10 Ideas to Stay Productive
10 Ideas to Stay Productive
Of all the qualified authorities to write about productivity, I’m certainly the least of these. I struggle with organization and prioritizing tasks, and with the distractions of technology, I’m your classic procrastinator.
Before I forced myself to sit and write this, I had a sudden urge to clean the toilet and put away some laundry. To avoid this, I recruited the advice of my co-workers who offered their top 10 productivity tips.
1. Written To-Dos: The most common theme across the office. The written to-do list is a precious commodity for some and a daunting task for others. Company-wide, we prioritize and track all our tasks under the term “achievements.” The result? Our entire organization completes projects on time and welcomes new projects without dropping the ball on current work.
2. Google Keep: While not everyone has access to ASI’s internal system for managing tasks, Google Keep is available to provide similar benefits:
• Multiple lists for different purposes (shopping, to-do’s, etc.)
• Shareable lists. Add items to your partner’s shopping list. Another user can access the list and check off items.
• Saves completed items checked off.
• Lists are easily accessible and shared in real-time from any device.
3. Categorization: Each morning (or the night before bed), break down your daily “achievements” by category and what needs to occur “before lunch” and “after lunch.” You may have tasks related to the categories: “kids”, “household”, “management”, “programming”, and “meetings”, for instance. Splitting the categories and related activities into AM and PM, help make your day feel more manageable and organized.
4. Keyboard shortcuts: Do less and increase productivity more. Using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse enables you to work faster, more efficiently, and with increased precision. (CTRL+A, select all, is my personal favorite).
5. Music to Focus: Aside from the sounds of furious typing, under-the-breath cursing, and Doug the dog pacing, the office is largely silent. I always assumed the developers needed silence to concentrate, but apparently, they listen to their favorite playlists. Some of my favorite instrumental sounds include Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and “EDM bangers”, obviously.
6. Chocolate Works: Keeping our senses engaged boosts focus. Taste is no different. Next time you are tempted to check how low your bitcoin investment is headed, try popping a piece of dark chocolate in your mouth. A study from Northern Arizona University showed eating a piece of dark chocolate activates your brain in a way that increases your level of attention.
7. Take a hike: Are you still reading this? Go on, get out of here! Take a walk, breath in some fresh air (see? we can even use our sense of smell to get motivated), and come back ready to focus on the last few tips for productivity. The brothers in our office, Ben and Eric, treat themselves most days to a quick walk around the block together. Whether they’re discussing paint swatches or toddler tantrums, they return ready to get back to work.
8. Clean Workspace: How is your desk looking right now? Any handwritten notes from ASI that can be hung up? How is the lighting? Your chair? A naturally lit, clean, comfortable workspace is a huge step toward increasing productivity.
9. Sign Off: Ben (VP of ASI) recently found himself getting sidetracked by a routine of checking headline news online and social media updates. I think we are all guilty of stepping into the time vortex egged on by online distractions. To combat this habit, he since has wholly signed out of social media and online news sites. Now, he subscribes to only paper sources and allocates time to reading a physical newspaper.
10. Journaling is Power: Last month Ben and I experimented with journaling each day before starting work. A concept pulled from the book Writing to Learn by William Zinsser, Ben and I committed ten minutes to jot down anything that came to mind related to the workday. We agreed the exercise of writing was aiding us to not only become better writers but a key driver for organizing thoughts and even problem-solving.
In Closing
Phew, I did it. Several snacks and walks later, I can check off this assignment. Jokes aside, we are a staff of employees and individuals dedicated to increasing your productivity with software tailored to your business process.
Journey from Amoeba to Multicelluar
Improve Your Business through Personal Development
If you’re an avid reader of our new monthly ‘What’s News’, as we assume you are, consider this month’s read as Part II where our employees reflect on unexpected growth and opportunity around them.
Six years ago, during a tech podcast I frequently listen to, the host, Paul Thurrott, touted the language learning app Duolingo. Intrigued by the challenge of learning Spanish, I downloaded the software. This seemingly insignificant action would initiate a lifelong journey absorbing a new language and culture. I soon outgrew the boundaries of learning from a computer and initiated a friendship with an international language partner who had a mutual interest in learning English. While we continue to meet regularly, I knew I was ready to be immersed in regular face-to-face conversation. Meanwhile, it was 2020 and as life has a funny way of opening doors, ASI hired its first “Amoeba” employee, Edgar Zarco.The Amoeba program is an entry-level educational curriculum we coined at ASI. The program strives to build programming professionals out of the programming equivalent of single-celled creatures. Edgar’s drive and aptitude gained him a full-time programming job at ASI as result of graduating the program. In addition to appreciating his programming abilities, I was thrilled to learn Edgar’s family is from Mexico and speaks fluent Spanish.
Edgar agreed to turn the tables and become the teacher, and I the single-celled creature. Each week we walked away from programming to discuss a variety of planned topics – in Spanish, of course. After a few weeks, we covered our interests in viajar (travel), mascotas (pets), and pasatiempos (hobbies). Recently, we traded favorite foods – sweet bread he offered, and chocolate cookies baked by yours truly.
