Work and Career | At Home with Tech

January 12, 2025

It May Be Time to Update your Own Online Beacons

If you want to refresh your personal online brand or simply maintain your up-to-date digital self, you first need to do an inventory of the transmitters you’ve already set up. Here’s what to keep in mind.

Do you remember where all your online beacons are located? I’m talking about the websites that ping your digital identity out to the world. Yes, the ones you’ve intentionally set up. Are they all up to date with accurate information? When was the last time you checked? I bet there are at least a couple you’ve forgotten about.

Why not take an hour to do an inventory and review it to make sure all your data is current?

If you’re committed to curating your personal brand online, it’s important to make sure the digital ‘you’ properly reflects the real you.

You may find that the most obvious of places need some freshening up. I recently realized that even my own blog, which I spend time on weekly, required a little work. It was my ‘About’ page, which housed a wicked-old photo of me from when I launched At Home with Tech back in 2012. So, I replaced it with a current one. (More on photos in a moment…)

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Profile
Of course, maintaining your own blog or website can be the center of your online presence, but for many of us, LinkedIn is the go-to place to project your professional digital identity.

So, it’s always a good idea take a look and dust off your LinkedIn profile, especially if you’ve not been paying much attention to it.

LinkedIn Photo
And don’t forget to update your photo every few years.

Yes, time marches on, and after enough years, we’re all going to look somewhat different. That’s okay. It’s not being authentic to represent yourself as your decade-ago younger self. That’s simply not you today.

I wouldn’t project yesterday. Our own stories should be grounded in today and forward focused.

LinkedIn Connections
Bonus tip: While you’re spending time updating your LinkedIn profile, why not reach out to the folks you’ve been working with recently and add them to your LinkedIn connections? (Unless you’re a regular LinkedIn user, you’ll likely have built up a backlog of potential connections.)

Social Media

I know that many may not think of our social media activity outside the parameters of our ‘friends’ and ‘connections.’ But no matter how you set up your profile, I think it should always be assumed that anyone may be able see what you post. (That’s something to keep in mind… for life!)

Every social media platform allows you to create a profile. So that’s an opportunity, but also another chore to maintain. Don’t set it and forget it.

You’re likely sharing different information than on LinkedIn, and that’s fine. But you should always be mindful to ensure it all works well together. Because it may well be consumed together.

Do you Need to Share So Much of Yourself Online?
Several years back, I wrote a blog post that proposed you really don’t exist if you can’t be found online. I got some blowback on that, and for good reason. Today’s online landscape is complicated. I’ll just use the word ‘risk’ and leave it at that.

So, you’ve got to be smart and pay attention. And that means you need to keep track of those beacons you’ve set up.

I also wrote a blog post titled, At Home with Paper. It referred to imagining life at home without a computer printer (I still can’t).

But the title holds a different meaning for me today. It taps into a hidden yearning to ‘simplify.’ None of the above is simple. Sure, it’s easy, but that’s where your trains can easily go off the tracks.

Stay Close to your Digital Self for Life
But this is not blog for Luddites (though I bet there would be a growing audience for that).

I continue to promote what I believe is a best practice to curate your personal brand online. But you can’t forget about it. And of course, never share too much.

This needs to be a life-long strategy.

So, buckle up!

December 8, 2024

How 3 Computer Screens can Enhance your Work at Home

If you’re struggling to manage multiple windows on your computer screen while working from home, then it’s time to get yourself more screen real estate. It’s okay to admit it. Six monitors might be too many, but here’s what I did to get to three.

How many programs or apps do you juggle on your computer screen during your work day? Several Microsoft Word docs? Perhaps a Google Slides deck? Emails? Multiple web pages? Texting program? If you’re a creative, maybe you’ve also got Adobe Premiere or After Effects running. Where can you possibly put all that? Sure, you can minimize and hide windows, but you know… out of sight… out of mind.

It’s a constant struggle to keep your desktop organized and quickly find what you need. And you can never see everything simultaneously. You’d need a massive screen for that.

Well, of course they make larger screens for your computer. And if paired with a laptop, you also get the extra benefit of having a second screen. But some people keep their laptop closed and just use their external monitor. I think that’s a missed opportunity.

Stop Looking through a Pinhole
I know. Lots of folks do just fine using their tiny 13” laptop screen. Heck, 15” laptop screens are considered massive by comparison. But I know I’m not alone in feeling even that’s not enough room to do your work if you spend most of your day on a computer.

An office environment can often accommodate for this need with multi-screen stations you can easily plug into. But if you’re working from home, you’re usually on your own to figure it out.

Well, I’ve got a bold message to share: It’s really time to stop struggling.

Stop ‘making do’ with your tiny laptop uncomfortably crammed in the corner of your home. Why not reprioritize your existence and acknowledge your reality? It’s not temporary anymore.

So go ahead and redesign your space to set up a larger monitor for your laptop. If you’ve already got one monitor, consider buying a second one!

Yes, you really need it! It’s okay to admit that you do.

And let me tell you, when you allow your field of computer-screen vision to spread out more, it’s like putting on glasses for the first time…. Simply glorious.

Adding a 24” Screen to a 27” Monitor on my Standing Desk
I’ve been using a 27” LG monitor for the past few years with my laptop. They sit on my 42” wide standing desk in my home office. But I finally decided it just wasn’t enough. I really wanted a three-screen setup.

My standing desk is positioned in front of a window across from a separate V-shaped desk that houses my personal Mac Studio and a 32” HP ‘Z’ monitor.

Years ago, I chose to separate my work and play spaces in my home office. Perhaps that’s unnecessary, but it feels right for me. So, on the days when I work from home, my commute is a simple 150° swivel of my chair, and I’ve arrived.

