Over the last 17 years, I have tried every possible tactic to eliminate repetitive manual tasks that come with running a growing business. Only one works consistently.
It’s the end of a long day. You stop for groceries and snap at the shopper who barges into the checkout line. Wait, your wallet is… still on your desk.
You throw away your bananas and dishwashing liquid and go home tired and scattered and feeling a vague sense of sadness. I was very motivated this morning. Caffeinated and ready to destroy your to-do list.But you could only cross off two minor task.
what happened?
busy. That’s what happened. Emails, DMs, status meetings, notifications, spreadsheets, system updates, budget revisions, approvals, expenses, scheduling and more.
A busy job is the slow leak of a professional tire. It’s about quick demands and ever-present digital distractions. It’s outdated technology and well-meaning co-workers who want to “go back” and his MIA contractor who has to send emails. again.
We all have too much on our plates. Still, focus is more important than ever. This creates a catch-22 for anyone actually trying. achieve something at work
Over the last 17 years, I have tried every possible tactic to eliminate repetitive manual tasks that come with running a growing business. Automation is the only thing that works consistently.
Automation maximizes your potential
Despite starting a company called Jotform, I don’t really care about forms. However, I am determined to continue building Jotform and help people and organizations become more productive.
That’s why I wrote a new book. Automate busy workThe world of work has changed dramatically and will continue to do so with the rise of AI and automation. To be truly productive, you must apply your skills and innate talents to build systems that work on autopilot.
You should also change the vision of work straight to circular. Most of us are trained to move step by step in our daily lives. For example, as a marketing manager for a small consumer brand, I could create a customer satisfaction survey, review it with my colleagues, email it to anyone who made a purchase in the last 30 days, send him a follow-up note, You can analyze your responses.
Automation requires circular thinking. With easy tools, you can create purchase-triggered online surveys and automatically aggregate results into digital reports. This loop runs quietly in the background, giving you time and brain space to interact with your customers and develop strategic marketing campaigns.
Technology evolves so quickly that certain examples quickly become obsolete. However, the principles of automation survive as tools advance. It’s like learning to cook. With the right skills, you can grill vegetables, poach eggs, and bake pies. Automation allows you to spend your time creating delicious new recipes instead of spending time churning out those pies.
If you’re ready to save your brain for big things, here are three ways to get started.
1. Minimize Cognitive Fatigue
Life throws a lot into our brains. Processing today’s large amounts of information requires “higher-order executive functions”. To tell Melanie Greenberg, clinical psychologist, author stress-resistant brainWhether you’re reading a report or scrolling through social media, our brains aren’t built to sustain this peak function for long periods of time. Still, that’s exactly how most of us spend our workdays.
Quick switching between tasks worsening the problem, causing fatigue, frustration, and impulsive behavior. A tired brain can also make it difficult to focus on meaningful projects. Ironically, an overstimulated mind will eventually switch to autopilot.
“After a while, our brains automate things and consume less energy,” says Greenberg.
Walking the same route to work every day takes less mental fuel than an ever-changing commute. You can take this brain-saving strategy a step further by automating busy tasks. Analyzing your spreadsheets, sorting your emails, and tidying up other chores can give you mental clarity when you need it most.
2. Accept meaningful work
Meaningful work for me is writing articles, strategizing, and working with teams. We never run payroll or schedule meetings. Relieving the boredom of work is a privilege and part of living a more prosperous life.
“Research shows that people are happier, healthier, more engaged, more committed and perform better when their work is meaningful.” write Michael F. Steger Greater Good Magazine.
“These results apply whether you work as a nurse or janitor, lead an international charity for a Fortune 500 company, or work in a warehouse fulfillment center or school. is.”
in 2018 study Nine out of 10 U.S. professionals in 26 different industries said they would take a pay cut in order to consistently do meaningful work. The coverage of this trend, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has often focused on changing jobs, but that’s not the only way to go deeper. You can work on the more meaningful aspects.
3. Start a positive feedback loop
Mental exhaustion often creates a vicious circle. For example, let’s say you skip the run after work and order pizza because you’re feeling exhausted. You feel sluggish the next day because you don’t get the post-run endorphins. However, automation can create a virtuous circle.
For better or worse, most manual work has already disappeared. There are no more newspaper typesetters or projectionists. “Automation is advancing rapidly.” To tell Aaron De Smet, senior partner at McKinsey, said, “That’s why I think things are at a significant tipping point right now.”
In other words, automation, AI, and digital technology will only increase our appetite for meaningful work. can. You may not be able to stop frustrating the checkout line, but automation is a powerful way to save your brain for big purchases.
