Category Archives: Productivity Tips

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5 habits of people who are especially productive working from home

Before many office workers transitioned to remote arrangements, the thought of working from home sounded like a dream. Who doesn’t love the idea of ditching the commute and staying in your sweats? But those of us who have been working from home for years know the reality, and it isn’t always as stress-free as it sounds.  Loneliness, isolation, distractions, and Zoom fatigue are real, and they are challenges to overcome…

FastCompany.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

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Harvard Business Review: How To Deal with Collaborative Overload

Collaboration is taking over the workplace. As business becomes increasingly global and cross-functional, silos are breaking down, connectivity is increasing, and teamwork is seen as a key to organizational success. According to data we have collected over the past two decades, the time spent by managers and employees in collaborative activities has ballooned by 50% or more.  Certainly, we find much to applaud in these developments. However, when consumption of a valuable resource spikes that dramatically, it should also give us pause.  …

Harvard Business Review click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

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5 habits of people who are especially productive working from home

Effective remote work involves these five habits, which prevent feelings of burnout and isolation. Before many office workers transitioned to remote arrangements, the thought of working from home sounded like a dream. Who doesn’t love the idea of ditching the commute and staying in your sweats? But those of us who have been working from home for years know the reality, and it isn’t always as stress-free as it sounds. Loneliness, isolation, distractions, and Zoom fatigue are real, and they are challenges to overcome…

FastCompany.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

What is the biggest hurdle you have to overcome in our new remote workplaces?
Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Microsoft Teams: Free version can now create video meetings

Users of the free version of Teams, the Microsoft 365 online collaboration platform, can now create video meetings.  The change, spotted by OnMSFT, means Teams free users can create a Teams meeting from their account, rather than only being able to join a meeting created by paying customers. … Microsoft Teams, which launched in 2017, has grown from 44 million daily active users in March, 2020 to 75 million in April, 2020. …

ZDNet.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

Have you used it yet?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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The PC is suddenly in fashion again, but there are tough times ahead

Remote working may have caused many people to value their laptop and desktops a lot more, but the PC industry is likely to struggle as companies and consumers cut back on spending. PCs may have been viewed as yesterday’s news thanks to the rise of smaller form factors like smartphones, tablets and wearables, but trusty laptops and desktops (and variations on them like Chromebooks and even Raspberry Pis) have proven their worth during lockdown for workers and kids doing home schooling.

ZDNet.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

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Time Blocking: How to Get The Most Out of Your Schedule

Some of the most productive people in the world swear by a technique called time blocking.  Ever heard of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or Cal Newport? Yep – all time-blockers. And they’re not doing it because they like coloring in their bullet journals. They’re squeezing every drop of productivity from their days. It’s simple and it works. And I’m going to show you how. So, let’s see if this sounds familiar: You have too many things to do, and the list never gets smaller. …

Dansilvestre.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

Do you Time Block?

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How to Make Smarter Decisions in Chaos

How does a business leader strategize in chaos? It’s a question many of us are facing as we currently shelter-in-place and navigate a volatile world economy. … Moving forward, leaders need to both respect the moment and lean into the next business space. In an interview last year, marketing veteran Seth Godin said one’s next best move comes from asking one important question: Do more people trust you and pay attention to you today than six months ago…

Inc.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

Are more people growing to trust you or fewer?

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Microsoft Teams: Now free version lets you create video meetings

Users of the free version of Teams, the Microsoft 365 online collaboration platform, can now create video meetings.  … The move is likely to be another effort from Microsoft to go to battle with Zoom, the biggest winner in video calling and conferencing since the global coronavirus pandemic shoved the world toward teleworking. …

ZDNet.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

How will you use Teams now?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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The Key to Real Productivity is Agility

I guess one could define agility as the ability to change direction quickly, but it’s so much more than that. To be agile requires the ability to see not only the direction you are going, but the change you need to make to get there. It reminds me of that experiment that gauged our powers of observation. ….

