Articles tagged "Personal productivity"

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.

Work-life balance isn't just personal—it's business

I've been having a tough time with my own screen addictions. Particularly with Slack. I check my work Slack at all hours, day or night, whether I'm working or not. Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea how detrimental this was for my mental health.

Reach any goal this year with a spreadsheet, a calendar, and the SMART system

You have a new goal. Maybe it's January and you're ready for a fresh start. Maybe it's July and you're ready for change. Regardless, you've got the vim and vigor to make this happen. But then you worry. People abandon their goals all the time.

How I (finally) stopped looking at my phone so much

I spend most days staring at a medium-sized rectangle—this is called "working." The problem: another, smaller rectangle keeps taking up more and more of my attention. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

How to incorporate mindfulness into your small business

If mindfulness practice can create feelings of hope and optimism in the direst situations, it can also influence the things we do every day—both at home and at work.

How to build a framework for making tough decisions

We make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to wear in the morning to what to watch before bed. Many of these decisions are so simple you likely don't register them, while others are huge complex beasts that occupy your mind for months on end.

The entrepreneurial mindset that helped me grow my business

Six years ago, I left my career as a full-time attorney to open a pie bakery with my mom. I had never baked a pie in my life. I know, right? Who makes that sort of decision?