Three Helpful Extensions for More Productive Work

Technology is meant to increase your productivity at work, but it also presents plenty of new toys and shiny objects that vie for your attention as you try to get things done. If you use Google Chrome to access the Internet, you can take advantage of some of the top extensions to help increase your work efficiency.

Strict Pomodoro is especially helpful for freelancers or anyone who works from home, as it is designed to increase your focus and productivity at work by controlling your work schedule. Once you have installed the extension, a simple button will appear on your desktop. Click it and Strict Pomodoro starts a 25-minute work timer. When that timer runs out, click the button again to start a 5-minute scheduled break. Continue until you have gone four rounds, when the extension rewards you with a longer break. The extension simply balances your productivity at work with rewards in the form of guilt-free breaks, which should help you increase your focus and efficiency.

If you have a habit of letting non-work-related websites get in the way of your productivity at work, then you will probably find Chrome Nanny to be an indispensable productivity tool. Chrome Nanny was designed to increase work efficiency by helping you keep your Internet browsing in check. If you tend to get distracted by Facebook, for example, you can set the extension to either let you access it only during certain times of the day or restrict the amount of time you spend on Facebook each day to a maximum of 60 minutes. It works by blocking your access to the URLs you specify depending on the criteria you set. Chrome Nanny also allows you to tag specific URLs and then block access based on those tags.

If you spend any portion of your day doing research on the Internet, you'll find the Evernote Web Clipper extension to be an invaluable tool to increase your productivity at work. When you come across information that you might want to use either now or later, simply copy it to your clipboard. Evernote will save that information in a virtual scrapbook along with a link back to the original page. Access to the information is effortless, and it is much easier than using simple bookmarks, as it creates a visual clip of the information instead of a short text title.

With the availability of tools and extensions designed to help you be more efficient when you're working, there's no excuse for not achieving your work goals each and every day. Increasing your productivity at work can often be as simple as finding the right tools and extensions and then putting them to good use.

(photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)