This course has helped you learn techniques and strategies that can help you become more productive . Even when you use these tools, there can be times when obstacles are in the way. It is important that you know how to identify the barriers in your life that might inhibit you from prioritizing your tasks and time correctly.
Fortunately, you now know about digital tools that can help you not only plan, but also revise plans as needed. Applications like calendars and to-do lists help you get on track but they also help keep you on track. The key is that you keep your focus on the task at hand by removing or mitigating barriers that pop up.
Technology: Skill Reflect |
When thinking about barriers that may impact your ability to be productive, there are some that are more common than others. As you review the list below, reflect on times these hurdles impacted your work. How did you handle the situation? Were you able to overcome the distraction? Is there a digital tool you could have (or did) use to stay focused?
Productivity: Why Employers Care |
There are two ways to think about dealing with barriers. First, you should do all you can to plan for them. Anticipate what might come up and use the digital tools available to you to work to prevent them. The other key to minimizing impacts from barriers is to be able to adjust when an unexpected one arises. Consider the digital tools listed below and how they can help you with the common barriers above.
Time Wasters | Interruptions | Complex Tasks | Ineffective Planning |
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There are apps that can help you minimize or remove these distractions completely. For example, Freedom is an app you can run on your computer that will prevent you from getting on the internet. Some of these apps can be more specific and block you from things like social media sites. | Email is a common interruption. There are apps like Siesta Text that allow you to set up an automatic email response. You can turn this on for a set amount of time to let senders know you will need to get back to them at a later time. Some devices, like phones, have this feature built-in. You just need to check the settings and activate it. | You can use goal tracking or project management tools to help break complex tasks into smaller pieces. In some cases, you can even assign items to specific people. Some examples are Trello (project management) and Wunderlust (goal tracking). | A calendar is one of the best tools available for planning how to use your time. There are other apps like Toggl that can work in conjunction with your calendar. Apps like this track how you spend your time. With this knowledge, you can plan better or revise your calendar as needed. |
Using digital solutions like those listed above does take time. You will need to learn how to invest in the time to learn how to use them and, in most cases, set them up. While that is time that could be spent on other things, it is time well spent. In the end, the work you do upfront will increase both your technology skill and your productivity .