Gloomy weather got you down? Check out these energy saving work hacks.
I am an energetic person, but February is getting the best of me. Consecutive days of rain, gloom, and chill makes the sofa, a fire and a good book very inviting. And the energy and optimism that comes with a new year have dissipated like a leaky helium balloon.
My low energy has forced me to look for work hacks and efficiency boosts, and I have a few to share for other low energy sufferers.
1. If you use Google Docs, be sure to check out this article for step by steps instructions on how to edit, reformat, use voice commands, collaborate, design and research all from within Google Docs.
2. There are also useful hacks for Gmail users; such as how to undo send, create your useful shortcuts, connect emails to tasks and others. Click here to read the article.
3. Another favorite article is by Brian Ye. Brian uses Marc Andreessen's Productivity System in Trello to improve his personal productivity. Trello is a task management app that uses a system of boards, lists, and cards to create a visual overview of what is being worked on and who is working on it. Brian uses this to boost his own productivity and especially likes the ability it offers to bounce around his to-do list.
4. And the last article I recommend is by Deb Knobelman, Ph.D. Deb learned how to say no to colleagues so she could safeguard her time to generate meaningful work and be more efficient. It's more than saying no, it's how you say no.
5. Miscellaneous work hacks.
Otter.ai is free transcription software that works remarkably well. I have used it for taped interviews and highly recommend it.
Hootsuite and Canva have been around a long time. Both have free versions that will speed up the creation and posting of social media.
February's energy drain has forced me to find ways to get more done with less, so thank you cloudy, gloomy days. I'll take these lessons learned into the balmy days I know are coming, and maybe I'll have a few extra hours to spend outside when the sun shines again.