The Internet Services and Retaining category had 6 companies on the list.

Google (#150), Amazon.com (#171), Libery Media (#275), Ebay (#326), Yahoo (#353) and IAC/InterActiveCorp (#370).

Microsoft (#44), Oracle (#137), and Symantec (#461) were listed in the Computer Software category. Dell (#34) and Apple (#103) were listed under the Computers, Office Equipment category.

Now lets take a closer look at this list of Internet and technology companies. See the above chart for reference. What is striking is that except for Dell, which is struggling to get back on track, these Internet, technology and software companies are greatly outperforming their Fortune 500 peers in the all important area of market capitalization. The dot.com days are long gone, so the bubble inflated values are not to blame.

So what is the reason behind investors' preference for these Internet-based companies?

These Internet stars are benefiting from the inherent virtues of the Internet. The Internet provides an efficient marketing and distribution platform. Additionally, a successful Internet company can expand rapidly domestically and internationally. In the early days of the Internet, detractors scoffed at the unprofitable Internet companies without paths to profitability. From the wreckage of the bubble implosion, companies with discipline and focus on profitability have emerged. These companies are growing fast, generating profits, and massively disrupting traditional businesses. Starting an Internet business becomes easier every day, which fosters an vibrant ecosystem where only the best emerge from the pack.

Despite Yahoo's likely removal from the Internet Serves and Retailing category, expect the representation from this group to continue to grow in the future. As long as investors are willing to bet their 401K plans on these Internet giants, the competition to join the list will be fierce.

Calendars:

Using Outlook or Google Calendar has helped keep track of the many events, calls, and time based "to do" items.

Contact Management:

Facebook, LinkedIn, Outlook and our mobile phone contact lists allow us to quick find and connect with our personal and business contacts.

Event Management:

Facebook and Evite allow us to quickly find, calendar and plan our events.

Even with all these powerful tools, our "to do" lists continue to stay full. It has been 6 months or so since I first read "4 Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss, and I recommend this book for anyone who wants to get things done more effectively. I have been surprised at how effective Ferriss' techniques have been. Here are a few things that I have been working on:

1) NOT checking email first thing in the morning and multiple times through the day.

Email is such a distracting force, that it drives your day, rather than allowing you to manager your time. Set aside some time in the afternoon to deal with your email and you will find that you are getting way more done due to this "batching" process.

2) Do Nothing!

There is the item that is perpetually on your "to do" list, yet it never is important enough to take priority over the more important tasks or the emergencies cropping up throughout the day. TAKE IT OFF YOUR LIST! Most likely nothing will have changed, except you have one less thing to stress about.

3) Get your Important, yet Challenging Tasks done first.

The item that you need to get done that won't go away (i.e. filing taxes) is looming. Get it done. Not only will it free your mind making you more effective, but it will make you feel better.

Changing your work habits are not easy, but once you get accustomed to suggestions (1) and (2), it gets easier and easier to stick to these best practices. The hardest change to implement is suggestion (3). If you are able to use Ferriss' game plan, you will see major results in a short period of time, and your stress level will decrease significantly.

Another popular phrase is "don't work harder, work smarter." The wrong approach to take in the quest for hyper-efficiency is for a person to spend inordinate time and energy trying to rethink their daily routine. This is a case of the cure being worse than the pain. The key to work success is to determine what task or tasks one can do better and faster than others. When people excel in a field or talent, it is a combination of aptitude and afinity. Tiger Woods is the world's best golfer because he has incredible talent, and he works really hard at his game. The incredible ability of Tiger makes the task of practicing and improving his game a labor of love. This virtuous cycle becomes the engine which drives his game to the top.

"When looking for work, choose something you love." It is pretty hard for a person to enjoy work that is difficult, a grind, or a mismatch for their talent and interests. On the other hand, it is common to excel in a field that provides fulfillment and a showcase of a person's talent.

The challenge for a leader is to discover the genius of those working in their group or organization, and figuring out how to maximize productive and results by utlitizing their special talents. The Michael Jordan baseball experiment was an example of a egergious misuse of talent. Michael went from the world's greatest basketball player to a mediocre minor league baseball player. A winning organization will have a knack for keeping their MJ's playing on the hardcourt rather than the diamond, and in turn attracting more MJ's to their team.