Productivity Framework: Tips for Focus

If there’s one thing almost everyone can agree on today it’s that distractions come easy. With access to all sorts of media outlets and communication technology, it’s hard to be bored. The remote work shift over the past two years especially has made exposure to these outlets rise dramatically. Researchers found that users typically spend more time on their mobile devices during the week than on weekends. On top of that, the average person is estimated to have checked their phone 58 times per day.

If we add up all this time throughout the week, there’s a lot of time wasted. We even sometimes tell ourselves that we don’t have time for things as simple as taking care of our bodies. Now, each person is entitled to allocate their time to whatever they like, and technology is our most accessible outlet. While these advancements are great to have, it is not the best way to spend time especially if we are chasing goals.  

Being able to concentrate will serve any individual well in their life, especially when it comes to their professional career. Staying connected is important, so we want to find the balance that will best benefit each person's needs. Of Course, as a professional, you deal with so many things going on around you at once that it can be hard to concentrate on one. Often when this is the case, we can fall into a pattern of procrastination.

It’s important to know how to manage ourselves and our time in these situations.

So let’s look at what we can do:

Organize 

A clear space is a clear mind and a cluttered space is a cluttered mind. Tidy your workspace, the task in itself is a good habit to get into especially as it will make you focus on something. It is best to begin the day by making your bed and then setting up your workspace. Completing these tasks will inevitably lead to a chain of completing other tasks as the common phrase suggests “morning wins the day”.

You also want to feel comfortable in areas where you spend your creative time, taking stress off your mind and allowing thoughts to flow freely. 

Pomodoro Technique

This technique is one of the most effective ways of managing time, especially in situations where work is piling up. Developed by author Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro technique is where you spend 25-30 minutes locked in on a task. Put your phone on silent and focus on nothing else but your task for that time. You then take a 5-minute break to do whatever it is you would like.

The technique works well because you know you will be able to take a break and you have an allocated amount of time for your task. You will begin to use those 25-30 minutes with more focus than you would use all day. Additionally, you would enjoy the break time even more and can increase it throughout the day. 

Focus On What’s In Front Of You

Often we get overwhelmed because of the volume of things on our minds. This leads to overthinking, stressing, and worrying which are all counterproductive to completing anything. Instead, make a list (mental or write it out) of all the things you need to do and then break them down to establish the most pressing ones.

Completing tasks based on their urgency will allow you to utilize your time better and avoid worrying about tasks beyond that. It quite simply comes down to handling things one at a time. 

Get Moving

Physical activity speaks for itself, nothing can make you feel so consistently optimistic and ready to take on challenges more than exercise. Dedicate some time in the day for it, even if it is as simple as taking a walk. Exercise will help with mental health and overall mood which as we know is crucial at all times. Spend time with yourself. How you do the little things is how you do the big things too. 

Conclusion

Productivity at the end of the day comes down to one's ability to regulate themselves, how disciplined are you? How important is what you do? What are your goals? Answering these questions will allow you to work with passion and purpose. You never want to be aimlessly going about each day, because it is always an opportunity to achieve. Find what works for you, what motivates you, and the tools you need to be as focused as possible.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Investment Strategizing: Planning with Confidence

Investing is a nonnegotiable for one who dreams of being financially free at some point. We set aside for retirement, for our kids' education, or even just to grow our savings. Whatever the case may be, we will all have to invest at some point. However, the word “investing” can be intimidating if we don’t know anything about the concept. Now we’re not talking about how to choose investment decisions. Rather, how you can prepare yourself to get into the world of investing. 

Understanding the basics of investing comes from preparing yourself before you start to look at options. It is best to consult a professional (financial advisor or planner) for this stage to ensure you get the best advice. Nonetheless, going into this with a plan is important to make sure you get the most out of your investments. You want to make sure you find someone with your best interest in mind so you don’t agree to things that may negatively impact you.

With that being said, let's look at what we know:

Know Your Limits

Before you start investing, decide how much money you’re willing to work with. You want it to be an amount that you can live without for some time (as investments take time). Know your assets and what you owe, factor all this in when coming up with the amount. As well you’ll want to get a debt management plan to know the amount you’ll need for an emergency fund. Taking care of these will alleviate the need to withdraw more money while your investments grow.

Build a Timeline

Planning by reviewing when you’ll need your returns is important (retirement, college tuition, etc). Long-term investing in this case gives investors a bit of leeway to take on market ups and downs. For example, you wouldn’t start investing in a college fund the year before your children go. You start that from the time they are born and continually look for opportunities to move more money into it.

