Utilize iGoogle to Improve Productivity

I am the type of person that truly enjoys structure. You know, a place for everything and everything in its place. So when I came across iGoogle not that long ago, I was amazed by all of the possibilities to add some structure and organization to my internet home page. And as someone who spends a lot of time at the computer, I saw iGoogle as a way to streamline a lot of my computer activities and increase my productivity.

Customize the Look

First, you can customize the look of your homepage. I know for me, I enjoy my online experience a lot more if it is visually appealing. There are hundreds and hundreds of themes to choose from — I’m currently using a Martha Stewart theme because of the pretty flowers, but depending on my mood I can change it with a few clicks.

Customize the Content

Next, you can add any number of gadgets in the main part of the page. There are so many to choose from that I was a little overwhelmed by all the choices. I still have room to add more, but so far I have added 5 that I use consistently:

• Google Reader — This gadget shows all new posts for RSS feeds for which I have subscribed. With one click I can read the post right there or click again to go to the website. Some posts are set up to only show the first couple of lines and then have a ’see original post’ link that takes you to the website. My preference would be to have the entire post available in Google Reader so I could just read it and move on, but that’s just me, I guess.
• Weather — This allows me to see the current temperature and conditions and see the forecast for the next 4 days. Clicking on this gadget will bring up a more detailed description of the weather forecast. Because I run and bike a lot, this has definitely helped me plan my workouts.
• Google Bookmarks — I know bookmarks can be added in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc., but if you change between internet gateways your bookmarks don’t follow. By having my bookmarks all in iGoogle, then no matter what platform I use to get to the internet I know my bookmarks will be there.
• Wikipedia — This gadget has a search field that will bring up Wikipedia in a separate window. I don’t search for a lot on Wikipedia, but this gadget saves time by allowing you to type in your search term and clicking go to bring up Wikipedia.
• Local Gas Prices — Because I work from home, I don’t drive a lot so I don’t fill up my car with gas very often. I just thought this one was really cool. It’s nice to see the gas prices and then decide if I should fill up or wait awhile.

There are literally thousands of gadgets to choose from — gmail, finance, YouTube, news, games, quotes — you name it, there’s probably a gadget for it.

Increase Your Productivity

By having a lot of the things I need right in front of me when I log in to my computer has helped me to be more focused and productive. No more fumbling around to find a website, now it’s just a simple click from my iGoogle home page. I don’t yet have a personal or virtual assistant so iGoogle is filling that role right now. Now, if I could only get it to brew me some tea and do the grocery shopping…

So check out iGoogle and see how you can improve your productivity and streamline your activities!