As a tech company, ASI understands the world is in a constant state of change. Accordingly, I encourage our employees to invest in themselves with ongoing education. My challenge to readers this month is to pursue growth, career or otherwise, and make it a lifelong journey. Mentorships turn into friendships and friendships can turn into opportunity. I imagine Edgar would agree – our unexpected collaboration effectively reimagines the amoeba program and the way we communicate among our team and customers. Externally, we offer mentorship and education in the form of assessments. For a fixed cost, our developers partner with leadership in your organization to uncover ways to increase efficiency and productivity.
Embracing the Unfamiliar: A Developers Perspective
My eyes slowly open as the panorama of Eastern landscape gently rolls past. The gentle swaying of the train steadily propels my sleeper car through each changing region from Chicago to New York city. My trek to the east coast began much earlier than this 17-hour experience as a train-passenger. Meeting new people while attending college in the Midwest, where I grew up, I encountered new groups of personalities and ideologies. The realization not all people are cut from the same cloth, so to speak, pushed me to seek opportunities exploring notable cultural differences existing across the various regions of the United States.
In October of 2021 I decided to visit our nation’s capital during Memorial Day weekend in hopes to also get a sense of what diversity I could find in a new city. Determined to enjoy not only the destination, but the journey itself, I took the often-overlooked opportunity to take a passenger train through what I hoped was the scenic route.
I was not disappointed as the train finally arrived in the capital around 1:30 PM. What was the plan? There was no detailed agenda. As a programmer at ASI, I thrive in stepping into unfamiliar projects and absorbing the environment before transforming problems into solutions.
Although there was more to see, I stayed the course toward the next destination – New York City. Despite the city feeling like a bigger version of Chicago, I was again lost. It wasn’t long, however, before I found the World Trade Center. I was born in 2002 and wanted to visit the tribute I heard so much about in school. Taking in the views of the towering building before me and the 9/11 memorial was unsurprisingly eye opening to experience.
Problems deciphering direction found me immediately as I stepped off the unfamiliar platform into the chaos of the crowded National Mall. I began walking past the line of ice cream and food trucks unapologetically parked eagerly serving the flock of tourists gathered to take in all historic DC had to offer. After a few minutes of walking, I was rewarded with the sites of our nation’s Capital building, the impressive Washington monument, and the historic White House. The images in my AP Government textbook lacked the magnitude of the real-life versions of these buildings.
While my head spun with the people and sites I saw on my journey Northeast, it was time to head back home to the familiar. My enthusiasm for problem solving increased as I navigated new geography successfully. I returned to my desk at ASI equipped with a clearer view of what might be next in my future, a new appreciation for our nation’s history and a small taste of Northeast Corridor culture. I’m ready for the next chance to visit more sites that time did not permit and expose myself to new people and experiences.
I hope by reading this, you are encouraged to let your curiosity get the best of you. You never know how overcoming a challenge or initiating an opportunity will grow you. We talk a lot at ASI about “personalized innovation.” Now consider what might result if you partnered with ASI to stretch, grow, and manage your organization.
An Ode to the Supermoms
With the passing of Mother’s Day comes the hopeful passing of stress-induced days COVID-19 offered to Mothers everywhere.
As a mom myself, I faltered under mounting stress as I maneuvered caring for my household of four other people and working from home. Being committed fully to work and family at times felt like an impossible task. The weight of everything was exhausting and thankless, being perceived as not fully present as an employee or a mother. But moms are resilient and created to make the best of all situations.
My co-worker, Michelle, quickly became my greatest empathizer, being a mom herself and caretaker of her own mother during this time. Together, we discovered three key areas where stress turned to lessons learned.
Communication
The first challenge I conquered was to verbally admit to my co-workers and family I was overwhelmed. Of course, my team was understanding and offered a couple solutions, along with encouragement. It was a turning point I needed to take control of my work-from-home situation. I began to see stress was a waste of my limited energy and I stopped taking myself so seriously. I can’t be a perfect mother 24/7, nor can I be the perfect professional 24/7.
Creating Boundaries
One of the most important solutions that emerged from meeting with my co-workers was to adhere to firm working hours. Since I no longer had physical distance from my work, I needed to find a way to also have mental distance during non-work hours. Untangling home duties from work duties was a challenge, but a few simple rules proved to alleviate much of the stress such as: don’t open or reply to emails after dinner. Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Don’t feel guilty about taking a screen-free break to play a round of Candyland with the kids when they ask. Oh yes, and do NOT forget to sign out of Microsoft Teams at the end of the workday.
Michelle was a quicker study than I and immediately moved into a private workspace, but agreed it took awhile to learn how to unplug and transition during the short commute back up the stairs.
But it’s Not all Bad….
