• Where’s Ann Michael? – Busy learning new productivity tools. I can't wait to share with you what I discover. Stay tuned!
• Feature Article – What Motivates You?
• Ann Michael Recommends - That you go home today at five o'clock or at the end of your official work day. Then, when you get home, you totally unplug from work. Go home, have dinner with the family or friends and relax. Then pick up that book that's been sitting on your nightstand for months and read it, go for a walk with your significant other, exercise, or dig into that hobby that you seem to never have time for. As you are doing this, take note of how you feel during--and after. I guarantee you will feel more relaxed and energized.

A dear friend of mine is moving to Arizona next month. Events like this are always one of mixed emotions. I'm sad that she will be leaving, yet I am happy that she and her husband are fulfilling one of their dreams. Thank goodness for tools like Skype; we can have virtual coffee together whenever we want!

As she prepares for this move, she realized that she will no longer need most of her winter clothes, so she called me. We are pretty much the same size, and she knows that I love clothes! After a visit to her home, I returned with several stunning blazers, blouses, and pants. She is so happy that these beautiful clothes are going to someone that truly appreciates them. And, of course, I am thrilled to be the recipient!

After receiving the clothes, I happily began putting the various treasures away in my closet. As I integrated the various pieces - yes, my closet is organized by color - I rediscovered many things that I haven't worn in ages. The problem is, not everything fits these days. Several months of not exercising due to a pulled groin muscle has taken its toll. Looking at all of the exciting clothes in my closet definitely motivates me to get back to the gym...and I have! Sometimes you simply need a little motivation that stems from another source to get recommitted to a goal.

This is more of a "did you know?" combined with an FYI! Have you ever heard of Hay House Radio? Hay House Radio is an Internet radio station that features topics on personal and professional development. From woman's health and getting a good night sleep, to beating the blues of depression there is a wide range of topics that may be of interest to you. I have to be honest, listening to a program when it is in progress probably isn't the most productive thing to do while you are at work. Fortunately, the programs are all recorded so that you can listen to them when you like -- and the best part is that they are free! There is also a membership option if you would like to access their archives.

In September, my colleague Helen Kim will be launching her series. Helen is the founder of YourMoneyRelationship.com, a company devoted to helping people gain clarity around their relationship to money so they can make conscious financial decisions. Her series, Conscious Wealth, will cover many financial topics while featuring several guest speakers. We all have to deal with money, so I thought I'd share this with you. For details, visit http://bit.ly/djh6fd.

What Motivates You?


Different things motivate us for different reasons, so let's focus on what motivates us at work. We come into work and have a key project or long "to-do" list to tackle. What motivates us to jump right in, get going on these deliverables, and crank through until they're done? Let's take a look at some things that may get us going:

• Fear - If you don't get it done, you might not have a job tomorrow morning. This has to be one of the most uncomfortable motivators. If you are feeling this regularly, step back and assess the situation. Do you have the right tools, training, support, information, skills, etc? Be honest, are you in the right job?
• Career Advancement - By staying focused and meeting your goals and objectives you hope to move up the corporate ladder.
  Money - Honestly, is this a motivator? Sure, it's nice; who wouldn't deny that. If it's such a motivator, why do you spend so much time on low priority tasks that drain the time you need to produce the quality work that will ultimately lead to career advancement and increased income?
• Passion - You love what you do, and you want your work to reflect that in every thing you do.
• Sense of accomplishment - That "yes, I did it" feeling. The self-pride that comes from doing a good job, getting it done, and doing it right the first time.
  There are plenty of books and articles written about motivation, ones far greater and more scholarly than my musings. The reality is, it's personal, it's individual, it's unique. What motivates you and what motivates the person in the office next to yours is as different as your personalities. I believe that the last bullet - sense of accomplishment - is a major motivator. We all want to feel that we have contributed to the success of our organization. It's about doing our best and feeling good about it.

You now know one of the things that motivates me - clothes. Then there is food, travel, time with family... So the question is, what motivates you?

Indent Data Within an Excel Cell

Have you ever tried to use the Tab key to shift or indent the data within a cell? Then you realized that all it did was move your cursor to the next cell in the sheet. It didn’t indent your text at all.

So how do you "tab" over within a cell?

• Highlight the cell containing the text you want to indent.
• Press CTRL+Alt+Tab. The contents of the cell will be shifted two spaces to the right.
• Press Ctrl + Alt + Tab as many times as you’d like to increase the size of the indentation.

TIP: You can use the Increase/Decrease button the the Formatting toolbar also.

Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and The Productivity Chef for Mise En Place -- an organization and productivity consulting firm devoted to working with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper, and workload so that they can "get cooking" at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

Her personal philosophy...let's get the work done so that we can go out and play is what motivates Ann Michael. If you liked today's issue, you'll love Ann Michael’s productivity tools, products, and training designed to help you improve your focus, organization, and productivity at work so that you have time to experience all that life has to offer.

Having the right ingredients – tips, tools, and proven techniques – to accommodate an individual's work style is what makes the difference. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is to find the recipe that works for you!