Displaying All Posts tagged with distractions

Keeping Track of Your Tech Devices

Yesterday I realized that I had 5 portable devices to recharge and a drawer of tangled cables from which to get each of the 5 recharge cables (each device has its own). My TV remote and cordless phone seemed to need new batteries and the hand held vacuum was out of charge, too. It took me a good half hour to get everything all set and plugged in, by which time the cables were starting to tangle again. It’s like I was having a close encounter with clutter of a third kind – a technological kind.

How does everyone handle their technology maintenance? Do you have a routine? Have you found a way to keep devices, cables and batteries organized without spending too much time on it? Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

a device to keep track of my bag, how to keep track of all the cords for my wireless devices, How to keep track of USB devices, keeping track of cords

Multitasking: Friend or Foe?

Susan Johnston 9th June Communication 22 Comments

Recently, Harvard Business Review blogger David Silverman wrote a piece in defense of multitasking. Studies have shown that constant computer use, jumping back and forth between email and news sites and Facebook can lower our attention spans, decrease our productivity, and stress us out. But Silverman argues that multitasking is inevitable – as important as air.

What do you think?

I’m guilty of multitasking, but I’ll usually take the task into account. When I’m sorting through paperwork or cleaning out my email box, then I’ll often listen to a podcast or have a movie on in the background to lighten the mood. But when I’m working on something to send to a client, I know it needs my full attention (but I’ll keep my email open in case I get an update that’s relevant to that project).

Do you focus on seeing one task through to completion or do you jump around? Do you batch process? Do you juggle multiple spreadsheets, Word docs, and browser windows or try to keep your monitor as simple and streamlined as possible?

Any opinions for or against multitasking? Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

pros and cons of multitasking, multitasking pros and cons, pros of multitasking, cons of multitasking, multitasking cons, opinions on multitasking, donna multitasking, stressed out multitasker, pros and cons of multi-tasking, multitaskingpros

iPhone 4 Adds New Features – and New Distractions

Peter North 8th June Communication 6 Comments

Editor’s Note: Peter North, one of WorkAwesome’s newest contributors, is at Apple’s WWDC all week. He’ll provide little snippets for our readers to digest over the course of the week – to pass on what Apple and its developer community has to offer in terms of making all of us more productive.

Apple recently revealed some remarkable new features on the new iPhone 4. Some of the most noteworthy features include sharper images, faster processing, longer battery life and video conferencing. It could clearly be a an asset for increased productivity…or a debilitating source of endless distraction.

Its new innovations are as concerning as they are impressive. Video calls sound like a great tool, but are you ready for impromptu face-to-face conferences with your boss? Having a phone with a longer battery life, a sharper screen and more computing power sounds great, but is having a “pocket office” a gift of a curse?

A phone with a 40-hour battery life, an HD video camera and a screen with over a half million pixels is practically like having super powers in your pocket. But, as they say, “with great power comes great responsibility.” It could help you be more productive than you’ve ever been, but couldn’t it also turn you into a stressed, snarling super villain? Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

peter north app, peter north decorator iphone, Peter north app iPhone, peter north iphone app, peter north decorator iphone app, peter north app for iphone, peter norths the decorator for iphone, peter norths decorator apps iphone, peter norths app iphone, peternorth iphone app

How Do You Handle Distractions?

Susan Johnston 7th June Productivity 8 Comments

Some people use headphones or a closed door to tell office mates when they’d rather not be disturbed. Some resort to web plugins to block certain websites that are just too good to resist (I’m looking at you, Facebook and ApartmentTherapy!). Others could work just fine with the TV blaring, phone ringing, and small children screaming incoherently.

How do you deal with distractions?

Do you put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign? Lock yourself in a secluded room without TV or phone service? Or are you one of those lucky few who don’t get fazed by noise or other disruptions?

As a work-at-home freelance writer without kids or pets, I don’t have many of the same distractions that office workers or even work-at-home parents have. Still, there are plenty of cyber-distractions threatening to hijack my productivity. I give myself a few minutes of Facebook and Twitter time each day (after all, social media is like my virtual water cooler and without it out I might go stir crazy all day by myself). Then it’s “back to work, missy.” Occasionally, when deadlines loom and household chores beckon, I might escape to the library or coffee shop.

What about you? While there are some suggestions here, we want to hear from our WorkAwesome readership…let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

how to handle distractions in life, stay at home girlfriend disturbs productivity, office mate distractions, office mate closes window blinds, closed door with do not disturb, how do you iron distraction, how did you handle interruptions or distractions for children in preschool, handle distractions, handle distraction, what would you do if distraction are in your head

Are Smartphones a Productivity Tool?

Susan Johnston 2nd June Productivity 28 Comments

When I bought a BlackBerry Pearl two years ago, it was almost revelatory.

“You mean I can check my email or catch up on RSS feeds while waiting at the bus station or standing in line at the grocery store?! Yes, please!”

I quickly discovered that with a BlackBerry, it’s faster to axe a bunch of unimportant emails at once than it is to open them individually, so that reduced my daily email time. The ability to look up an address or live tweet from a conference or wherever is nice, too.

Smartphones are touted as a productivity tool, but are they really? All that 24/7 accessibility has its downsides, too. First, there’s the threat of burnout (you can’t be very productive if your brain is fried) and the constant distractions. All those apps, the endless email checking, and texting can keep you from real work, not to mention that they can keep you from staying in the moment and enjoying time-off.

