#productivity

#productivity

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.

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.

Prolonged skills gaps impair productivity. With rapid rates of change in the workplace, the needed skillsets have changed by approximately 25% since 2015 and are set to change by 50% in 2027. Economists caution that more efficient matching of worker skills to job requirements would help to increase productivity and reduce unemployment by a significant margin. Training software is used to fill these gaps by proactively creating and training competencies, thereby avoiding the time, errors, and turnover that result when competency gaps are not addressed.

With hybrid working now a common process for most of us, the need to ensure we are productive and efficient outside of the office has never been higher. Working from home poses unique challenges for each one of us - whether that's being forced to work at the kitchen table, or squeezed onto a sofa, or simply missing that second monitor in the office. So how can individuals and businesses alike make sure their workers get the most out of their hardware?

I once played squash with a wealthy investor at a private club in Singapore. Even though it was a friendly game, I still didn't want it to be a total wipeout. I'm not great at squash, and I knew my opponent was a regular player. But he was in his 60s, and I was in my 30s, so I figured how hard could it be? Surely, I could outrun and outwork him.

Truly unlocking the value of AI is about more than new technology; it's about leadership. Now that artificial intelligence is giving employees back hours of time every day, organizations must help their workers reimagine their roles beyond routine output and start contributing in ways that AI can't.

HP is announcing a new jumbo-sized ultrawide monitor designed for productivity and office use. The HP Series 5 Pro 49-inch Conferencing Monitor uses a 32:9 VA IPS panel with 5120 x 1440 resolution, 165Hz refresh, and an 1800R curvature. Like other monitors of this size and resolution, it's equivalent to using two 27-inch displays side by side.

Thinking forward is an automatic process. Cause, then effect. Input, then output. A to B. It feels logical-and normal to start with a conclusion, then find justification around it.But we can always take our thinking a step further. Sometimes, the best way to get the answers you want is to think backwards. It's called mental inversion. Turn the whole thinking process upside down. As the great algebraist Carl Jacobi said, "Invert, always invert."

If your workday lives on Slack, you already know how noisy it can get. Threads spiral into chaos. Messages get lost in the shuffle. And before you know it, someone's asking for the third time, "Hey, just checking in on this?" That's where a well-written message makes all the difference. A quick reminder, a friendly nudge, or a clear update sent at the right time can keep everyone in sync without sounding overbearing.

Complexity is overrated. We all crave those advanced features, but if using them takes more energy than the actual work, are they really worth it? Productivity should feel natural. 🌟 Take a small design studio, for example. If updating a Gantt chart feels harder than finishing the project itself, the software has already failed them. For most teams, the truth is simple. You don't need a heavy system filled with complex project management features. You need a project management tool that feels light, easy, and supportive, and can scale as you grow.

As a UX designer with a background in front-end development, I was struck by this phrase that kept popping up on LinkedIn. The culprit seemed obvious: generative AI. Developers were embracing it faster than designers (or so I read). I realised that I used AI a lot when I was coding but barely touched it in my design work. Meanwhile, my developer colleague, an AI power user, was releasing features faster than ever.

When your priority becomes moving forward without using more energy, consider dropping one of your criteria for the task. Drop a characteristic you think the solution must have. For example, you might believe you need to give your niece a unique gift each year, when really she would prefer $20 cash and doesn't value uniqueness. Removing the single friction point blocking your progress can ease the emotional weight of the task, often with little or acceptable sacrifice in the outcome.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the unsung hero (or villain) of your work-from-home experience. While I obsess over internet speeds and ergonomic chairs, I often forget that the air in our home offices can be more polluted than a city street. And that stale, polluted air doesn't just make your space smell funky-it can actually sabotage your productivity, energy levels, and even your long-term health.

Unlike generic "brain games," memoryOS is built on scientifically proven methods, such as mnemonics and spaced repetition, the company says. It introduces a modern twist: the Virtual Mind Palace. This centuries-old technique (used by memory champions and scholars) has been digitized and gamified, making it fun and engaging to practice. The result? Users report an average 70% boost in memory recall, the company says.

Artificial intelligence has changed my business entirely. The majority of my business is ecommerce-based, and AI has allowed me to automate many of the most time-consuming tasks. This shift hasn't just saved me time; it's made daily operations more efficient and enabled smarter, data-driven decisions that have elevated both productivity and customer satisfaction. In the early days, I spent nearly every waking hour creating products and listing them online.