Plus, you won’t believe the shocking trend that’s revolutionizing productivity – ‘body doubling’! Get ready to amp up your work game. Test your tech knowledge with this week’s trivia on epic failures. Plus, the disturbing truth about celebrity deepfake porn and why it should terrify you. And hold onto your seats for a miraculous drone rescue.
Why you can’t focus and 3 sneaky fixes that work
ChatGPT
Work got beef with your focus?
You’re not imagining it, according to Microsoft, employees get interrupted every two minutes. Emails. Pings. Meetings that could’ve been Slack messages.
And that doesn’t even include the 37 tabs you’ve got open, YouTube lofi, your notes doc and a recipe for chicken thighs “you’ll definitely make later.” Spoiler: You won’t.
By Wednesday, the week can start to feel a little … wobbly. Deadlines pile up, emails multiply like rabbits, and your to-do list somehow has more on it than it did Monday morning.
You don’t need a Himalayan retreat or 12 new productivity apps to reclaim your week. Just a few sneaky little tweaks, and it’s focus mode, activated. Here’s how I work:
📝 1. Know your energy level
Midweek is the perfect time to re-sort your list by energy level. High-energy? Knock out a tough project or major decision first. Low-energy? Handle the easy wins, quick emails, forms, supply orders. Super tired? Focus only on next steps, not the whole project.
Use your brain when it’s sharpest, not when you’re running on coffee fumes. You’re not lazy. You’re strategic.
📅 2. Set ‘No Meetings’ time
Yes, meetings are necessary. But so is silence. Even a one-hour block can reset your brain.
Open your calendar. Pick a 1–2-hour window tomorrow (or today if you can). Mark it “Focus Time” or “Deep Work, Do Not Book.”
Pro tip: In Google Calendar, you can set “Focus Time,” and it automatically declines meeting invites. (Best. Feature. Ever.)
Quick tech cleanup: Do this every 3 months
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When was the last time you cleaned up your digital life? It’s not fun, but just a few minutes of physical and digital decluttering can work wonders. It boosts productivity, clears mental clutter and leaves you feeling like you’ve done something great. Ready? Let’s do this!
$100K given to scammer, but woman remains unconvinced, 15 tech items you can score for free, and Google Drive porn predicament
Solo Words With Friends: WWF (the puzzle game, not the pandas or wrestling) added a new solo game called Letter Lock. Slide letters up and down columns to make words and unlock more columns. It’s part puzzle, part productivity trap, and 100% designed to eat your break time.
Master Excel with these 5 genius tricks
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You can’t keep track of everything on paper. Excel can play a significant role in your daily workload. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro user, there’s much to learn — like these five useful Excel tricks.
Want to become an Excel expert? It’s a good strategy for small business owners who want to grow this year. After all, you’ll generate tons of data. Speaking of which, here’s how to stop third parties from selling your data.
How to rock a remote interview: Tips for shining over the phone or on video
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Remote interviews are the present and the future. Why? The pandemic forced many companies nationwide to move to a remote system nearly overnight.
Now that we’ve been operating remotely for a while, many employers have seen the positive benefits of having remote employees. Increased productivity is one of them.
Fast way to open a closed tab
Want to stop closing the wrong tabs by accident? Listen to this one-minute podcast for a productivity hack you’ll use time and time again.
Fastest way to reopen a closed tab
Want to stop closing the wrong tabs by accident? Listen to this one-minute podcast for a productivity hack you’ll use time and time again.
Tech Refresh: X-rated email scam, FBI's secret spy phones, tech life hacks
The FBI busted criminals using a secret app to communicate their nefarious deeds. The biggest surprise here is how they did it. X-rated emails are one of scammers’ favorite ways to get your info. Plus, the team dives into tech productivity hacks to make life easier.
FBI app crackdown, X-rated emails, tech productivity hacks
The FBI busted criminals using a super-secret app to communicate all their comings and goings. Kim has the scoop on how they did it. Scammers are sending X-rated emails to scare people into paying up, and the team dives into tech productivity hacks to make life easier.
Tech Refresh: FBI app crackdown, X-rated emails, tech productivity hacks
The FBI busted criminals using a super-secret app to communicate all their comings and goings. Kim has the scoop on how they did it. Scammers are sending X-rated emails to scare people into paying up, and the team dives into tech productivity hacks to make life easier.
5 simple ways to keep your employees happy and productive
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In the age of COVID-19, the benefits of being in the office can be reduced across the board or eliminated. Many are even working from home. Now, more than ever, it’s important to keep your employees happy and productive during what can be a confusing time.
Work from home basics: 4 tips to help you get started
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The dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases has prompted many businesses to transition to remote work. In 2018, a quarter of Americans worked from home at least some of the time. Now, at-home workers may be the norm for the foreseeable future.
This time-saving app summarizes books into 15-minute reads
StackCommerce
Some people walk into a library filled with wonder. But it’s also pretty overwhelming. So much knowledge to absorb, so little time.
These days, that knowledge is still out there, waiting to be absorbed by voracious readers. In fact, there’s more of it each day. But time is shorter than ever in this fast-paced world, especially for the movers, shakers and up-and-comers who could benefit from the business and entrepreneurial books written by their peers.