support for co-workers - answering questions, modifying data for them, researching ways to boost efficiency, etc.<br />
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I've been curious about quantifying how I'm doing with keeping my coworkers happy. At the end of the year, I'd like to be able to say something like "<i>I provided support to ## people with a satisfaction rating of 95%.</i>"<br />
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Is this actually valuable? I don't know. I find that as an internal support person, I would like more than a '<i>## task completed</i>' rating when it comes to my own personal evaluation of how I did during the past year. <span style="color: #999999;">(Side note: I am <b>not</b> part of an IT department. This kind of tracking is something that I'm only curious about for my <b>personal</b> use. I'm sure it would be a lot more obviously beneficial for IT or a larger team.)</span><br />
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I started doing some research into methods of tracking 'customer satisfaction'.<br />
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<h4>
Criteria:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Unobtrusive</li>
<li>Easy to add to my email signature</li>
<li>User friendly (goal: 1 click and done)</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
Here are a few of the options I found:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://spridz.com/" target="_blank">Spridz</a></li>
<ul>
<li>7 day free trial, one pricing plan with unlimited usage ($499/year)</li>
<li>Nifty analytics / charts and graphics</li>
<li>Integrates with help desk apps (like Zendesk)</li>
<li>From what I can tell, it seems like you use a link that then sends the recipient to a 'feedback page' where they can vote. This doesn't work with my ideal of one-click solution.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.customerthermometer.com/" target="_blank">Customer Thermometer</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Base plan is $29/month for 50 'credits' (one response = one credit)</li>
<li>Nifty analytics / charts and graphs</li>
<li>Lots of rating icons to choose from (custom supported too)</li>
<li>Supports creating email polls and timed notifications/reminders - I imagine this would be handy for people doing a lot of external customer support.</li>
<li>Customizable landing page based on the rating - This is a neat idea for businesses!</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://teamhively.com/" target="_blank">Hively</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Free plan for up to 3 users (with some limitations), after that it's $15/month</li>
<li>Nifty analytics / charts and graphs</li>
<li>Can customize the appearance of the 'smileys'</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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Based on the screencaptures on their website, I prefer the interface of Spridz. But, I think it would be more valuable for a team scenario rather than an individual user.<br />
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The only option that I found that had a free 1-user plan was Hively.<br />
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I'm currently testing it out, but I'm not even sure if this method is the right one or if this kind of information will be useful to me in the future. I'm just curious.<br />
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To keep it subtle but still noticeable, I changed it from an image-based line to text.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pIkNOvLV2RxYrWEALeUSMgQCP0nFUvKvppEQ0q3WR2E4IhH18t9DvgF51v2nkmZ5FacHu0mvCInPuasHwPQCVSN38QkJJm4UV2kdhJCnUAzGqSCku9Q5IrZuojCBWmJfGYb8SoH9IYzo/s1600/2017-03-16_11-58-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="1" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pIkNOvLV2RxYrWEALeUSMgQCP0nFUvKvppEQ0q3WR2E4IhH18t9DvgF51v2nkmZ5FacHu0mvCInPuasHwPQCVSN38QkJJm4UV2kdhJCnUAzGqSCku9Q5IrZuojCBWmJfGYb8SoH9IYzo/s320/2017-03-16_11-58-33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Hively text voting links at the bottom of my email signature)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What about you? Have you found another way to gather feedback in an unobtrusive way? Or do you feel that trying to track satisfaction when it comes to internal customer support for a single person is pointless? Leave a comment, let me know.</div>
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-64405210315912308432017-01-12T19:40:00.001-08:002017-01-12T20:09:46.994-08:005 Geeky Ways to Help Keep Married Life Organized Next week, my husband and I will be celebrating the day five years ago that we started approaching life from the perspective of 'us' instead of 'I.'<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_Z6d9YpnGykJcLsPxc3ZVZmFhDiXALE39FidDNOKQKcZoN_sLssahcsV4iKRhld2PFZ0rkS5q5GL0P4VNZsH96RHfsNvTSybUTb0UVTYp10XdoQxHy8qJWPVPrgz5J570hB6woWKA3V7/s1600/20161223_085915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_Z6d9YpnGykJcLsPxc3ZVZmFhDiXALE39FidDNOKQKcZoN_sLssahcsV4iKRhld2PFZ0rkS5q5GL0P4VNZsH96RHfsNvTSybUTb0UVTYp10XdoQxHy8qJWPVPrgz5J570hB6woWKA3V7/s400/20161223_085915.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">💕</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sharing your life with a partner involves a lot of adjustment in those first few years, and not just as it relates to how toothpaste tubes should be squeezed or what to do with the toilet seat. Many practical aspects of everyday life become collaborative projects. And here is where technology can help.<br />
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We are using the following techniques to help keep our little family organized, maintain appreciation and build a marriage that we are proud of.<br />
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<h3>
1. Keep Track of Milestones & Adventures</h3>
I've <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2017/01/how-i-became-geekier-in-2016-10.html" target="_blank">mentioned recently</a> that I use Evernote to journal. In addition to ramblings about daily life, I have a tag specifically for journal entries about marriage milestones or special occasions, like anniversaries.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG8XjTsy3iK-_T2x5bFCy542n5KuwwaISMlMkNnTstpPJE06tmbzAhqeuItnaQX7XYGhX8_V2p8Sh8p_xYjhijNPqlKlJG4zWvB0-mEL_T5d0XaTBctWsmHzMuKPFiOJvCxSqkLe5Oj9c/s1600/2017-01-12_19-03-48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG8XjTsy3iK-_T2x5bFCy542n5KuwwaISMlMkNnTstpPJE06tmbzAhqeuItnaQX7XYGhX8_V2p8Sh8p_xYjhijNPqlKlJG4zWvB0-mEL_T5d0XaTBctWsmHzMuKPFiOJvCxSqkLe5Oj9c/s400/2017-01-12_19-03-48.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clip from a photo journal of an anniversary trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A shared Evernote notebook is a good repository for scans of cards, copied and pasted song lyrics, clipped poetry or anything else that feels like 'us.'<br />
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I also have a specific hashtag on Instagram that I use for photos representing these kind of occasions, so I can easily view all of them at once.<br />
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<h3>
2. Keep Track of.... All That Other Stuff Too</h3>
Occasionally, I find myself filling out paperwork for my husband and I can't remember little details. So we keep track of things like license plates, contact prescriptions, allergies, etc. in a shared Evernote notebook.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwZ0_vuWpVNmoPbTA5wJKKly8L3ITHAV_Sett3lNPTPc-zJwpcLcFJuA4dLS8RFRQMNJ0sTkkaAfAzL238uBbFfJGhl8FYQVZgaKYWhXeUFG_BizN8pN9MKMNAl1IlNJFk1226fZcRIlY/s1600/2017-01-12_19-11-56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwZ0_vuWpVNmoPbTA5wJKKly8L3ITHAV_Sett3lNPTPc-zJwpcLcFJuA4dLS8RFRQMNJ0sTkkaAfAzL238uBbFfJGhl8FYQVZgaKYWhXeUFG_BizN8pN9MKMNAl1IlNJFk1226fZcRIlY/s400/2017-01-12_19-11-56.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A note in Evernote with information that we occasionally need access to</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
3. Don't Forget the Little Things</h3>
Whenever my husband does something adorable or unexpected, I jot it down in private note in Evernote. I take photos of flowers that he picks up, scan little love notes that he leaves on occasion and write down sweet things that he says.<br />
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Then, when we are stressed or going through a phase of not communicating as well as usual, I review those little expressions of love. They remind me while things aren't always easy, our relationship is always worth the effort.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW9GvcEJml2maDTuj1k_0m7lGxn8q-1-N59GA16h2P6iz1iYhgZKrGRBm3Q-AOHxzWJgrd1NaH9cTDuRW4Djy-xLOCOzIjK_UNN3fq3Uu5KyIVry7UZfg7xEXAnQHIWrZTa5NcYN4vvE6/s1600/2017-01-12_19-07-04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW9GvcEJml2maDTuj1k_0m7lGxn8q-1-N59GA16h2P6iz1iYhgZKrGRBm3Q-AOHxzWJgrd1NaH9cTDuRW4Djy-xLOCOzIjK_UNN3fq3Uu5KyIVry7UZfg7xEXAnQHIWrZTa5NcYN4vvE6/s400/2017-01-12_19-07-04.png" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo + a simple memory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYI8m5qaudFmoYaMTY60oBRMhnP3mT4NdkLA6CWNn-_8t0XXrts4fPfr7ILXnAuCB2Bn9eTF3eT3hk9CFm9nkrKaD-2ykYuRU8UDxUWJBrODwbv1OErQS0DQUMJYScyFvaHrzffXz2bCx/s1600/2017-01-12_19-01-56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYI8m5qaudFmoYaMTY60oBRMhnP3mT4NdkLA6CWNn-_8t0XXrts4fPfr7ILXnAuCB2Bn9eTF3eT3hk9CFm9nkrKaD-2ykYuRU8UDxUWJBrODwbv1OErQS0DQUMJYScyFvaHrzffXz2bCx/s400/2017-01-12_19-01-56.png" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scan of a note</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
4. Work Together to Achieve Financial Goals</h3>
I don't like to talk about money or my past financial mistakes. It makes me feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. But, we've found that having a shared budget makes everything easier and helps me keep my financial anxiety in check.<br />
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For the first half of our relationship, we maintained separate bank accounts and paid bills independently. It didn't work well.<br />
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We eventually realized that we needed to create a budget, so we created a Google Spreadsheet and itemized our income and monthly, incidental and annual expenses.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTjDevpiBrJjGbUZsi0BMo016QK4SqOFLb3HfQ-cMWoanhPitVW9netcldkJwswUMRiNg7adeJzH9ZnMGdC4g1XQNsf2QHZempkRGBa0NvE-ci2OKPheSTxrN7IHwkjRUCcr0Gg4fa_oB/s1600/2017-01-12_19-19-46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTjDevpiBrJjGbUZsi0BMo016QK4SqOFLb3HfQ-cMWoanhPitVW9netcldkJwswUMRiNg7adeJzH9ZnMGdC4g1XQNsf2QHZempkRGBa0NvE-ci2OKPheSTxrN7IHwkjRUCcr0Gg4fa_oB/s640/2017-01-12_19-19-46.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We periodically review our budget in this shared spreadsheet and make adjustments as needed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once we started using <a href="https://www.simple.com/" target="_blank">Simple</a> and their awesome <a href="https://www.simple.com/help/articles/goals/budgeting-with-goals" target="_blank">Goals</a> functionality, we were able to work toward paying off debt and start sticking to a budget.<br />
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Simple recently made <a href="https://www.simple.com/shared-account" target="_blank">shared accounts available in beta</a> and we jumped on board!<br />
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<h3>
5. Stay Organized with a Family Calendar</h3>
We maintain a shared "Family" calendar using Google Calendar that we both access with our mobile devices (on both Android and iOS).<br />
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Having this as a separate shared calendar associated with my email account means that I can create private events like my daily schedule or personal reminders on my primary calendar. But for anything that involves us both or that my husband should know about, I add it to the Family calendar.<br />
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Another shared calendar (that I've named "Finances" for obvious reasons) keeps track of monthly bill due dates and payment plans for unexpected bills like medical expenses following an emergency surgery.<br />
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Each monthly bill event has a reminder a few days in advance to help prevent late payments. When I make a payment, I update the event for that month (not the whole series) to include "PAID" in the title and the amount applied to the account. This makes it easy to confirm at a glance that we paid those bills.<br />
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<a href="https://support.google.com/a/answer/1626902?hl=en" target="_blank">Here's how to create a shared Google Calendar.</a><br />
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<h3>
What about you?</h3>
Have you found any specific technology useful in keeping your family organized? Please share in the comments!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-boYeTNrcUgY9HEfgDcEldMjPcM1SxQ6PNQGH2kMr3f_WVIpoe3b_QTWMZ0MsWQGMCW8JH_CFQhFgep3VPJ5OYuIPkpDOqWsJu6GReH7TaEvx7CxoSW3pqGyhxUlRdMC7-7rAwKz2jfL/s1600/geeky_married.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" class="hiddenpinimage" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-boYeTNrcUgY9HEfgDcEldMjPcM1SxQ6PNQGH2kMr3f_WVIpoe3b_QTWMZ0MsWQGMCW8JH_CFQhFgep3VPJ5OYuIPkpDOqWsJu6GReH7TaEvx7CxoSW3pqGyhxUlRdMC7-7rAwKz2jfL/s320/geeky_married.jpg" width="320" /></a>Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-72771733153193476372017-01-07T00:14:00.001-08:002017-01-12T19:41:53.859-08:00How I Became Geekier in 2016 - 10 Productivity IdeasIt's been nearly a year since my last post. Super lame. I've had lots of ideas of geeky things to share but I just haven't gotten to the point of actually drafting them. I used to be so much more motivated to blog. 😐<br />
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But today, I thought I'd share a yearly summary of geeky things I tried and learned this year. The last time I shared a post like this was <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2010/01/how-i-became-geekier-in-2009.html" target="_blank">in 2010</a>. 7 years ago! A lot has changed since then.<br />
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I find myself continually refining my methods of personal organization and my use of technology to help me be more efficient with everyday tasks. Read on for more information about these 10 ways that I became geekier in 2016:<br />
<ol>
<li>Started tracking daily <b>habits</b></li>
<li>Began rounding up my purchases and <b>investing</b> that money</li>
<li>Joined a <b>gym</b> and began tracking my workouts</li>
<li>Started keeping an easy (almost) daily <b>journal</b></li>
<li>Organized my <b>Recipe</b> notebook in Evernote with tags</li>
<li>Organized my <b>reading</b> list and collected quotes in Airtable</li>
<li>Began <b>scanning</b> hardcopy journals into Evernote</li>
<li>Began <b>documenting</b> life in 1 second videos every day</li>
<li>Started using Google <b>Reminders</b> more</li>
