That said, you may want to assess your current tech habits and make some tweaks to ensure you have a productive year. This article covers some tech resolutions you can adopt in 2023 to help you stay productive.
1. Declutter Your Digital Spaces
Your digital space is any virtual environment where you store or access your data, such as your computer’s desktop, your smartphone’s home screen, your email inbox, and cloud storage accounts, to name a few. Considering that you spend a lot of time in these digital spaces, it makes sense to develop a habit of tidying them up occasionally and managing them for higher efficiency.
For instance, organize your email inbox by unsubscribing to irrelevant newsletters and setting up filters to categorize emails. Delete files you no longer need on your computer’s desktop, and remove any unnecessary apps from your smartphone. Giving your digital spaces a clean sweep will help speed up your workflow, make finding relevant information when needed easier, and boost your productivity.
2. Get Organized With Productivity Apps
One of the best tech resolutions you can make for a more productive year is to leverage productivity apps to manage your tasks more effectively. Whether you need help keeping track of and planning meetings, organizing and prioritizing projects, or remembering important deadlines, there’s a wide range of apps that can help you stay organized.
For instance, you can use Calendly to schedule all your tasks and meetings or Asana to organize and prioritize projects and remember deadlines. In addition, gamified apps like Habitica can help you stay motivated when building new habits and pursuing your goals. Organizing your life using these productivity apps takes the guesswork out of managing your time and resources, allowing you to focus on the more important tasks.
3. Improve Your Online Security
As you move into a new year, it’s essential that you observe good online security and privacy habits to safeguard your data and online privacy against the growing number of cyber threats, like phishing scams, ransomware, and man-in-the-middle attacks, to name a few. Improving your online security can help keep your data safe from malicious agents.
Here are some practical steps to take to improve your online security and privacy:
Create memorable and unbreakable passwords, and change them regularly. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your accounts whenever possible. Use a VPN to encrypt your data and mask your IP address when connecting to the internet. Avoid using public Wi-Fi. Avoid clicking or downloading files from unknown sources.
If you find it challenging to create and memorize new passwords for all your accounts, consider using a password manager. Adopting these safety precautions will help keep your data protected and avoid disruptions to your productivity.
4. Unplug and Disconnect Regularly
Considering the harmful effects of today’s always-on work culture, it is vital that you give yourself enough time to recharge and relax. Taking regular breaks from your digital devices and reducing screen time can work wonders for your health and productivity.
This can be anything from taking short breaks during workdays to stepping away from your tech for a day or two during the holidays. In addition, consider trying activities that don’t require screens, such as reading a physical book, playing an instrument, or painting. Such activities can help you refuel your energy and allow you to focus when you return to work.
5. Curb Your Mindless Scrolling Habit
One tech resolution that can massively impact your productivity is overcoming your mindless scrolling habit. Why? Because it’s one of those things you do unconsciously without appreciating how much time it sucks from you. It’s easy to pick up your phone or laptop, open Instagram or Twitter, and get stuck in the endless loop of mindless scrolling.
Finding ways to break this habit can help you regain control of your time and use it more effectively to achieve your goals. Some strategies that can help you break the habit include tracking your time on specific apps or websites and setting limits for yourself.
You can use the Screen Time feature on your iPhone or the Digital Wellbeing app on Android to check your screen time. You could also install a browser extension like StayFocusd on your computer to block specific websites that you find distracting.
6. Automate Your Workflows
What better way to improve your productivity in 2023 than to free up more time to focus on more important tasks? Automating mundane and repetitive workflows can be a great way to save time and energy and eliminate errors. Automation tools like IFTTT and Zapier are well-known solutions that can act like virtual assistants behind the scenes, handling everyday tasks for you.
These tools let you connect all sorts of services or apps, saving you valuable time that can be used for other tasks. For instance, you can set up an automation to log your work hours in Google Calendar or automatically share new pictures or videos on Facebook.
7. Learn New Tech Skills
Another tech resolution that can elevate your productivity in 2023 to new heights is learning new tech skills. Whether you work in the tech industry or not, staying up to date with the latest tech trends and learning new skills can be a great way to stay competitive. Think of it as adding new tools to your toolkit—the more tools you have, the more equipped you will be to tackle tasks and develop innovative solutions.
You can start by doing a quick online search for the latest tech trends in your industry, or attending free webinars or workshops. You could also learn new skills online through websites like Udemy, MasterClass, or Udacity.
Make 2023 Your Most Productive Year With These Tech Resolutions
Congratulations on making it to the end of the year and this list of tech resolutions. Now it’s time to put your resolutions into action to make the most of 2023. These tech resolutions can be your stepping stones to a more productive, tech-savvy lifestyle. So buckle up and get ready for an exciting year ahead.
