Distractions Left and Right

We live in an information overloaded world where we are constantly bombarded with information and some sort of stimuli, much of it coming from different mobile applications. This can cause more problems than just an emerging case of ADD, it can really hurt businesses and their productivity. One of the tools that employers can use is incorporating workplace flexibility. It can actually reduce employee absences by 20% and improve morale and productivity. The number-one time-wasting activity is surfing the Internet for personal reasons, according to a recent poll from Survey.com. The poll also found that one-third of workers say they are unproductive because they don’t have enough to do. Managers should communicate regularly with their employees about priorities and deadlines. Employees should also be encouraged to ask questions and periodically check in to make sure that they are meeting their manager’s expectations.

Research in the Cloud

Research and software development have finally found each other. It has been a relationship in the making for a long time so it is a surprise that it took so long. Patterns from a lot of data are crucial to certain research and experiments. When there is a computer doing all the large number crunching, the scientists can get more done and see a much bigger picture of what it going on than if they were the ones doing all of the calculations. The costs can also decrease dramatically when a lot of the data is stored in cloud services. Many of the tedious procedures are also becoming automated which to some degree can give more precise and accurate results. Researchers can then remotely select experiments and get sent the results. It take over $1 million dollar to set up a functioning lab so the financial burden constrains experiments and makes it hard for garage-sized startups to get off the ground. Throw in some automated software programs and three people have the potential to do the work of thirty.

Turn Your Phone Off

When is the last time you powered down. All the way down. Not asleep. Not in airplane mode but ON/OFF. Try it with me now. Take your phone out, if you're not already playing with it, and turn it off. Fair warning, you will experience a short stint of anxiety and emptiness and confusion which is all very common. These mobile withdrawals are unpleasant (and slightly pathetic) but the sobering and liberating experience is worth more than your hopeless attempt to beat the 357th level of Candy Crush. I promise. Now lets have a chat. First off, when was the last time you had a conversation with a friend that was there in person without taking your phone out or even thinking about your emails and upcoming video conferences. I thought so. So here are some tips: first of all keep the phone in your pocket and I can assure you that it will take some practice. Secondly, you do not need all those apps, trust me. So just delete them. Also buy yourself a watch and actually use it. Set boundaries such as no phones in the bedroom or bathroom. I hope those are fairly self explanatory. We have more computing power in our pocket than that necessary to put the first man on the moon. Seriously. Think about that for a second.

Tech Products You Should Have

Anyone who owns a smartphone knows it can run through a battery in less than a day with all the mobile applications and communication software.. So I carry a backup battery charger everywhere. The Digital Treasures ChargeIt Universal 3600mAh Power Bank is a great choice to consider and only $30 on Amazon. Cloud based storage is also a must to have in the digital age so that you will not lose any of those important files. And why risk it when cloud-based storage options are so widely available and cheap? One of the best bargains is Google Drive, which is free for the first 15 GB of storage and $1.99 per month ($23.88 per year) for up to 100GB. (You can also get 1TB for $9.99 per month or $119.88 per year.) You can use it to sync files between all of your devices and access your files from anywhere. Electric toothbrushes work better than manual ones. Not only does brushing with an electric toothbrush leave your teeth feeling cleaner, according to a report by The Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, it also reduces plaque and the risk of contracting gingivitis, an early stage periodontal disease that affects 50 percent of adults.

Be More Productive

In this world, we need to figure out a way to work smarter and not harder. It is important to get the most out of your time so that there is a lot more time for the things you love. One of the best tips is to find the three most important things that need to get done, such as finishing that web development project, and do those first thing in the morning because otherwise you will get too busy and run out of time. As far as to-do lists go, it might help to write out everything that needs to be done the night before so that you can just jump right in in the morning. My most recent and favorite change to my to-do list has been separating my "today" list from a master list of everything I need to get done. I often feel anxious about all the things I know I need to do at some point -- I need to write them down somewhere so I don't forget them, otherwise I worry about when they'll get done. But I don't want these cluttering up my list for today. That will just make today seem busier than it is. The whole idea of working smarter, rather than harder, comes from the problem many of us have of putting in more and more hours, only to find we don't get more done. We want to find methods of being more productive in less time. One way to go about this is to adjust the way we measure productivity.

Paperless

So here is the new year and how far have you gotten with all those resolutions? The new year also usually means a clean slate and the perfect time to get all the documents organized especially with tax season right around the bend. More things, such as internet faxing, are going digital this year and in the coming years so it might be a good idea to make the transition now. Of course there are a lot of concerns such as whether it is safe and what about taxes. So how to go about it? A strong backup system is required – either an external backup drive or cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox) or better yet, both. Other necessary tools are a fast document scanner, a flatbed Multi-Function Printer (MFP) for scanning bulky items, a paper shredder and a program that will turn all those scanned documents into PDF files, the standard file format for archiving documents.The key to making this process easy is setting up a simple workflow that becomes habit. A good filing system ensures you can find everything later, which is another IRS requirement. You must be able to produce your records upon request, just as with paper. Scan everything, but also store in paper form official certified documents and anything with a raised seal, such as notarized documents, deeds, wills, title documents, trust documents, birth/death certificates. Other candidates for paper are short-term items you want at your fingertips, like flyers, clippings, and catalogs. Or, keep your desk pristine by scanning those short-term notes into your “delete by” folder.

Protecting Internet Accounts

Security experts say passwords for more than 2 million Facebook, Google and other accounts have been compromised and circulated online. When a malicious hacker gets a password to one account, it’s often a stepping stone to a more serious breach, especially because many people use the same passwords on multiple accounts. So if someone breaks into your Facebook account, that person might try the same password on your banking or Amazon account. Suddenly, it’s not just about fake messages being posted to your social media accounts. It’s about your hard-earned money. So do not use the same passwords for email, banks, and internet phone services. Another thing you can do to protect yourself is to make the passwords long and use a combination of letters and symbols while avoiding words that are in the dictionary. Lastly, it is important to change the password regularly.