<li>Tried to figure out how to help my future self accomplish <b>tasks</b> that I struggle with</li>
</ol>
<i>Note: I use an Android phone and Mac computer, so any apps or software that I reference below are for those operating systems. If you're interested in any of the techniques I've tried, I'm sure you can find apps for whatever OS you are comfortable with.</i><br />
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<h3>
1. Started tracking daily habits</h3>
I'm working on living a more balanced life and to help remind me of my daily goals, as well as track how successful I am at sticking to good habits, I began using an app called <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.isoron.uhabits" target="_blank"><b>Loop</b></a>.<br />
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Loop lets me create widgets on my phone that I can tap when I've completed the goal for the day. I can also specify how often I want to set the goal for myself (which affects analytics for tracking my success), such as exercising 3 times per week, working on showing 'personal interest' (which for me means showing interest in other people's lives, like sending someone a card or striking up a conversation with a stranger) and speaking my husband's <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/" target="_blank">love language</a> every day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RRGJqctUH7CgPPxKwMB9E_4ALJ32aUkbpTzymkry-bQBU_rQvWQz6PVjfMZ1HQMLSM9Go4u8lJEiEgGv9gFklVQliteJMzTwpe_Qd2dUeyCqUHKc0k8AKU3Kxj8ATTt8mgMaVQCm09f6/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-213403.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RRGJqctUH7CgPPxKwMB9E_4ALJ32aUkbpTzymkry-bQBU_rQvWQz6PVjfMZ1HQMLSM9Go4u8lJEiEgGv9gFklVQliteJMzTwpe_Qd2dUeyCqUHKc0k8AKU3Kxj8ATTt8mgMaVQCm09f6/s320/Screenshot_20170106-213403.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Habit widgets on my home screen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_5eKa-Uo_C3BVH68LA6ryC6ePTI2zLqciroDoPXjqJUrFVIoBYnh3b659Owhp3660-utbolCjcKe948F5LohrXglqe62NkFB2Y3hWbignHbMIweZUDMBxnTJdNaUI8Q97CDmdoDGuVoh/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-213427.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_5eKa-Uo_C3BVH68LA6ryC6ePTI2zLqciroDoPXjqJUrFVIoBYnh3b659Owhp3660-utbolCjcKe948F5LohrXglqe62NkFB2Y3hWbignHbMIweZUDMBxnTJdNaUI8Q97CDmdoDGuVoh/s400/Screenshot_20170106-213427.png" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can also check them off in the app</td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQOB01lKg-Q/WHCZz7YV1vI/AAAAAAAB-dY/WAiULeX2468zXGXoxjDatfI2YKH4ri7WgCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-213449.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQOB01lKg-Q/WHCZz7YV1vI/AAAAAAAB-dY/WAiULeX2468zXGXoxjDatfI2YKH4ri7WgCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-213449.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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<h3>
2. Began rounding up my purchases and investing that money</h3>
I've always been really intimidated by investing. This year I discovered the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acorns.android" target="_blank"><b>Acorns</b></a> app that rounds up your purchases to the next dollar and invests that money for you. You can choose the level of risk for your portfolio (I chose the most conservative one). In just a few months, I've invested about $60. That's a pretty small amount, but it's a start.<br />
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Acorns costs $1 per month, but allows you to invest or withdraw your money at any time at no charge. If you're interested in giving it a try, <a href="https://acorns.com/invite/39G98V" target="_blank">here's my referral link</a> <i>(we both get $5 if you start using it!)</i>.<br />
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If you don't want to invest your spare change but still want to automatically save it, check out <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qapital" target="_blank"><b>Qapital</b></a>. It lets you create rules for saving, like 'save $1 every time I make a purchase at Starbucks' or use the roundup method like Acorns uses. It also works with IFTTT (super cool!), so you could create a rule like 'save $1 every day it rains'. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, that rule could yield a nice little savings account over the course of the year. 😊 There are no monthly or annual fees. Qapital doesn't work with my bank yet but I'm going to check for updates later.<br />
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<h3>
3. Joined a gym and began tracking my workouts</h3>
After years of being terrified (not exaggerating!) of joining a gym, I finally got over my fears this summer. I found a great deal on Groupon for a month membership at a local gym, which included two personal training sessions. The training sessions were critical in getting over my fears; I was intimidated by all the machines and my personal trainer gave me the support and guidance to try them. After that month trial, we went ahead and paid for an annual membership. Since joining, I've lost around 16lbs and am really happy with increases in my strength and endurance.<br />
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To help me keep track of progress and create workout routines, I'm using <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.jamesgay.fitnotes" target="_blank"><b>FitNotes</b></a>. I like that I can set goals, track my personal records and organize my workouts so I'm not aimless.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPbsY5h46Mk/WHCZzxu1n3I/AAAAAAAB-dY/DDPicFDtqlAMWKvgrlYsMqKu-XJvpSfVACPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-220421.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPbsY5h46Mk/WHCZzxu1n3I/AAAAAAAB-dY/DDPicFDtqlAMWKvgrlYsMqKu-XJvpSfVACPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-220421.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KiyY_QQ6RAs/WHCZz8y5TaI/AAAAAAAB-dY/3alcytRFsVkHPd__Gl6_PcZcfF0e9UV5wCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-220220.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KiyY_QQ6RAs/WHCZz8y5TaI/AAAAAAAB-dY/3alcytRFsVkHPd__Gl6_PcZcfF0e9UV5wCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-220220.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gd9N8BABRb8/WHCZz1JaW4I/AAAAAAAB-dY/hf2OP49YxDEfnJMMSvajrHyDqMXAeyn1wCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-220233.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gd9N8BABRb8/WHCZz1JaW4I/AAAAAAAB-dY/hf2OP49YxDEfnJMMSvajrHyDqMXAeyn1wCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-220233.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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Another perk of joining the gym is that the company I work for offers a fitness rewards program through <a href="https://incentfit.com/" target="_blank">Incentfit</a>. I get a financial reward for gym visits and exercise, up to $20 per month! This ends up paying for my gym membership. 👍<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ07mNiLlOo/WHCZzxHcAJI/AAAAAAAB-dY/9Q0fvhQSiqgaDI2B8BDCbngCWY2x9oH3wCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-220818.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ07mNiLlOo/WHCZzxHcAJI/AAAAAAAB-dY/9Q0fvhQSiqgaDI2B8BDCbngCWY2x9oH3wCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-220818.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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<i>Side note: I wouldn't have had the guts to join the gym without my husband. Working out together has become a really rewarding (albeit challenging) bonding experience.</i><br />
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<h3>
4. Started keeping an easy (almost) daily journal</h3>
One of my goals for the year was to journal more often. To make that less intimidating, I set up a <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt" target="_blank"><b>IFTTT</b></a> applet that runs when I tap a button on my homescreen and appends a sentence or two with a timestamp to a single note in Evernote that I've entitled "[BLURB JOURNAL] 2016". For the year, I saved 115 entries with that handy little button. I like this method, so I've updated my applet for 2017.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vU0ABYVMGhY/WHCZzz4nVkI/AAAAAAAB-dY/KVHYGKF7YZ067x_tFv7EWLK6qNmIAztjgCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-221611.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vU0ABYVMGhY/WHCZzz4nVkI/AAAAAAAB-dY/KVHYGKF7YZ067x_tFv7EWLK6qNmIAztjgCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-221611.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIJPihht9CE/WHCZz2BVA1I/AAAAAAAB-dY/gLov9DJ3BuMFvhWjyYoOdwS8ohWqhjRGQCPcB/s1600/20170106_222107.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIJPihht9CE/WHCZz2BVA1I/AAAAAAAB-dY/gLov9DJ3BuMFvhWjyYoOdwS8ohWqhjRGQCPcB/s400/20170106_222107.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Side note: <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2016/01/simple-single-sentence-journal-using-do.html" target="_blank">Here's the method I used</a> to set up my journal applet, although a few things have changed with IFTTT's apps since then. Now everything is rolled into a single app rather than a separate Note and Do app.<br />
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<h3>
5. Organized my Recipe notebook in Evernote with tags</h3>
For the past few years, I've been saving recipes in an Evernote notebook. I had accumulated several thousand, either from scanning printed recipes, browsing the web or jotting down notes from meals made by family members.<br />
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But, I struggled with how to organize the notebook effectively. There were a lot of recipes that I saved and then forgot about.<br />
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So, I went through the whole lot of them and deleted any that I knew I'd probably never make. I created nested tags for the categories I wanted to use, like appetizers, desserts, dinners, etc. Then I tagged anything I had made (and liked) with a 'MADE' tag. That way, I can search specifically for slow cooker recipes that I've made, for example.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gweVoeT7k_U/WHCZz9S9ueI/AAAAAAAB-dY/EScEVbiqHYM6vYOO1Vl84q8498l47fP_gCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-222720.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gweVoeT7k_U/WHCZz9S9ueI/AAAAAAAB-dY/EScEVbiqHYM6vYOO1Vl84q8498l47fP_gCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-222720.png" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my recipe tags in Evernote, nested under a main Recipe tag for easy organization</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltmAQN-60s1KSOg5vUXJ7n4BLXiX2BZNTVS7qh1jzRq4anHhu9-jXJlwvF9IYalcan0Y1f6piL72hVF1nh_3RsjMHsUPjTIblIBBLbEHl5ml3Dg1KxuDm6m_G3GBuFdPIUjdPa1MJaJnO/s1600/2017-01-06_23-54-43.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltmAQN-60s1KSOg5vUXJ7n4BLXiX2BZNTVS7qh1jzRq4anHhu9-jXJlwvF9IYalcan0Y1f6piL72hVF1nh_3RsjMHsUPjTIblIBBLbEHl5ml3Dg1KxuDm6m_G3GBuFdPIUjdPa1MJaJnO/s640/2017-01-06_23-54-43.png" width="587" /></a></div>
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Filtering through and tagging the recipes took some time. But, I've already noticed that it is a lot easier to find what I'm looking for. In the past I relied on keyword searches, but often I don't know exactly what I want to make... I'm just seeking inspiration for a yummy breakfast or an easy meal that I can cook in the pressure cooker. Utilizing the tags has helped me to try new recipes and in doing so I've added to my repertoire of family favorites.<br />
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<h3>
6. Organized my reading list and collected quotes in Airtable</h3>
I discovered <a href="https://airtable.com/" target="_blank"><b>Airtable</b></a> this year (thanks Antonio!), and I'm a huge fan. It's a tool that allows you to create easily navigable relational databases. It's like Microsoft Access married Google Sheets and they had a super smart and handy baby. 😃<br />
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I had been keeping track of books I've read or want to read in a Google Sheet. For most books that I read, I had been typing quotes into a note in Evernote, but that was rather tedious. So, I started using the Kindle app for digital books I check out from the library, which saves any highlighted quotes and makes them accessible from my Amazon account (here's where I access mine: <a href="https://kindle.amazon.com/your_highlights">https://kindle.amazon.com/your_highlights</a>)<br />
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My book list and saved quotes resided in two separate locations. To unite them, I created an Airtable database where I can view filtered or grouped lists like 'books I would recommend', 'series I've liked', etc. I've also pasted quotes from my Kindle highlights and associated them with each book. This level of personal organization makes me feel at peace. I can extract a list of my favorite authors or figure out which series I haven't finished yet (whenever I find a new series I like, I input every book and then mark off them off as I read them), so I'll never be at a loss for what to read next.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqKzRBwaEcMROk8GAbD4Oia4riWRM1HN_FZAU6SBwQunLvVIbDYHCKmVOdbIbdIuUKyKHAnVk4LQ34K_kzZLjdjGatAnw6k0sgZQPbhyi4lg38MHmiMKLYvVKmhGtDCf9LJfqEEqDp0N-/s1600/2017-01-06_22-40-15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqKzRBwaEcMROk8GAbD4Oia4riWRM1HN_FZAU6SBwQunLvVIbDYHCKmVOdbIbdIuUKyKHAnVk4LQ34K_kzZLjdjGatAnw6k0sgZQPbhyi4lg38MHmiMKLYvVKmhGtDCf9LJfqEEqDp0N-/s640/2017-01-06_22-40-15.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gallery view of some of my favorite reads - I added a field for the cover and drag an image into it for visual organization</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOTkTgVVXPVT2myz06fQfqjdE-vVZXBCtTnXvmKoqMc5M7YBba5ezYstabV8vGSCEzgyq3c-0dYBmhgPHW5Vx56RDSIMiYHYD5skPRyFElgMnN1lcApPuejBkESVf-18spuzWGxKCqXUp/s1600/2017-01-06_22-50-33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOTkTgVVXPVT2myz06fQfqjdE-vVZXBCtTnXvmKoqMc5M7YBba5ezYstabV8vGSCEzgyq3c-0dYBmhgPHW5Vx56RDSIMiYHYD5skPRyFElgMnN1lcApPuejBkESVf-18spuzWGxKCqXUp/s640/2017-01-06_22-50-33.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">List view, grouped by Series</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOol322yTPd7ls62940z2pWT4KaOu7MaiOZQC3lCn9T2do6voKiRl7uUsK2bgCGTTrtxE866lJ_u_p92qDCuKLWBerEyilv3PgoZN5vjfQ6zdly96pr59b5eqgyXdjfgVvlsBE2Nnr5ET4/s1600/2017-01-06_22-52-35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOol322yTPd7ls62940z2pWT4KaOu7MaiOZQC3lCn9T2do6voKiRl7uUsK2bgCGTTrtxE866lJ_u_p92qDCuKLWBerEyilv3PgoZN5vjfQ6zdly96pr59b5eqgyXdjfgVvlsBE2Nnr5ET4/s640/2017-01-06_22-52-35.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quotes that I've copied and pasted from my Kindle highlights</td></tr>
