When you spend more than eight hours a day staring at a computer screen, it can be easy to lose focus on important tasks. While your device gives you access to some of the most useful apps, there are also several distractions are vying for your attention. Here are a few tricks for boosting your productivity levels.
Monitor productivity levels
Start by tracking how much work you complete on an average day. Rescue Time, a Google Chrome extension, records your most frequently visited sites. It tracks how much time you spend away from your computer. Running the app will provide you with a productivity rating and a detailed log of how you spend an average day.
If you’re aware you waste a lot of time on social networking, you’re likely to make conscious time management adjustments.
Get rid of clutter
Another way to increase output is by deleting old files, uninstalling unused programs, and organizing documents into appropriately labeled folders. This makes your work easier to find and improves your computer’s performance.
As for the clutter in your email inbox, Gmail and Outlook both have features that filter out unimportant messages. Simply enable Priority Inbox on Gmail or Clutter on Outlook to get a clean, spam-free inbox.
Block time-wasting sites
Visiting non-work-related websites is a surefire way to hinder productivity. A quick, five-minute break to check your Facebook feed or watch a YouTube clip may not seem like much, but a few of those per day add up to a lot of time.
If you and your employees have trouble staying away from sites like Facebook, and Twitter, it’s a good idea to block access to them using URL filters.
Of course, if you want your employees to take occasional breaks during the day, you could use apps like StayFocusd or Strict Workflow. These allow you to set a limit on how long and how many times users can visit non-work-related sites.
Stay on track with to-do lists
To-do lists help you break down large projects into manageable, bite-sized tasks. And perhaps the most satisfying aspect is crossing things off the list. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and total visibility of your progress.
There are a wide variety of digital to-do lists available today like Google Tasks or Trello. These platforms allow you to set deadlines for small tasks and write clear instructions for each item on the list. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to use and are great for keeping track of your workflow.
Use keyboard shortcuts
Mastering keyboard shortcuts will make it easier to perform simple functions than if you’re stuck looking for them in the toolbar. There are more than a hundred useful shortcuts, but some that you should always keep in mind are:
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- Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + X – to copy, paste, and cut selected items
- Ctrl + Z – to undo changes
- Ctrl + T – to open a new tab on your web browser
- Alt + Tab – to switch between open windows
- Alt + F4 – to close the program
For much more like these, take a look at Windows’ list of advanced shortcuts.
These are just some of the tips every user should know to stay productive. If you need more ideas on how to get more out of your technology, call us today. We provide enterprise-level tools and advice that will make your life a lot easier.