Enhance your productivity with top digital productivity tools
In today’s fast-paced world, time, energy, and focus are valuable resources that often seem to slip away from us. As assistants, finding efficient ways to manage our tasks and optimise our productivity is crucial.
In a recent Practically Perfect PA Virtual Summit session, Liz Hardwick shared three top digital productivity tools to help you reclaim your time, boost your energy, and sharpen your focus, ultimately leading to a more productive and fulfilling workday.
The Pomodoro Technique – Reclaim Your Time
The Pomodoro Technique, developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, is a simple but highly effective time management method. The process involves breaking your work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes long, followed by a short break of five minutes. After four intervals, take a longer break of around 15-20 minutes.
The recommended digital productivity tool to implement the Pomodoro Technique is the Pomo Done App.
This app is compatible with various devices and integrates seamlessly with popular productivity tools like Trello, Asana, and Microsoft apps. The app allows you to track your focused work sessions and provides valuable insights into your time management.
Super User Tip: Synchronise the Pomo Done App with your calendar to keep a detailed record of your productive hours and track your progress effectively.
Discover Your Chronotype – Reclaim Your Energy
Understanding your chronotype, the innate biological preference for specific times of the day, can significantly impact your energy levels and productivity. The book The Power of When by Dr Michael Breus introduces four chronotypes: Bears (morning people), Lions (early risers), Wolves (night owls), and Dolphins (sensitive sleepers).
You can strategically plan your day to match your peak performance hours by identifying your chronotype. Use the Business Calendar Pro app to create a dedicated calendar for your chronotype, enabling you to allocate time for focused work, email management, and even creative tasks based on your energy levels.
Super User Tip: Design your ideal daily schedule by aligning it with your chronotype, maximising your energy levels during the most critical tasks.
Embrace Deep Work – Reclaim Your Focus
Deep Work, as proposed by Cal Newport in his book Deep Work,” emphasises intense, undistracted focus on cognitively demanding tasks. While challenging to implement, this approach can significantly enhance productivity and creativity.
To support deep work sessions, consider using the Forest App. This app encourages you to stay focused by growing a virtual tree whenever you resist the temptation of checking your phone or getting distracted by social media. By staying committed to deep work, you can build a forest of productivity and minimise digital distractions.
Super User Tip: Designate specific time blocks for deep work on your calendar and utilise the “Forest App” to hold yourself accountable during these sessions.
As assistants, our productivity directly impacts the success of our endeavours and the satisfaction of those we support. By incorporating the Pomodoro Technique, understanding your chronotype, and embracing deep work, you can reclaim your time, boost your energy, and sharpen your focus, setting the path for a more efficient and fulfilling work life.
To take your productivity to the next level and master the art of time management, enrol in our exclusive online course on Productivity and Time Management. This comprehensive course will equip you with invaluable skills, expert tips, and personalised strategies to supercharge your productivity and achieve your goals easily.