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When I come across a word I don't know while reading, I highlight it in a different color in the Kindle app and add it to a list of vocabulary words in my database.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1beDV3uR2HsC5iiXh02H0o9d1FdgHpllaOnPTPfH2vaHeGU1_aHPVhp6-o7pYdBgQs3hJcqGBhmxw1ouHu3ShTZYmdXlGcNuwttP1PdTLkoGr-w4yb_ia3Ru77FGUV_bn92lco0j-0v4/s1600/2017-01-06_22-55-25.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1beDV3uR2HsC5iiXh02H0o9d1FdgHpllaOnPTPfH2vaHeGU1_aHPVhp6-o7pYdBgQs3hJcqGBhmxw1ouHu3ShTZYmdXlGcNuwttP1PdTLkoGr-w4yb_ia3Ru77FGUV_bn92lco0j-0v4/s640/2017-01-06_22-55-25.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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Airtable supports viewing tables in several ways - I use the list (like a spreadsheet) and gallery most.<br />
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PS - I occasionally post quotes from my favorite reads <a href="http://nothingbutmorelife.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<h3>
7. Began scanning hardcopy journals into Evernote</h3>
I've been journaling since my pre-teen years and have accumulated quote a few bound notebooks. In an effort to reduce clutter, I'm trying to digitize as much as possible and those notebooks have been one of my latest scanning endeavors.<br />
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The notebooks aren't standard in size or format, and I wrote on both sides of the pages. So, I've had to cut them apart in order to scan with our <a href="http://www.getdoxie.com/" target="_blank">Doxie portable scanner.</a> After scanning, I use the Doxie app to clip journal entries together and then import them into Evernote. Some of my journals include several years' worth of entries. I'm still figuring out how I want to organize these, but for now I'm grouping them into a single note in Evernote. Eventually I may split them by date.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFupF6m9GHmd7K-jdTwDvrqCm0rnLi7p0aKSq9IgTsb5InRnR9_HF_3M0uo9ChiBDAIJrM80ec8ndrR6JdM-8tFX-jH5iQYAVdNsrYoxdRdmAnc25QvYbFfG19XMVSi8XrCAV8cG05avo/s1600/2017-01-07_00-02-10.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFupF6m9GHmd7K-jdTwDvrqCm0rnLi7p0aKSq9IgTsb5InRnR9_HF_3M0uo9ChiBDAIJrM80ec8ndrR6JdM-8tFX-jH5iQYAVdNsrYoxdRdmAnc25QvYbFfG19XMVSi8XrCAV8cG05avo/s640/2017-01-07_00-02-10.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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The process is slow, but I'm just focusing on one journal at a time and scanning whenever I have extra time. I'm excited to be able to destroy the paper copies.<br />
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<h3>
8. Began documenting life in 1 second videos every day</h3>
On the day that I turned 31 this year, I started using the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.touchlab.android.onesecondeveryday" target="_blank"><b>1 Second Everyday</b></a> app to save a video snippet every day (or <i>almost</i> every day. I manage to remember about 75% of the time).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zykGSJ1HNuY/WHChGH6_-4I/AAAAAAAB-fA/P2Awm6z2eJE2LlY-UhYE1QxiOaiNJG-tgCPcB/s1600/Screenshot_20170106-212748.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zykGSJ1HNuY/WHChGH6_-4I/AAAAAAAB-fA/P2Awm6z2eJE2LlY-UhYE1QxiOaiNJG-tgCPcB/s640/Screenshot_20170106-212748.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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When my 31st year is over, I'll use the app to compile my daily videos. It's a fun way to look back on memories.<br />
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9. Started using Google Reminders more</h3>
I've been using Google Tasks for some time but I was never quite satisfied with the fact that I couldn't get reminders or view them on my calendar on my phone. But Google Reminders have fixed all that. Plus, they sync between my devices and all the Google apps that I use - like Inbox, Keep, Calendar and Now (on my phone).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ5uqGI23oYCj07Tb4zHjwWg2nGTki_-V8HwxEaPK3YcI8kvkNVL7sXG5CDJ_7io5O1D_YaqvkLbXH56CxiaxPLo9-L_QIlcSIJ5cIklad1IBgMpFgcxCLfoqIquAoSeCHdnJjq-BwSaY/s1600/2017-01-06_23-14-58.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ5uqGI23oYCj07Tb4zHjwWg2nGTki_-V8HwxEaPK3YcI8kvkNVL7sXG5CDJ_7io5O1D_YaqvkLbXH56CxiaxPLo9-L_QIlcSIJ5cIklad1IBgMpFgcxCLfoqIquAoSeCHdnJjq-BwSaY/s640/2017-01-06_23-14-58.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
When I want to remind myself to send someone a card next week or start the oven at 4pm or make a salad to bring to a party, I use whatever device I'm on to add the reminder. Most often, I use Google Now's voice recognition and just say "Okay Google.... remind me to make a salad for the party on Saturday at 1pm'. I get an alert on my phone at the appropriate time and can snooze the reminder for another time or day if needed.<br />
<br />
<h3>
10. Tried to figure out how to help my future self accomplish tasks that I struggle with</h3>
Sometimes I find myself struggling to accomplish a specific task, like submitting an expense report for work or paying a specific bill. Lately, I've been trying to ask myself "Why am I struggling with this? What would make it easier?" Sometimes the answer is that I can't easily recall how to complete the task, like the steps to enter that expense report. Other times, the information I need to complete the task isn't easily accessible, like the website or account number for paying the bill.<br />
<br />
Identifying these scenarios and figuring out how to best help my future self with them is an ongoing project.<br />
<br />
But here are a few examples of the solutions I've implemented:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Problem</b>: I can't remember how to prepare an expense report<br /><b>Solution</b>: I created a note in Evernote with screen captures and a link to the website I need to use for expense reports</li>
<li><b>Problem</b>: I forget where to go to pay this bill and I don't always have the account number handy<br /><b>Solution</b>: In the Google Calendar event that reminds me to pay the bill, I added a link to the website and the account number in the Description area</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
What's next for 2017?</h3>
<div>
I never get tired of learning more about personal organization and productivity. I'm excited to continue with some of the habits I've established this year and work toward being even more organized in 2017.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you have any personal productivity tips that you've found successful? Have you improved your digital organization in the past year? Share your thoughts in the comments.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #999999;">Note: I have <b>not</b> been compensated or prompted to use or post about any of the apps or tools I've mentioned in this post. I just like to share what has worked for me!</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhMthm6XxtOrGl1orgS0T0hhyphenhyphenhrYjIhQ0AmUYEjrXV7v_nhlEZe0WGuBhRYKpskxC4F8lIDAbDFNLu2CBl-IFad8rB4pGeFR_lAwFjlBtzli9XSRgRM5ZsVnRngrH1m-WlE4KAIea2u0M/s1600/geekier-in-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="hiddenpinimage" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhMthm6XxtOrGl1orgS0T0hhyphenhyphenhrYjIhQ0AmUYEjrXV7v_nhlEZe0WGuBhRYKpskxC4F8lIDAbDFNLu2CBl-IFad8rB4pGeFR_lAwFjlBtzli9XSRgRM5ZsVnRngrH1m-WlE4KAIea2u0M/s320/geekier-in-2016.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></div>
Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-21067847798852349122016-02-29T08:56:00.000-08:002016-02-29T08:56:05.219-08:00Easily RSVP to Unopened Calendar Requests from Your Inbox with GmailHappy Monday!<br />
<br />
As I was processing my inbox this morning, a meeting invitation reminded me of a handy little feature in Gmail that lets you RSVP directly from your inbox (without having to open the email).<br />
<br />
This is especially useful when I've been corresponding with someone and have been expecting a calendar invitation to come through.<br />
<br />
Here's what it looks like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRUpjF-N1LYIJYhxnrCkjvh4LbOCiP24aSTt1tKQi5EGhXFXtIWB-iGWBB8T4hC-QacIKZ2zkAs-zY6PMS4n_5HMxCyXu6820rzaGvId9l9H3lAYXYt1hwRSdimWSf-yORi8lmbpJ4E9Y/s1600/2016-02-29_08-45-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRUpjF-N1LYIJYhxnrCkjvh4LbOCiP24aSTt1tKQi5EGhXFXtIWB-iGWBB8T4hC-QacIKZ2zkAs-zY6PMS4n_5HMxCyXu6820rzaGvId9l9H3lAYXYt1hwRSdimWSf-yORi8lmbpJ4E9Y/s640/2016-02-29_08-45-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
I can click on the RSVP button and choose my response. It's a little feature that speeds up my inbox processing time.<br />
<br />
Have you stumbled upon any handy Gmail features that give your inbox productivity a boost? Share in the comments!Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-61233847690440448292016-01-25T10:35:00.002-08:002016-01-25T10:36:51.325-08:00How to Save 5 Seconds: Accessing Salesforce License Count for AdminsWhenever someone asks me "How many Salesforce licenses do we have available?", I start navigating through the admin panel and think to myself "I wish I had a speedier way to get to this information."<br />
<br />
Today, I had a spark of inspiration. And for my fellow Salesforce Admin's benefit, I figured out exactly how much time this little spark will save me: <b>5 seconds</b>.<br />
<br />
But, this is about more than time savings... it's about freeing up my brain to focus on other things too.<br />
<br />
I realized that I could bookmark directly to the related list that shows the number of user licenses.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tools I Used</h3>
<a href="https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html" target="_blank">Chrome</a> (my favorite browser)<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/speed-dial-2/jpfpebmajhhopeonhlcgidhclcccjcik?hl=en" target="_blank">Speed Dial 2</a> (extension for Chrome) - <i>optional</i><br />
<br />
Speed Dial 2 allows me to create bookmarks on the new tab screen. As an alternative, I can use the bookmarks bar in Chrome for easy access.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaejwbg6tzSAEq4Gbn2snEmb_w6l_X3FHjdNuAFxxlLsZ0bu8vpr7HMuY8YgBVWOAZEzd-UlGkcHuUaYhOoSNT0C8pAd38sAhE8EWpSqNpPNMsBNYf0irC56lQcdqlM6ZfkHGwabhh6Y-/s1600/2016-01-25_10-27-50.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaejwbg6tzSAEq4Gbn2snEmb_w6l_X3FHjdNuAFxxlLsZ0bu8vpr7HMuY8YgBVWOAZEzd-UlGkcHuUaYhOoSNT0C8pAd38sAhE8EWpSqNpPNMsBNYf0irC56lQcdqlM6ZfkHGwabhh6Y-/s640/2016-01-25_10-27-50.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current Speed Dial 2 bookmarks for work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Setup</h3>
<ul>
<li>Navigate to the Company Information page in Salesforce (Setup -> Company Profile)</li>
<li>Right click on the User Licenses related list link at the top of the page and click 'copy link address'. This will give you the url to jump directly to that section.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN_A8gKV2rMtgLXIX1I2bQT5I1uCUipxUng4tr7y3WKoNaXfBRq_aIT9m1nJ1nAwp0Vxa4DspwCjIoSyK9MwyL5txyT7vomG4QxMN2u7LdOIBvxmARl55F2LB0yPO_UFO-lnz3UcbKLxK/s1600/2016-01-25_10-29-06.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN_A8gKV2rMtgLXIX1I2bQT5I1uCUipxUng4tr7y3WKoNaXfBRq_aIT9m1nJ1nAwp0Vxa4DspwCjIoSyK9MwyL5txyT7vomG4QxMN2u7LdOIBvxmARl55F2LB0yPO_UFO-lnz3UcbKLxK/s400/2016-01-25_10-29-06.png" width="400" /></a></li>
<li>Create a new bookmark in Speed Dial 2 or add the link to your bookmark bar.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvn8v6R6s_sdlJNeVj5VjbYgE5e8K_HBkKKsuJdxNQ0W2gpgXdVY0bu6umi2tqNZzzxIhBFomHPBWNwXWD4Vb2nwW-w10Q4r_6f74MaZO_xmRrljYQSg8TZscdlaGoiT8TQk9RDCslD-i/s1600/2016-01-25_10-30-30.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvn8v6R6s_sdlJNeVj5VjbYgE5e8K_HBkKKsuJdxNQ0W2gpgXdVY0bu6umi2tqNZzzxIhBFomHPBWNwXWD4Vb2nwW-w10Q4r_6f74MaZO_xmRrljYQSg8TZscdlaGoiT8TQk9RDCslD-i/s400/2016-01-25_10-30-30.png" width="400" /></a></li>
</ul>
And now, for the time-savings comparison:<br />
<br />
<h3>
Previous Method - Manual Navigation</h3>
<ol>
<li>Someone asks: "How many Salesforce licenses do we have available?"</li>
<li>I navigate to where I have Salesforce already open. </li>
<li>I click on the Setup link.</li>
<li>I expand the Company Profile section and then click on Company Information. </li>
<li>I click on the User Licenses related list link to jump to the list. </li>
<li>I note the number of remaining licenses and hop back to my email inbox to respond.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>Time spent: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><b>11 seconds</b></span>. <i>This could probably be faster, but I'm still adjusting to the new setup side panel layout in Salesforce.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
New Method - Bookmark</h3>
<ol>
<li>Someone asks: "How many Salesforce licenses do we have available?"</li>
<li>I open a new tab. </li>
<li>I click on my bookmark.</li>
<li>I note the number of remaining licenses and hop back to my email inbox to respond. </li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>Time spent: <span style="color: #38761d;">6 seconds</span></b>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The time savings might not seem that significant. But, for me it's about more than the time. This method eases a minor frustration and enables me to move on with my day. It requires less thought and navigation. I like that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you have a simple tip for automating part of a process that would normally frustrate you on a Monday morning? Share in the comments!</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-86289123166857299852016-01-02T21:44:00.004-08:002016-02-01T15:24:56.352-08:00Simple Single Sentence Journal Using DO Note from IFTTT<span style="background-color: yellow;">[Update - 2/1/16]</span> <a href="https://youtu.be/fr_0zRJncfg" target="_blank">Here's a brief video demo that will walk you through the steps to create your own single sentence journal in Evernote using DO Note from IFTTT.</a><br />
<br />
I love journaling.<br />
<br />
Umm. Let me rephrase. I love <i>the idea</i> <i>of</i> journaling.<br />
<br />
In the past (read: ages 10-23), I kept paper journals filled with my dreams, observations and silly sketches. But, writing on paper with an actual pen isn't something that I make time for anymore. (And when I attempt to, my hand cramps up after 4 sentences. Weakling.) Now, a bit of typing? That is a different story. <i>That I can do! </i>I don't need to carry around a paper notebook and a writing utensil, and then worry about misplacing the journal and who might happen upon my ridiculous rambling thoughts. All I need is my phone or tablet.<br />
<br />
I switched to keeping a digital journal in the past year, relying on my favorite digital organization software: <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>.<br />
<br />
In my Journal notebook, I create notes and upload photos documenting memorable moments, blurbs from hilarious conversations with my husband and random thoughts about life that pop into my head. I can sit and type at my computer when I have a little time during the day, or I can use the Evernote app on my phone to record my thoughts in an audio format (or simply type them).<br />
<br />
