Mobile phones often get a bad rep when it comes to being productive. This is usually because of social media apps that are installed on phones that end up distracting people and becoming major ‘time sucks’. In other cases, the never-ending text messages, beeps, calls, notifications, etc can be highly distracting and drain your mental energy. It’s difficult to focus on the task at hand if you’re constantly being pulled toward your phone.
However, there are times when mobile technology can be useful and help you achieve work-life balance. Your phone is not the bane of your existence as so many productivity books will lead you to believe.
It has its place and time when it can be highly useful.
Clear emails
When you’re on the bus or subway, if you have an email app installed on your phone, you can quickly clear your emails and empty your inbox. This will help to free up your time later. A lot of time that’s usually spent waiting (e.g. if you’re in a queue at the post office or bank) can be used to finish up small tasks on your mobile phone. The more you get done while you wait, the less you’ll have to do later.
Read your digital book
So many people have tons of books downloaded on their digital devices such as the Kindle reader. One commonality that most of them have is that they never have enough time to complete reading the books they’ve purchased. In fact, statistics show that most people never complete the books they start on. With a Kindle reader app on your phone or another media app to read PDFs, you’ll be able to read during the free spaces of time that pop up during your day.
Just like the point above, it’s all about getting a few pages completed here and there and it all adds up. Drops make an ocean and you’ll be done with your books in no time at all.
Plan the next day
You can even plan your tasks for the next day on your mobile phone. Very often, people do this at the end of the day when they know what’s left to be done at work, etc. However, if you already know your work schedule, you can structure your tomorrow during your ‘waiting time’ today.
Productivity apps
There are tons of productivity apps on the market such as Strides, Pomodoro timers, Trello, Todoist, and so on. Each app has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are made for freelancers who work alone and just need a simple time-tracking app, whereas others are complex and allow for group projects and multiple user interfaces.
All these apps are merely tools to help you simplify your day. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve work-life balance by getting as much work done as possible in the time you’ve allotted yourself. You’ll then have more freedom and peace of mind for leisure and relaxation. Your mobile phone and these apps can be your best friends if you use them wisely instead of being a slave to them. Always remember that mobile technology is a tool that can help you immensely. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. So, keep things simple and straightforward when using them.
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