8 Ways to Power Through the Task You Hate

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Doing things you love is easy; it is the things you hate that test your mettle. And life and business are full of jobs you flat-out hate. How you handle a task like this will determine how far you go as an individual.  

But there is a silver lining in this cloud of jobs you hate. There are ways you can power through those jobs, and below are a few you can consider.

1. Alternate Between Tasks you Hate and Those You Love

A lack of motivation characterizes the tasks we hate. There is no drive to work or power through boring jobs. As such, the trick is to bring back the excitement. Find ways to stay motivated.

One way that stands out is to alternate between tasks you love and those you hate. This breaks the monotony of having to work on hateful tasks for extended periods.

The balance between good and bad experiences is way better compared to a situation where you are being pounded with tasks you don’t like.

2. Take the Path of Least Resistance

Just because you do something does not mean you have to be flawless. Take the path of least resistance when working on boring jobs. Apply the minimum effective dose; that is, the least effort while still being productive.

3. Dedicate Time

If you are having trouble working on a particular job, then block some time to work on that job and only that job.

By dedicating time in advance, you prepare yourself mentally for the mind-numbing tasks. You are also more driven to complete other pressing tasks earlier.

4. Break the Task Down

With baby steps, you can move a mountain. The same applies to a tedious job that seems impossible.

Break the task down so that it is approachable and more doable. Breaking down the tasks reduces our tendency to procrastinate as we know where to start. Also, the smaller tasks might not be as dull as the larger job.

5. Swap “I Have To” for “I Choose To”

By choosing to work on those boring assignments, you trick your mind into accepting them, and suddenly, they are not that tedious.

When you no longer have to work on humdrum tasks but choose to do them, you are excited about the jobs. A change of perspective does a lot.

6. Bribe Yourself

When you have to do something you dread, you can ease the pain by promising yourself something better immediately after. You realign your perspective. You focus more on what comes after the task, over the agony of the task.

By scheduling fun things, between those nightmare errands, you find that you will not be putting them off for days on end.

7. Focus on What You Gain From the Task

Creating a website might not be a riveting experience, but nothing beats the experience of having an online presence.

You can also choose to focus on the growth you gain from the task. For instance, writing a pitch is tedious, but you learn essential skills. You learn how to communicate better, how to organize an important document, and how to fact-check.

8. Hire Someone to Do the Task

Finally, you can outsource the job. If your business is not your primary focus, you can get experts in the niche to help. This could be true for IT tasks that, though necessary, are not at the core of your business. Hire specialists to handle technical tasks while you do what you do best.

Working on tasks you dislike is tedious; working on those you hate is aggravating. The least you can do is ease the burden using the tricks above. If you choose to outsource, remember to hire experts.

Want to Extend Your Laptop’s Battery Life? Try These Tips

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One of the worst obstacles for an on-the-go small business professional is a laptop battery that’s about to die. Without taking the right precautions, even a fully charged battery can run out fast, delaying project completion and interrupting teleconferences. Stay productive on the go with these tips for maximizing your battery life.

Lower the brightness to raise your battery life

Your laptop’s screen is a huge energy drain. A maximized brightness setting can reduce battery life by hours. Get those hours back and lower the brightness of your display. Windows 10 gives you many different options for customizing your screen backlight, such as automatic adjustment when your laptop is unplugged or adaptive adjustment that takes surrounding ambient light into consideration.

Save battery life with automatic screen shut-off settings

You can gain even more battery life when you turn the screen off altogether. That is, if you remember to do it. Luckily, modern operating systems can automatically shut your screen off when your laptop is not in use. Set it to 5 minutes of inactivity and enjoy your laptop battery for longer. If you’re on Windows, you can even customize different shut-off times, keeping your screen on for longer when it’s plugged into the wall.

Forget Sleep Mode, put your laptop into Hibernate Mode

What’s the difference between Sleep Mode and Hibernate Mode? In Sleep Mode, the computer keeps the system state in RAM and uses a small amount of power so that your laptop can start up right away when you need it. When entering Hibernate Mode, your laptop writes the system state to disk and then powers off completely. It might take a little longer to start up later, but you’ll have noticeably improved battery time over Sleep Mode.