Using Evernote has made journaling something that I enjoy (on occasion) again. But, I've been considering how to motivate myself to maintain a more consistent chronicle of my life.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="float: right;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Everyday events, it turns out, make us far happier to remember than we expect. So while a simple coffee date with an old friend or a night in cooking for your better half might not seem worth remembering, thinking back on these simple occurrences actually can bring us great pleasure later on. - Jessica Stillman, <a href="http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/can-just-a-sentence-a-day-make-you-happier.html" target="_blank">'Can Just a Sentence a Day Make You Happier?'</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
And I think I've stumbled upon a simple way to do just that. I'm going to give it a try for 2016.<br />
<br />
It all started when I read <a href="http://lifehacker.com/keep-a-single-sentence-journal-if-you-don-t-have-time-1694427601" target="_blank">this article on Lifehacker about keeping a 'single sentence journal</a>', quoting <a href="http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/can-just-a-sentence-a-day-make-you-happier.html" target="_blank">this post from Jessica Stillman on Inc.com</a> where she shared the concept promoted by author Gretchen Rubin (PS - I'm currently making my way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Project-Morning-Aristotle-Generally/dp/006158326X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a> by Rubin. It's a wonderful read).<br />
<br />
I loved the idea and knew I wanted to automate the process as much as possible, to increase the likelihood of me sticking to it.<br />
<br />
Enter DO from IFTTT. (If you aren't familiar with IFTTT, check out <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2012/08/an-awesome-way-to-automate-your-life.html" target="_blank">my post about this wondrous tool</a>.) There are 3 flavors of the DO app - Note, Button and Camera. Each allows you to perform an action by tapping on a widget on your phone.<br />
<br />
In this case, I want to create a log of sentences for each day. I used <a href="https://ifttt.com/recipes/257273-log-great-quotes-in-a-spreadsheet" target="_blank">this recipe</a> to get started, and then customized it to add entries to a Google Document.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrxybEqivTsLlUCOd5KjEcqAnpV9O_98u-p_XfIkwyjE80D-Y4ejLoTmxy3W6R4RnatxRHXztz2Kv_M-i8qCxw3oLZyVhxjSRR1wV33ao-Kcez29iQ6P0XdRAEhnHIXsmw3fzTMP3Qv6d/s1600/Screenshot_2016-01-02-20-58-59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrxybEqivTsLlUCOd5KjEcqAnpV9O_98u-p_XfIkwyjE80D-Y4ejLoTmxy3W6R4RnatxRHXztz2Kv_M-i8qCxw3oLZyVhxjSRR1wV33ao-Kcez29iQ6P0XdRAEhnHIXsmw3fzTMP3Qv6d/s400/Screenshot_2016-01-02-20-58-59.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I created a widget on my homescreen that fires up my DO Note recipe with a quick tap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh167AAWnEN5D60qZ0kMwkEpD6NwZRO2Xgl4Kyz9Bup5Def8tpcSs-hEITetzr1YOw00sTG8LoPXSy9hbQA8rqZYv_TKzb_xF_UT5FIEnm5Yy3neU1K1jTzUjopNOEF0oPjpbxeUBQ-3I7B/s1600/Screenshot_2016-01-02-20-59-18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh167AAWnEN5D60qZ0kMwkEpD6NwZRO2Xgl4Kyz9Bup5Def8tpcSs-hEITetzr1YOw00sTG8LoPXSy9hbQA8rqZYv_TKzb_xF_UT5FIEnm5Yy3neU1K1jTzUjopNOEF0oPjpbxeUBQ-3I7B/s400/Screenshot_2016-01-02-20-59-18.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I type my sentence for the day and click on the Drive (or Evernote) button.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfyVWqSYNDREnA1BtObXqW0ywR03a7EibMGtju7pjiztwXD_t6A2mDAs1wCPHPXHU3R-sWmK3NwcMI-B7ISm_3Ps0Oejl4pUe1P9FFGN9MohHpflcRbQ-MNl6zta_K7M3aoT7u-Xu59TA/s1600/Single_Sentence_Journal_-_Google_Docs_and_Evernote_Premium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfyVWqSYNDREnA1BtObXqW0ywR03a7EibMGtju7pjiztwXD_t6A2mDAs1wCPHPXHU3R-sWmK3NwcMI-B7ISm_3Ps0Oejl4pUe1P9FFGN9MohHpflcRbQ-MNl6zta_K7M3aoT7u-Xu59TA/s640/Single_Sentence_Journal_-_Google_Docs_and_Evernote_Premium.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The resulting document will be updated with each entry I add.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I customized the formatting a bit so that the date is appended after my entry and italicized. (Basic HTML formatting is supported.)<br />
<br />
After I tested the recipe and found that it works well, I decided that it would make more sense to create the entries in Evernote, since that's where my main journal is. So, I'm going to create a new recipe to add each sentence to a note in Evernote.<br />
<br />
I'm really excited about this elegantly simple solution. All I have to do is click that button each day and write one sentence. That sounds just easy enough that I might be able to stick to it.<br />
<br />
Have you found a way to automate and simplify a process in your life with Evernote, Google Apps, IFTTT or other tools? Share your success in the comments!<br />
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-45061492785333397832015-11-19T14:25:00.002-08:002015-11-19T14:37:14.622-08:00How I Give Myself an 'Admin Out' in Validation RulesI've found myself stuck a few times when I've created a validation rule in Salesforce but needed to update records that would trigger my rule criteria.<br />
<br />
Example: I don't want to allow users to update a specific field after it's been populated upon record creation. But, occasionally as the system admin, I may need to update that field when a user makes a mistake.<br />
<br />
In the past, I'd edit the validation rule that was preventing me from saving a change and deactivate it. But when you have multiple rules that you're 'breaking', this becomes rather cumbersome.<br />
<br />
So, I've started adding an 'admin out' to my rules. There are several ways to do this (by profile id, user id, etc), but here's what's working for me:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PEiaEe-YjbAsNBs0xeZbtnEgs_pbJW9aUxUBumF5FySH3wLj701gTkyExHU17cECTwAI3GNTcle-ixvM2wgqmz37L25hu5BtPUroApRkIVaqchDfNlbJ971unWTyHOVJ1ptliOXJRVic/s1600/2015-11-19_14-13-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PEiaEe-YjbAsNBs0xeZbtnEgs_pbJW9aUxUBumF5FySH3wLj701gTkyExHU17cECTwAI3GNTcle-ixvM2wgqmz37L25hu5BtPUroApRkIVaqchDfNlbJ971unWTyHOVJ1ptliOXJRVic/s640/2015-11-19_14-13-29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I add in a criteria to not allow the change for anyone <i>except </i>a system admin, as defined by the profile name.<br />
<br />
This has been working well for me.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Word of warning: I don't recommend doing this for all rules, especially those that prevent changes that could cause errors in reporting or data consistency. Be selective if you choose to allow yourself an 'admin out.'</span><br />
<br />
Do you have an alternative method that works for you? Let me know in the post comments or share it with me on twitter - @rathergeeky.<br />
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<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-71633276223521823552015-11-18T17:01:00.002-08:002015-11-18T17:25:55.746-08:00Salesforce Report Challenge: Total of Opportunities for All Accounts Within a HierarchyI received a report request today that sounded something like this: <i>I need to get a total of all won opportunities for any account in this account hierarchy, regardless of whether we worked directly for them or were subcontracted*.</i><br />
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Sounds simple, right? </div>
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In theory, yes. But, if you happen to have a complicated account hierarchy (eg: you have any federal government accounts), this is not an easy task. In fact, it's not natively possible to run a report like this in Salesforce.</div>
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In my case, I was looking at 80+ accounts organized in a hierarchy that was five levels deep. </div>
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Rather than tell the requestor that the report was impossible, I decided to get a little creative.</div>
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Step 1: Get a list of all the accounts to include</h3>
I clicked on the [View Hierarchy] link next to the account name. Because I had multiple parent/child relationships, I scrolled until I found the account name that I was looking for within the hierarchy. Then I highlighted all the accounts underneath that, copied and then pasted them into Excel.<br />
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This is what my spreadsheet looked like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHrBMn0FTmTvwUXbGIoVo6XfdBqf4AZA7zBIXkU6O9rztd6CeetWZIyA5AvgSC5CzZlXNQQ1TrfAbmZIDmCLlW1I-5ElnrucumJVrNlVXU5X02dXfTiuWflUzHF3eGOqlN9VHgodapa_8/s1600/2015-11-18_16-29-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHrBMn0FTmTvwUXbGIoVo6XfdBqf4AZA7zBIXkU6O9rztd6CeetWZIyA5AvgSC5CzZlXNQQ1TrfAbmZIDmCLlW1I-5ElnrucumJVrNlVXU5X02dXfTiuWflUzHF3eGOqlN9VHgodapa_8/s1600/2015-11-18_16-29-43.jpg" /></a></div>
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At this point, I needed to extract the record IDs from the account name url. I remembered blogging about this before and read through <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2014/04/how-to-extract-salesforce-record-ids.html" target="_blank">the old post</a> to remind myself how to extract the record ID from a hyperlink.<br />
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My spreadsheet then looked something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSl_EpXuveaHao1DCEZCs4PsfpRQrqtCvtlBjCABjve9usS-tCCtGSirSrAiL6n_mvS61Ce2Go43B3XlaZmm1TpF-1zgnzSpgGJPiVcpRnbaXLsSwmXmURfw_qE_Pj3sgi4GTp0R1aY69/s1600/2015-11-18_16-34-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSl_EpXuveaHao1DCEZCs4PsfpRQrqtCvtlBjCABjve9usS-tCCtGSirSrAiL6n_mvS61Ce2Go43B3XlaZmm1TpF-1zgnzSpgGJPiVcpRnbaXLsSwmXmURfw_qE_Pj3sgi4GTp0R1aY69/s640/2015-11-18_16-34-06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step 2: Generate a list of record IDs to use as a report filter</h3>
After I extracted my record IDs, I created a formula to concatenate the record IDs into a format that I could use as my report filter. (<a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2013/03/video-tutorial-how-to-use-list-of.html" target="_blank">I demonstrated this method in a previous post</a>.)<br />
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Step 3: Create a report and add the filter criteria</h3>
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I created the report in Salesforce and pasted the concatenated IDs in my filter. Since I wanted to filter by two account fields on the opportunity, as well as by the parent relationship, I had to add those three fields to my filter. (Note: Several of these fields are custom formula fields based on the lookup to the Account object.)</div>
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Because the filter criteria can include only so much text, I split the record ID list into two filters for each field that I wanted to apply the filter to.<br />
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Here's how it looked:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgr0fUA-XCknMysVHKc5cDfQT98luK9oOc1VMb-2HLYN8aZVrwGi4EahbVdRjTeIxhjKRABaGgtCHtw-kEJBUeRWJA7JvxMB-7DSGInFMFFlL6HBB26I4KlsHaJ7ktvB4LKVWrTO9_Wr2/s1600/2015-11-18_16-42-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgr0fUA-XCknMysVHKc5cDfQT98luK9oOc1VMb-2HLYN8aZVrwGi4EahbVdRjTeIxhjKRABaGgtCHtw-kEJBUeRWJA7JvxMB-7DSGInFMFFlL6HBB26I4KlsHaJ7ktvB4LKVWrTO9_Wr2/s640/2015-11-18_16-42-26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Final Thoughts</h3>
I'd much prefer an approach that is more dynamic, rather than hard-coding the record IDs to generate a report. But for now, it does what I need it to do.<br />
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If you'd like to see some improvements to functionality surrounding parent/child accounts and account hierarchy functionality, vote up these ideas on the IdeaExchange: <a href="https://success.salesforce.com/ideaview?id=08730000000BrgnAAC" target="_blank">Add more account hierarchy functions for parent/child accounts</a>, <a href="https://success.salesforce.com/ideaview?id=08730000000HoijAAC" target="_blank">Report on Account Hierarchy</a><br />
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Have you ever received a request for a Salesforce report that stumped you? Or do you have an idea to improve my workflow? I'd love to hear your suggestions and stories in the comments below.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">We have a Secondary Account custom lookup field so that we can track not only the direct client the opportunity is for, but also the account that may have hired them (when we are operating as a subcontractor).</span></div>
Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-70644765275019096592015-08-13T15:28:00.001-07:002015-08-13T15:29:26.931-07:00Simple TextExpander Snippet to Search Salesforce with a Copied KeywordHere's a simple text expansion idea that popped into my head today and will save me clicks/time on a daily basis!<br />
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I often receive emails asking about a record in Salesforce by a keyword, such as Opportunity Name, without a link to the record.<br />
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<b>My previous workflow involved:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Highlighting the Opportunity Name in the email</li>
<li>Using CTRL + C to copy what I've highlighted</li>
<li>Navigating to Salesforce</li>
<li>Putting my cursor in the search box</li>
<li>Using CTRL + V to paste what I copied</li>
<li>Using the ENTER key to execute the search</li>
<li>View the search results to find what I'm looking for</li>
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I realized today that it would be a lot easier to automate steps 3-6 using TextExpander. So, I created a new snippet comprised of the url of the page after I do a search in Salesforce.</div>
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<b>My new process is: </b><br />
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<li>Highlighting the Opportunity Name in the email</li>
<li>Using CTRL + C to copy what I've highlighted</li>
<li>Opening a new tab in my browser (CTRL + T)</li>
<li>Typing the snippet abbreviation, in my case: <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">s.sr</span></li>
<li>Viewing the search results to find what I'm looking for</li>
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The snippet is made up of three parts: 1) the Salesforce search url, 2) the value I've copied to my clipboard, and 3) the [ENTER] keystroke</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCnWiwC0J8YavyK8fYlSTpshXL2f9sYySrx04UTgIs-ydvSH8P9JFqnQe0ms-ok76DtgHg4sY1duvZvpwYbe9yACnFdhHOgTLoqktuoonMVMw8O-ujIMTiQuOJS98n9iuidMixpySrwdN/s1600/2015-08-13_15-16-53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCnWiwC0J8YavyK8fYlSTpshXL2f9sYySrx04UTgIs-ydvSH8P9JFqnQe0ms-ok76DtgHg4sY1duvZvpwYbe9yACnFdhHOgTLoqktuoonMVMw8O-ujIMTiQuOJS98n9iuidMixpySrwdN/s640/2015-08-13_15-16-53.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Creating this simple snippet shaves a few clicks whenever I need to perform a search based on keywords I've received in an email. It might not seem like a big deal, but every click or keyboard stroke counts in my book!</div>