Do you think smartphones help or hinder productivity? For those of you who own a smartphone, which one do you use? Are you an iPhone fanatic, an Android addict, or a CrackBerry connoisseur? Let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

smartphone productivity, smartphones productivity, smartphones and productivity, productivity smartphones, productivity smartphone, smartphones increase productivity, smartphone for productivity, smartphones for productivity, do smartphones increase productivity, smart phones productivity

Breaking Bad Habits

Mike Vardy 1st June Goals 1 Comment

Habits aren’t always bad, but the word just seems to conjure up thoughts of things that aren’t particularly good for us. There are “challenges” all over the web that try to help you break these habits but there are also those that try to instill good ones. These challenges can come with weekly or monthly timelines (such as 30 Days of Creativity or the Jerry Seinfeld-inspired Don’t Break The Chain), and even make you accountable to not just yourself but others as well (The Power of Less Challenge would be an example of this).

What bad habit would you like to break? What good habit would you like to begin? Let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

good and bad habits worksheet, bad habits worksheet, worksheet bad habits, work sheet on unhealthy habits, ways to break a habit worksheet, speeches about habit breaking, printable worksheets for breaking bad habits, movies that teach about overcoming bad habits, Michael Hackett Breaking some bad management habits, how to break bad habits worksheet

Are You Quitting Facebook?

Mike Vardy 31st May Productivity 23 Comments

Facebook has its benefits. It creates a connection of sorts, reconnects old friends and is an excellent social media tool. But it is also a productivity killer when overused. Between email, Twitter and Facebook you can seem to be doing a lot without really doing anything at all.

May 31st was designated as the day that everyone who was going to quit Facebook would band together do so. Ideally, this would drive a point home that solidarity can make a huge impact (and some would say to get Facebook to think twice about privacy issues) on how the site goes forward. Then again, it might just be that not many people know about the significance of the day at all…

So, have you quit Facebook? Will you? Are you going to be part of the crowd that does it en masse? Tell us in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

i quit facebook, quitting facebook, benefits of quitting facebook, quitting facebook quotes, quit facebook, quit facebook quotes, people who have quit facebook, long term benefits of quitting facebook, quotes about quitting facebook, if i quit facebook will my messages that i sent to other people still be there

Find Your Inner Zen at Work

Sarah Nagel 27th May Your Job 2 Comments

You may have tasted Nirvana at last night’s yoga class, but by 9 A.M. the next day you’re as tense as ever. If only there was a way to experience that kind of renewal and relaxation throughout the work day.

The good news is that you can. Try these yoga-inspired strategies to help transform your work day into a more positive experience. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

zen at work, inner zen, zen WORK, zen and work, how to be zen at work, find your zen, work zen, find your inner zen, how to find your inner zen, finding your zen

Is Facebook Productive?

Mike Vardy 26th May Communication 5 Comments

With today’s privacy “simplification” announcement over at Facebook which rolls out to all users over the next few weeks (unless you’ve recently quit…or you may not see if you are going to) , it rekindled an old argument: Is there is any productive merit to the web service?

A lot of users use the site to promote their blogs (WorkAwesome included) as well as to keep touch – and regain contact – with old friends. This can result in new opportunities and can be effective in keeping communication easy and centralized. Certainly birthday greetings have become simpler to send (and remember)!

Do you still use Facebook? If so, for what? Is it a productivity “suck” or tool? Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

is facebook productive, facebook and productivity, social prostitution india, is facebook product ive, how to be productive on facebook, how to be productive in facebook, how productive is facebook?, facebook usage and producitivity, facebook suck productivity, facebook productive

Pac-Man Eats Up Productivity

Mike Vardy 25th May Productivity 2 Comments

Last week’s playable Pac-Man game on Google’s home page (permanently playable here, by the way) may have been awesome for those nostalgic about playing the game – the iconic video game turned 30 last week – but it sure did sap the productivity out of the day for most.

A report by software firm Rescue Time (developers of time-tracking software) revealed that nearly 5 million hours of work time was eaten up by the little guy. Totally awesome in one way, not so much in another.

Admittedly, I played it for a spell once I came across the page. I was obviously not alone. How many WorkAwesome readers chased Clyde and the gang around?

UPDATE: The dollar value is in. Whoa. Click Here to Read Article …

Are You An Efficient Early Riser or Energetic Night Owl?

Mike Vardy 24th May Productivity 25 Comments

Some would say getting an early start on the day is the best way to go. You have the opportunity to get focused early on and tackle the day’s tasks and projects with little to no distractions. Then, when the rest of the world wakes up, you’re already a few hours ahead of the game.

Others profess that tackling the “have to’s” early on in the day allows you to do the “get-to’s” as the day draws to a close. Many people have had the day to allow ideas and strategies to percolate throughout the day and spend the wee hours making those ideas happen. In essence, they’re getting a head start as well – just really late the night (or early morning) beforehand.

Then there’s the ever-present question of when you need to be available to others, such as family, friends and colleagues. That plays into how you tackle your day just as much as anything else.

So, WorkAwesome readers, are you an efficient early riser or do you find you work better as a night owl? We’d love to hear from you! Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

why am i more productive at night, why do i work better at night, energetic at night, early riser or night owl, more energetic at night, early riser vs night owls, night owl to early riser, early risers vs night owls, im more productive at night, which person are you work better in day or night

Dealing With “The Impossible” At Work

Peter North 21st May Office Life 3 Comments

The novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a “satirical critique of bureaucratic operation and reasoning.” The book is famous, unique and hilarious, but the term “Catch-22″ itself has become more popular than the book it came from. The phrase may seem old and obscure, but it’s still part of the English lexicon, and it’s been used most recently in popular TV shows like Lost and The Office. Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

impossible work, work with peter north, impossible work situation, impossible situation in the job, impossible working situation, it impossible to work with, new job boss asks the impossible, what is impossible in work place, when your boss asks for the impossible, impossible colleagues