Latest news with #tasks
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Typical Brit spends more than two whole days a month in total procrastinating
THE typical Brit spends more than two whole days-a-month in total procrastinating. Research found they typically avoid 'tedious' tasks 17 times a week - with 32 per cent declining to do certain jobs for several months or more. 2 2 Sending back online shopping returns, paying bills, and doing DIY are among the tasks they're most likely to stall on. A third (33 per cent) avoid tasks because they're 'easily distracted', with a further 47 per cent doing so because they're 'boring'. Commissioned by which offers deals on holidays, flights, and hotels, the poll, of 2,000 adults, found 23 per cent have resorted to taking annual leave in order to get on top of all the tasks they've been avoiding. But procrastination isn't always problematic - 39 per cent actively prefer to leave things until late on, with 14 per cent of the opinion they get better results when they do so. Psychologist Emma Kenny, who has teamed-up with the travel operator, believes procrastination can improve patience and also helps people feel more grateful. She said: "Procrastination isn't simply about laziness, it's often a coping mechanism for feeling overwhelmed. 'But while chronic procrastination can increase stress, the 14 per cent who report better results under pressure may actually be leveraging their natural work rhythms. 'The key is distinguishing between productive delay and avoidance that creates genuine problems." Of those who ever procrastinate - which is 89 per cent of adults - the study found 50 per cent do so more with personal tasks and 11 per cent do so more with work-related tasks. However, 30 per cent avoid certain jobs in both walks of life - at work and at home. Other tasks they regularly put off include responding to emails, updating their CV, and even going to sleep. Many also stall on replying to personal messages like texts and WhatsApps, going to the gym or exercising, and backing up devices or updating software. Emma Kenny added: 'Procrastination is a natural, human trait and whilst it can make people feel guilty, it can also give us space to think clearly about choosing the right moment and to process the idea and holiday plans properly. 'When you change the narrative from 'I still haven't done it' to 'I just found an incredible last-minute deal', procrastination becomes a passport to adventure.' It also emerged 83 per cent have procrastination tactics they actively employ - including starting jobs at a 'nice round number' like 3pm or 4pm (27 per cent). More than a fifth (22 per cent) will hold off doing anything until it's 'absolutely essential' a task needs to be completed. And 25 per cent will do something else which doesn't need doing - like intensely researching something which could wait - to avoid sitting down to tackle a task. The research, carried out through OnePoll, found 27 per cent make a mindful and conscious decision to procrastinate so they can enjoy the feeling of anticipation for as long as possible. Zoe Fidler, spokesperson for said: 'It's clear to see that us Brits are a procrasti-nation. 'Some people even prefer it, saying putting things off helps to build excitement, anticipation, and the threat of a deadline getting tasks done faster. 'And when it comes to holidays in particular it's never too late to book one - in fact, one in five of our customers book within just 72 hours of departure.' TOP 20 MOST COMMON TASKS BRITS AVOID 1. Cleaning the house or doing laundry 2. Cleaning the car 3. Doing life admin (e.g. paying bills renewing passports, budgeting, reviewing or cancelling subscription and membership, reviewing financial statements) 4. Booking appointments (e.g. dentist, GP) 5. DIY/home repairs 6. Making important phone calls 7. Responding to emails 8. Replying to personal messages 9. Shaving or waxing 10. Exercising/going to the gym 11. Going to sleep 12. Reading a book 13. Backing up devices or updating software 14. Getting ready for the day 15. Updating LinkedIn or CV 16. Sending back online shopping returns 17. Buying something on sale hoping it will get discounted even more 18. Buying holiday outfits 19. Buying new swim wear or underwear 20. Booking vaccination appointments
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Your daily horoscope: August 14, 2025
