Productivity

  • 5 Ways to be productive everyday

    By Athena Joseph

    “Decide on your most important task. Begin immediately and work on that task with self-discipline until it is 100% complete. In life, all success comes from completing tasks. It’s not from working at tasks, it’s from completing tasks. It is only when you complete tasks that you become successful.”

    When we talk about productivity, one of the most significant ways to work more productively is to get into a routine where you wake up, work and have breaks at around the same time each day. Planning and setting up your day well, will help you get into a routine that works best for your life.

    Today we share a few ways to stay productive:

    Set achievable work goals :     Set up a schedule where you can put the time frames for every goal that needs to be completed. However the most important part here is to make sure that you stick to your daily schedule throughout the week. Give yourself a  day “off,” you minimize the temptation to sabotage your daily plan.

    Finish a task before starting something new : In order to finish tasks, you’ll need to make it a priority. Look at your calendar and see when it’s possible to make time to work towards completing the new projects you thought of.

    Practice positive reinforcement: Happy people have more energy. When you think positive thoughts and you smile, it releases endorphins which gives you more energy. More energy means you can get more done and therefore are more productive. Manage your energy well, which means lots of sleep, reduce blue light a.k.a. devices, eat healthy, stay hydrated and take time for exercise.

    Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To: At the end of the day, if you’re truly not feeling like you’re doing your best, try to set some goals for yourself and reward yourself for hitting those goals.When you have to work from home for a while, it can be easy to fall into a rut. After all, you’re in the same place day after day, and your days aren’t that varied.

    Set a Deadline: Once you’ve decided to spend a certain amount of time each week (or each day) on your project, set a deadline. There are no unreasonable goals, only unreasonable deadlines. If you miss the deadline, set another deadline. This helps you get good with your ability to assess how much time a certain project or task will take. Deadlines help you get things done.

    We hope you find these tips useful.

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  • 6 Ways to beat procrastination

    By Tanyika Rai

    Let’s be honest, everybody procrastinates. 

    Sometimes we can’t help but put things off till the last minute, it just happens. We lose motivation, get distracted or get tired and then, well, we say ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. But does tomorrow ever come?

    Not always. There are times where because of procrastinating we miss deadlines or we just forget. But most of the time, we’re trying to finish all that we had to get done at the last moment.

    Procrastination can not only affect our stress levels but also the quality of our work.

    Obviously, we don’t want that. So how do we beat procrastination?

    Here’s 6 ways to get things done on time.

    Eliminate Your Distractions

    The simplest and most obvious way to stop procrastinating is eliminating distractions. 

    It’s hard to get anything done when you’re constantly getting distracted by social media notifications or text messages. So in the time period that you’re supposed to be focusing on the task at hand, get rid of the distractions around you.

    Make a To-Do/Goals list

    What are your goals for the day or the week? What do you have to get done on this particular day or week?

    Write it all down. Always make sure to write down the estimated time you need for the project and by when you would like to finish it. Having all the work you need to do written down somewhere instead of just stored in the back of your head will stop you from forgetting it and it will also motivate you to get things done.

    Writing your goals and aspirations too, serves as good motivation and encouragement.

    Fix a proper system or schedule 

    Fix a particular time period in the day when you can get things done and work your best accordingly. 

    Take 5 min breaks at regular intervals and do something productive in them like exercise. Do a couple of jumping jacks, maybe some on the spot jogging or walk around. Just don’t sit on your phone and scroll through social media. Trust me, once you get sucked into that world again you will not be able to focus on your work.

    Try working at 15-25 minute intervals to prevent getting bored or distracted easily. Our mind and body works best and without getting restless in this time frame rather than hour long intervals. 

    Get A Work Buddy

    Find someone who would be there to motivate you to get back into the game and get things done. 

    We all get bored and can quickly lose the motivation to complete a task. Having someone by your side to motivate and encourage you is always a good idea. Someone who you can work with together without getting distracted, someone who you can share your goals with and will help you achieve them. And this can go both ways too.

    Forget About Perfectionism 

    Perfectionism is overrated. A lot of the times we start putting off tasks because it isn’t perfect.

