#productivity

#productivity

If you're staying here for a quite a bit already, you can see my favorite things to write: Ultimate list, curated list, lists of lists and it's not that obvious that I love curating and saving things that I found it useful and share this to you. Read on and discover the old and new bookmarking tools and apps for 2024, so far.

From 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., I'm with my two-year-old daughter and four-month-old son, making and eating breakfast. Every morning, I have plain Greek yogurt with Catalina Crunch cereal on top. I like having the same breakfast to minimize the number of decisions I make since I know I'm going to make a lot of other decisions throughout the day.

I've used so many GNOME and GNOME-based desktops over the years that I can't even recall them all. One thing that has been constant over the years is that GNOME is far more useful than you might think. Sure, it looks minimal, but that's all about getting out of your way and not stripping down features. One of the cool features of the GNOME desktop is the search functionality. At first blush, it seems the search tool is just a means to locate the app you want to run.

I have no idea how to make myself do things in the consistent, reliable way that others seem to: work out, get dressed, cook a veg bowl, book appointments. On rare days, I miraculously do them all. Most others, I thumb screens, nap relentlessly and eat neon-colored snacks covered in sugar and salt. After seven years of freelance life, it's gotten dire.

Living a chaotic life with ADD, I desperately needed control of my life - everything to do, yet nothing got done. In my search on Amazon for the perfect planner, I kept coming back to this one. Boy, was I glad to have made that choice. I was instantly impressed by the sturdy cover, metal-covered corners, and the elastic band that held the planner together. I saw the pictures ahead of time, and they were true.

According to Dr. Jenny Shields, a licensed psychologist based in Texas, this hack is perfect for those "I can't even open my laptop" moments where you feel frozen and overwhelmed. The hope is that once you get over the initial mental hurdle of beginning a task, you'll get on a roll, feel more productive, and sail to the finish line.

Unless you've been actively avoiding it, you're probably using ChatGPT in your daily life. It can be helpful in countless scenarios, whether that's drafting emails, learning new skills, or helping you plan an important project. But if you feel like it tends to give generic or half-baked answers, we've put together some tips that'll help you master the app for maximum value. The secret doesn't lie in some hidden hacks or memorizing prompts, but rather in collaborating with it.

If you're following me or decide to check out my profile after reading this, you'll notice something funny - there's exactly one post, and that too from 3 years ago. No, I wasn't dead, just alive and swimming hard in the AI race :). Things have gone too far - we all turned 3 more years older, but the world seems to have advanced 30 years ahead according to experts, I guess.

Ciara Siegel is a Brand & Marketing Strategist with 15 years of experience helping businesses grow-from global giants like Pampers, Godiva, and TikTok to small business owners and solopreneurs building something of their own. She takes the strategy and frameworks that billion-dollar brands rely on-and ditches the bloated timelines, buzzwords, and 40-page PDFs. What's left is brand clarity you can actually use: messaging that clicks, strategy that works, and a brand that finally feels like you.

As a longtime Linux user, I've grown accustomed to keyboard launchers that enable me to not only open apps, but also search for and open files, and do all sorts of other things. When I upgraded my MacBook Pro to Tahoe, I was excited to try the newly revamped Spotlight, which would now serve as a keyboard launcher like those I've used on Linux.

I mean literal play. The kind that is open-ended, imaginative, and unconcerned with outcomes. In my decades as a play designer and educator, I've watched executives, engineers, and designers from companies like Google, Nike, and Lego light up when they are given permission to play again. Not because they suddenly "learned" to be creative-but because they remembered they already are.

Gmail's "Help me schedule" feature utilizes Gemini to automatically set meeting times with people whose calendars you cannot view. According to Google, this feature should eliminate the need to send multiple emails to coordinate meeting times, especially with people who don't make their calendars visible to others. This feature only works when both participants are communicating via Gmail and using Google Calendar to schedule meetings. Additionally, this feature is limited to scheduling meetings with individual contacts, and does not work for multiple people or group meetings.

I've been using open-source software for a very long time. In fact, the last time I didn't use open-source software, Bill Clinton was president of the US. Open-source software is available for nearly every operating system on the market, from desktops to phones, and I often find open-source apps are superior to their proprietary counterparts. If you're a Windows user, you don't have to remain locked into closed-source software, because there are so many alternatives from which you can choose.

Time blocking organizes your day, whether it's streamlining a demanding work and study schedule or carving out time for personal goals. Cal Newport popularized the time-blocking method in his book Deep Work, highlighting how focused scheduling can dramatically increase productivity and reduce distractions. Using this framework adds convenience to your week or even your entire month. It's easy to customize, accessible from anywhere, and works well for anyone looking to manage their time more effectively.

A well-designed Notion goals template helps you clarify your objectives, create actionable steps, and stay focused on your goals. It gives you a visual system to plan, track, and reflect. Here's what to look for in the best Notion goals templates: Clear goal hierarchy: Your Notion template should help you organize your big-picture goals into smaller, trackable tasks to define priorities and avoid confusion

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian says AI isn't here to replace you - it's here to help you keep up. In an interview with the tech newsletter Big Technology, Kurian dismissed the hype that AI will automate so much work that it will cost everyone their jobs. He said AI's role for the foreseeable future is to bridge the gap between what workers can do today and what they aspire to do in the future. "I think there is definitely a middle ground," he said.

Goldman Sachs had some study about a year ago that said worldwide AI could destroy 300 million jobs. I don't know. You know, that's a, the Goldman Sachs thing, you know, or a McKinsey thing. Oh, yeah, we've got it all figured out. 10 years from now, we know exactly what's gonna go on. But the, but the, the truth of the matter is that

What if our most productive selves aren't when we're on Zoom calls or churning through emails, but when we give ourselves the space and the time to move, think, and rest? Move. Think. Rest. outlines a compelling new framework for work in the 21st century-one that replaces slowly dying of burnout at your desk with a productivity routine that makes downtime a must-have.

A leading think tank has called for increased taxes on alcoholic beverages to combat a "productivity crisis" driven by an entrenched workplace drinking culture. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found nearly one in three workers admitted calling in sick after drinking at work events in the past year. This figure surged to 43 per cent for 18 to 24-year-olds, with over a third of young people feeling pressured to drink to "fit in" or advance their careers.

Using outdated data storage and sharing systems, such as network-attached storage devices, consumer-grade PCs as makeshift servers, and P2P networks can lead to inconsistent data access, increased risk of data breaches, and an inability to handle heavy workloads. Modernise your IT infrastructure and invest in Dell rack servers. This will help you scale up by: Enabling you to keep all files and applications in a centralised location with advanced security to keep data secure.

USB-powered mug warmer You make a perfect cup of coffee, get into a deep-work flow, and a half-hour later, you're looking at a lukewarm puddle. The tried-and-true USB mug warmer solves this existential dread. It's a simple heating plate that plugs into a spare USB port or wall adapter to keep your coffee, tea, or soup at a respectable temperature, resulting in fewer trips to the microwave and zero excuses for drinking tepid sludge.

Studies show that 92% of people fail to reach their long-term goals, not because they lack motivation, but because they lack a clear, actionable plan. Without the right system, goals get pushed aside, to-do lists grow out of control, and progress remains stagnant. And let's be honest: most "goal planning templates" you find online are either bland spreadsheets or overstuffed planners that create more stress than structure.