I lost a whole afternoon to a flyer design. I wanted the colour of the little bubbles to match the brand and even used a clipping mask to use brand images within the bubbles. When it was finished, it was a work of art.
Productivity is rarely in the details.
All those little details meant I didn’t work on any other projects, didn’t get supper on the table, didn’t get any chores done. It was gorgeous and worth it. I’m very happy with the finished product, but when I get wrapped up in extraneous details, I lose precious chunks of time.
In honour of the glorious idea of productivity, I’m going to share one of the small things I do that helps make up for all those wonderfully spent unproductive hours. It’s small and seems simple, and honestly, it doesn’t balance out – but it contributes to the balance, which is important.
I make my bookmarks bar work for me.
It used to be a crowded place, saved for banking websites and social media websites. So, I cut out the details. It’s still crowded, but instead of an airport lounge where everyone is languishing with carry-on luggage, it’s a party where all my best websites are mingling.
It looks like this:
Look appealing? I simply delete the title of the website I’m saving when I bookmark a site. As you can see, most websites have pretty recognizable favicons. Since I use them regularly (which is why they’re here in the first place), I am familiar with each.
Again, small, but all my favourite stock photo sites are in one place. My client websites are one click away. Same with Trello, Hootsuite, Toggl and all my other most-used resources that I don’t want to plumb the depths of my bookmarks folder for.
Do you use small but mighty tricks like these to keep you balanced? What are your favourites?
