Technology has the power to make your life exponentially easier.
But it also carries the power to consume us, distract us, and make life more challenging.
Technology is powerful, and it’s all around us.
So how can we leverage it for productivity – to make our lives better instead of more complex? Here are six ways to boost productivity with tech:
- Streamline Tasks
The staple benefit of good technology is to save us time. Before the industrial revolution, most people didn’t have time for anything other than work.
Industry and technology changed everything, allowing us to produce products and services much faster. This saved time resulted in things like art, music, and the ability to have social lives.
Still today, technology is allowing us to save time doing otherwise cumbersome work.
For example, there are Chrome apps that help us manage our time. Some products block distractions and help us focus. There are even cars that drive for us.
Utilize technology to streamline tasks and save yourself time so you can do work on things that matter most.
- Get Organized
Remember when sticky notes blew up? Humans love to be organized. And sticky notes were just the start. Planners, agendas, notebooks, and calendars make up an entire industry of products.
More recently, technology has improved to help us stay organized as well. There are hundreds of apps online to help you manage your life, plan your calendar, and make the most of your time.
Products like Google Calendar have helped people stay on top of their calendars. ToDoIst and Wunderlist have improved to-do lists around the world. And Evernote and Notion have changed the way people keep track of notes.
Find some tech to help you organize your life.
- Improve Collaboration
Not only has technology helped us get organized, but it’s also allowed us to share better. Collaboration tools are sweeping the internet, from messengers like Slack to video conferencing software like Zoom and from file sharing tech like Dropbox to design products like Invision. Heck, even phones have advanced like crazy in recent years.
We’re more connected than ever, thanks to technology. This improved connection has been huge for businesses – especially those who operate remotely. Technology may be the only reason they’re still in business.
More than corporately, technology has also helped us connect on a personal level. Sure, too many teenagers are texting at dinner, but it’s not all bad. Connection and collaboration can be positive.
- Take Advantage of Free Tools
Here’s the best part: most of these technologies mentioned don’t cost an arm and a leg. There are countless free tools out there.
Which is crazy, right? So not only do these technologies help us get more done faster, saving us time, but they also don’t break the bank.
Even the tools that might not be free have “freemium” models, meaning you can use a limited version of the product for free. Nearly every tech product on the internet has adopted a freemium model.
Don’t have loads of money to drop on tech? Find some free tools online.
- Trust the Experts
Because there are so many technologies available on the market, it can be hard to choose the best product for your needs.
The good news is you don’t have to test out every available technology on the market and then make a choice. Plenty of experts spend the time for us and review these technologies. The review market has been growing like crazy over the past five years. Entire companies like G2 and Capterra have emerged to garner reviews and help consumers like you and me.
Of course, some experts compile lists that help us choose what technologies make the most sense. For example, here are 10 screen recorder apps with facecam and other neat features compiled by tech experts to save you from trying each one.
- Take Time for Analog
As great as technology is, we need breaks from it to get the most out of it.
When we become wholly reliant on tech, it tends to lose its effect. Rather than being an excellent tool to save us time, help us connect, and organize our lives – technology can become draining. It can rob us of experiences and harm our relationships.
Tech wasn’t intended to do this. To combat this adverse effect, it’s good to take time away from technology from time to time, whether that means in the evenings, one day a week, or one week a year.
A little cleanse can do us all some good.
Image Credits: ThisIsEngineering
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