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-1531079786695983212015-07-28T12:46:00.000-07:002017-09-12T15:13:16.600-07:00(Updated) Sending a Link to Google Slides in Presentation Mode<b><span style="color: red;">Update 9/12/17 - It seems that Google has disabled this functionality. </span></b><b><span style="color: red;">But, here's another method that I found while searching for solutions. </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Copy the share url (click on the Share button and click 'get shareable link') and update like shown in the sample below: </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Original link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1234567890/edit?usp=sharing</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Update to: </b></span><b style="color: red;">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1234567890/</b><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">present</span></b><b style="color: red;">?usp=sharing</b><br />
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When deploying changes to Salesforce, part of my process involves creating documentation and tutorials to explain the changes to users.<br />
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I've found Google Slides to be very useful for this purpose. I create a short slide deck with an overview of the changes, along with screen captures so they'll know exactly what to expect.<br />
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I generally send a link to the shared slide deck, but I realized recently that my recipients might not be sure what to do with that link, or how to view the presentation in an easily navigable format.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPsUvJCWPFtUSZ-Fj_xIAmfHRZymvL-Ds4G-jIN0uyOSemY-6fpPFEwk1sv4Q8yFDjbSqJqeislZzoOcYv9-bCLKkernzDOGGyshe6vr8na_hVfljqyvx2Ffj0sis_WQ8pD8EX2OaF1Tj/s1600/2015-07-28_12-37-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPsUvJCWPFtUSZ-Fj_xIAmfHRZymvL-Ds4G-jIN0uyOSemY-6fpPFEwk1sv4Q8yFDjbSqJqeislZzoOcYv9-bCLKkernzDOGGyshe6vr8na_hVfljqyvx2Ffj0sis_WQ8pD8EX2OaF1Tj/s400/2015-07-28_12-37-36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My previous method involved sending a link to the presentation, which opened in this preview mode.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So, to make the process easier, I've started sending a link to the slides in presentation mode.<br />
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To do this, I click on 'Present in new window' under the Present button dropdown, and then copy the url in the new window that opens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxlkxP5G5AmMzUGj1qZ1kvcw-kdAxkj_q8nKnfG5_yau4f0aStEnlQXG_6dKfK3Emsw8VNBXhFuCcaPSGz-xcAO41UrkNB4DiMrVXbdcHK3IwzPhWKK7SvovlvP-3FExAhpbPF_i4QdhQ/s1600/2015-07-28_12-37-51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxlkxP5G5AmMzUGj1qZ1kvcw-kdAxkj_q8nKnfG5_yau4f0aStEnlQXG_6dKfK3Emsw8VNBXhFuCcaPSGz-xcAO41UrkNB4DiMrVXbdcHK3IwzPhWKK7SvovlvP-3FExAhpbPF_i4QdhQ/s400/2015-07-28_12-37-51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, when I share the link, the slide deck will open in presentation mode and the viewer can use the arrows on the keyboard to navigate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4buXITDbMcXHn9JKCepUPoxfQXkGYoMIg5Pt7y7Xr_wK1exg-9IjA6cIaBoiUVCXQTVII8LzM2VrkjvCWkjaVLLbtau5lta61oBH3gxaPAI1IVFjy8YtKrCVXvlDRIccBCg1dLU4JL7mL/s1600/2015-07-28_12-38-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4buXITDbMcXHn9JKCepUPoxfQXkGYoMIg5Pt7y7Xr_wK1exg-9IjA6cIaBoiUVCXQTVII8LzM2VrkjvCWkjaVLLbtau5lta61oBH3gxaPAI1IVFjy8YtKrCVXvlDRIccBCg1dLU4JL7mL/s400/2015-07-28_12-38-18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm always looking for ways to streamline and improve how I support end users. Have suggestions or ideas to improve the process I've described above? I'd love to hear them in the comments!<br />
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-71453375563350894652015-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:002015-04-06T09:16:22.870-07:00Promoting My Brand Internally as a Salesforce Admin with New User Welcome EmailsIn my <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2015/03/how-i-use-vertical-responses-email.html">last post about using the Vertical Response WYSIWYG editor to create emails for my Salesforce workflows</a>, I mentioned that I would share how I use this method to promote my brand as a Salesforce Admin within the company. So, here's the story.<br />
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When it comes to my personal brand, I'd summarize it in these words: approachable, knowledgable, responsive and helpful.<br />
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I want to be the person my coworkers go to when they have a suggestion for improving CRM for the company, who they contact when they aren't sure how to follow up on a lead assigned to them, the name that pops into their head synonymous with Salesforce.<br />
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Conveying that image starts with my very first correspondence with them, typically the 'new user welcome email' that I send when I create their user account in Salesforce.<br />
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To help enforce this brand, I recently began redesigning my internal support emails, including that new user welcome email.<br />
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Here's what it looked like before:</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8yuvNzyKvAQ7vOJya-r4HP2zFsww3r7iP43MOzhxlJaHW4o5V37RC87tF9LOZXrm6ZDXhGTF2EfToSr6fpTHJH6GA8tQBwKjd446elInehiM0wScac8A48Y2Aq6eh4dlyYw4RRo4sEoG/s1600/2015-03-25_11-43-41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8yuvNzyKvAQ7vOJya-r4HP2zFsww3r7iP43MOzhxlJaHW4o5V37RC87tF9LOZXrm6ZDXhGTF2EfToSr6fpTHJH6GA8tQBwKjd446elInehiM0wScac8A48Y2Aq6eh4dlyYw4RRo4sEoG/s1600/2015-03-25_11-43-41.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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It wasn't horrible. I just thought it could be a little more streamlined and use a bit more pep. My video tutorial was also quite out of date (besides, who has time for a 1 hour video tutorial?). So, I transferred the most important points into an updated Google Slide presentation.</div>
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And here's my redesign:</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUktBY_RXZR0C9oP6Tfws75YeA1tdNK5vjaqNnX69jxmLw0LFPTqLM_I_rVzaGcGrTNZ3ofsHAXimCbCjH1QzCIVnauYRRtUCoxihqIcuGHrE6WuORvJEG9_oNgik58JXa_SXBVtK-qED/s1600/2015-03-25_11-44-37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUktBY_RXZR0C9oP6Tfws75YeA1tdNK5vjaqNnX69jxmLw0LFPTqLM_I_rVzaGcGrTNZ3ofsHAXimCbCjH1QzCIVnauYRRtUCoxihqIcuGHrE6WuORvJEG9_oNgik58JXa_SXBVtK-qED/s1600/2015-03-25_11-44-37.png" height="640" width="468" /></a></div>
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I like that this format is personable; I've added my picture at the bottom because working remotely means I rarely get to meet my coworkers. It's pops a bit more with the simplified layout and graphics. The flow of information is improved and it makes it easier for the user to see what they have to do next.<br />
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Here's a peek at a few slides in the presentation that I link in my email:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmt15s36z1SbFze38fuEisg-NesSHcilmNc25aeU8Sh2hkkO35WO46votGno3hEUdJRZSEInb7IhHyTUPCKdpdu_nJ8QRyInUsDiu1sAU6OUWYqIxYH5VxTy8fd8WuCTVnodRWajxtKlI/s1600/2015-03-25_12-29-17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmt15s36z1SbFze38fuEisg-NesSHcilmNc25aeU8Sh2hkkO35WO46votGno3hEUdJRZSEInb7IhHyTUPCKdpdu_nJ8QRyInUsDiu1sAU6OUWYqIxYH5VxTy8fd8WuCTVnodRWajxtKlI/s1600/2015-03-25_12-29-17.png" height="470" width="640" /></a></div>
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A little side-by-side comparison:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6uK80ompT3Jl4Z-kIN8fc-ETAfgdBn_KiK7x9nQgr8Z8NkEn9Ne8CUjNEjaVxWBniYGYGaXrCbesa5VH8AJ2CmwHbzKQmmZXnRRckH9PFq-92X7WcSvCjlJ9vbzs1AFiTmsz8kcT9zvj/s1600/email_beforeafter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6uK80ompT3Jl4Z-kIN8fc-ETAfgdBn_KiK7x9nQgr8Z8NkEn9Ne8CUjNEjaVxWBniYGYGaXrCbesa5VH8AJ2CmwHbzKQmmZXnRRckH9PFq-92X7WcSvCjlJ9vbzs1AFiTmsz8kcT9zvj/s1600/email_beforeafter.png" height="488" width="640" /></a></div>
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And finally, here's how I use this email template:<br />
<ol>
<li>Create new user.</li>
<li>Navigate to 'Mass Email Users' under 'Manage Users' in Setup.</li>
<li>Refresh 'New Users' list view that I've customized to show users created today.</li>
<li>Select my email template. </li>
<li>Send, leaving the default to bcc myself checked.</li>
</ol>
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If you're interested in improving your personal brand, here are a few articles that I found useful:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/10/19/how-to-build-your-personal-brand-within-a-company/">How to Build Your Personal Brand Within a Company</a> - Forbes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/10/20/the-10-pillars-to-creating-a-personal-brand-in-a-digital-world/">The 10 Pillars To Creating a Personal Brand in a Digital World </a>- jeffbullas.com</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">PS - The icons I used in my updated email are from: http://icons8.com/free-ios-7-icons-in-vector/</span>Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-49088124132952321362015-03-25T11:35:00.000-07:002015-04-06T09:14:08.436-07:00How I Use Vertical Response's Email Builder to Create Formatted HTML Email Notifications for Salesforce Workflow RulesWhen you've been a Salesforce Administrator for a decent length of time, you might look back on the way you implemented certain features or customized the application and be struck with this thought: <i>"Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have done it differently."</i><br />
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That's the situation I found myself in as I reviewed some of our workflow rules and email notifications recently. </div>
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Most of the email notifications were plain text and rather... blah.</div>
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So I decided to spiff them up with a little help from the html email editor that I use for creating marketing email campaigns: <a href="http://www.verticalresponse.com/salesforce">Vertical Response for Salesforce.</a> </div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Perks: </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>It's free to design emails with the Vertical Response WYSIWYG editor. </li>
<li>It's easy to use.</li>
<li>You can paste the resulting html directly into your Salesforce email template.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why do I use Vertical Response's editor instead of the Salesforce editor? I like to use the 'Custom (without using Letterhead)' template creation option, which means I would have to code all the html by hand. No thanks. </div>
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<div>
Here's my process: I start off by having two tabs open. 1) 'VR Email' tab in Salesforce, 2) my new Salesforce email template, with the option of 'Custom (without using Letterhead)' chosen.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Then I proceed with the following steps:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Step 1: Design the email in the Graphical Editor.</h3>
<div>
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<div>
I create a new draft email in Vertical Response. </div>
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<div>
I like to use a centered table to make the email a bit more visually appealing.</div>
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<div>
In this example, I pasted the field names from Salesforce so that they would merge correctly.</div>
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<div>
When I'm done with my editing, I save the draft. If I need to make changes in the future, I can just come back to it in Vertical Response, make my modifications and replace the html in Salesforce with the updated version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGd8Zx2qtyz8vyKYDBMy7JrAgw0rzysnIUjd0qAbBNlioEKYPolYXthX1i3UuQ5tVwsx6TkDMi7Xr9bIvLWzijaohDLSxkl7SneZHiBfW5NHRA3T_pHLz6p47tTkaqLVQ4BKEU8yxtaX9/s1600/2015-03-25_10-35-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGd8Zx2qtyz8vyKYDBMy7JrAgw0rzysnIUjd0qAbBNlioEKYPolYXthX1i3UuQ5tVwsx6TkDMi7Xr9bIvLWzijaohDLSxkl7SneZHiBfW5NHRA3T_pHLz6p47tTkaqLVQ4BKEU8yxtaX9/s1600/2015-03-25_10-35-19.png" height="390" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Note: I recommending doing all your copying and pasting text into the VR editor <b>before </b>you attempt to format your text. I've noticed that if I copy and paste (even if I use 'paste unformatted'), it strips the existing formatting of my entire email. Blargh. So, save yourself the frustration and get all your content in there first before you begin modifying fonts, sizes, etc.</i></div>
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Step 2: Preview the email.</h3>
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If there are any basic formatting changes to make, it's easier to do them now than manually in html.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6yuy99BOcN7KHz-A7CbnHGcPlOHyjSRina-JdRNkcQES6Zv_TyB_2LRT8EOPyriBajvrVhlM4Wn6pOvT0lMtUJsLJx8425EgxYijltgnDGNTPZpqjdD6bCijqVADy096X7yv7DJTo8W9/s1600/2015-03-25_10-42-37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6yuy99BOcN7KHz-A7CbnHGcPlOHyjSRina-JdRNkcQES6Zv_TyB_2LRT8EOPyriBajvrVhlM4Wn6pOvT0lMtUJsLJx8425EgxYijltgnDGNTPZpqjdD6bCijqVADy096X7yv7DJTo8W9/s1600/2015-03-25_10-42-37.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step 3: Copy the code from the 'HTML Code' tab.</h3>
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After selecting all the html, I copy it and switch over to Salesforce.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuAhd165EzgI3z8hmYN02sBMQCvCga0OJh45A6YCeajG7X4gu2mj6HGXxNyCrol6-X4ZggYaxHPZaR5pq0XwjWDRX84zvJhfGpSDHp0w9pVb4JXVY86h0wKn6wBwWVI1X9QTAjzsCCPcg/s1600/2015-03-25_10-41-00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuAhd165EzgI3z8hmYN02sBMQCvCga0OJh45A6YCeajG7X4gu2mj6HGXxNyCrol6-X4ZggYaxHPZaR5pq0XwjWDRX84zvJhfGpSDHp0w9pVb4JXVY86h0wKn6wBwWVI1X9QTAjzsCCPcg/s1600/2015-03-25_10-41-00.png" height="346" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Step 4: Paste the html into the 'HTML Body' area of my email in Salesforce.</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5ZmTbm4HpvKULj7FNP6QxU0FoEjVCcbSplteD5B4oCHe6jwHFhd8BbRf6Kbv6OFrDNMKg253N15_UEwpsOCB69-i5iOB9usVR95K9VAGW0pMCvbTbZDz-7Ng-VXz4CYBZdIMBlUPDfNr/s1600/2015-03-25_10-43-32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5ZmTbm4HpvKULj7FNP6QxU0FoEjVCcbSplteD5B4oCHe6jwHFhd8BbRf6Kbv6OFrDNMKg253N15_UEwpsOCB69-i5iOB9usVR95K9VAGW0pMCvbTbZDz-7Ng-VXz4CYBZdIMBlUPDfNr/s1600/2015-03-25_10-43-32.png" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step 5: Click on the 'Preview' button and admire the result. </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43w83Fw2sy1nx5l1A0F9rkCt2HYPJJfkJQBZBj4sDaxBCITJUwnqHxNyG4O6Ef7-8Mlv1TwIA5BWBBiROEJ923NVh2j4sj95lpB3B82E-QshS9bi_u1Utsy9zJzNZEuHap5_xoXUFe-vT/s1600/2015-03-25_10-43-54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43w83Fw2sy1nx5l1A0F9rkCt2HYPJJfkJQBZBj4sDaxBCITJUwnqHxNyG4O6Ef7-8Mlv1TwIA5BWBBiROEJ923NVh2j4sj95lpB3B82E-QshS9bi_u1Utsy9zJzNZEuHap5_xoXUFe-vT/s1600/2015-03-25_10-43-54.png" height="640" width="510" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Step 6: Click Save.</h3>
