Have you noticed that your work efficiency with a computer has not been up to par recently? Or maybe you are just not that tech-savvy and have not really bothered to take time and consider this problem?
Regardless of the circumstances, there are multiple ways to increase your efficiency while using a computer for work. If you are interested in finding out more about those ways, continue reading this article.
Learn to Share Information Visually
Working on a computer often means needing to communicate with others and share information. However, the problem with information sharing is that carrying out instructions with just a text is often not effective.
It helps if you are on a call and can instruct with your voice. Sharing a screen is also a great solution, but it is not always available because of another party having problems on their end or other obstacles.
In such cases, you can make the communication better by sharing visual information. Screenshots are a good example, as you can snap your screen and quickly edit the image or send it unedited.
Recent operating systems have keyboard shortcuts to take a portion of your screen rather than the entire screen. For example, Windows 10 users can hit the Windows + Shift + S shortcut, whereas for macOS, it is Shift + Command + 4. If you have a MacBook, you can also click here and learn how to take a scrolling screenshot.
It might take a while to get used to sending screenshots at first, but you should get the hang of it.
Memorize Relevant Keyboard Shortcuts
Relevant keyboard shortcut memorization is also worth a shout. Like already mentioned, you can use the shortcuts to take screenshots and send them to others or use them for yourself.
However, there are many other keyboard shortcuts that help with making the most out of a computer. Instead of using your mouse to drag and click everything, you can learn relevant keyboard combinations and save yourself some time.
Manage Work FIles
Do not get in the habit of mismanaging your work files. If you do, it will become too difficult to find what you need, and the issue will only snowball from there.
For starters, make sure that you have a proper naming convention for your files. Using the search feature on a computer exists to help you find files that you need, but you cannot do that unless you know what a file is called.
Next, avoid desktop clutter. It may be convenient to keep some documents and shortcuts on the computer’s desktop, but it is not great for the overall performance of the device.
You can also take advantage of cloud storage. As soon as you notice that there is not enough free space on the computer’s drive, and there is not that much data you can remove permanently, transfer files to iCloud, Dropbox, or another cloud service and access the data from these services.
Finally, remember that the computer accumulates temporary storage, and it would probably be worth your while to get a cleanup utility tool that can take care of the cache, old system backups, software extensions, and other junk.
Take Advantage of Available Software
Available software on a computer offers you a lot of benefits. For work efficiency, you have plenty of tools that help you manage time, avoid potential errors, and so on.
For example, Grammarly, a Google Chrome extension, works as a tool to show you grammar errors. If you often type and spend too much time checking for mistakes manually, Grammarly is a great solution.
Those who have problems with time management can consider Time Doctor, Toggl, or DeskTime, to name a few.
It is also worth noting that different operating systems have different software solutions that can be exclusive, so keep that in mind as well when searching for software that you believe would come in handy for you in work productivity.
Avoid Distractions
A computer offers a lot of great things for work, but it can also be a big distraction to your productivity. You want to focus on what is important and leave the fun for after finishing work.
Do not browse the net and spend time on social media or play video games. It is tempting to procrastinate, but if you do not eliminate potential distractions on a computer or find another way to deal with them, your overall work efficiency will suffer.
Maintain Computer in Good Condition
The last bit of advice is pretty simple. You need to ensure that your computer is running optimally. Avoiding crashes, freezes, random restarts, and other performance issues will ensure that the device does not get in the way of your work.
In case you encounter an issue you cannot solve yourself, remember that there is the option to take the device to a computer service store, where professionals can fix it for you.