Category: Productivity
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What Is Your Productivity “Style”?
If there was only one way to be more productive, we could all follow that set of rules. But we are different, and research shows we all approach productivity in different ways.
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Focus on “Goals” Not “Tasks”
Where is your life headed? Do you have personal or professional goals, or is your life being driven by the items on your to-do list? You can be more productive by setting goals.
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Learning To Concentrate Improves Your Productivity
We seem to be living in a world of distractions. People interrupt you. Emails demand your attention. You have to prepare for meetings quickly. Plus, your to-do list keeps growing. While you are working on one project, you are tempted to start another. If you could only concentrate! Here are some tips for improving your concentration level.
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Establish A Soundtrack For Your Day
Some people insist that listening to music while you work can boost your productivity, while others say it can be too big of a distraction. It could depend on the type of music you choose.
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Does GTD Reduce Creativity or Spontaneity?
When we have a productivity system that works, are we sacrificing spontaneity and creativity? Here’s what David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done” has to say.
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Book Summary: Building A Second Brain
We all come across interesting facts while we are doing our work or reading a good book. We are certain that this information will be valuable to future projects or our general knowledge. But how do we store these facts? And, how will we remember them when we need them? In his book “Building A Second Brain”, Tiago Forte shares a workable system.
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I Can Clear 8-10 Hours On Your Weekly Calendar
Too much to do and too little time? What if I could give you back 8 hours a week?
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5 Tips To Deal With “Not Enough Time” Syndrome
If you have ever said that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get your work done, you will want to rethink not only how you spend your time but how you view time and the ‘time pressure paradox.’ Here are five tips to help.
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Adding Some Stress Might Increase Productivity
You might think that if you could eliminate all the stress you face at work, you could be more productive. But the opposite might be true.
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What’s Wrong With Most Productivity Apps?
Those of us who seek to be more productive are always searching for the next app that will allow us to do more with greater efficiency. But there is a cautionary note that you need to be aware of if you are on that journey.
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Planning Today Increases Tomorrow’s Productivity
Setting aside a little time at the end of the day will increase the next day’s productivity.
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Schedule Your Emails
A recent study showed that workers spend more than 25% of their workday replying to/browsing through/writing emails. Using my suggestions, you can spread the task to times that work for you, and your colleagues won’t know your secret.
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Processing Your Meeting Notes According to GTD’s David Allen (Getting Things Done)
Most people take notes in meetings. But, what you do with those notes is important to maintaining an effective productivity system. David Allen, the author of “Getting Things Done” talks about what he does with notes he takes.
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Are You More Productive With Music In The Background?
Some people like to work in silence while others feel more productive with music or some other noise in the background. Here’s what the researchers have found.
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Finding New Workflows To Save Time
A reexamination of the way you handle things can save you time. Here is how it worked for a client of mine.
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Dealing With Email While Following GTD (Getting Things Done)
Keeping your email under control is key to effective productivity. David Allen, the author of “Getting Things Done” shares his thoughts on how to deal with email.
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4 Great Ways To Start Your Day
Do you end your day wondering why you didn’t accomplish any of the crucial things on your to-do list? We all begin the day with good intentions, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Here are four things you can do to help you start your day and get more done and feel better about yourself.
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6 Steps To Improving Your Concentration
Have you ever nodded off in a meeting? Most of us lose concentration while we are in an important conversation or working on a complex project. Here are some ways in which you can increase your level of concentration.
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5 Ways To Avoid Procrastination
Many of us procrastinate when there is something we need to do. Here are five steps to fix that habit.
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Using GTD To Manage Big Projects
One of the major thrusts of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” productivity system is that you need to write everything down and track all of the next actions. In the last couple of years, Allen moved from California to the Netherlands and renovated an apartment. He tells Dave Edwards how he approaches a big project like that.
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The Problem With Email: Carefully Crafting Your Message
Now that so many more people are working remotely, there is a greater reliance on email so there is the likelihood of even more confusion. Sometimes the writer’s intent comes off wrong if words are not chosen carefully. Here are some tips for carefully crafting your emails.
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Happy People Are More Productive
Teaching yourself how to be happy, or see the good in every situation, will help you to be more productive.
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Improving Your Attention Span Will Increase Your Productivity
A short attention span can sabotage our best efforts to be productive. As a result of many studies, we’ve learned that there are seven things we can be doing to create better focus.
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Tame Your Calendar and Increase Your Productivity
If your calendar is out of control with meeting after meeting, I have some ideas on how you can use it more effectively.
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Reevaluate Your Workspace When Returning To Work
If you are returning to your office after more than a year, it may be time to look at your workplace environment and determine whether it is a help or detriment to your productivity.
