These hacks will make your workday flow

You walk into the office at 8 a.m. determined to complete the day’s tasks focused and undeterred. And then all of a sudden it’s 3 p.m. and the only thing you’ve accomplished is sitting through a two-hour staff meeting and checking your email.

Sound familiar? Yeah, us too. Our work days are full of distractions. But with a little structure and help from the gods of technology, you can achieve better workflow.

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Putting it off? How to overcome procrastination

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

This advice from founding father Ben Franklin seems pretty straightforward. Just do the work. Get it done. No problem, right?

Except for millions of people, procrastination IS a real problem in their daily lives. Research shows one in five people are chronic procrastinators — consistently putting off tasks in multiple areas of life, threatening their productivity and confidence.

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4 ways to make staff meetings productive and enjoyable

Let’s be honest. No one really looks forward to staff meetings.

Whether you’re having them once a day, once a week or once a month, we have a tendency to lose focus when we get employees together. Sidebar conversations can overrule, debates can go on a lot longer than expected, and we can get lost in the weeds discussing ideas.

With a little planning and discussion with your staff, you can make those meetings more focused, productive and maybe even fun. Here are a few ideas for getting started:

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Listen while you work: Podcasts for long days at the desk

Podcasts are a great alternative to music if you’re looking for something to listen to at work or during your commute that is interesting, inspiring or simply entertaining.

If you’re unfamiliar or have never listened to one before, podcasts are digital audio files made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, and typically available as a series. You can subscribe to them and receive updates when a new episode is available. There are thousands of podcasts out there about a wide variety of topics, and when you find one you love, it can become just as addictive as your favorite TV series.

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Ways to make your workspace more productive

A key element in having a more productive work day is your workspace. Are you comfortable? Are you inspired? If you’re sitting at a cubicle with nothing but your computer to look at, then those eight hours a day probably move by pretty slow. Likewise, if your desk is not positioned appropriately, then any discomfort you’re feeling in your back, neck or shoulders could keep you from being able to focus.

If you have flexibility to spruce up your workspace, here are some ideas for making it a place where you feel efficient, focused and comfortable.

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