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<div>
Now my fancified new email template is ready for circulation. It's a big improvement over the plain text version!</div>
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<div>
<b><span style="color: #d60758;">Coming Soon:</span> </b>In my next post, I'll show you how I used this method to redesign my 'new user welcome' emails and promote my brand within the company as a Salesforce Admin.</div>
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-30614433981584034212015-02-11T17:14:00.001-08:002015-02-11T17:14:41.933-08:00How I Use Jing, Clarify & Skitch to Train Salesforce Users on the Fly<i>"I'm trying to customize a report but my filters aren't working".... "I'm searching for an account but I'm not seeing anything in the results and it should be there".... "I don't see my opportunities."</i><br />
<br />
In my role as a Salesforce Admin, I regularly receive emailed questions like this - not so complicated that scheduling a screen-sharing session is necessary, but not simple enough to warrant a "send me a link to the page you're on and I'll fix it" response. Often, it's a case of someone needing a little extra training.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="float: right;">
Note: I've talked about this topic before (see this post: "<a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2013/01/how-i-changed-my-attitude-toward_30.html">How I Changed My Attitude Toward Internal Tech Support</a>"), but I've updated my methods in the last few years.</blockquote>
<br />
I prefer to not just call someone up on the phone and tell them what to do. Why? Because...<br />
<ol>
<li>What happens when the person I'm helping forgets about our conversation and stumbles across the same issue? </li>
<li>Schedule and time zone differences tend to yield a thread of 'what time works for you?' emails that drive me nuts.</li>
<li>When the question comes up again with another person, it's great to have a resource that I can share quickly. I'm saving my future self some time.</li>
<li>Phone calls are disruptive. I'd rather they review my response at the best time for them.</li>
<li>Showing is always better than telling.</li>
</ol>
<br />
To help me use these opportunities to teach people individually, I use these three tools:<br />
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0eZTf46eL8uhWLzDn8vC7SZoJROKTWYhX2HJ8v4LCHc1Q8e7FU_zFVzGFUUy-RW_vuzpGREr5wcIaex7qCd29-NwzEw1pjLIz5VNB9jTKzHhvxCH-MF_hwT9d4pme6N-tD3WJugtt4ZD/s1600/Clarify_Skitch_Jing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0eZTf46eL8uhWLzDn8vC7SZoJROKTWYhX2HJ8v4LCHc1Q8e7FU_zFVzGFUUy-RW_vuzpGREr5wcIaex7qCd29-NwzEw1pjLIz5VNB9jTKzHhvxCH-MF_hwT9d4pme6N-tD3WJugtt4ZD/s1600/Clarify_Skitch_Jing.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Links: <a href="http://www.clarify-it.com/">Clarify</a> (from ScreenSteps) | <a href="https://evernote.com/skitch/">Skitch</a> (from Evernote) | <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html">Jing</a> (from TechSmith)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
To determine which tool to use, I consider how I can answer their question best.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Will a single marked-up image do the trick? Use <b>Skitch</b>.</li>
<li>Would I type a numbered list of instructions in an email in response? And would pictures be helpful? Use <b>Clarify</b>.</li>
<li>Can I explain this best by walking them through the steps personally? Use <b>Jing</b>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
How I Use Skitch</h3>
I prepare my screen so I'm viewing what I want to capture, then use the keyboard shortcut for a crosshair snapshot (meaning I 'draw' around the area I want to capture).<br />
<br />
I use arrows, boxes or text to annotate the image as necessary, drawing attention to a button they should click on or a field that they need to populate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRt5fkIkBFFDpu_OxuHUA8bICowmTpqKjCXSOk3hCt-rLudlITC2qnUX0Okdm016aQaRvxROCHrTwwEJN1CO6JpDZxRSsRViGWxr_wfa6F12sjbqYTw7P8tqtXqq1ENHpUM-7yHZf7rAA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+5.07.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRt5fkIkBFFDpu_OxuHUA8bICowmTpqKjCXSOk3hCt-rLudlITC2qnUX0Okdm016aQaRvxROCHrTwwEJN1CO6JpDZxRSsRViGWxr_wfa6F12sjbqYTw7P8tqtXqq1ENHpUM-7yHZf7rAA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+5.07.27+PM.png" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<i>Note: Jing can also be used for individual screen captures, but I prefer Skitch because I can drag and drop the images directly into Gmail.</i><br />
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<h3>
How I Use Clarify</h3>
<br />
When someone asks me a question that will involve a step-by-step answer, I love to use Clarify. It's a quick and easy way to create one-of tutorials that combine written instructions with annotated images that show them exactly what to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_nb20cZCnbxwKsu27dbW85Kl46kpvRj38pkOhH3Zaa-MI4gQuygGM3xWr0HqA1nc_qb72ElQvqfZqAxI015p6sSXoKAxW546d-lA_o64CINmmtFQi1DPvyFSuDrrOy4ekzhjyzAjEsQJ/s1600/Snapshot+2:11:15+5:04+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_nb20cZCnbxwKsu27dbW85Kl46kpvRj38pkOhH3Zaa-MI4gQuygGM3xWr0HqA1nc_qb72ElQvqfZqAxI015p6sSXoKAxW546d-lA_o64CINmmtFQi1DPvyFSuDrrOy4ekzhjyzAjEsQJ/s1600/Snapshot+2:11:15+5:04+PM.jpeg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
I typically share my tutorials via a link, but there's also an option to export as a PDF or to Evernote.<br />
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<div>
<h3>
How I Use Jing</h3>
</div>
<br />
Jing is easily accessed from my menu bar. I choose the area that I want to record and click to start the video recording.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vXZvD-_3-VUOANPgVfzBk8ddPY7lFFBl5ANZ2mgCX7dsHgLIYggyav7qgbJVRM1HkWvypby7CWGd0CvuPlYVzQYWybTF9YwFez9C6apCXzqWiaSc_ds0Hw0NlNkw3h_6e7M3pQimMWwV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+1.38.42+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vXZvD-_3-VUOANPgVfzBk8ddPY7lFFBl5ANZ2mgCX7dsHgLIYggyav7qgbJVRM1HkWvypby7CWGd0CvuPlYVzQYWybTF9YwFez9C6apCXzqWiaSc_ds0Hw0NlNkw3h_6e7M3pQimMWwV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+1.38.42+PM.jpeg" height="626" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Most of the time, I record audio so I can explain what I'm doing. But on occasion I leave the audio muted if no other instructions are necessary aside from a quick demo.<br />
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I keep my explanations brief - usually right around a minute. Then, with a click, I can upload the video, then the link is automatically copied and I can paste it in an emailed response.<br />
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<h3>
The Result</h3>
<br />
Recording a short video, preparing a step-by-step tutorial or capturing my screen may take a smidge more mental energy, but it doesn't take much longer than composing some instructions in an email. The results have been well worth the effort.<br />
<br />
I received this response today after I sent a coworker a video about how to customize an existing report.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w7WKgi4GSyIKBk8RLA3WGWDINnXkadE6RGqKj-dtxp9_mAVMn9tIaE6tBhSWZ7c6xDH4z1FmV48E0bRF1px3m56pFd13MewSUAcOHVr6vHmOfpLunv4_KJ9dtHxDEgZBCE1NbaNPiQSV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+12.34.51+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w7WKgi4GSyIKBk8RLA3WGWDINnXkadE6RGqKj-dtxp9_mAVMn9tIaE6tBhSWZ7c6xDH4z1FmV48E0bRF1px3m56pFd13MewSUAcOHVr6vHmOfpLunv4_KJ9dtHxDEgZBCE1NbaNPiQSV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+12.34.51+PM.jpeg" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_277974901"></span><span id="goog_277974902"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2014/05/salesforce-admin-journal-teaching-man.html">Click here to see another example of the response I've gotten to this method.</a><br />
<br />
Does your job involve providing tech support or training for coworkers? If so, what tools have you found successful? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.<br />
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-24773895777402929712015-01-08T14:43:00.003-08:002015-01-08T14:47:49.811-08:00Salesforce Admin Journal: Simple Sidebar Feedback Form Using JotFormHello my fellow Salesforce admins!<br />
<br />
I'm working on rolling out a few changes to our Salesforce org and want to make sure that users can offer feedback as painlessly and conveniently as possible. They shouldn't have to switch tabs or compose a new email, or input any other information aside from their comment.<br />
<br />
Ideally, a 'Comment' box and 'Submit' button could dwell right there in the sidebar itself. But, after some googling and brainstorming, I wasn't quite sure how to implement a solution that simplistic.<br />
<br />
Instead, I found a workaround for the next best thing: a link to a popup form (created with <a href="http://www.jotform.com/">Jotform</a>, one of my favorite tools) that pulls in the user's email address from the url.<br />
<br />
Here's how it turned out:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TxIk6AkDi8aSSG4U4l5fwHHuM-49HzXeIrrJqr96f8Gjh3sQ_39Cxi10yIOmzu93IocJ86SnoilDFFwnv5ban5A-swq71YeNLmoWDFPg4yH3XxAlbywmMRAy4JSIEaVNRCx9Xe8aswGs/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:23+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TxIk6AkDi8aSSG4U4l5fwHHuM-49HzXeIrrJqr96f8Gjh3sQ_39Cxi10yIOmzu93IocJ86SnoilDFFwnv5ban5A-swq71YeNLmoWDFPg4yH3XxAlbywmMRAy4JSIEaVNRCx9Xe8aswGs/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:23+PM.jpeg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Designing my super simple form in Jotform. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIlMPKkkt8CkB6Z_0nZ03_w-eT1Hc7k0gqsQfuvnZUuRUnOtgnzjB_9GU6-nw2UBzIDsW2MmAsNKw3M8-LxoZCeIfJ2JrcmYYWA6LEQOSwStqa9jE5BbERNQFw1nD8fJhmBkYXtArEX1-/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIlMPKkkt8CkB6Z_0nZ03_w-eT1Hc7k0gqsQfuvnZUuRUnOtgnzjB_9GU6-nw2UBzIDsW2MmAsNKw3M8-LxoZCeIfJ2JrcmYYWA6LEQOSwStqa9jE5BbERNQFw1nD8fJhmBkYXtArEX1-/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:24+PM.jpeg" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I customized the thank you page.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLPvoc0f7AA4Hs-6DXH2FbhUW5AW23UIoGpNxwsygKHZjH48bB5NBFXfSxD1tehyphenhyphenywoUs9SCMMFpFJI5ZwnwqkrOJ6NeIcUaHCKPurdqMjz8JZp5pvpryct0VF04j3BPZbLac2spOifOB/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:21+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLPvoc0f7AA4Hs-6DXH2FbhUW5AW23UIoGpNxwsygKHZjH48bB5NBFXfSxD1tehyphenhyphenywoUs9SCMMFpFJI5ZwnwqkrOJ6NeIcUaHCKPurdqMjz8JZp5pvpryct0VF04j3BPZbLac2spOifOB/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:21+PM.jpeg" height="432" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I created my url - passing the current user's email into a field on my form, per <a href="http://www.jotform.com/help/71-Prepopulating-fields-to-your-JotForm-via-URL-parameters">this tutorial</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNUHqN-WBX3Yua7kNY4F9ROHofoqkKBqipd5EYYPuMX46iKgnuQ3zjrTUz13e1wJxL0VN2nHSCCW-QZd3AzEydovzKd-Wvs5LMZ4WN4NfTFf3K436URANgaZjHHPSGAt_wdk1YWy_6osg/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:19+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNUHqN-WBX3Yua7kNY4F9ROHofoqkKBqipd5EYYPuMX46iKgnuQ3zjrTUz13e1wJxL0VN2nHSCCW-QZd3AzEydovzKd-Wvs5LMZ4WN4NfTFf3K436URANgaZjHHPSGAt_wdk1YWy_6osg/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:19+PM.jpeg" height="620" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished link</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4XAINasxPoSe4Fj0DTjmrVj6t1tB5eYFC6G2IQ2gGf0R4mGeRDWA56sP8ksGYtNvv-nGiFMLLtm8x1FEk9lqMVgsPNTbJz3arV1n2PQltxjOpKtMQ_3QKnuFe7lQUZ_C6o_k3WZIZTyR/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:25+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4XAINasxPoSe4Fj0DTjmrVj6t1tB5eYFC6G2IQ2gGf0R4mGeRDWA56sP8ksGYtNvv-nGiFMLLtm8x1FEk9lqMVgsPNTbJz3arV1n2PQltxjOpKtMQ_3QKnuFe7lQUZ_C6o_k3WZIZTyR/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:25+PM.jpeg" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The form pops up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ4FOWClvU0Gux6nMGpoxSdrMPuuyc8pvIXfObDAxGHEShLv7op48G4FUT36FYpx5EdFi-AbRMgj0he8rtW9vDoSbET5pGPnE47Uj1XjlRBnJaratYCMTDs6KzwO9-Kp4VtyjjPBEiPxB/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:33+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ4FOWClvU0Gux6nMGpoxSdrMPuuyc8pvIXfObDAxGHEShLv7op48G4FUT36FYpx5EdFi-AbRMgj0he8rtW9vDoSbET5pGPnE47Uj1XjlRBnJaratYCMTDs6KzwO9-Kp4VtyjjPBEiPxB/s1600/Snapshot+1:8:15+2:33+PM.jpeg" height="308" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The email notification that I receive when a user submits a comment with the form.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All things considered, I'm content with this simple solution. It might not be the most elegant, but it's easy for users to use and easy for me to maintain/customize.<br />
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<div>
Win win.<br />
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-67878131813862223622014-12-04T14:20:00.000-08:002014-12-04T14:23:20.628-08:00Salesforce Admin Journal: Guide & Gather Feedback Using a Google Form Before Deploying ChangesHello fellow Salesforce admins!<br />
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In this post, I'm going to share a challenge I faced as an admin and the solution I came up with.<br />
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Imagine that you've made some changes to your Salesforce org that you'd like users to test - a new visualforce page with a few new fields, for example. You want to <i>easily</i> gather their feedback but the idea of assembling everyone's responses via a bunch of separate email conversations makes you antsy. Plus, you'd like a way to <i>guide them</i> through the testing<i> step by step.</i> </div>
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You want to make it as <i>simple</i> as possible for them to share their comments... because you know that will encourage your testers to <i>actually provide feedbac</i>k... which will improve the quality of your changes when you roll them out to your entire org.</div>
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Now that you've got a good idea of the challenge, here's my solution: <a href="http://www.google.com/forms/about/">Google Forms</a>. </div>
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I created a form that outlined the process for testing and provided a text area for comments at each step. </div>
