Depending on your line of work, you may have numerous opportunities and projects come across your desk, but trying to take on too much at once can be counterproductive. Don’t be afraid to say no now and then, as saying yes can drain time and energy.

Are repetitive tasks taking up a great deal of your time? Consider automating these tasks to improve efficiency within your company. Appointment scheduling, reminder emails, and marketing management are often good candidates for automation.

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If tasks are taking up your quality time that can’t be automated, consider outsourcing them, so you have time to handle your more critical items. Time is your most valuable resource, and a virtual assistant can help free up some of that. The most productive people make every second count in continuing to work towards achieving their goals.

This includes setting a time for 25 minutes, working, taking a 5-minute break when the timer goes off, adding a check mark to a piece of paper, and repeating the process. Once you have about 4 check marks, shift your break times to 15-20 minutes. This allows you to focus on a task and improve productivity but also takes the human attention span into account.

CloudApp allows individuals and businesses to share information visually and instantly. You no longer have to explain your idea over the phone or via email. Send images, videos, gifs, etc. so your clients and co-workers understand the concept and no one’s time is being wasted.

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Here are some apps that you could use to increase productivity and efficiency in your daily life:

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1. Todoist - This is a great to-do list app to keep everything in one place and help you work more efficiently. If you create a task that says, "Have lunch with Bob at 12pm tomorrow #meetings", the app will set a reminder for you at 12pm and file this task in your "meetings" section.

2. Trello - This project management app helps make managing people much less stressful. You can create cards for every task and organize them into different sections. Bonus productivity tip: learn how to add images to your Trello cards in seconds!

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3. Slack - Large corporations are using this communication app to streamline efficiency. Various channels can be created for projects, departments, and clients. Team members can jump in and out of conversations as needed. With the CloudApp integration for Slack, record anything on your desktop and instantly share the recording in Slack:

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4. Toggl - This is a time tracker app you’ll want to use, so you know how long you’re spending on different tasks. You can also use it for the Pomodoro Technique to focus on a task then take a short break.

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5. CloudApp - This visual communication tool can save your team up to 56 hours a week. Did you know it’s scientifically proven that humans process images 60,000x faster than plain text? Our screenshot software, video recorder, GIF creator app, and image annotation features can help you get your point across quicker. 

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CloudApp is affordable and extremely productive. Imagine never having to repeat yourself again. Each time you give a detailed answer to a customer or team member, you can record that answer with just one click. 

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That “click” automatically saves itself in URL form to your clipboard, and if you can keep your enthusiasm in check, you’ll find yourself with a handy-dandy GIF (or HD video). But instead of being limited to the usual cat popping out of a shoebox, it’s a helpful (and reusable) visual that your customers, clients or help desk will come to rely on for answers.

Here are some examples:

1. Skip that meeting - Rather than wasting your time and the time of your co-workers or clients, showcase your thoughts by recording a quick video of your screen and sending it.

2. Improve collaboration - Quickly send over a few options with clear instructions to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.

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3. Share feedback immediately - CloudApp makes it easy to capture and share thoughts.

If you’re interested in trying it, the free forever plan is a great place to start. For additional features, subscribe to an upgraded plan for just $9+ a month.

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