Articles tagged "Personal productivity"

When to automate a one-time task

Usually, we talk about automation as a way to create systems and processes that run themselves. But you can also use automation to save time on large, one-off projects.

You're not who you were before—and that's ok

It is entirely ok to not hold yourself to standards you set for yourself when you had more energy, less stress, and less overall mess occurring around you. It is ok to set the bar lower. You're not a low performer for it.

What my crying toddler taught me about stress and customer service

When I’m working with customers who've gone over the edge, I employ the same strategy I use with my toddler and remember that their reactions aren't about me.

Productivity isn't the point

Productivity isn't the point. It never was. I'm trying to teach myself this, but it's not easy, and that's why I think my relationship with work feels off. 

Why you should build LEGO sets at work

It might seem odd, building Lego sets in your office. But digital jobs don't give you a lot of physical indication that you're making progress. LEGO sets do.

Try highlighting your completed tasks instead of crossing them off

Recently, Keren Kinberg, a frontend engineer here at Zapier, discovered a simple way to make her paper task list more effective: highlighting completed tasks instead of crossing them out.

Managers: Never just text your reports the word "hi"

If my manager ever texts me "hi", "hello", or "hey" without any further context, I will assume that I'm fired. It's the only logical conclusion. The same goes for "are you around?", "let me know when you get in," and "can we talk?"

Stop doomscrolling: 6 better ways to spend a 15-minute break on your phone

We don't need to hide our phones during a break. We just need mobile break options that improve our state of mind—not bring us down. With a lot of personal trial and error, I've found six different (and better) ways to use my phone on a break.

How to turn off Google's Smart Compose feature

Predictive text has precisely one acceptable use: generating unhinged gibberish for text messages to disturb your friends.    This is wonderful and makes the world a better place. In Gmail and Google Docs, though, predictive text is distracting. 

The 3 game-changing lessons I learned from my business coach

The day after my first session with my business coach, he fell 30 feet in a freak rock-climbing accident, breaking three vertebrae in his spine, two ribs, his left ankle, and his right shoulder—as well as suffering a concussion. He was lucky to be alive.