Articles tagged "Personal productivity"

5 things to do before going out of office

Vacations shouldn't be stressful. This seems obvious, but a Zapier survey discovered that the dread involved with coming back from vacation can be crippling. 

5 tools that improved my note-taking and changed how I learn

When done right, note-taking is a simple but powerful way to get the most out of the content you consume. Unless, like me, you tend to leave your notes unread for years to come. 

Why mindfulness makes you more productive—and how to make it work for you

Do you ever wonder about those sages who live alone in the mountains, and think, "I bet they could fill out a spreadsheet in no time!"? The science, somewhat surprisingly, suggests that they could.

5 ways personal assistants can start automating their work

As a personal assistant, your job is all about someone else. Whether it's managing a schedule, keeping track of daily tasks, or organizing files, you're the expert on what your employer needs, and—more importantly—the expert on how they work.

5 ways facilities managers can start automating their work

Being in charge of a physical space can be stressful. Most people don't think about the effort that goes into keeping a place running as smoothly as possible—they just expect everything to work.

Actually, you don't want to speak to a manager. Here's why.

I, as a manager, am going to be much, much worse at helping you than my team is. If you want to know why you really, really don't want my help, please read on.

My treadmill desk makes me happier—here's why

I bought a treadmill for under my standing desk. I knew I needed something to get me moving, and I needed to be able to do it while momming, working, or hanging out with friends on Zoom. I needed to get my butt out of that comfy chair and get moving. 

5 insider tips on getting the best support experience

I've been doing support for tech companies for over a decade, and I've got a secret. A secret no one ever believes. Support staff really, really want to help you.

Transparency has its limits

Reminding someone they're behind on a project can be awkward. Reminding someone they're behind on a project during an all-hands meeting, in front of the entire company, is worse. 

Stop paying for software you can build yourself

Apple's "There's an app for that" campaign dates back to 2009, meaning it's 12 years old as I write this. The idea that you should find a specific app for every specific use case is deeply ingrained at this point.