017 | 6 Ways Using a Smartphone for Productivity
Do you think smartphones increase or decrease productivity?
There’s no right answer. Smartphones will increase or decrease productivity, depending on how you use them. Sure! You can improve your work and life balance by improving the overall productivity with just your current smartphones - no matter iPhones or Androids.
In this Minimalist Case’s blog post, we’re going to share with you 6 simple ways you can improve your productivity, while still enjoying your life in the entertainment parts without decreasing your productivity.
1. Keep Phones Aways While Working
Stay aways from your smartphone if you want to concentrate on your task. You may be wondering if you can go for ‘deep work’ without distraction and get things done on time or even before time - fast, if you don’t keep a look at smartphone notification from social media, email, or call.
Don’t worry about those notifications, if productivity is your priority, go for it without touching your smartphone while you’re working.
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2. Use a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant or VA in short. They come with different names like Google Bard, Siri, Alexa. They can help you with a variety of tasks to help you stay focused on your productive matters such as
Scheduling appointments. You can use your VA to schedule appointments with clients, colleagues, and other contacts. This can save you a lot of time and hassle.
Setting reminders. You can use your VA to set reminders for upcoming tasks, appointments, and events. This can help you stay on top of your schedule and avoid forgetting important things.
Sending emails and texts. You can use your VA to send emails and texts on your behalf. This can save you a lot of time, especially if you send a lot of emails and texts each day.
Making calls. You can use your VA to make calls on your behalf. This can be helpful if you need to make a lot of calls or if you don't want to be interrupted by phone calls while you are working on something else.
Getting information. You can use your VA to get information about a variety of topics, such as the weather, news, and sports scores. This can save you time from having to look up the information yourself.
Prepare them the task before having them work for you while you concentrate on your productive activities.
3. Use GoodNotes 6 Apps
Another productivity increment tool is a note-taking app like GoodNotes 6, Notability or your smartphone native note application.
Note-taking app helps you increase productivity by organizing your note, memo, planners, to-do lists in only one place and carriable without hassle. Let’s say you have physical notebooks. How many notebooks do you have? How much do you spend on notebooks and those writing suppplies?
With GoodNotes 6 as a planner, memo, or to-do list, you name it - you can simply have only one set of notebook in a digital format, easily accessible with Apple iPhones or Apple iPad. When your clutters are less, your productivity is more and the mind is slimmer.
If you’re new to GoodNotes 6 and have no idea about how to use GoodNotes 6 as a planner or productivity improvement tool. We recommend checking out this post.
4. Use Google Calendar
Google always helps you stay on the track of productivity. Using Google Calendar is a smarter way to stay on top of your task.
If you’ve got a Google Account, don’t forget to use Google Calendar for improving your productivity. With Google Calendar, you can divide your errands in different calendars,name it, color it, and hide and show.
With Google Calendar, you’ll never miss any task. Try out those offering features including reminder and task. Set notification by email or push notification to your smartphone.
To add a task to Google Calendar, follow these steps.
Double click on the date you want, or any date on the current calendar.
Add title of your calendar, such as ‘Lunch with Natsu’
Set the date and time of your choice. You can also choose a different time zone for each event. The timezone is your current location by default.
If you want the event repeat, click the ‘Does not repeat’ drop down and set your calendar preference.
If your event has a location, you can add the name by typing to the ‘Add location’ box. An example is ‘Bangkok, Thailand’.
Set notification by push notification or an email. If you don’t want the calendar notification, just click ‘x’
Add your description of the event. And adjust other settings of your choice.
If your event contains guests, type their email and the invitation will be sent to them.
Finally save your event.
Using a smartphone is a smarter way that will surely increase your productivity - decrease hassle, cost and stop you from procrastination.
5. Use Folder to Organize Apps
Not only Apple iPhone, Android phone has a folder to organize applications as well.
Using folders to organize apps is a great way to keep your home screen tidy and organized. It also makes it easier to find the apps you need when you need them.
To create a folder on an iPhone or Android device, simply drag and drop one app onto another.
You can then add more apps to the folder by dragging and dropping them in. To rename a folder, tap and hold on the folder, then tap Rename. See the photos below from iPhone display.
Another productive way is to organize your apps into folders by category. For example, you could have a folder for social media apps, a folder for productivity apps, and a folder for games. This can make it easier to find the apps you need quickly and easily.
By the way, avoid creating too many app folders to prevent clutters on your smartphone home screen. Keep apps as little as possible.
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6. Use Cloud to Keep Documents
Last but not least, increasing your productivity with just a smartphone by keeping documents in electronic files over cloud service. Google offers free 15GB for one single account, while OneDrive offers free 5GB.
You can store personal related documents, education certification, government related receipt or evidence, and keep the original safe in one place at home that is easy to be found and taken in any emergency case.
Free cloud service is really enough for storing your document, easy to access with an internet, no worry about loss, save a lot of cost and of course, paper clutter at home.
Final Though
Smartphones can decrease or increase productivity depending on how you use them. Productive and successful people have smartphones to get things done even when you're not at your desk. Embrace those above methods one by one, and you’ll appreciate your smartphone enables you to be more productive.
