January 24, 2018
It’s a new year – Refresh your energy with DropTask
*PLEASE NOTE – DropTask is now Ayoa – an all-in-one tool for idea generation and collaboration, that goes beyond traditional task management. Discover Ayoa and achieve your best work.*
Many of us would admit that we don’t feel energized all day, every day. Some of us find it hard to kick-start our morning and don’t fully wake up until midday, wasting crucial hours. On the other hand, the early birds among us may hit a productivity wall in the afternoon and reach for the coffee to keep going. If you fall into either of these categories, it might be time to re-evaluate your work routine to boost your energy and better manage your tasks.
Of course, getting a decent night’s sleep and eating right can do wonders for your productivity. Combined with DropTask (Ayoa), you can raise your motivation to a whole new level and make task management a breeze. Read on to learn how DropTask will structure your tasks and streamline the way you work, to maximize your energy and help you get the most out of your workday.
Take time to reflect
Usually it’s unhealthy to live in the past. However, when it comes to your achievements, it’s worth taking a step back to reflect to give yourself the pat on the back you need to launch yourself into the future. When you find yourself in a work slump, skim through your Completed Tasks to give yourself a little boost of pride at how far you’ve come, and motivate yourself to accomplish more great things. Plus, by taking a closer look at your Completed Tasks, you can identify how they were tackled and if your methods were effective. You can use your tried and tested techniques to build on your previous success and save time and energy in the future. If something didn’t go as planned, you can pinpoint what went wrong and avoid repeating it.
Find your motivation
We all have our energy slumps – we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. Sometimes things can become repetitive, exhausting and overwhelming, but it’s always possible to bounce back with renewed energy. To avoid these drops in energy, identify the times of day you normally find yourself to be most productive, and when you find yourself struggling. Use Start and Due Dates to schedule tasks that align with your productivity spikes and dips. For example, if you’re more alert in the morning, schedule time for your most important tasks. If you think you are more likely to come up with great ideas in the morning, use that time for tasks such as content writing. If you find that your productivity weans in the afternoon, get stuck into a task that you are looking forward to doing. When the task rolls around, you are likely to find that your interest in the project motivates you to get more stuff done and power through the rest of the day. Once scheduled, your tasks across all of your projects will appear in your Calendar. See your work according to the date that you want to start it or when it’s due to manage your time and tasks effectively.
Take breaks to boost brainpower
Breaks are crucial to sustaining your energy. Without them, we find ourselves unfocused and drained, resulting in poor quality work and incomplete to-do lists. The Pomodoro Technique is a great way to enhance your focus, while also giving your mind some well-earned rest. The technique consists of working in sprints. It works by you doing concentrated work for 25 minutes, then you take a well-deserved 5-minute break, and then you repeat the process until you’ve completed 4 of these sprints. After each 4-sprint cycle, you take a longer break, perhaps 15-30 minutes, to stretch your legs, grab a snack and recharge. To accomplish larger, more time-consuming tasks, you can use DropTask’s Checklist feature to outline and tick off subtasks. It’s also a great way of seeing where you left off once you return from a break. If the task is large and complex, try Converting it into a Category. This way, you can create smaller tasks within this category to break it down into manageable chunks that are easier to accomplish during each sprint.
Streamline your processes
Doing repetitive, mundane tasks can really drain our energy unless they are streamlined properly. Use the Repeated Tasks feature to schedule recurring tasks that are identical in every context (e.g. for payroll, regular bills and weekly reports). Set their status to repeat every day, week, month or year so you never have to worry about scheduling them again. You can also use Templates to semi-automate any projects which require the same actions to be taken, but in a different context, on a regular basis. For example, if you frequently need to plan events, you can save yourself time and energy by creating a project template that has categories like ‘Guest list’, ‘Accommodation’ and ‘Transport’. You never have to start from scratch meaning you can quickly spring into action.
Visually stimulate your mind
A little burst of color goes a long way when you’re desperate for energy. A blank, boring workspace is demotivating, and when you’re already feeling fatigued, it will only serve to make things worse. DropTask’s visually vibrant task circles bring color and imagery into the mix. Try adding Cover Images to your tasks to act as visual reminders of what needs to be done and regain some energy. Experiment with different colors and see how they affect your energy levels. Does red revive you? Does orange stimulate your brain? Make good use of the colors that energize, motivate and inspire you to get things done.
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