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It looked similar to this (but with quite a few more screen captures and long text fields):</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="700" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aCDy-VgYgqCRYhG5-aiEqgAGFlH4BqqjdX772AKANro/viewform?embedded=true" width="500">Loading...</iframe></div>
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Now, after my group of testers are done, I can easily review all their feedback in a Google Spreadsheet.<br />
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If you'd like to make a copy of this sample Google Form to customize for your feedback-gathering needs, click below:<br />
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<a href="https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbzFwaRyBTy0pSQfFdU7fuiO_t4HXB4v7HPczqXJLVdBqFT5j---/exec"><img border="0" src="http://dabuttonfactory.com/b.png?t=Create%20a%20Copy%20of%20this%20Google%20Form&f=Calibri-Bold&ts=24&tc=ffffff&it=png&c=0&bgt=unicolored&bgc=f47aa8&hp=20&vp=11" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: Clicking on this button will run a custom Google Script that will copy the file to your Google Drive. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">You'll have to give it permission to run first.</span></div>
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<i>PS - I followed <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13221922/script-to-automatically-make-a-copy-of-a-google-document-for-editing">these instructions from the answer from Arun Nagarajan</a> to create the Google Script that allows you to copy the Google Form to your own Drive. Handy dandy!</i><br />
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<i>PPS - I wrote this post on my own without prompting or compensation from any of the software companies involved.</i></div>
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-71620098512038501722014-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:002014-10-13T16:35:33.809-07:00Simple Method for Processing Digital Media Using Pocket, Feedly and Evernote Processing the flood of available digital media can be overwhelming.<br />
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Blogs, bookmarks, pins, articles, quotes, emails. Random inspiration and useful information is scattered all over the web.<br />
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Here's my method for keeping things organized:<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1N0BBC9E_zWkg_k9bNENw8d2kq5pjwzgHcQlfz4DXC7c/pub?w=705&h=768" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1N0BBC9E_zWkg_k9bNENw8d2kq5pjwzgHcQlfz4DXC7c/pub?w=705&h=768" width="588" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>...</span></b> allows you to organize information (bookmarks, clips of web articles, audio snippets, images, handwritten notes, etc) in digital notebooks.<br />
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<a href="https://evernote.com/getting_started/" target="_blank">Find out how to get started with Evernote here.</a><br />
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I use the desktop version primarily and pay for <a href="https://evernote.com/premium/" target="_blank">the premium subscription</a> - totally worth it!<br />
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I'll outline my favorite tips and tricks for using Evernote productively in a future post.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Get the Evernote Web Clipper for Chrome <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/evernote-web-clipper/pioclpoplcdbaefihamjohnefbikjilc?hl=en" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://getpocket.com/" target="_blank"><b>Pocket</b></a><b>...</b></span> is a useful resource for saving web content for future reading. Whether I'm using my desktop computer or my smart phone, it's easy to send a link to Pocket to come back to.<br />
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I'm currently using the free version.<br />
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<li>Get the Save to Pocket extension for Chrome <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/save-to-pocket/niloccemoadcdkdjlinkgdfekeahmflj?hl=en" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://feedly.com/" target="_blank">Feedly</a>...</span></b> is the software I chose to review blog posts after the <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2013/04/getting-over-google-reader.html" target="_blank">demise of Google Reader</a>. I've found that I actually peruse posts with Feedly a lot more often than I ever did with Reader thanks to a layout that allows for super speedy scrolling.<br />
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Feedly Pro allows you to save posts directly to Evernote, but right now I'm using the free version and saving to Pocket instead.<br />
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<i>PS - I haven't been compensated by any of these software companies. I just happen to love these tools!</i><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Logos found here: <a href="https://evernote.com/trademark/#a_logos" target="_blank">Evernote</a>, <a href="http://getpocket.com/blog/press/" target="_blank">Pocket</a>, <a href="http://www.feedly.com/about.html" target="_blank">Feedly</a>.</span>Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-91468934154652739362014-06-03T09:44:00.003-07:002014-06-03T10:20:44.007-07:00Tip: How to Fire an Updated Trigger on Existing Salesforce RecordsHey Salesforce Admins,<br />
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Here's a tip to help you if you've got a recently updated or newly created trigger (or workflow rule) that you want to fire on existing records.<br />
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Create a custom 'Admin Filter' text field on the object that you are running the trigger on. You don't need to add it to any page layouts or make it visible to users. (I chose this method because I didn't want to update any existing fields that are already in use in order to force the trigger to fire.)<br />
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Then, use the Data Loader (or <a href="https://appexchange.salesforce.com/listingDetail?listingId=a0N300000016YrVEAU" target="_blank">Mass Update Anything</a>) to update that field on all of your records.<br />
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Ta-da! The update will fire the trigger on all records that match whatever criteria you've specified.<br />
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Now, I'm off to do this in my own org.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLNou-Vfok6ZZbdDt1Mahm1u8j4uDd5adyMZvRseNsluudVIQWaNhEk9IqBCtL04LGd8wtU-hiCSbz8rEwF01HZDKgaCZJ1sqDVadRVh-HTSKcS228OQpj-06XU2acJurQZkVIf4IxHh1/s1600/Snapshot+6:3:14+9:51+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLNou-Vfok6ZZbdDt1Mahm1u8j4uDd5adyMZvRseNsluudVIQWaNhEk9IqBCtL04LGd8wtU-hiCSbz8rEwF01HZDKgaCZJ1sqDVadRVh-HTSKcS228OQpj-06XU2acJurQZkVIf4IxHh1/s1600/Snapshot+6:3:14+9:51+AM.jpeg" height="550" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-44030079323050257182014-05-16T11:16:00.002-07:002014-05-16T11:20:43.310-07:00Salesforce Admin Journal: Teaching a Man to Fish.... or at Least to Create a ReportI regularly receive requests from users to create a specific report. Often these are reports that no one else needs access to.<br />
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We are trying to cut down on the number of reports in the 'Unfiled Public Reports' folder. So, I'm encouraging users to save reports that they may need in the future to their 'My Personal Reports' folder.<br />
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I'm also working on teaching them how to create reports on their own. As I mentioned in <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2013/01/how-i-changed-my-attitude-toward_30.html" target="_blank">this post from last year</a>, I think it's important to educate people whenever possible rather than just doing something for them automatically because 'it will take me less time.'<br />
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This method doesn't just benefit me by reducing the number of request I will receive in the future. It also helps my users become more self sufficient and capable.<br />
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Today, a user chatted me a report request. In response, I recorded a one minute long tutorial that will help him learn the basic skills needed to prepare the report himself.<br />
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Here's the response I received:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbc4IDkYOf6tWE_fBlYATiJtn6N32-HG-n4VVIqjKtrwxFa6l5yAGHOVN-NOEuKBJAY0zdFswrxd2KGvc1Qy6eJP5JaLn7QJ-v2sqQthR5RuuogK0ZvR4dS8fH4l3UWLUS6-yFeod7tS_/s1600/Snapshot+5:16:14+11:11+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbc4IDkYOf6tWE_fBlYATiJtn6N32-HG-n4VVIqjKtrwxFa6l5yAGHOVN-NOEuKBJAY0zdFswrxd2KGvc1Qy6eJP5JaLn7QJ-v2sqQthR5RuuogK0ZvR4dS8fH4l3UWLUS6-yFeod7tS_/s1600/Snapshot+5:16:14+11:11+AM.jpeg" height="640" width="448" /></a></div>
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That was totally worth the few extra minutes it took me to record the tutorial using <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html" target="_blank">Jing</a>.Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-15385648779323393972014-05-15T10:42:00.000-07:002014-05-15T10:42:26.954-07:00Use LexiLoader to Export a Subset of Salesforce Records Based on IdI want to extract specific fields for a subset of records. I have the ids of the records that I want to extract, either from a previous export or from an exported report. But, there's really no way to extract specific fields based on just those ids.<br />
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With the Excel Connector (for Windows), this is easily done by running a query based on the ids. It's also super handy for updating those fields either individually or in groups.<br />
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But, as a Mac user, my options are limited. In fact, I don't know of another way to easily query a subset of records based on their id.<br />
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Now, this situation can probably be avoided most of the time. But, here's where I run into it: Sometimes, a user will send me an exported report or copied/pasted data and want updates to be done on the records. In that case, I might have to extract the ids from hyperlinked records first. (<a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2014/04/how-to-extract-salesforce-record-ids.html" target="_blank">Here's how I do that</a>.)<br />
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Another scenario I run into is extracting records with lookups, eg: opportunities. When I run the export with LexiLoader, any lookups (such as Account) pull in just the record ids. If I want to display the Name, I'm kind of stuck. <i>(Although, as I'm typing this now, I realize that I can probably get around this by including the related field in my SOQL query. Doh. Oh well, I'll share my previous method just in case anyone else can benefit.)</i><br />
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Anyway, here's the method I used:<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">1. Grab your record ids that you'd like to query and update.</span><br />
<div class="screensteps-document">
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="1. Grab your record ids that you" and="" d="" src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/1-grab-your-record-ids-that-you-d-like-to-query-and-update.png?1400174976" height="632" like="" query="" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" to="" update.="" width="536" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
2. Use the record ids to build your SOQL query.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
I demonstrated this technique - using a concatenated formula to build query criteria - in a short video <a href="http://www.rathergeeky.com/2013/03/video-tutorial-how-to-use-list-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="2. Use the record ids to build your SOQL query." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/2-use-the-record-ids-to-build-your-soql-query.png?1400174977" height="326" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" width="492" /></div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="836ce77d-d531-4e06-9f70-831093b5b61e.png" src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/836ce77d-d531-4e06-9f70-831093b5b61e.png?1400174978" height="324" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" width="566" /></div>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
Drag the formula in your second row of data down. You'll get the combined concatenated criteria for your query.</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="2caaa8ca-97b3-4080-bfd0-1f692cc20ab5.png" src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/2caaa8ca-97b3-4080-bfd0-1f692cc20ab5.png?1400174980" height="385" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
The last row will have all the ids ready to be copied and pasted into your query.<br />
Mine looked like this: <br />
<code>
'0017000000b1bFCAAY' OR ID= '0017000000b2Ca8AAE' OR ID= '0017000000cEUwnAAG' OR ID= '0017000000colvrAAA' OR ID= '0017000000eiRbPAAU' OR ID= '0017000000iewgvAAA' OR ID= '0017000000iVUjZAAW' OR ID= '0017000000mJWy1AAG' OR ID= '0017000000nXFZRAA4' OR ID= '0017000000pG0BdAAK' OR ID= '0017000000RAUMiAAP' OR ID= '0017000000SGWm9AAH' OR ID= '0017000000T1GmbAAF' OR ID= '0017000000T1O36AAF' OR ID= '0017000000T3mPxAAJ' OR ID= '0017000000T3TM4AAN' OR ID= '0017000000TEq8dAAD' OR ID= '0017000000TFRUmAAP' OR ID= '0017000000TpUqCAAV' OR ID= '0017000000TpVQGAA3' OR ID= '0017000000TVkxkAAD' OR ID= '0017000000TYg9tAAD' OR ID= '0017000000UeKKZAA3' OR ID= '0017000000UfnOFAAZ' OR ID= '0017000000UfXxrAAF' OR ID= '0017000000uMigaAAC' OR ID= '0017000000uMWgbAAG' OR ID= '0017000000uMWhQAAW' OR ID= '0017000000uMWhUAAW' OR ID= '0017000000uMWiDAAW' OR ID= '0017000000UuVBmAAN'</code>
</div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
3. In LexiLoader, navigate to the Export wizard.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="3. In LexiLoader, navigate to the Export wizard." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/3-in-lexiloader--navigate-to-the-export-wizard.png?1400174980" height="122" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
4. Choose your object, then click on 'Browse' to create your export file.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
I have a list of Account ids, so I chose 'Account,'</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="4. Choose your object, then click on " browse="" create="" src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/4-choose-your-object--then-click-on--browse--to-create-your-export-file.png?1400174981" export="" file.="" height="596" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" to="" width="640" your="" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
5. Give the export file a name. Click 'Save.'</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