    But nothing is ever perfect because perfection is an illusion. ‘If it isn’t perfect, it isn’t good’. If we constantly have this idea of perfection in our head then we won’t be happy with the work we’re doing and in the end, it will never get done.

    So ditch perfection and focus on getting things done. 

    But this does not mean you don’t try your best. It means give it your best shot and get things done but don’t be hung up on it not being good enough.

    Reward Yourself

    Try and reward yourself on a job well done after you finish your tasks.Do not, let yourself get distracted by social media or Netflix calling out you name until you finish all your work for the day.

    Once you’re done, go watch that new show or movie you’ve been wanting to watch for so long and treat yourself. Indulge all you want.

    The urge to put things off till the end is quite strong. It’s your easiest way. We all  struggle with it a lot too, so you’re not alone.

    Pick a couple of these tips and implement them. While you might not always be able to beat procrastination, it’s worth a try and you probably might become better at fighting it.

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  • What does working in FBOT’s mean?

    By Jivitha Shobashree

    We all think that we are organised. But is that actually true?

    Are we focused in the activities that we do without getting distracted?

    If the answer is no, then we can solve this problem by using Focus blocks.

    What are Focus Blocks of Time or FBOT’s?

    Focus blocks are focusing (focus) on one particular activity (block). You set aside a particular time to complete an

    activity which requires your time, energy and focus.

    The meaning of focus is to perform a task without procrastination and maintain their attention and effort until the task is complete.

    So it goes without saying that, when we are doing a focus block all our distractions should be turned off.

    The Distractions

    When you try to complete doing an activity or assignment. Your phone might open up with a notification, you will have the urge to open it and read, then you would think about the message and what to reply. So, you get distracted and would not have the same focus which you had before opening that notification.

    There’s a reason that distraction threatens your work output; According to a university of California ‘it takes 22 mins and 15 seconds to get back to the task’ after a distraction!

    That’s where focus block comes to picture, you should prioritize your work and allocate times for the activities you have to perform each day.

    Multitasking is overrated…. There has always been a myth where if you multitask you have higher productivity, but in reality that is not the case, your productivity reduces by 40%.

    Monotask is dedicating yourself to a single task. Try to monotask with minimal or no interruptions until the task is complete.

    Im sharing my tips below on working in Focus Time blocks:

    1. Consistency: When you start using focus blocks you have to be very consistent. Try to do it more often till it becomes a habit.

    2. Turn off notifications: When you start using focus block turn off your notifications on your phone. Let people know that unless its an emergency you will not be available. Also let them know when you will be available.

    1. A routine: Create a routine and make FBOT’s an essential part of your life, a routine/habit which you always follow.
    1. Set a time: You can choose any time of the day to do your work, whenever you feel energetic. Keep a track on your energy levels whenever it’s high, that’s the best time to work.
    1. Don’t go overboard: We are human with a limited amount of energy. You can start by doing this for 25 minutes and take a break of 5 minutes for each block and then slowly increase it to 50 mins with 10 minute breaks doing this for 4 consecutive hours. Gradually increase as you get accustomed to the routine.
    1. Place of your choice: When you work you need the right environment be it a positive or peaceful place, whichever works best for you.

    In the words of David DeNotaris, “Our focus is our future what we focus on will multiply in our lives”

    Now try it and let us know how it goes.

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  • Eat the frog

    success with savitha

    By Sowmya Narasimhan

    Do you have a hard time sticking to a productivity system and in deciding what to work on at any given time?

    Does your to-do list make you feel overwhelmed?

    If yes, all you can do is “Eat the frog”

    Read on to find what it means and how this one trait can help you to be productive and successful.

    How to “Eat the frog”?

    In simple terms, “Eat the frog” means to choose one big important task for the day and do it first.

    Firstly, you have to identify it. Decide what the most important task is for the day. 

    It’s advisable to plan it the previous night so that you will know what to work on the next day.

    You must know your priorities are, to identify your frog. 

    As Mark twain quoted “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first”.

    How does it help?

    You may feel Eat the frog makes you focus on less when you can do more. But that’s not true. By following this method you’ll be making progress on something meaningful every day. This will eventually lead to a virtuous cycle of getting things done.