The events of the next 12 months will get you asking some pretty deep questions about who you are and why you are here. The answers the universe sends your way will change your outlook and most likely change your luck for the better as well. Saturn in your sign may be putting a few obstacles in your path but you can be sure it's for a good reason. Most likely you have been moving too fast for your own good and need to be reminded that success is as much about stamina as speed. You may have to do something you don't much enjoy today but you must make a good job of it. People in positions of power are watching you closely and if you show the right attitude they will give you more agreeable tasks in future. According to the planets a friend is going through a tough time at the moment and could do with some help. Maybe the best way to assist them is to suggest that they cut their losses and live to fight another day, as this battle appears to be lost. The only danger today is that in your eagerness to get ahead you come on too strong and scare off people who could have been useful allies. Sometimes you get so intense about what you are working on that those around you start to panic! You may have endured a setback or two in recent weeks but with both the sun and Mercury now doing wonderful things in your sign you will more than make up for your losses. Aim to be the biggest and the best at what you do. If you let others drag you into a war or words or a battle of wills today you won't end up on the winning side, because everyone will lose. Try to impress on your colleagues that they don't have to be so competitive. Sometimes co-operation works best. Although a relationship may be going through a difficult time there is no reason at all why you should give up on it. On the contrary, if you make an effort to iron out your differences today you can forge an even closer emotional bond. It may be true that some of your methods and routines need updating but don't try to do it all at once. Draw up a sensible schedule that will move you gradually from the old way of doing things to the new. You're not on the clock. No doubt it is frustrating to be held back from pushing ahead with your plans but Saturn in the most dynamic area of your chart warns you need to pace yourself. You can still work hard and you can still have fun but you must not overdo it. If you play your cards right over the next few days you could soon be moving up in the world. Someone in a position of authority is impressed by your can-do attitude and your desire to learn and will promote you if they get the chance. Something of a minor nature seems to be worrying you for no good reason and you need to get past it so you can focus on more important matters. Start the process today by closing your ears to those who enjoy preaching doom and gloom! Cosmic activity in the most materialistic area of your chart will bring money matters to a head over the next few days and that's a good thing. You certainly won't be able to be as free and easy with your cash as you have been of late. Discover more about yourself at
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
10 ChatGPT Prompts That Will Help You Work Smarter And Think Faster
10 ChatGPT Prompts That Will Help You Work Smarter And Think Faster More than 800 million people are using ChatGPT each week, and one in five people use it for work, but most are barely tapping into what it can actually do. I hear people say they use it to summarize articles or write emails faster, and that's fine. But I've found that the real benefit comes when you use prompts to help you think. Not to replace your thinking, but to sharpen it, organize it, or speed it up when your brain is already juggling too much. It's easy to underestimate how much mental space gets wasted just preparing for a meeting. That's where prompts come in. They give you structure without slowing you down. I've been collecting the kinds of prompts that help with focus. Some of these might sound simple, but when you're in the middle of a busy day, a good prompt can be the difference between momentum and burnout. I'll share a few I've used and why they work. Prompt: Help Me Prioritize These 10 Tasks Based On Impact, Deadline, And Visibility To Key ... More Stakeholders I have never loved Gantt charts. I'm sure they work wonderfully for project managers, but for many people like me, they can seem overwhelming. That is why this is such a great prompt. This one is great when your list feels never-ending and every task looks urgent. Instead of spending energy figuring out what to do first, you paste in your list and let the system help you rank it. I've found this especially helpful during weeks where everything feels like it is due yesterday. It helps me see what really matters based on who's watching, what's due right now, and what will move the needle. Prompt: Turn This Idea Into Three Talking Points I Can Use In A Meeting Part of developing our curiosity is to create interesting conversations that allow others to explore ideas they hadn't considered. This prompt helps create interesting directions to take a meeting. You might have pages of notes or a vague idea you want to bring to a meeting, but it's not clear how to frame it. This prompt gives you three focused bullets you can actually say out loud. It forces clarity. If you tend to ramble or over-explain under pressure, this gives you something solid to lean on. Prompt: What Are The Most Common Assumptions People Make About This Topic, And Which Ones Should I ... More Question? Part of my research regarding curiosity found that one of the things that inhibits it is the assumptions we make. But, how do you know what people assume? This is a prompt I use when