What are you doing this weekend? Maybe the weather is bad. Maybe your previous plans fell through. Maybe you just want to feel like you accomplished something this weekend besides hanging out in your recliner and binge-watching your favorite TV series. (Firefly, anyone?)
The Epiphenie Weekend Series covers useful organizational or technical challenges that you can overcome in a weekend. From organizing your computer files to updating your Facebook security settings, we cover it. Check back often as we add new topics.
Weekend Series Topics:
- Online Subscriptions – Know what subscriptions you’re paying for, when they’re due, and set up reminders BEFORE charges show up on your statement. (Published in October 2014)
- Passwords/Bookmarks – Update your passwords and bookmarks to reduce your chance of getting hacked. (Published in November 2014)
- Start Using LastPass This Weekend – Take your passwords to the next level by using a password manager. (Published in November 2014)
- Office Papers – Organize that box or stack of papers into Trash, File, Scan and To Do piles. (Published in December 2014)
- Bills – Create a bill system so that you never pay a bill late and to minimize the time you spend paying bills every month. (Published in December 2014)
- Diet & Fitness – Spend the weekend devising a plan to get in shape and lose weight. (Published in January 2015)
- Start a Knitting Project – Learn to knit or get back to knitting by planning and starting a project this weekend. (Published in January 2015)
- Installing Mac Software Using a PC – Do you have a Mac software disk that you can’t install because you have a MacBook Air with no optical drive? Learn how to install the software without buying an external optical drive. (Published in February 2015)
- Run a Windows App on Mac – Set up your Mac to run one or a handful of Windows programs as if they are native Mac applications. (Published in February 2015)
- Planning: If you are planning to complete this task in a weekend, you will need to order your software ahead of time.
- Computer Files – Go through all of the files in your local computer library files and desktop. Delete old files and organize things that you want to keep. (Published in March 2015)
- Cloud Files – Organize the files you store in cloud services like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, and more. (Published in April 2015)
- Backups – Automate your computer backups so that you are confident that you won’t lose important files. (Published in May 2015)
Backing Up to the Cloud for Free – Do a little extra work to back up for free. (Published in June 2015) - Jailbreak Your iOS 8 Device – Add extra functionality and features to your iPhone or iPad by jailbreaking your device. (Published in July 2015)
- Plan a Vacation – Plan an amazing vacation this weekend. (Published in September 2015)
- Making Fruity Cocktails in Your Hotel – For budget-conscious travelers, $8-$10 resort cocktails can break the budget. Learn how to make a vacation cocktail in your hotel. (Published in October 2015)
- Downgrade Your iOS Device This Weekend – If you have trouble with a new version of iOS or a jailbreak, you can downgrade your device. (Published in October 2015)
- Make Oatmeal in a Jar – Prepare oatmeal jars for your workweek (Published in November 2015)
- Remove Superglue from Your Fingers – Learn how to get that pesky adhesive off of your fingers when you work on your Christmas crafts. (Published in December 2015)
- Update Your Resume – Clean up your resume and brush up on your skills to make sure that your resume is ready at any time. (Published in July 2016)
- Landing Your Dream Job – After updating your resume, you can use it to land your dream job. (Published in August 2016)
- Negotiating a Great Salary – After you receive an offer for your dream job, you can negotiate a better salary and benefits package. (Published in September 2016)
- To-Do Lists – Plan a time management system that works for you.
- Understanding the Eisenhower Matrix – Prioritize your to-do tasks using the Eisenhowser Method. (Published in October 2016)
- Clear Unused Electronics – Go through your old computers, peripherals and portable devices and get cash for stuff you aren’t using.
- Clear Household Clutter – Go through your house and get rid of items that you no longer need.
- Update Your Wardrobe – Get rid of clothes that you don’t wear and buy new items that you need. (To Be Published September 2017)
- Donate Items Instead of Selling Them – Learn how to get top dollar for stuff that you no longer need. (Published in January 2017)
- Getting Rid of Old Computer Hardware – Get rid of your old computer hardware by giving it away, donating it, or recycling it.
- New Computer – Set up a new computer, or wipe your old computer and set it up like new.
- Scanned Papers – Go through the previously sorted “To Be Scanned” papers and scan them into your newly organized computer file structure.
- Filed Papers – Go through the previously sorted “To Be Filed” papers and organize them into your paper file system.
- Data Workflow – Now that your papers and computer files are organized, set up a system to keep things in order.
- “Social” Security – Update your Facebook security settings to keep your private information private.
- Contacts – Organize your email and social contacts into groups and make sure you have the most recent contact information for your friends, family, and colleagues.
- And more…
Planning Your Time
As you plan for your weekend projects, you can use this handy weekend schedule worksheet, available as a PDF or a downloadable and editable DOCX file:
