Productivity

What makes your company tick? How do you know you’re heading in the right direction? A SWOT analysis (acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is one of the most effective ways to evaluate your organization’s efficiency, spot roadblocks, and plan ahead. In today’s article, you’ll learn what a SWOT analysis is and how you can apply it to your business. 🤔 What Is a SWOT Analysis? The SWOT analysis…

Being a leader means that you’re responsible for making key decisions that can make or break your company. But how can you do that confidently? The short answer is — OKRs. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are one of the most popular goal-setting methods around. Big corporations such as Amazon, Dell, Netflix, and Microsoft use OKRs to drive results. And so can you. But you don’t have to spend millions…

Tackling projects without a project plan is like solving a jigsaw puzzle without looking at the box. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and counter-productive. So, unless you’re after a “let’s see what happens” approach, this article will teach you how to write a project plan in eight steps. 💡 Before you start… Are you new to project management? Be sure to check our Project Management Basics article where we discuss other essential…

“How to run an effective meeting?” If you’re a team manager, this question is probably enough to keep you up at night. And you’re not alone. Many senior managers (71% to be exact) believe meetings are a waste of time and 64% say meetings interfere with deep, focused work.(1)  The good news? Your next meeting can still be time well spent. That’s as long as you follow the tips from…

The Method of Loci, also known as the memory palace technique, has been used for thousands of years, with records dating back to ancient Rome and Greece. While modern second brain tools have stolen some of its popularity, the Method of Loci is still one of the most effective mnemonic methods around. Here’s why you need it in your knowledge management system. What Is the Method of Loci? The method…

Everybody can take notes, but not all notes are GOOD notes. The difference between a good note-taker and an average one is often the system they use. In today’s article, we take a look at the Cornell method of note-taking, a simple, flexible, and powerful strategy for students, writers, and knowledge workers. Here’s everything you need to know to get started. 👇 🤔 What Is the Cornell Method of Note-Taking?…

We’ve all been there. You open up the web browser, swing by r/notetaking or r/notebooks, and fall down the rabbit hole of productivity. “I wish my notes looked so neat!” Excited, you order a set of expensive notebooks and an equally expensive pen to match. A week into the note-taking spree, your depressingly empty notebooks are collecting dust. Sounds familiar? Anybody can take notes, but how to take evergreen, context-rich notes…

When Markdown launched in 2004, it instantly became a darling of bloggers and tech enthusiasts. It also laid the foundation for future no-code tools. Almost two decades later, this “humane” markup language (more on that in a bit) is more relevant than ever. Want to know how it all started? Buckle up and let’s take a look back at the fascinating history of Markdown. 💡Calling all productivity historians… The history…

Get a mini-toothpaste, *check*, take down the Manfredi crime family, *check*! Apparently, even superheroes use to-do lists to get stuff done. Haven’t seen Spiderman: Far From Home? That’ll have to wait because, in today’s article, we take a look at the history of the to-do list and some high achievers who’ve mastered it. Plus, you’ll learn how to make your to-dos stick! Love it or hate it, the to-do list…

A task a day keeps procrastination away, if only it was that simple. Context switching—shifting focus between tasks—is the “norm” for many remote workers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how to reduce context switching, add depth to your workdays, and reach a flow state. According to psychologists Jeanne Nakamura and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the human brain can process 120 bits of information per second. Impressive? Not really,…

The Flowtime technique (a.k.a. Flowmodoro) is a time management technique that helps you maximize your productivity by staying in a creative state of mind. This technique derives its name from the word “Flow,” as it encourages you to be in a flow state to help ideas flow better. The flow state is achieved in periods of time when you’re fully immersed in a certain task (1). The Flowtime technique or…

Stuck in a rut? Deadlines keeping you up at night? Don’t worry, we have a handful of productivity quotes and proverbs to get you back on track. These traditional sayings will help you lead your remote team and get work done in the age of remote collaboration. 💡 This post was inspired by David Shariatmadari’s article “Are these 11 proverbs for the digital age?” published in The Guardian.* 🌟 A…