Living in the modern age has its advantages: Connecting with millions of people on social media is an app away, watching the newest tv show costs less than a movie ticket and ordering a book can take less than thirty seconds. With all of these advancements in technology, you would think that this is by far the most productive time to be alive in terms of professional output, but the opposite is quite true. Although billion-dollar companies excel at bringing software solutions to millions around the globe, many of these tech-giants fail to improve the productivity rate of their own workers. Located below are a few ideas to explore to not only improve production rates, but elevate one’s sense of self worth and motivation.
Time is Money
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last thousand years — hello, vampire — you’ve inevitably heard that time, in essence, equates to money. Although this is not entirely true, what it does illustrate is that each minute during the day could be used to produce income or further advance our career. However, many of us take leisurely walks through the cyber world of cat videos, funny memes, political conversation and the latest fashion trends.
According to an article released by Inc., the average 8-hour shift worker completes slightly under three hours of “actual” work during any given day. The remaining hours within the day were used to socialize with friends, browse websites, check email and converse over a random text message. But once we understand these areas of stagnation, what can be used to create a sense of urgency and productivity within our daily routine?
Leveraging Technology
Technology, contrary to popular belief, is an indifferent entity that reflects how the individual uses, or misuses, it on a daily basis. Following this understanding, we can begin using productivity software that is designed to help us regain control over our modern world and improve ourselves on a minute-by-minute basis. Once we begin to use technology to elevate ourselves instead of becoming consumers of media, we can begin the recovery process.
The first step in this technology detoxification is by using a cloud-based note system that allows us access from anywhere we may find ourselves. Software solutions like Evernote allow you to create immersive to-do lists, notes to yourself, save photos and implement all the tools that are conducive to a productive lifestyle. Moreover, cloud-based systems allow you to maintain peace of mind that your notes and tasks won’t be lost or thrown away on accident.
Optimizing the Workplace
Ask yourself this: How many times, in any given week, are you stuck in boring, monotonous meetings that reiterate what everyone already knows? If you’re like most workers, hundreds of hours are spent on an annual basis painstakingly rehashing the same ideas as the week before.
For readers that may be in charge of these meetings, switching to a VOIP or video conferencing system may prove efficient in the following weeks and months. By implementing these technologies, you allow workers to remain in their work zone and work on pertinent tasks while the meeting is taking place. In standard face-to-face meetings, workers are required to lose minutes, if not hours, of productivity that could be spent improving the company and expanding into the future.
More importantly, implementing these tools instills a culture of hustle, passion and drive to get things done. By laying the groundwork for employees to become more efficient in their daily tasks, you increase the odds of becoming successful and gaining more revenue from customers.