I usually try to be fairly descriptive so that I can easily identify the purpose of my export.</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="5. Give the export file a name. Click " src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/5-give-the-export-file-a-name-click--save-.png?1400174982" height="437" save.="" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" width="616" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
6. Click 'Next.'</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="6. Click " src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/6-click--next-.png?1400174982" height="298" next.="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
7. Choose the fields to include.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="7. Choose the fields to include." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/7-choose-the-fields-to-include.png?1400174983" height="606" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
8. Update the query formatting as necessary.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
I needed to add 'WHERE id = ' so that I can proceed with the next step.</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="8. Update the query formatting as necessary." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/8-update-the-query-formatting-as-necessary.png?1400174984" height="161" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
9. Paste the concatenated query criteria that you copied from your last row of formulas in step 2.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="9. Paste the concatenated query criteria that you copied from your last row of formulas in step 2." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/9-paste-the-concatenated-query-criteria-that-you-copied-from-your-last-row-of-formulas-in-step-2.png?1400174985" height="144" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
10. Click 'Finish.'</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="10. Click " src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/10-click--finish-.png?1400174985" finish.="" height="408" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;" width="640" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
11. Choose 'Yes.'</h3>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="11. Choose " src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/11-choose--yes-.png?1400174986" height="190" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" width="506" yes.="" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
12. After your export is complete, open the file that you named in step 5.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
You'll see all of the records that you specified in your query criteria.</div>
<div class="screensteps-image" style="margin: 20px 0;">
<img alt="12. After your export is complete, open the file that you named in step 5." src="http://media.screensteps.me/jbaze/7g7c4h/12-after-your-export-is-complete--open-the-file-that-you-named-in-step-5.png?1400174986" height="196" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 5px;" width="414" /></div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
13. Update or use your data.</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
When I've used this method in the past, there have been two reasons - to update a segment of records or to use them in a vlookup based on id in my original spreadsheet.</div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
If you want to update...</h3>
<div class="screensteps-instructions" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
There are a few different ways to do your update, depending on your circumstances. <br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>In your original spreadsheet of just ids, create a new column for each field that you want to update. Pull each column that you need in with a vlookup. This is helpful if you've already done some editing on your original spreadsheet and don't want to lose it.<br /></li>
<li>Use your export spreadsheet to update data as needed. This is the best option if you haven't already made changes on your original spreadsheet.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<h3 class="screensteps-heading" style="color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 10px 0;">
Upload your changes using LexiLoader.</h3>
</div>
Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-22030282679144739782014-05-06T12:36:00.002-07:002014-05-06T12:36:10.529-07:00Why Didn't I Convert this Raw HTML Template to Canvas in Vertical Response Before Now?!For the past several years (yes <i>years</i>), I've been editing our Vertical Response emails directly in html. Originally, a web dev helped us create the template and then I'd just update with new content when we'd launch new email campaigns.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why was this a problem?</h3>
<br />
There were nested tables 3-layers deep to maintain the layout. It looks great on the front, but behind the scenes, I was really struggling to make text and layout modifications quickly.<br />
<br />
Vertical Response has several modes for email drafting - you can use their wizard, design in canvas mode (a little WYSIWYG editor), import raw html or do plain text.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RuNo9yAFt3w8CWRvo0sJOXjDkLlyJQTdK1u4PNRBgg_EsDCg9Uc_ZJn-YcqTvUhOKX45G_jrT0LHUl4haJ1XspPNKMonsrfK5AkuTXvOfG6PxCCR-ut_neFr0UPsaVfDAchuEJQfzKxi/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:34+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RuNo9yAFt3w8CWRvo0sJOXjDkLlyJQTdK1u4PNRBgg_EsDCg9Uc_ZJn-YcqTvUhOKX45G_jrT0LHUl4haJ1XspPNKMonsrfK5AkuTXvOfG6PxCCR-ut_neFr0UPsaVfDAchuEJQfzKxi/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:34+PM.jpeg" height="318" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Once you choose raw html, it doesn't allow you to toggle to the WYSIWYG side. I was stuck reusing the same template and spending hours modifying the raw html.<br />
<br />
I know the basics of html but it was so labor intensive to make a small change and then double check - and if I made a mistake, I had to start from scratch because I'd saved it to preview, unless I copied and pasted a backup each time. Ugh.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGZvjaZ8FmD6WzB547-QdTiYeVus17QHV5hJ29eTnmEqDUo1SGpUXQcoO6bUBrx3VM8HbrqKEtSfeBkZRCiyQ5sRFgZu6hg1Gej_U9TZWwNQx81xBbts9RSGQPgsSgBxuC8v5O6_ZTdDc/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:19+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGZvjaZ8FmD6WzB547-QdTiYeVus17QHV5hJ29eTnmEqDUo1SGpUXQcoO6bUBrx3VM8HbrqKEtSfeBkZRCiyQ5sRFgZu6hg1Gej_U9TZWwNQx81xBbts9RSGQPgsSgBxuC8v5O6_ZTdDc/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:19+PM.jpeg" height="364" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>BEFORE</b>: I created each email campaign by manually editing an html template for years.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
How I Made it Better</h3>
<br />
I meticulously recreated the template from scratch in canvas mode. I did this all visually, with the help of <a href="http://ctrlq.org/html-mail/" target="_blank">this tool for toggling between html and WYSIWYG</a> to make sure I was on the right track.<br />
<br />
I opened up the existing html template on one side of my screen, and a new email template in Canvas Editor mode in Vertical Response on the other side.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvssAZfK9PcvzyrHU9Wmlzzs5AbQQcgfhj7VmkdClb6g9C-dMoV3YtkxMUyofXklziwYizQTwaCkg3x9u3Kef9sLbQNX4CouWVfw_Zzf9ZQ7Y2BiQXnxrWzCcThnfIugiCkSY8qqQaxt6/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:27+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvssAZfK9PcvzyrHU9Wmlzzs5AbQQcgfhj7VmkdClb6g9C-dMoV3YtkxMUyofXklziwYizQTwaCkg3x9u3Kef9sLbQNX4CouWVfw_Zzf9ZQ7Y2BiQXnxrWzCcThnfIugiCkSY8qqQaxt6/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:27+PM.jpeg" height="270" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[Left] Recreating my template in the VR canvas editor. [Right] My original VR html template, open in a WYSIWYG editor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I manually recreated each cell in every table and formatted the background and content, making a few slight modifications to give the template a more modern look. It was rather labor intensive, but now when I want to make changes, I've got a converted email template to easily manipulate.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5X_M0RFAW3wqy8TN76aEheunwpY_rCkBl2v1OOL7bP6o4fx6PYRk66JuKUvOnFA0hO4KZDxG3IGP2qeHIt-WF_5tui77WUO43tpSnYUFL6eW7dMd5ORMar9tAwJZVUEnVqUi_DxZGjC0/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:21+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5X_M0RFAW3wqy8TN76aEheunwpY_rCkBl2v1OOL7bP6o4fx6PYRk66JuKUvOnFA0hO4KZDxG3IGP2qeHIt-WF_5tui77WUO43tpSnYUFL6eW7dMd5ORMar9tAwJZVUEnVqUi_DxZGjC0/s1600/Snapshot+5:6:14+12:21+PM.jpeg" height="298" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>AFTER</b>: An canvas email template that is easy to update in the VR graphical editor!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!<br />
<br />Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255454793309539849.post-13874604181286155162014-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:002014-04-23T10:55:10.027-07:00How to Extract Salesforce Record Ids From a HyperlinkI recently found myself viewing a Salesforce report with fields that I wanted to update. But, I needed the id to do that. Unfortunately, the report was a standard report (in this case: HTLM Email Status), so my customization options were limited.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw0hZJOTuwxJBeXCBzu_5h8iJ0Oo8m-RM0zg9qQy9_Pufn8h243dbbnlxRF_uisWHlvTODnwXmSIvrQnOHKniybbvPmOLhKKzvB-M7NOHffw_49m6IhQFVjt5RkJ1seB9ZEJQwTpkhkpL/s1600/Unsaved-Report---salesforcecom---Enterprise-Edition.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw0hZJOTuwxJBeXCBzu_5h8iJ0Oo8m-RM0zg9qQy9_Pufn8h243dbbnlxRF_uisWHlvTODnwXmSIvrQnOHKniybbvPmOLhKKzvB-M7NOHffw_49m6IhQFVjt5RkJ1seB9ZEJQwTpkhkpL/s1600/Unsaved-Report---salesforcecom---Enterprise-Edition.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, I copied and pasted the report data into Excel.<br />
<br />
I needed a way to extract all the hyperlinks from the text so I could get to the record IDs in order to update. I followed the directions <a href="http://howtouseexcel.net/how-to-extract-a-url-from-a-hyperlink-on-excel" target="_blank">here</a> to create a macro that extracted the hyperlinks.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Here's how it all came together: </h4>
<br />
1. Paste hyperlinked text into Excel. Add a column for Extracted URL.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjxkwp9Vp1PPgbU2pN8kTnx8Vsr8uIWDZPG7ygnMeUkVikpaHWR10zUd_vTEeTskT5jBBEqEnUe7KXbO6ZNU6Sq-6UpP_cF62gEEEKIcucde9-lV4tNUnXcLkps5iRMOaMeHIPGKVIk3K/s1600/7C2992B7-40E9-402C-A45E-9A01419F66EE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjxkwp9Vp1PPgbU2pN8kTnx8Vsr8uIWDZPG7ygnMeUkVikpaHWR10zUd_vTEeTskT5jBBEqEnUe7KXbO6ZNU6Sq-6UpP_cF62gEEEKIcucde9-lV4tNUnXcLkps5iRMOaMeHIPGKVIk3K/s1600/7C2992B7-40E9-402C-A45E-9A01419F66EE.png" height="324" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
2. Navigate to Visual Basic Editor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW-XemoQM0228VRyIw-61PkIVsuVaPzjzl6hYuswsdj-sjPVB5J80ncojhdTNoVOotpZ1M6h7RxnECa3TUTZtCVj6pger9EJDGWf6b1PBFaCqpk0lTursf5ZSM4oqFcC5dBP2yaMRU40A/s1600/Tools.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW-XemoQM0228VRyIw-61PkIVsuVaPzjzl6hYuswsdj-sjPVB5J80ncojhdTNoVOotpZ1M6h7RxnECa3TUTZtCVj6pger9EJDGWf6b1PBFaCqpk0lTursf5ZSM4oqFcC5dBP2yaMRU40A/s1600/Tools.png" height="373" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
3. Create a new Module.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S-Ioch4rZapqX6MlDKN97_bFZLcD8plJWwDV6DVGLZ6kWEctudG-WZM0a6gOQ4ICabsGr0P5dLZGbHWZVt6Pmr3ama0C8ZHwBJxU4XCacYAOfsB1znASX-DC3IIbl3QgJ0lO02mfbnZA/s1600/Menubar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S-Ioch4rZapqX6MlDKN97_bFZLcD8plJWwDV6DVGLZ6kWEctudG-WZM0a6gOQ4ICabsGr0P5dLZGbHWZVt6Pmr3ama0C8ZHwBJxU4XCacYAOfsB1znASX-DC3IIbl3QgJ0lO02mfbnZA/s1600/Menubar.png" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
4. Paste the following code into the module. (Get the code <a href="http://howtouseexcel.net/how-to-extract-a-url-from-a-hyperlink-on-excel" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7fk67yN1aSamM4kkPJophS1zuM6sEpoIhdJqIn0zkKmDK08Vcyw1Sljq6yfwF2WJpEw-pTJny8Ggxb8qZLkKeHx6ZZflpyS_saZU3S-KkNs893VMj9btG4bsh17a0XE5niakEixNrzXY/s1600/Workbook1---Module1--Code-.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7fk67yN1aSamM4kkPJophS1zuM6sEpoIhdJqIn0zkKmDK08Vcyw1Sljq6yfwF2WJpEw-pTJny8Ggxb8qZLkKeHx6ZZflpyS_saZU3S-KkNs893VMj9btG4bsh17a0XE5niakEixNrzXY/s1600/Workbook1---Module1--Code-.png" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
5. Run the code.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIgT3cLa_MdR3gRiI4IaZVvOPCjCwDtOCrG-8FFMALUqhhUGm5rd_1bmOFInBrBlFMO0cyBp6hmdFBL5Ca3vRywxruYGEmdYPbicYfDg0wnvdbTOzf4tX6DMkDb6el5rmzw1h598DKzAx/s1600/Menubar-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIgT3cLa_MdR3gRiI4IaZVvOPCjCwDtOCrG-8FFMALUqhhUGm5rd_1bmOFInBrBlFMO0cyBp6hmdFBL5Ca3vRywxruYGEmdYPbicYfDg0wnvdbTOzf4tX6DMkDb6el5rmzw1h598DKzAx/s1600/Menubar-1.png" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i9lZYmZi8Hyvvv_k9QLFAkqWzceSa7fk9y-cl7tV33brlEhjgwOIdEAKebSQLS4NCcjCPAXWwV-9ZvZn-pKHMR3IZH9hqWJaA07ib99klF4_WzlpMoJjQXr3s1BmxPAEPB_gKk6jb4Ct/s1600/Macros.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i9lZYmZi8Hyvvv_k9QLFAkqWzceSa7fk9y-cl7tV33brlEhjgwOIdEAKebSQLS4NCcjCPAXWwV-9ZvZn-pKHMR3IZH9hqWJaA07ib99klF4_WzlpMoJjQXr3s1BmxPAEPB_gKk6jb4Ct/s1600/Macros.png" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
6. After the hyperlink has been extracted, pull out the record id with a formula.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bs4BddGNuFiEu4luoWYRWQL1GJTOfrxmQDoRooK8lJRkPT9EtLy0g4uyBP7DeohqpfkUZdZ7yoMdZut-O-PLVeQs54k5PTnLCZgziiFsqqfhmxESgp_5Wqtw0XDsFzMam24vVbHCCgsg/s1600/8583FCC4-7C04-4F9C-9268-28CEABE6D437.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bs4BddGNuFiEu4luoWYRWQL1GJTOfrxmQDoRooK8lJRkPT9EtLy0g4uyBP7DeohqpfkUZdZ7yoMdZut-O-PLVeQs54k5PTnLCZgziiFsqqfhmxESgp_5Wqtw0XDsFzMam24vVbHCCgsg/s1600/8583FCC4-7C04-4F9C-9268-28CEABE6D437.png" height="306" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmvo2KU7wc4uvGZpmfHl6ukSQd_l6053_OMkSN1qYLKW0t2Jg62irB1fDJjl_R6cDJvB0eCZJh741OjxoDJ1j3_BZiKFijJfF_SgYn5bhI881gywhNyL4YDrD7M-ciW7hxqyqpzOpSwiQ/s1600/30BCDD95-B516-494B-A4D5-3490177EAA37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmvo2KU7wc4uvGZpmfHl6ukSQd_l6053_OMkSN1qYLKW0t2Jg62irB1fDJjl_R6cDJvB0eCZJh741OjxoDJ1j3_BZiKFijJfF_SgYn5bhI881gywhNyL4YDrD7M-ciW7hxqyqpzOpSwiQ/s1600/30BCDD95-B516-494B-A4D5-3490177EAA37.png" height="318" width="640" /></a></div>
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7. Expand the formula for all rows.</div>
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And that's it!<br />
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So, if you ever find yourself struggling to update records when you don't have the id accessible, but do have the hyperlink, now you'll know what to do.<br />
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Jenna Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066025798456232501noreply@blogger.com2