    • Your energy and willpower are high in the first hour of the morning. Hence when you prioritize the most important task to do in the morning you will be taking full advantage of your best work hours 
    • Since you will be focusing on one task at a time, you will also be able to indulge in it with greater enthusiasm and be prepared to embrace the challenges with a positive attitude. This will help you to stay away from distractions and avoid other less important jobs that disturb you.
    • Try planning out what your frog has to be the previous night. You can break a large task into smaller units and look into all the possibilities and perspectives. This technique will also help you to analyse a problem deeply and pertain to higher impact tasks.
    • Make a To-do list. Note down your frog for the day. You could perhaps use the Pomodoro technique and create a mind map that can guide you on your work. By doing so you will never lose track of your toad!

    Eat the frog is for those people who overestimate what they can get done in a year and underestimate what they can do in a decade. You can use this simple technique to achieve your goals and be ahead-of-the-game.

    Check out this amazing book written by Brian Tracy: Eat That Frog! -21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. 

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  • How to overcome unproductivity?

    success with savitha

    By Deepti Satish

    Not achieving much or not very useful is the meaning of unproductivity. 

    We all have those days where we don’t want to do much or anything at all, we just want to lay in bed and scroll through Instagram endlessly. We sometimes start doing something for hours and get nothing done at all. Those days where we hardly have any motivation.

     That is what we call an unproductive day.

    Not getting enough sleep, not managing our energy well, not giving equal attention to the list of things that you need to do, multitasking and not focusing on one task, etc. 

    These are a few causes that lead to unproductivity but there could be so many reasons that could impact your efficiency.

    However, there are numerous ways to whirl that unproductive feeling into a productive one.

    Here’s how:

    Devise a list: Having tasks just wafting around in your head won’t have you accomplishing them. That’s when you can start by simply making a list of things that require you to do. This will give you an idea of all the tasks you need to tackle and get done.  You can also prioritize things that are important and might need to finish quickly. This will perhaps help your brain stimulate productive thoughts.

    Get a workout in: Often you might have been sitting and working for a long time due to which your body would feel worn out and not want to work anymore. To avoid such an occurrence you should take a break between each task and maybe take a walk, get some fresh air, go make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, do something that will make your body feel rejuvenated.

    Fixing your sleep schedule: Mounting evidence suggests that a good night’s sleep seriously boosts productivity. A good night’s sleep of approximately 8 hours is important for a body to feel refreshed and rejuvenated. You will wake up feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.

    “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” –Paul J. Meyer

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  • Chasing Success While Working From Home

    By Anusha Bapat

    Are you tired of promising yourself to be more productive while working from home just to end up binge-watching “The Office” and completely neglecting your to-do list? We’ve all been there and we’ve all felt guilty for enjoying the procrastination. Quarantine has blurred the line between work and personal life.

    Here are a few effective tips to get your work-life back on track while building a healthy relationship with yourself. 

    Dedicating an office space:

    Your brain has subconsciously established that you complete tasks at your office and you relax at home. There’s no longer a geographic barrier separating the two. This can cause personal cravings to flood into work time. Having the right work environment can immensely impact your attitude towards getting things done. Set up a proper workspace away from your bed. Choose a quiet, clutter-free place with a lot of light and proper ventilation. Make sure you’re cosy and comfortable sitting there for hours. Adding colorful decor and inspirational quotes help. Having a positive image of your workspace will help you start each day with a go-getter mindset. (You will also start loving your couch more because it doesn’t remind you of work!)

    Looking the part:

    Just like the location, your brain has associated your wardrobe with various events. Your comfortable pink pj’s are only going to remind you of lounging around and cosying back into bed with your favourite book. You’d be surprised by how motivated you get just by getting out of those pyjamas and looking more presentable. It will not only get you ready to kickstart the day but it will also make you feel more put together emotionally. On the bright side, you do have the privilege of choosing something more comfortable than those stuffy formals!