something feels stuck or when I'm about to launch something new. It pushes you to look at how you're thinking and what others might be thinking. I've used this when creating new courses, writing articles, and advising teams. It brings to the surface the things you're assuming are true but haven't really examined. Prompt: Design A 30-Minute Team Workshop That Builds Psychological Safety Another factor I found that inhibits curiosity is fear. You don't need to run a full-day offsite to help people feel more comfortable speaking up. This prompt gives you a short, focused plan that includes a script, one simple activity, and a few questions to close it out. I've shared this with people who want to create trust but don't have time or budget for formal training. It works especially well when a new team is forming or after something disruptive has happened. Prompt: Summarize The Pros And Cons Of These Three Strategic Options So I Can Present Them Clearly ... More To My Team With so much data available, I run into a lot of people who tell me they are burned out with data overload. It can be overwhelming at times to decipher what things mean and which options are best. When you're deciding between options, this prompt helps you frame the choice cleanly. You enter the three directions you're considering, and it returns a summary you can use to brief others or make the call yourself. This has helped me organize everything from writing projects to consulting proposals. It cuts down on second-guessing and speeds up alignment. Remember that AI can't know all factors affecting decisions, so it helps to continue to dive down more deeply with what impacts the options and use critical thinking to evaluate any option AI provides. Prompt: Create A Personal Learning Plan Based On These Three Areas I Want To Improve There's so much content out there that people often get stuck before they start. Often we don't know what we don't know, and ChatGPT can point out some of those things. I like this prompt because it turns general goals into a plan you can actually use. You name the three things you want to get better at, and it gives you recommendations that might include articles, habits, or quick wins. It's a good way to add structure to personal development without over-committing. Prompt: Rewrite This Feedback Message So It Is Constructive And Motivating I tend to write quickly and forget the niceties. This one is very helpful to me. I've used this prompt when I was about to send a message and wanted to make sure it wouldn't land wrong. You paste in what you've written, and it sends back a version that's clear, firm, and respectful. It keeps the message direct but avoids coming across as critical or unclear. This works especially well for feedback conversations where you want the other person to leave feeling capable, not discouraged. Prompt: Create A Weekly Schedule That Includes Deep Work And Collaboration Time If you ever feel like your week is full but nothing important is getting done, this one helps reset your calendar. You enter your general availability, and it gives you a layout that protects space for uninterrupted work while still allowing time for collaboration. It's helped me block time for writing, prep, or quiet thinking during seasons where meetings tend to take over. Prompt: Give Me A Framework To Review Why This Project Failed And What To Do Next I like this one a lot because some of the best lessons come from failure. After a setback, it's tempting to either move on too fast or spend too long dissecting what went wrong. This prompt gives you a middle ground. It offers a structure that's focused on learning and future steps. I've used this when something didn't go the way I expected, and it helped me see what to change next time without going in circles. Prompt: Suggest Five Behavior Nudges That Reinforce A Mission In Everyday Work Mission statements sound good, but the real test is whether anyone can see them in action. The same is true of codes of ethics. Enron had a great one, on paper, but if we don't practice what we preach, what good are these statements. This prompt takes your company's mission and returns small behavioral cues you can integrate into meetings, communication, or recognition. I've used this to advise leaders who want their teams to live the mission instead of just repeating it. These nudges make it easier to create consistency without forcing anything. Why These Prompts Work Each of these prompts has helped me or someone I've worked with make progress faster. They reduce the pressure of trying to think through everything on your own. They also support better conversations, stronger priorities, and clearer decisions. You might not use all ten. You just need the right one at the right time. Don't forget that ChatGPT likes to tell you how smart you are or how great your decision is, and sometimes you are not so smart and your decision is not so wonderful. These prompts give you insight, but remember they are not always perfect. Try them. But, use common sense to ensure you use them wisely.