Disable WiFi and Bluetooth for quick battery life gains

It’s surprising how much battery power WiFi, Bluetooth and other services require. Your WiFi card uses a significant amount of power when searching for an access point or transferring files. Bluetooth doesn’t use as much, but over time it adds up. Try turning off your WiFi when you don’t need to be on the internet, and wait until you’ve plugged in your laptop to access that big PDF from your email. You can even save a small amount by trading in your wireless mouse for an old-school wired one.

Mute your speaker when you’re not plugged in

Your laptop’s speaker can be another energy drain. Every time your speaker needs to make a sound, whether it’s playing a video or a quick system beep, it draws power from your battery in order to do so. The best way to avoid this is to mute your speaker entirely. Otherwise, lowering the volume can make a small improvement in your battery life.

Shut down applications you’re not using and enjoy big savings

If you’re not using an application, it might still be running in the background, eating up battery power for no good reason. That’s why it’s important to periodically check what apps you have running and exit the ones you no longer need. It’s easy to adjust background settings for individual apps on Windows or to stop them from running entirely.

Watch the temperature and keep your battery healthy

A surprise factor in long-term battery life is heat exposure. Regularly exposing your laptop to heat can reduce your battery’s maximum capacity. Get out of the habit of leaving your laptop in a hot car or on a shelf in the midday sun. If your laptop has any vents, make sure these are clear so the laptop can ventilate properly. Extreme cold can also damage your battery, so don’t let your laptop freeze either.

With help from Bluwater Technologies, you can enjoy enterprise-level support and advice for all your peripheral devices, from laptops to smartphones and beyond. Contact us today and enjoy premier IT support tailored to your business needs.

6 Helpful Tips When You are Stuck with Tasks You Hate

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The topic of productivity is often discussed, especially in the context of business. One of the paramount issues that stand in the face of being effective in our tasks is whether we love doing them or not. Usually, in a company, certain jobs are absolutely crucial but not inspiring at all. So, how do you ensure that the tasks you hate are done?

Well, it is a problem that can be conquered with a bit of pre-planning and a deliberate change in mindset. In this article, we discuss 6 effective ways that can help you tackle this problem efficiently.

1. Start with a Schedule

There is a reason why people swear by scheduling and goal setting. Having a plan of action in place and knowing that there is something to look forward to once the unpleasant tasks are taken care of, is a sure-shot way to trick your brain out of procrastination. Set goals every day and evaluate yourself against them to keep up. Soon, this will become a habit and the prospect of carrying out boring or unpleasant jobs will not be so daunting anymore.

2. Move Between Tasks You Love and Hate Doing

While this may sound too simple when you alternate between tasks that you love and hate doing, you can find the necessary motivation to tide over your entire schedule. The idea is to balance the good and bad in such a way that you do not get bored while tackling the not-so-favorable jobs.

3. Keep the Bigger Picture in Mind

In the world of business, it is important to never lose sight of the bigger picture. Hence, whenever you feel unenthusiastic about certain tasks, focus on the final outcomes and the reason why these jobs need to be done. There can be several factors like rewards and recognition, bonuses, productivity gains, and business bottom line.

4. Break Down Tasks

Often we bite more than we can chew and that becomes the root of many troubles. Thus, when it comes to doing a large chunk of an uninspiring task, breaking it into smaller steps and handling them individually helps. Another effective strategy to implement when feeling overwhelmed by unfinished jobs is to take a step back and regroup. Sometimes a change of approach is necessary to finish the task successfully.

5. Take Breaks

Even the best of us cannot function constantly and always be productive. Taking time for breaks is essential. It not only helps our brains to recoup but also relaxes us enough to tackle a new problem with renewed vigor and energy. This is why break times are intentionally scheduled in many workplaces, especially on shop floors and factories. 