    Overcoming distractions: 

    It’s common to fall down the social media rabbit hole while “just checking your messages for two minutes”. That’s the thing about social media, you could spend hours scrolling or texting people and it would feel like a few minutes. Using social media when you’re supposed to be working just disrupts your flow and tires you out emotionally. Put your phone on do not disturb and shut all the unnecessary tabs. Don’t give yourself a chance to get carried away by ensuring that you open these apps only when it’s time for a well-deserved break. 

    Making a realistic to-do list:

    Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew. Setting unrealistic targets will leave you unsatisfied. It’s common to start loathing work because you think you aren’t doing it well enough or fast enough. Allow your inner self-critique to cut you some slack and start with smaller, achievable goals and make sure you get those done. This will motivate you to add more tasks to your list and accomplish way more. You will start noticing growth in your self-confidence and self-satisfaction. Prioritise your tasks. Finish the most time-consuming ones first when you’re fresh and active and progress your way to the less taxing ones. 

    Making the most out of those well-deserved breaks:

    It’s important to know when to take breaks. Allow yourself ample breaks so that you’re not overwhelmed by your job. Your mind and body need to rejuvenate to be able to work with consistency. At the same time, it is important to know when to stop relaxing and get back to work. Try to avoid looking at a screen during your break. Activities, like working out, cooking, watering plants, journaling and taking baths, can boost your serotonin and make the overall work from home experience much more beneficial to your mind and body.

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  • 3 Must Reads on productivity while #WFH

    By Anusha Bapat

    We share our 3 favorite books to help up your productivity especially now when we the boundaries between work and home are blurred with all of us working from home.

    1. Eat That Frog – By Brian Tracy

    “If the first thing you do when you wake up each morning is to eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day.” 

    Brian Tracy illustrates your most difficult task as the frog and how you should eat it first to boost and maintain your efficiency and zeal for the rest of the day. All your other tasks will automatically seem easier once you’re done with the hardest. It’s plain old practical advice presented in a very animated and compelling way. 

    2. The Productivity Project – By Chris Bailey

    The book explains motivating tactics and experiments in a very coherent manner. It deals with fresh ideologies like “productive procrastination” and “striving for imperfection”. The propositions he presents are very relatable and appealing. His strategies make you look at productivity in a new light and make you want to enjoy and absorb the process. 

    3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – By Stephen R Covey

    This is one of those classic books you can never go wrong with. A wholesome read that talks about changing aspects of your personality to meet the problem. The book emphasizes the importance of setting a goal and working towards the right direction while having an “abundance mentality” and “synergising” for future benefit. After explaining the struggles of successful individuals, he goes on to describe 7 habits to cultivate that will guarantee you success and happiness.

    We hope you like these recommendations as much as we do!

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  • 5 Ways to enhance your energy

    By Jivitha Shobashree

    Don’t we all get tired at one point of time during the day, our heads get heavy and our eyes feel like they can shut down any minute, that’s because we either use too much energy or effort in doing a single task and by the time we complete it we are tired.

    Social Squares

    We can make ourselves productive by arranging our important to do stuff, prioritize your work and not spend too much time on it and take regular breaks. 

    If you are done for the day without even starting your day then it means you should find a way to be more productive throughout the day.

    If you feel your productivity lacking you should start organizing and planning your day’s work and adding on to that a different routine which will help you amplify your energy and be active throughout the day…

    Here are 6 ways to boost your energy;

    1. Food

    Food is one of the vital parts in our body which keeps us alive. We don’t have   to be reminded to eat cause its already a routine which is set in our body. But when I talk about food I mean the food which is good for you, not the instant or junk food which we eat. I understand everyone are busy through the day and have no time to spend on cooking food. But it is important to eat the right food in the right quantity. This would keep you healthy and spirited through the day.

    2. Exercise

    We can define exercise as physical effort for the increase in energy and to be robust. But aren’t all of us busy, when will we get the time to exercise? You need to take 20 mins of your time, 3 times a week for you to stay healthy and lively.