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

How agile is your team?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Is It Even Possible to Focus on Anything Right Now?

Weeks into the new reality of stay-at-home orders, remote work, and being constantly bombarded by news of how bad things can get, we’re all getting used to new ways of getting business done. For many of us, one detrimental result is that we’re struggling more than ever to find the focus we need to be productive. … Practicing attention management is about maintaining control of where your attention goes, and recognizing when it’s being stolen…

Harvard Business Review click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

What do you do to stay focused, working at home?
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These home appliances slow down your internet speed

Halogen lamps, electrical dimmer switches, stereo or computer speakers, fairy lights, TVs and monitors and AC power cords have all been known to affect routers. Keep your router as far away as possible from other electrical devices …

ZDNet.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

What devices have you found to be slowing down your internet speeds?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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The Dos and Don’ts of Online Video Meetings

In the age of coronavirus, many of us have transformed overnight from office workers into telecommuters. And we are increasingly relying on videoconferencing apps like Zoom and FaceTime to correspond with our peers.  But inevitably, with our homes and workplaces merging into one, the boundaries between our personal and professional lives are beginning to erode — and awkward situations have ensued. …

NewYorkTimes .com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

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New Study Finds: Working from Home Makes Workers More Productive

People no longer want to deal with the frustrations of driving to and from work: In fact, new research shows that one in four employees has quit a job because of a long commute. Many job seekers now rely on the flexibility of remote work to avoid these inconveniences. The real question: How do virtual and in-office workspaces differ? …

Inc.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

Are you more productive at home?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page! 

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How to Be Productive Working from Home (and anywhere else)

As coronavirus continues to spread, many of us are forced to work remotely to help reducing contagion. At first, working from home sounds like the dream: pajamas all day, working from the couch, slacking off… But it can quickly get unproductive if you are not indistractable enough. …

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

How do you keep from distraction?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Don’t Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Productivity

Productivity isn’t about getting more done. It’s about what you get done. Three aspects of perfectionism can interfere with your ability to prioritize the most important tasks.  1. You’re reluctant to designate decisions as “unimportant.”

HarvardBusinessReview.com   Click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

How do you decide what is truly important?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

 

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People Who Achieve Their Goals Live By These 7 Habits

So, if this is something you’re looking to improve in yourself, here are 12 simple ways you can start practicing the art of self-discipline:  1. Don’t set a goal without knowing how you’re going to track its progress. …

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

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Coronavirus: Effective strategies and tools for remote work

Whether or not coronavirus becomes a full outbreak, the trend of working from afar is currently experiencing a major boost as businesses shift to digital channels and more people avoid physical gatherings. Here are key approaches and tools to get the most from remote work. …

ZDNet.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

Do you have an emergency work remote from home plan?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Use This Simple Business Tool to Make Good Decisions Faster

It’s tempting with a long task list to spread yourself too thin. You can stay busy all day and still find you have not much progress to show for it by the end of the night. Now apply the 80/20 rule to your to-do list. …

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

Will this help you make better decisions?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Can’t Kick a Bad Habit? You’re Probably Doing It Wrong

I had just finished giving a speech on building habits when a woman in the audience exclaimed, “You teach how to create habits, but that’s not my problem. I’m fat!” The frustration in her voice echoed throughout the room. “My problem is stopping bad habits. That’s why I’m fat. Where does that leave me?” … The first step is to realize that starting a new routine is very different from breaking an existing habit. …

nirandfar.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

What have you done to overcome bad habits?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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Why procrastination is about managing emotions, not time

Procrastination is an issue with managing our emotions, not our time. The task we’re putting off is making us feel bad – perhaps it’s boring, too difficult or we’re worried about failing – and to make ourselves feel better in the moment, we start doing something else…

LinkedIn.com click the link to read the rest of the story.  Get our free tools here.