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Happy People Are More Productive
Teaching yourself how to be happy, or see the good in every situation, will help you to be more productive.
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Keep Track of Your Time
It’s easy to lose track of how you spend your time, especially when you have a bush day. Time tracking is a good way of looking for opportunities to increase your productivity.
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Email Should Increase Your Productivity
People complain about receiving too many emails and their inability to stay current on everything coming into your inbox. It doesn’t have to be that way if you follow some simple tips.
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Is Your Computer Hurting Your Productivity?
Our desktop computers have allowed us to do more and faster, but an out of date computer can really slow you down. Even with a very fast computer there are shortcuts you can use to increase your productivity.
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Harvard Study Shows How Covid Changed Way We Work
The work from home culture has changed the way we work. We are on more teleconferences and we are sending more emails. But are we as efficient?
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Building Better and More Productive Habits
We’ve all tried to build new habits into our daily routine. Sometimes we are successful, but often it is more difficult than we think it will be. Here are five ways to establish better and more productive habits.
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A Drink That Boosts Your Productivity
Start your day with this drink, and you can see a jump in your productivity. Here’s a clue, it’s cheap, easy to find, and doesn’t require you to stand in a long lime this morning.
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How To Tame Your Calendar and Increase Your Productivity
Your calendar can be a powerful tool for increased productivity, or it can prevent you from doing what is important. Fix your jam-packed calendar today.
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You Need a “Not To-Do” List
Your to-do list may seem overwhelming, but deciding what not to do is just as important as what you spend your time doing.
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Step Away From That Screen
If you are working from home and finding that your eyes get tired, you are not alone. Here’s how to help your eyes cope with too much screen time.
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Are You Less Productive Working At Home?
Some of us have a great system for staying organized at work and being very productive. Yet, when we get home, our systems fall apart. Let’s look at how you can take some of the techniques you use on the job and apply them to your personal life.
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Set Up Your Workplace for Better Productivity
If you are scheduled to return to your office and leave your home workspace behind, you might want to think about ways to change things to increase your productivity.
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Does It Matter If You Have A Messy Desk?
Does your messy desk show that you are unorganized….or does it mean you are creative? It could depend on how your boss views it?
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What Task Should I Do First?
As we go through our day, we collect tasks that we need to accomplish. Most people can easily find 30-50 items on their ‘to-do list’ at any one time. This can cause a feeling that you will never get everything done. But rather than throw up your hands, there are some steps to determine what gets done first.
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How Technology Can Help You Complete Your Tasks
Today, how technology can help you complete your tasks. And, we look at some of the popular digital task managers that are available.
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How “Text Expander” Can Save You Time
When we think of being more productive we think about saving lots of time and getting more done, we think about saving minutes that add up to hours. But today, saving time one keystroke at a time. Today, we review Text Expander which can help you with repetitive typing tasks.
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Learning To Concentrate Improves Your Productivity
With all of the distractions around us, it is sometimes difficult to concentrate. But researchers have found some techniques that can help.
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Let’s Learn From A Mayor Who Can’t Control Her Calendar or Her Staff
I was shocked to read the demeaning email between the Mayor of one of our nation’s largest cities and a staff member. The Mayor of Chicago demonstrated that she doesn’t understand how to work well with her staff because she blamed them for not having time to get her work done.
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When It Feels Like You Don’t Have Enough Time
It’s common to feel like you don’t have enough time to finish all the work that needs to get done. Here are 5 tips to help you.
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Keyboard Shortcuts Can Increase Your Productivity
Sometimes the best productivity tips are the simplest. Do you use keyboard shortcuts to save time?
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Is A World Without Email Even Possible?
In Cal Newport’s book, “A World Without Email” he is critical of email and other technologies that require a lot of our attention. But is a world without email really possible?
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Cut To The Chase: Stop Wasting Time
We like to work around friendly people, but when an overly chatty colleague hurts your productivity, it’s time to speak up.
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The Curse of the Video Call
We seem to be spending more time on video calls, yet for many of us, they don’t seem as productive as in-person meetings. Here’s how to deal with the ‘curse of the video call.’
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An Investment of 30 Minutes Will Make You More Productive
When you get to the office on Monday, do you feel overwhelmed by all of the things that face you in the week ahead? An investment of thirty minutes is guaranteed to make you more productive.
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6 Tips To Get More Control Over Your Time
If you are stressed with an ever-growing to-do list, it might be tempting to throw up your hands and surrender to the demands of your work. Some simple time management tools could help you deal with your overwhelm .
Dave Edwards Media 