      3. Quiet Time

    We spend time on everyone, trying to solve their problems and difficulties. But what about our problems? We should spend some time alone only with our thoughts, think about yourself, strength, weakness, emotional state etc. being alone without any electronic device next to you. When I mean quiet time it doesn’t mean lying on your bed, sliding yourself down and dozing off. It means sitting in a comfortable place- quiet and peaceful. Then focus on your problems and emotional state. It would give you clarity, help you control your emotions better, reduce anxiety and stress and even help you build your self-esteem and confidence.

     4. Sleep

    Everybody needs sleep, but too little or too much can knock you off balance. A person should have 7-8 hours of sleep.

     Too little sleep- is when you sleep only for 4 hours or less, this not only brings down your energy but also might cause health problems.

    Too much sleep- is more than 8 hours of sleep. It might reduce your cognitive ability and your reasoning skills which reduces your productivity.

    Having a proper sleep routine sis key to managing your energy well

    5. Blue Light & UV Rays

    Blue light and UV rays are the radiation which comes from phones, laptops, T.V, etc. Too much of blue light might cause macular degeneration (vision loss), disturbs your sleep pattern and might even cause cancer.

    We use our electronic devices way too much, we need it for work and for our entertainment be it binge watching on Netflix or scrolling down through insta. We should set a screen time to know how long we spend on our gadgets. Try not using your gadgets 1 or 2 hours before sleeping cause it helps you release melatonin (sleep hormone) so you can get a peaceful sleep. While it is a necessity to be in front of the screen so I would advice you to take 20 minutes break regularly.

    We feel UV blockers (blue light) is an excuse to overuse our gadgets. Well that’s not the case, I did some research on blue light blockers and found out that out of 100% of the light, the glass blocks only 20-30%. And it makes no difference you get the same symptoms such as eye strain or dry eye. The one thing it is useful for is it can be used in the night because some people might have to work night shifts or many of us use the gadgets during the night.

    TO SUM UP

    These 5 ways to keep you spirited are some simple ways you can apply to your daily routine. Productivity does not mean continuously working, it is how efficient you were, in the amount of time you worked for.

    In the words of warren bennis,

     “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”

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  • How to Quickly Shift Your Mood

    success with savitha

    By Tanyika Rai

    We all have bad days. Sometimes we wake up on the wrong side of the bed and sometimes the day starts pretty good but eventually goes in the opposite direction.

    Believe me, I have had those days, too.

    It’s exhausting to go to work and complete all of the assignments when you’re not in the best of moods and can’t focus. To be honest, all I want to do on those days is curl up in bed and binge-watch a movie. However, I am unable to do so.

    So for those lousy days and uncertain days, here’s a list of simple but effective ways to quickly shift your mood:

    1. Hug Someone

    Sometimes all we need is a hug. A hug from someone you love or even cuddling with a pet can do wonders to your mood. It’s that simple, and you know what they say ‘ A hug a day keeps the doctor away.

    2. Clean Up Your Space

    Being in a messy space is often the cause of stress in most people. So take a couple of minutes to clean and clear out your surroundings.Clearing out any negative or unwanted thoughts in your head is also considered as cleaning out your space and probably will boost your mood.

    3. Take A Quick Nap

    A quick cat nap when you’re worn out will make you feel rejuvenated and is bound to boost your mood. Fatigue can also contribute to a bad mood. Not only that, but it’ll also help you think clearly and focus on the task at hand.

    4. Meditate

    Breathing in and out will help you relax and unwind. Practicing a short breathing exercise or meditation helps reduce stress hormones and can clear your perspective.  So sit down, concentrate on taking deep breaths and relax.

    5. Have A Dance Session or Listen to Upbeat Music

    Make a lively and upbeat playlist and have a jam session. Be certain that it is music that can, without a doubt, make you happy. Listen to the beat, sing along, or dance to your heart’s content. If you dance around, you’ll also get a decent workout in.

    6. Take A Walk Outside

    Take a long stroll in your neighborhood or a park. Take a deep breath and bask in the light. Take on the wonders of nature around you. Vitamin D has always been advantageous to your health

    7. Focus On The Good

    Reflect on all the good things that have happened in your life. Shift your attention to the good parts of your life. Express your gratitude towards them. When we’re usually not in the best of moods, we tend to focus our attention on the not so great parts. Often this is the cause of us feeling even more upset. So change your outlook and focus on the good.