The more lines I drew in the sand, the more I realized my number one priority during this challenging moment was to protect the time I had with my kids, while I had it. It was then, I started seeing that I wasn’t a failure as a parent or an employee. In fact, I’m proud my young ones watched their mom shoulder these responsibilities with strength and resilience both working on the computer and handling home duties. They witnessed our small business seamlessly adapt to a new situation and work as a team to overcome inconvenient circumstances.
Michelle decided she was blessed to work from the comfort of home and chose not to return to the office. We still talk to her frequently via Teams, but while it is not the same without her, I am happy she found delight working from home. I since returned part-time to the office. Yet another shift in the dynamics of my family’s lives, but I will always be thankful for both the opportunity to continue my employment and be present during a crucial moment in my children’s lives.
Although Mother’s Day is behind us, consider showing your wife, mother, or even colleague some well-deserved appreciation.
Hold the Mustard
Noel recognizing Ablesoft has reached the pinnacle of its success in offering Chicago style hot dogs to his employees.
Despite the weather saying otherwise, Spring is here. With that comes the sound of birds chirping in the morning, the sweet smell of fresh cut grass, and the beginning of baseball season. To contribute to the transition of the season and the opening day for the MLB's, Noel brought in Chicago style hot dogs. After the employees assembled their dogs with the appropriate toppings (no ketchup), we enjoyed our lunch while the Top 100 MLB plays of 2021 played in the background. (One hour of highlights featuring a stellar play by a White Sox outfielder .
We are looking forward to the warming weather and longer days filled with sunshine. Happy Spring to you and your office companions.
Thanks for reading.
-Ben
Alan and Edgar beginning their hot dog eating contest. Inspired by the MLB highlights.
The Jargon We Hide Behind
The murky waters of jargon filled communication…how inviting….
With my entry into the corporate world in 2014 came the entry into a world of jargon filled communication. "Innovation", "real-time", "internet of things", "machine learning", were some among many terms used to demonstrate a speaker’s business savviness but reveal little information. Coupled with the equally vague management terms such as "collaboration", "synergy", "circling back" and “wordsmithing”, a sense of unease grew in me on not knowing what was truly being said when communicating with colleagues. In response to this I did what was natural. I too submerged myself in the mirky waters of this jargon filled communication style. If you cannot understand them join them.
It was not until I came across the author William Zinsser's book “On Writing Well' did I realize how common my situation was in the working world. The over reliance on jargon, vague expressions and management speak across companies has become as routine as a cup of coffee to start the morning. Zinsser has a chapter in the book specifically dedicated to this trend in business.
Here are some of my key takeaways from the books chapter on Business Writing along with quotes of Zinsser’s that I particularly liked:
Writing Comes in Different Forms
Warning: Recognition of the skill for writing may trigger flashbacks of critical grades.
Emails, proposals, summaries, and reports are all different forms of communication that require writing. The convenience of sending an Excel workbook to make one’s argument may seem reasonable, but it generally requires additional explanation behind it to be effective. The same goes for PowerPoint presentations. Writing may seem like a skill that was long forgotten since the days of the college essays or critical High School teachers, but the truth is these different methods of conveying information are writing. Embrace it so you can improve it.
Be a Person, not a Company
“But just because people work for an institution, they don’t have to write like one.”
Look at the smiles that a little personality brings.
In previous Newsletters of Ablesoft’s we tended to emphasize our technical abilities, professionalism, and certifications across the varying articles we sent out. These are sound traits to convey, but only when they are read. Over time, we noticed the more we inserted our employees and our personal stories in the articles we wrote, the more views we would see. If someone is going to read our articles, they are more interested about the ideas of the people behind Ablesoft and not the company itself.
Embrace the simple language
“Be natural...(readers) are suspicious of pretentiousness, of all the fad words that social scientist have coined to avoid making themselves clear to ordinary mortals.”
I am still guilty of using vague language at times. In part, it is inevitable that those words will sneak into a response to a prospect, customer, or in certain marketing materials when referencing more technical concepts. It is habit to avoid. Simple language does not reflect a simple mind, but rather a more organized one that is clearer to understand by its recipient. Be kind to your colleagues, customers, and prospects and consider using concise language.
Make the Effort
“Any organization that won’t take the trouble to be both clear and personal in its writing will lose friends, customers and money.”
This continues from my previous point on recognizing office communication as ‘writing’. It takes time to organize one’s thoughts and lay out their reasoning as to why a person, either an employee or customer, should consider what they have to say. If in the writing of the email or proposal there isn’t a sense of purpose to it, why should it be read? Taking the time to be clear is challenging, and it is something that many sacrifice for the sake of speed, but what could truly be sacrificed is your recipient’s willingness to pay attention.
Writing takes time, can be incredibly frustrating, and generally does not have the immediate recognition of a well delivered presentation. But with practice it helps bring organization to one’s mind and a deeper kind of satisfaction that only comes with patience and practice.
Thanks for reading.
-Ben
If interested in reading the full chapter. You can read the PDF version by following this link: On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction (richardcolby.net)