Hi, solo worker bees! Today, let’s talk about something we all deal with: alerts. How can we manage alerts for productivity?
The idea for this post was sparked by a great question from Philip, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
Many people tell us to turn off alerts, but when can these signals be really useful? Good question, Philip!
So, what are alerts?
They’re the little sounds, pop-ups, or numbers on your phone or computer that tell you something new has happened.
For instance, maybe you’ve got a new message on WhatsApp, or someone wrote on your Facebook post.
The problem for most of us?
We have too many alerts on, and we get lost in a storm of sounds and signals.
But don’t worry, I’ve got some tips on how to handle these noisy little buddies effectively.
This is how I do it, but remember to tweak these tips to suit your needs.
I depend a lot on alerts; they help me stay productive.
For instance, I like using quick messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
They’re faster than emails and less bothersome than calls, plus I can reply directly from my lock screen.
This saves me time and lets me carry on with my day.
I also have alerts on for my calendar and task list apps.
For instance, I set an alert to take out the trash every Monday at 6:45 AM.
But I don’t set alerts for my shopping list, because who needs a reminder to buy bananas, right?
I also use several weather apps to keep up with the weather. But again, you might prefer different things, and that’s totally fine!
Some apps, like Amazon, only send me alerts when I have an order waiting, and I let eBay and Letgo alert me when I’m selling something.
I also have alerts for certain sports apps and Fiverr when I have an active order.
To grow my personal brand, I let social media messages alert me, so I can reply quickly.
And, I like to keep track of my money with alerts from my financial apps.
But, I’m careful not to stress myself out.
For example, I don’t have personal Facebook alerts on. I also don’t have alerts for email – instead, I prefer quick messages for important communication.
Here’s the main idea: think about what alerts you truly need.
One smart plan is to do an ‘alert cleanse’.
Just like a food cleanse, an alert cleanse means going through all your devices and really thinking about which alerts help you and which ones are just noise.
When you get a new app, don’t automatically allow alerts.
After you’ve tried out the app, you can choose which alerts are useful to you.
Remember, it’s all about figuring out what works best for you.
Alerts are a tool, and like any tool, they’re best when used correctly.
Stay productive, and see you in the next post!