00:00Hey, Essence Fest, I'm Letitia Byrd, Grow with Google Digital Coach.
00:09During today's session, I'm going to show you how to work smarter, not harder, using Google Docs and Gmail.
00:15These tips will save you time and effort, because you know, time is money.
00:21Let's start with some of my favorite productivity tips.
00:24First, productivity isn't just about checking things off the list.
00:32It's about doing what you intend.
00:34So if your intention is to relax and take care of your well-being, that's still considered being productive.
00:41The second is deciding your priorities and saying no to some good things so that you can say yes to the really great things.
00:49And lastly, you want to make sure you carve out me time for yourself to set the tone for each day, even if it's just 30 minutes of uninterrupted time.
00:59Personally, I like to meditate, listen to music, or journal.
01:04Now I want to introduce you to some of my favorite tips in Google Docs.
01:07Here's a tip that can help you quickly create new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms.
01:14All you need to do is open Chrome Web Browser, click on the address bar, and enter the type of file you want, followed by .new.
01:22I'm serious.
01:23You've got to try it out.
01:25So open up a tab in your Chrome browser and type .new in the address bar.
01:30Now give it a name, and you have a new doc ready to go.
01:33Do you sometimes receive files in Microsoft Word format?
01:37You can use Google Docs to edit them, even if you don't have the Microsoft software.
01:41You can even convert your Google Docs into a Microsoft Word document.
01:45We all have important docs that we use all the time and need to find quickly.
01:50I love adding stars to my favorite docs.
01:53By adding stars to important files, you can quickly access them all by clicking Start in the Google Drive menu.
02:00I'm sure you've had moments where you have amazing ideas racing a mile a minute.
02:04For me, sometimes I just can't type fast enough.
02:08Here's a tip that can help.
02:09A feature built into Google Docs that can help you save time and effort.
02:13Voice typing.
02:14Here's how to type with your voice.
02:15In the new document you just created, place your cursor where you want the text.
02:20Click Tools in the top left corner, then click Voice Typing.
02:25You'll see an icon of a microphone appear on the left side of the screen.
02:29Click the arrow above this icon to select the language you want.
02:33Now click the microphone icon and start speaking.
02:36When you're finished, click the microphone icon again to stop recording.
02:40I love using Voice Typing when I'm preparing for a keynote or a talk.
02:45So this next tip is super helpful in the moments where you're stuck without Wi-Fi, like if you need to get work done on your flight.
02:51The Make Available Offline Feature in Docs allows you to access, edit, and save your work even when you don't have an internet connection.
02:59Heads up though, you do need to set this up in advance on the device you plan to use offline.
03:04Once you have enabled offline editing and installed the Chrome browser extension on your device, there's one final step.
03:12Choosing the files you can access offline.
03:14You'll be able to edit these files on your computer even without internet access.
03:19So the next time your device connects to the internet, the changes you made to these files will be updated automatically.
03:25To do that, click File, then Make Available Offline.
03:29Another favorite tip. Did you know you can turn an email into a task?
03:34This can help you stay super productive, even if you're getting a lot of email requests and you want to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
03:42This is called the Task App with Gmail.
03:45So let's try it out.
03:46If you're logged into your Gmail account, look on the right side of the page for the side panel.
03:51If you don't see those icons, look for an arrow at the bottom of the page.
03:55Click that to show side panel.
03:57Now from the inbox, click an email, drag it into the section labeled Add a Task.
04:02The content from that email will automatically be added as a task and you can edit it if you need to.
04:07So if you ever find yourself having to write the same email over and over again, you're going to love this one.
04:14Gmail Templates.
04:15It saves you so much time and effort because you can make a template and keep reusing it.
04:20This works great if you need to send FAQs or weekly reminders to your team.
04:26I don't know about you, but I'm feeling real productive right now.
04:29For more tips and to keep learning from us, check us out at grow.google.com slash blackwomenlead.
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