There are a lot of people talking about what you ought to do to be more productive, or which fancy tools and apps you should use to get more things done. However, there aren’t as many people talking about what you shouldn’t do to try and be more productive, or which activities will make you less productive (email is the only thing getting attention here). I’m changing that today by discussing four productivity mistakes people make that they don’t realize are mistakes. … [Read more...]
How to Tell if You are Really Tired or Just Being Lazy
By May 3, 2013
You already know that you are supposed to take breaks. The studies have spoken: taking breaks improves productivity. This comes as great news for most of us -- who doesn’t want to be encouraged to take breaks? – but putting the science into practice requires putting in some thought. Choosing to rest rather than keep on working can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt and unease. After all, how do you really know the difference between when you are really resting and when you are just being … [Read more...]
How to Build Good Habits
By April 22, 2013
Habits are powerful. Maybe more powerful than you think. Habits become more deeply ingrained than the color of our hair, both a blessing and a curse: a blessing in that they enact gradual changes upon us without demanding our full attention; a curse in that they can also be nearly impossible to shake. Become the master of your habits, and you will become master of your whole life. Learn how to build or break any habit with these 4 steps. … [Read more...]
Productivity Is As Close As Your Next Batch
By April 18, 2013
"Batch." When you hear that word, are you thinking chocolate chips? Because I sure am, but thinking past the next batch of cookies, you’ll find that batching is a highly useful tool that can help you be more productive in your work or personal life. Batching refers to grouping like tasks together and doing them all at once. For example, productivity experts routinely advocate planning all your errands together so that you aren't wasting gas or time making multiple trips. … [Read more...]
Improve Your Productivity by Reducing Decision Fatigue
By April 15, 2013
From the moment that we wake up, we are making decisions. Will I hit the snooze button? Neurons start firing off. The more mental energy that you expend on making decisions, the less you have for the tasks remaining throughout the day. This is decision fatigue. Left unmanaged, decision fatigue can impair productivity. Paring down the number of decisions that you make in your daily life not only reduces the amount of unnecessary decision fatigue that you experience, but can also increase … [Read more...]
5 Web Apps to Improve Your Productivity as an Independent Contractor
By April 10, 2013
Independent contractors face some unique challenges. Without an in house IT department, marketing team or accountant, a freelancer shoulders all of those responsibilities for themselves. Many freelancers do everything they can to avoid the administrative half of their job, but like a xenophobe in the city, there is no escaping it. Luckily there are a few apps to help make administration a little less painful. … [Read more...]
You Think You Have More Going On Than You Actually Really Do
By April 8, 2013
When I talk to people who are really busy with life, I see some things they have in common. The major thing is, they think they are more busy than they really are. Having kids in the equation throws a lot of curveballs in the mix but there are a lot of ways to productively schedule your day and get a lot done in the process. Below, I am going to talk about how to get down to the tasks that really matter and how to filter out what isn’t important to your goals. … [Read more...]
Working from Home as a Productivity Boost
By April 5, 2013
And How to Pitch it to Your Boss Tech giant Yahoo is the major enterprise making headlines regarding its new work-from-home policy, or its new lack of one. However, according to Families and Work Institute’s 2012 National Study of Employers, 63 percent of employers now allow at least some of their employees to work part of their regularly paid hours at home on an occasional basis, up from 34 percent in 2005. Is your company in that 63 percent? If so, then why are you reading this … [Read more...]
You Say Tomato; I Say Productivity
By April 2, 2013
What's round and red and productive all over? A little tomato timer task master that is the heart of popular productivity booster, the "Pomodoro Technique." Yep, that Italian tomato that makes delicious marinara is also making people more productive -- 25 minutes at a time. … [Read more...]
How to Use Aromatherapy for Productivity in the Office
By March 28, 2013
There are some things that you probably cannot change about your work environment. Among these things are the office lighting, the noise level, the furniture layout, and the color of the walls. However, you can definitely take steps to improve your office environment without having to request a work order. One way to do so is to use aromatherapy for productivity. … [Read more...]
