Hello!

These Outlook Productivity newsletters have been absent for a while (December was the last) because I was working furiously on the new book. That book is finally done and released! In fact, today is the official publication date, you can pick up a copy at Amazon.com today. And there is a new Total Workday Control Special Edition of the ClearContext IMS v4 Add-in Software out today as well, to match (more on that below).

New Second Edition of Book

Announcing the completely re-written 2nd Edition of Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook.

The changes in this book are huge compared to the older edition:

  • The book is now much easier to use, with a quicker start into using the system, and much easier Outlook configuration changes. It is now written in a Lesson format that walks you through the learning steps. Less chat and even more substance! You’ll have your e-mail and tasks under control in no time.
  • Integrated Outlook 2007 support (no longer a supplemental download document). Many new interesting aspects of the Outlook 2007 task system are covered.
  • A new theory of Task Management called Manage-Your-Now! (MYN for short). This is huge. See this link for a sample chapter to read all about this. This new and powerful (yet simple) theory drives most of the changes in the book and really adds substance to your daily routine.
  • The Outlook Start Date field is now the primary management field in this system (instead of the Due Date field). This works better with Outlook 2007, but requires some new Outlook configurations, all covered in Lesson 3 of the book.
  • Master Tasks are out. That concept is now replaced with a new approach called MYN Strategic Deferrals. And Daily Tasks are replaced by something called MYN Now-Tasks. All this leads to a much more powerful system and gives you a way to get your long list of tasks under control. See the sample chapter for more information; that same page has links to the Table of Contents, and more.
  • See a list including 12 other very significant book and system changes here.

Supplement for Existing Readers? Sorry, since there are so many changes, there is no way for me to release a supplement that covers the changes enough so that existing book owners can avoid buying the new book. There is just too much new material; in fact, only one chapter of the book is the same as the old book; everything else is new. The good news is Amazon.com still has the same low discounted price of around $15. More on purchase options below. The Preface of the new book provides a short study guide for existing users on how to adapt to the new system and book.

New ClearContext Software: MYN Special Edition

With the changes in the underlying system, I am happy to announce that ClearContext Corporation and I are releasing today a brand new Manage-Your-Now! Special Edition of ClearContext IMS, (called MYN-ClearContext IMS for short). Here are some features:

  • Updated configurations to match the new TWC-Manage-Your-Now! theory and task management system. This matches the book, and will save you some time over doing the new configurations yourself from the book. The book now describes when it makes sense to turn to this software for help.
  • Many added custom Outlook views, 14 in all, many to support the advanced lessons in the book (Lessons 11 and 12). Bigger time savings are here over hand-configuring those views. Again, the book clearly states when views mentioned there are included in the software.
  • Tighter integration with ClearContext; for example a customized toolbar for the TWC-MYN system.
  • And the same powerful Outlook add-on tools that support the TWC-MYN system extensively, like the powerful Task button, Schedule button, Followup Msg. button, and more. You cannot get those tools anywhere else, nor can you hand-configure them. These are documented in the new book as well.
  • No longer a free upgrade; the MYN version of ClearContext costs $10 more than the base version.

Download a free trial of the software here. Or read about it on the software portion of my website, where I provide links into a series of software support web pages. Or buy it now for $99.

New MichaelLinenberger.com Website

With this new book release I now have a new website, MichaelLinenberger.com. You’ll find lots of additional tips, many referenced in the book, and it has a totally new design. The older workdaycontrol.com website will remain active to support the older edition (which is still available), but that website will soon have some changes, particularly with regard to online book purchase (see next). By the way, the newsletter signup on the new website is the same newsletter as this one; no need to re-sign-up.

How to Purchase the Book; Delay in CD

With the old edition of the book, you may recall that New Academy Publishers sold, on workdaycontrol.com, a Basic Configuration Training CD, and a book-CD bundle. This CD has not yet been updated for the new book. That won’t happen until May or June.

So the current best way to buy the new book right now is on Amazon.com. When the new CD is complete and the bundle is released in May or June, I’ll announce it in this newsletter. But note this, the configurations are so much easier in this new TWC book and system, the need for the CD is greatly reduced. I certainly would not wait for that CD to come out; try the new book now.

New Seminars

The Total Workday Control Corporate On-site Seminar Series has been updated to match the new book, the new task management theory, and all new system contents. As usual, these seminars are a very powerful way to transform your entire department or organization into an efficient workgroup. The feedback from these seminars is fantastic, with participants reporting between 25 and 45% increase in workday efficiency. Call 888-216-7041 to arrange a consultation with Michael Linenberger about the best format for your organization. Sorry, no public seminars yet.

Summary

That’s it! Enjoy the new book, the new Manage-Your-Now! (MYN) task management system, and the new software if you choose to get that. I think you will find that you now have much better tools to get total control over your e-mail and workday. I’ll be releasing more newsletters more often now, to explore various concepts around the new system, and to provide related tips to help you even more. As usual, any future book and system updates will be announced in those newsletters.

All the Best,
Michael Linenberger