Another component under the umbrella of time is not spending too much time saving before planning and taking action. This applies to anything, the longer the time spent waiting shortens the time for taking action. It’s good to plan, but don’t let it set you back years of investing time. 

Evaluate the Risk Involved

Watching your portfolio go up and down can be nerve-racking and cause panic for new investors. It’s important to understand the unpredictability of stock patterns, but even taking significant dips can be part of the stock's growth. As well, stocks usually have more risk involved than bonds. With owning stock, you own a percentage of the company while bonds are a loan you give to an organization.

The reason bonds aren’t as risky is because they give a lower return in a shorter amount of time. Finding what works best for you will involve consulting, however, research what kind of investments you feel most comfortable with. 

Invest In What You Believe In

Find investment opportunities you believe can change things in the world for the better. This in itself is a form of research for investing. If you see the potential for growth and impressive initiatives being taken then why wouldn’t other investors? In addition, your overall confidence in what you’re putting your money in will be greater if you know the company.

Conclusion

Investing can be confusing and stressful, especially if we go into it with no prior knowledge of how investments work. You want to set yourself up for success, so take the time to educate yourself on the process as well as find the right advisors. Investing is a tool that can determine your future, make sure every decision around it is made with confidence.

Written By Ben Brown

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ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

Difficult Decision Making: Leadership Guide

We know that the foundation of leadership is based on a leader's ability to make decisions. The decisions directly impact the team's ability to handle tasks in the workplace. Sounds fairly straightforward when we put it that way right? Remember straightforward and easy are two very different things. Decision-making can be rewarding when delegating tasks to hardworking employees and seeing them succeed.

However, the real measure of an effective leader is seen in their ability to make tough decisions. When faced with pressure, does a leader detach and overcome the obstacle? Or do they become too emotionally involved and get in the way of the team? Making tough decisions will test people in different ways, especially when these decisions affect the people working in the teams. Whether it’s budget issues, having to fire someone, or weighing options best suited for the team, a leader must find the best option possible.

These decisions are unfortunately the most common ones leaders will have to deal with. What makes them hard beyond morale is that sometimes the answer is not clear. It all comes back to uncertainty, which is often the trigger for acting on impulse. This is not to say that a leader can know the outcome of a given situation, sometimes the best choices even lead to failure. 

What we want to learn here is not how to avoid failure but how a leader can operate under pressure to guide the team. Let's look at what we know:

Recognize Impulse Decisions

When a situation comes up, a leader will typically calculate an answer instantaneously. The issue here is that the answer could stem from ego, mistrust, or even bias. Once that answer bubbles up, a leader must question why. What purpose does this decision serve? Who will be affected? Will this have a ripple effect on other tasks? Even taking a potential solution to the responsible team members in the context will help to understand complications. 

Be Open to Employee Input

Hard decisions which involve the operation of a task should always be taken to employees to gain their insight. Not only will their opinions factor into their ability to do the job but it will also allow the leader to recognize where they may over engage or under engage. Remember to recognize feedback as helpful suggestions and not as employees undermining the original idea. In return, the attitudes of team members going forward will be positive as they feel they’ve been heard.

The leader can feel relief knowing that the solution was constructed on the criteria that were in the best interest of the team.

Explain the Tough Decisions

In an organization, issues will arise that are out of the leaders' control, this is where the leader simply becomes a messenger. We can recognize this in budget cuts which often translate to downsizing and letting go of employees. When there’s a case like this, it is important to be direct, don’t hide the facts. Leaders must address the hard situations with the emotional intelligence and professionalism that earned their position. 

Allow Teams Leeway 

This concept is important because it must not be taken too seriously or too lightly. When difficulties arise, it is often because a leader becomes too involved. The command is too centralized and does not allow employees to make decisions on their own. This can translate to wasted time due to waiting on approval and constantly having to run things by the leader. The opposite is also true, if a leader is too laid back then the team will not know what to do.

Finding the balance is done by understanding your team, knowing when to trust and when to guide. As a leader, the right balance must be found that best fits the circumstance.

Conclusion

Organizations will always face issues, the most important thing that can be done in a team setting is preparing to face them. An organization's ability to succeed is often based on how they handle obstacles and bounce back from failure. Each difficulty is a learning opportunity, teams will improve when put under pressure. What’s most important is that every member has the necessary support and leadership to accomplish their goals. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!