TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…
Dear Friend,
Beep, beep, beep, beep….. you hear the sound of a truck backing up…
Beep, beep….you don’t want to get run over, so you stop, pay attention, and get out of the way, right?
There are two reasons I want to talk about backing up. First, when we hear little warning bells going off in our head during this hectic holiday season, we need to stop, pay attention, and often back up. Things like being tired, or overworked, or money being tight, or no time to shop and wrap and ship all create stress when added into an already overstuffed life. Picture yourself taking a few steps backward and breathing deeply. The stress will pass. Everything will get done. Christmas will be merry and bright.
The second reason I want to talk about backing up is the computer kind. I know, it’s not a glamorous topic and it’s rather dull to talk about, but about six years ago my computer died. It had been making noises, not the beep, beep variety, but more of a clunk, clunk, churn, churn. I’d smack the side of the tower (not smart I know) and the churning and clunking would subside. Until the day it just died.
Photos, documents, emails…everything was lost. Unrestorable. I never thought it would happen to me. After I recreated everything, I began to use one of these to back up:
That was good for a while, until my data took up more than one, so I went to this:
And that was good. It held lots more. Then a friend told me about this:
External hard drives back up everything you tell it to. And that was good.
One day I looked at the post-it note stuck on it and the date said six months prior. Yikes. I plugged it in, ready to back up all my stuff, and….it wouldn’t work. Not only was I not able to run a back up of new data, but the old data I saved was not accessible.
Geez.
Coincidentally, I’d just heard some writers talk about what they do to back up their systems. And I heard the word “online.” Could that be for me? Was it safe? I found all sorts of online backup systems: Mozy, IBackup, Carbonite, and others.
I chose Carbonite because many people said they liked it. I also liked the price. For $5.00 a month (the price of one cup of coffee at Starbucks) I could have all my data backed up automatically. No need to remember to do it. The technology was secure. The files were offsite in case of a fire or theft. It’s fast and simple to recover a file.
I’m not a techno wizard. This was super easy. Just install, let it back up everything (which took a long time during the initial run), and then watch it work its magic. It backs up all my files (email, documents, photos, everything) in the background while I’m working.
I don’t have to remember to plug it in, drop files into it, or do anything at all. If my computer crashes, I can restore everything to a new PC. How’s that for peace of mind?
Happy writing and blessings on your work. And MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Follow your dreams…
B.J.
Want some inspiration with that Christmas shopping? The second of three e-books filled with stories of hope and faith is available now.
In the follow-up to SUNNY SIDE UP: Inspiring Stories for TOUGH TIMES, you’ll find uplifting and encouraging narratives in this second book just for WOMEN.
WOMEN on Kindle: http://amzn.to/tchBTI
WOMEN on Nook: http://bit.ly/uNwVSC
Tough Times on Kindle: http://amzn.to/oWyIIO
Tough Times on Nook: http://bit.ly/q7bNTG
And if you don’t have an e-reader, you can read e-books on your computer with Kindle for PC: http://amzn.to/dk8GIF
Also still available:
“The Complete Guide to Writers Groups That Work”
Kindle http://amzn.to/qDh28y
Nook http://bit.ly/qZTHIX
In Print through Amazon: http://amzn.to/n3wS5D
I would love it if you’d write a review on any of my books. Amazon readers dig those. Thank you!
What’s Happening…
Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference March 30 – April 3, 2012. This PREMIER conference is for writers at all levels, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior to the craft. Come one, come all, to the greatest place to meet, to learn, to refresh, to pray. Ask for this as a Christmas gift, and do yourself, and your writing career, a big favor. http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference
26th Annual Southern California Writers’ Conference (and Retreat) February 17-20, 2012. Another great conference to check out. www.WritersConference.com
See you there!
Blog: www.bjtaylorblog.wordpress.com
Website: www.bjtayloronline.com
I just registered for the Mount Hermon conference. I hope I get the privilege of meeting you there. And since we are California girls, we don’t have a long distance to go in order to make our entrance. 😉
Jenni Brummett
Jenni,
Congrat’s on registering for the conference! Mount Hermon is very special….lots of wonderful opportunities to learn, refresh, and meet others. I’d love to meet up with you there. Be sure to find me (I’ll be on faculty so you’ll see my name once in a while and I’ll be teaching a class on Writing for the Guideposts Contest). Walk up to me and remind me who you are and let’s set a time while there to sit and chat for a while in the soda shoppe or over a cup of coffee! Deal?
See you soon!
B.J.