No, I didn’t have a ton of extra room on my standing desk, certainly not enough for another 27” monitor. But I believed I could squeeze in a 24” monitor to help me gain additional screen real estate.

I knew it wouldn’t look pretty. I wouldn’t win any home-office feng shui awards. It would be a “Matrix”- like clutter vs. an airy starship design. And that’s okay. You go with what you’ve got.

So, with holiday sales swirling about, I finally allowed myself the freedom to buy a second additional screen for my laptop.

My New 24” Dell Monitor
I went with a 24” Dell UltraSharp USB-C Hub Monitor (U2424HE). The ‘hub’ functionality made it easier to tether to my existing set up without having to buy a separate hub device.

The USB-C connection to my laptop also feeds power to my laptop, which is a nice bonus, reducing cable clutter.

The IT Guy Finds a Challenge
The setup mostly was plug and play, but you really must know where to plug everything in. There were no directions in the box. (The quick setup sheet didn’t talk about multi-screens.)

I eventually found the 116-page manual online. The PDF was crammed with every possible detail. It described 14 connection options, each pin designation for the RJ45 plug and the emergency steps to take if you have to quickly dump the warp core (Trekkie joke). I scoured though this manual nobody ever wants to read and finally found page 55.

MST on Page 55
It’s titled, “Connecting the Monitor for USB Type-C Multi-Stream Transport (MST) Function.” (MST? Are we supposed to know that acronym?)

In short, page 55 told me to connect the Dell to my laptop with the USB-C cable and then tether the two monitors with the DisplayPort (DP) cable. (easy)

And then it simply worked. All my screens began to glow, and so did I. But please take note that you really do need to bring your inner IT Guy for this.

The Power of 3 Monitors
I think the irony and the truth behind this story is my secret desire to ultimately surround myself with 360° screens. Well, I’m on my way…

For now, I’ve got my laptop screen, my 27” LG and my adorably mismatched 24” Dell. Everything fits. And the extra monitor really makes a big difference. (Barrett is happy.)
Here’s my upgraded standing desk setup with my personal laptop displaying Adobe Firefly images I’ve created for my blog.

Maybe one day, a less expensive next-generation Apple Vision Pro will transport me into a more evolved virtual workspace environment and better serve my needs.

For now, all that matters is I’ve successfully expanded my access and visual connection to the many details constantly flowing through my computer.

More clarity through working smarter. I highly recommend it.

September 29, 2024

5 Ways to Ease the Pain of Returning to the Office 5 Days a Week

I just worked a full week in the office for the first time in two years. It was something of a shock to the system, but also like riding a bike. If you’re planning to take the same plunge, here are my reminders on how to minimize the stress.

I love my hybrid work schedule. It’s the best of both worlds. You still get to see and interact with your colleagues in a real 3D space. But you don’t experience all the wear and tear from a daily commute.

For many years, I took the train from Connecticut to Grand Central Terminal five days a week and then finished my commute deeper into Manhattan. Sometimes I used the subway. Other jobs allowed me the flexibility to hoof it.

That’s just what you did. No questions asked. I optimized my process, cherished my ‘me’ time on the train and enjoyed walking on the streets of New York. But it all took some effort and organization.

I was recently reminded of what that five-day-dance feels like.

Back to the Future

Returning to my daily date with Metro North after my hybrid schedule for the past two years was absolutely a shock to my system. I did it for just one week.
(I know… cue the tiny violins.)

Of course, hybrid work can occasionally mean more days in the office. So, what’s the big deal? The problem is refreshing a skill set that you may have forgotten. Yes, a successful commute is a skill.

But I’m not talking about just showing up. (That’s a given.) It’s how much effort and stress it creates for you… every day.

I’ve done this for enough years to call myself a ‘professional’ commuter. And this professional says that the best commute is the commute you don’t have to think about, because you’re so good at it.

Time Shift
I think we’d all agree that the biggest challenge with returning to your daily commute is all those lost hours the traveling gobbles up. Now, I know that’s an obvious point, but if you don’t plan for that shift, the rest of your life can start to feel out of control.

So, you have to time-shift all those activities you had baked back into your home life.

Minimize Morning Decisions

The other critical factor is you must minimize any time related to your commute that’s actually not part of your commute. All of that should be pre-determined, scheduled and relentlessly followed like you’re training for a marathon. Because it is a marathon.

If you take a commuter train, you clearly need to show up every day at the station before the train does. That takes some precision, which requires leaving your home at the exact same time each day.

Here are five rules I follow to accomplish that.

Wake up and have your breakfast at the exact same time every morning.
Choose your work clothes the night before. That eliminates precious minutes that may get wasted deciding on a shirt color or finding a matching pair of socks (guilty).
Ensure your work bag is packed exactly the same way every day. Your work badge needs to be in the same inside pocket. (I guarantee that will eliminate 99% of misplaced badge moments.)
Pack a portable power bank (and cables) to charge up your tech later in the day. No matter how planful I am with charging up my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, occasionally one of them needs a jolt of energy. (I can’t tell you how good it feels when a piece of tech starts screaming for power, and you’ve got the juice ready to go.)
Grooming tip: If you’re planning a morning shave, and that’s not been a part of your regular WFH routine, bake in more time. It’s not going to go as fast as you’d think. (You can get away with a quick shave only if you’re doing it every day.)

Speed It Up to Slow Down

Showing up on time at the office is important, but reducing your stress throughout that process is the real key. The less you have to think about your commute, the better you’ll feel.

And that takes automating your ‘pre-flight planning’ as much as possible.

Being ruthlessly efficient will save time and free up brain space to help you regain your focus on the rest of your life.

Whether this is just for one week or every week, it’s my recipe for a healthier commute.

Category: Work and Career

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