What are you procrastinating about?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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The 6 life-changing tech habits you need this year

Most of these tech recommendations will make anyone smarter and safer, except # 6.  They are saying standard antivirus programs are not as good as Windows Defender, but you need something better than Windows Defender.  We only recommend Next-Gen Antivirus programs like Cylance, Sentinel, Carbon Black.

ZDnet.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

Anything else we should add to the list?

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3 Ways You Can Limit Everyday Distractions

As Nir Eyal outlines in his new book, Indistractable, notifications are the big problem in this cycle. If my phone were across the room and I didn’t hear the ding, feel it buzz, or see a lock screen notification I wouldn’t be as compelled to check. This aligns with a 2018 article in Education and Health, which explained that unpredictable rewards work together with the push notifications to build a habitual cycle for people.

inc.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

How do you deal with distractions?

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To Change a Habit, Get Extreme. Progressively.

When it comes to gaining control over bad habits, like eating food we know isn’t good for us or succumbing to distraction… a technique… that worked wonders for me. I… “progressive extremism,” …To apply this technique, start by identifying the behavior you want to stop doing. For example, say you’d like to stop eating processed sugar. Taken all at once, cutting out the manufactured sweet stuff is too big of a goal for most people to quit cold turkey. Instead, think of just one specific sugar-laden food you’re able to cut from your diet and remove it from your life—sort of like the way a religious adherent or vegetarian gives up pleasures others might enjoy. …

BehavioralScientist.org click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

What could you eliminate forever, starting today?

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Are the People Who Take Vacations the Ones Who Get Promoted?

Americans are taking less vacation time than at any point in the last four decades. Why? According to Gary Oster, Managing Director of Project: Time Off, “Many people don’t take time off because they think that it will negatively impact their manager’s perception of them. But, that isn’t the case at all.” If you or someone you know needs to be convinced to use your vacation time, here’s a list of reasons why it just makes good business sense: …

Harvard Business Review click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

Have you noticed similar benefits in your life?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

 

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Being ‘Indistractable’ Will Be the Skill of the Future

The truth is, we overuse video games, social media, and our cell phones not just for the pleasure they provide, but because they free us from psychological discomfort.
Distraction, then, is an unhealthy escape from bad feelings. …

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

How do you resist distractions?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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33 Things Successful Leaders Have Given Up

The advice here is harsh and it will help you understand leadership and the traps that exist. … Let’s look at those successful leaders we all admire and what they *don’t* do. What these leaders don’t do says more than what they actually do. …

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

What things are you going to quit doing?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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How to write great emails - and why it matters

Many people loathe email, but I love it. Used well, it can enhance productivity and communication. It can streamline workflows and clarify meaning. A well-composed email also raises the profile of the sender.

Jotform.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

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Addicted to distractions? How to reclaim your focus and shut out the noise

It is easy to think that being distracted is just the inability to focus, when in fact, it’s more complicated than that.  As Seth Godin, the content God himself, said in one of his essays:  “If you’re not paying, you and your attention are the products.”  We let ourselves get sucked into an endless cycle of distraction while the gatekeepers are busy selling our attention to advertisers.

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

How do you deal with the distractions?Join the conversation on our Facebook Page!

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How To Hack Your Brain Into Remembering Everything

Before getting into how to hack your brain into remember information there are a couple of things we have to understand when we talk about our brain.  Neurons combine so that each one helps with many memories at a time, exponentially increasing the brain’s memory storage capacity to something closer to around 2.5 petabytes (or a million gigabytes). For comparison, if your brain worked like a digital video recorder in a television, 2.5 petabytes would be enough to hold three million hours of TV shows. … 

Medium.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

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Want to Be Super Successful? Science Says Do Any 1 of These 10 Things

We all have the same amount of time. That’s why people who are more productive — and successful — use their time more effectively. … Chris Winfield is a great resource for entrepreneurs.  Chris is an entrepreneur and writer, and if you like this post (and the next two in the series), he’s created a special bonus area with a worksheet and 40 powerful morning habits you can adopt.

Inc.com click the link to read the rest of the story. Our FREE Tools can help!

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