6. Pat Yourself on the Back

Never forget to give yourself credit where it is due. Waiting for others to recognize your efforts for a job well done is not always the best thing to do. Sometimes, it is necessary to reward yourself when you know that you have achieved something worthwhile at work. Think of treats that you will enjoy like a night out or a movie or even a new book and indulge in the same without guilt.

Many a time we forget that there are tasks that we cannot complete alone. It is absolutely essential to understand when to ask for help from colleagues and team members. Another viable option is to hire the help of professionals to take care of otherwise energy-draining jobs. This not only saves you from mind-numbing tasks but also increases overall productivity. Your time and resources can be freed up to solve more important problems while professionals do the job for you.

Tips for Maximizing A Managed Help Desk Service

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Technology is an essential component for most businesses today because of what it can help workers and business owners achieve. Ensuring that your team has the necessary resources for handling daily responsibilities will promote the achievement of set goals. A managed help desk service is part of the resources that will prove beneficial for entrepreneurs seeking IT support services.

When you invest in technology, you need to identify competent individuals who can manage your systems and offer your employees the support they need, and that is what you will achieve through a managed help desk service. Here are some tips on how you can maximize your outsourcing solution.

Acquire the Right Help Desk Solution

One of the advantages of managed IT services is that they withdraw the financial burden of investing in hardware, which results in savings that entrepreneurs can redirect to other profitable activities within their businesses. However, you cannot take advantage of such IT services as a managed help desk service without investing in the right software.

Acquiring the ideal managed solution is advisable because it helps you maximize the services your provider is offering that relate to this particular software.

Prioritize Availability

If you want to get the most out of your managed help desk service providers, they should be available round the clock. You cannot tell when you will experience IT issues or downtime in your enterprise, and for that reason, your service provider should furnish you with details on how you can reach them whenever you need their assistance.

Outsource

Managed help desk services are critical because they facilitate the continuity of your business operations. Business operators who do not have the resources and skills necessary for establishing an in-house IT department should consider outsourcing this service. Apart from realizing profitability as a result of savings, outsourcing allows you to enjoy the professionalism of experts in this field.

If you need more information on ideas for maximizing managed help desk services, contact us today!

The Pitfalls of Asking Just Anyone for IT Advice

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Would you trust a neighbor to fix your car instead of bringing it to a certified mechanic? What about a friend to splint a broken leg rather than taking a trip to your doctor? We all have “know a guy who knows a guy,” but when it comes to protecting critical data and technology systems it’s best to leave the IT advice to the pros. 

Consider our Top 3 Excuses and Top 3 Reasons To Stick with Managed It Services.

Short-Term Costs vs. Long-Term Productivity

“But it’s cheaper!” 

It’s no coincidence that many businesses have turned to investing in high-quality data storage, cutting-edge virus protection, and worry-free compliance services. Emerging technology helps companies succeed. Communication management systems — or CMS — are designed to streamline interdepartmental processes and better manage client data. However, many businesses underutilize the technology available to them.

This is where local IT consultants come to the rescue. Technology professionals can identify areas where system processes aren’t operating with maximum efficiency and offer IT advice to maximize outputs. This ultimately generates greater, lasting revenue and happy clients. 

Security Done Right

“All IT services are the same anyway.”

Not all IT services are created equal. In 2018, Tech Republic reported that a whopping 40% of security breaches were caused by employee error and negligence. When it comes to securing confidential and sensitive data, hosted technology services provide knowledgeable management and guidance as well as company-wide training. Thus, reducing the potential liability a data breach can cause allows you and your employees to sleep a little easier at night.

DIY Fails

“I could do this myself.”

Don’t let yourself, or your company, be fooled by these famous last words! While we love the spirit of innovation and willingness to learn, technology is not the best place for DIY solutions. Furthermore, leaving the tech to a trusted professional ensures the job will be done right the first time.

From network support to upgrading your office space, Bluwater Technologies has you covered! Contact our IT superheroes to get started on a managed tech service that’s right for your Fort Lauderdale business.