    8. Move Away From Technology  

    And finally, put your phone and laptop away and stay away from social media for a few minutes. Do a little exercising, grab a bite to eat or even try journaling and writing your thoughts down. Interact with all that is around you. 

    Taking these short breaks will keep you in a good mood.

    Having a bad day is absolutely OK. Sometimes we do need to have bad days and just binge watch a show with a bowl of ice cream.  

    Feeling down or being being in a bad mood can affect your productivity but these easy ways will help you out.

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  • Unlock your potential with these 6 productivity apps

    The pursuit of productivity is never ending.

    In my last post I talked about how you can manage your time better to be more productive throughout the day.

    Now that you know how to make your life easier by working in productive bursts, allocating ideation and execution time, taking adequate breaks, and limiting yourself to only 3 big tasks in a day, it’s time to roll out some of my favourite apps that take away the stress of keeping it all together.

    1.    Toggl

    A great way to stay productive or improve your efficiency with respect to a certain task is to track how much time you spend on it.

    I love Toggl because it has such a simple interface but it’s loaded with features.

    For instance, you can not only track your time, you can group them into specific projects or clients.

    And, it makes getting paid by the hour easier (the idle detection feature is amazing) with comprehensive client reports that display time spent on a task per day, week, or month. At the end of the day, it also helps you understand which tasks were a time sink (and thus need improvement) and which you’ve mastered.

    You can log in to Toggl on their website, desktop app, your phone, or with a Google chrome extension. It’s free to use for everyone, but if you want more features or would like to get your team onboard, the upgrades are totally worth it.

    2.    Forest

    Have trouble staying focused during your productive time frames?

    Try Forest.

    Whenever you’re ready to start a task, plant a tree on the app and set a time. If you touch your phone during that time to hop onto Insta, your sapling dies. But if you stay focused and follow through within the time frame, your tree grows.

    It’s kinda awesome to look back on a day or week to see how much your forest (and productivity) has grown!

    3.    Trello

    Love working on diverse projects but hate project management?

    Trello is a lifesaver!

    Trello breaks down each task into “cards” akin to each step in the execution of a specific task.

    For instance, if you need to create social posts for your Instagram, here’s how your cards would look:

    First card: theme ideas

    Second card: Caption ideas

    Third Card: Image ideas for themes/captions

    Or, if you want to streamline the workflow of your blog:

    First Card: Post ideas

    Second card: Posts written

    Third card: Posts edited/proofread

    Fourth card: Posts published

    You can also add team members to collaborate with you on a board, set up reminders, connect apps like Google drive or Slack, add project start and completion dates, etc.

    The free version is quite awesome if it’s just you.

    4.    Slack

    Can’t stand lengthy email threads?

    Get your clients or team members on Slack.

    Slack spices up boring work conversations and makes everything oh-so-easy with its clean interface and awesome integrations.

    Can’t find that nugget of information your client dropped? Fire up a search on your Slack channel.

    Slack also lets you share files and make video or voice calls. Plus, it integrates with

    5.    Later

    Instagram and Facebook were fun, till they kinda became a race for content.

    But here’s the thing: if you’re posting on the fly every day, you’re kinda doing it wrong.

    The best way to stay on top of your social media content game is to schedule.

    And let me just say how fun and easy it is to schedule with Later.

    The free version is pretty cool, but if you want to level up with analytics and start scheduling your stories, try their Premium plan for individuals.

    6.    Noisli

    Have you ever noticed how listening to music makes your mind kinda run away whenever your favourite song comes on?

    If you hate working in silence like me, try Noisli. Noisli produces soothing white noise (like thunder and rain, ocean sounds, city sounds, campfire sounds, etc.) to keep your productive and stress free.

    Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by what lies ahead of me, Noisli calms me down right away.

    The Wrap

    Technology giveth and technology taketh.

    I love my FB, Insta and now Clubhouse time, but I know they’re a drain on my focus and productivity.

    So I try to leverage technology in my favour every day with these apps.

    And let me just tell you: each productive day is glorious!

    Focus on being productive instead of busy

    Tim Feriss

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