The phrase, “Work smarter, not harder” has always been around. But 2024 brought a collective shift in our approach to productivity. Two key factors drove this change. 2024 saw a proliferation of AI tools that handle mundane tasks and, Gen Z, the latest entrants to the workforce, have a less aggrandised vision of work. Together, these influences have prompted us to rethink what it truly means to be productive.
What is smart productivity? Is it ensuring that more tasks get done in less time, or is it getting the right tasks done at the right time? Over the last decade, we have moved from thinking deeply, spending time on large goals, prioritising important tasks, to just being ‘busy’. In our quest for standardisation, we built processes for everything, from documentation to communication to project tracking. In that very process, we have missed the forest for the trees.
Smart productivity challenges this notion and drives us to manage our time in more rewarding ways, where we make deliberate, impactful choices that lead to balance, growth and satisfaction in our personal and professional lives.
How will Productivity be redefined in 2025?
As we enter 2025, the definition of productivity continues to evolve. The traditional approach of doing more in less time is giving way to prioritising effectiveness, well-being, and meaningful engagement.
2024 saw some big companies asking their employees to return to the office. Companies are divided on this aspect, but according to Flex Index data, two-thirds of 13000 companies in the US have moved to a flexible work schedule. Based on ADP’s People at Work 2023 report, India leads the APAC countries in flexible work models, with 44% Indians having full work flexibility. The writing is on the wall and hybrid work model will continue to dominate in 2025. However, companies are also moving towards core hours and focus time blocks of work during in-office days, allowing for teamwork and distraction free deep work.
These days, team collaboration and efficiency depends on a plethora of digital tools, and this trend is here to stay. Companies will move to adopt AI assistants at a large scale, to handle inane tasks while we shift to working on the more important ones. This also means that it becomes that much tougher to say, ‘I’m busy’, and the stakes are getting higher to show that we contribute meaningfully at work.
Continuous evaluations are no longer only applicable for educational institutions. These are making an entry into the workforce. Employers are now choosing to evaluate the work and productivity of their employees not just with an annual review, but through a continuous evaluation process.
Employers have also recognised the relationship between mental wellness and productivity. 2025 will see a continued surge in employer driven mental wellness programs and workshops, aimed to create a more engaged workforce.
How will Life reshape in 2025?
Technology disruption and changing workplace expectations will inevitably impact how we approach life. The way we work, eat, communicate, shop, spend our free time and manage our health are all evolving, and not necessarily in a good way.
With flexibility at work comes higher dependency on digital communication channels. This will also spill over to our daily lives, altering traditional ideas of relationships and community building. Since covid, telehealth services have seen a surge, and will continue to do so. In India, we can book an online doctor 24/7, and medicines also get delivered in a timely manner. Quick commerce has seen a tremendous uptick in 2024. Now, not just groceries, food delivery apps promise a 10-minute hot meal too. Online shopping experiences will become increasingly personalised through AI-driven recommendations. Platforms like Myntra already have augmented reality features that allow consumers to virtually try out products before purchase. Wearable technology, smart homes, where we don’t have to do much more than move a finger, will become the norm in the next few years.
Is there a downside as we promote and live a life of such convenience? Yes, a compromise on our privacy, security, health, self-sufficiency and social participation.
Change is the only constant. How should we navigate work and life in the future?
Navigating work in 2025 may be easy for those who adopt new technologies quickly
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Adopt AI: Use AI to handle repetitive tasks such as data entry, scheduling and calendar management, organising emails, first drafts of any writing, research and analytics. Use the freed up time to strategically plan, do creative work and for interpreting data findings effectively.
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Asynchronous Collaboration: Learn the art of asynchronous collaboration through the use of tools such as Google Workspace, Slack, Trello and so on. With the hybrid work model here to stay, you may not be able to meet all your work stakeholders in person, whenever you need to.
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Organised work spaces: Set up an ergonomic and organised work space when working from home.
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Time and Task Management: Use task and time management apps to time block your days - when is work a priority? What tasks are priorities? When are non-work related tasks a priority? This is the key to smart productivity. There are many prioritisation frameworks available such as Eisenhower Matrix that helps you prioritise your tasks based on importance and urgency. Another example is Eat Your Frog strategy, which advocates for doing the toughest task, the most important one that you are likely to not tackle at all, first.
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Skill Development: Technology is here to stay, and work is going to be more and more tech dependent. Use your time to develop skills that will help you adapt faster to any sudden, unforeseen changes at work.
When it comes to managing self and home related responsibilities, we need to think critically about what we do with our time.
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Self-Care: Integrate mental wellness into your daily life. Smart productivity is also about having clear personal priorities. We are all aware about the benefits of mindfulness, meditation and gratitude practices, but awareness does not magically translate into a harmonious life. Mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword. In a world of constant distractions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on the present. Build self-care habits into your daily routine to bring calm and focus into your life.
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Energy Management: Manage time by managing your physical and mental energy. Pay attention to your energy peaks and plan your most demanding tasks accordingly. Balance work with activities that recharge you - exercise, hobbies, or spending time with family and friends.
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Digital Boundaries: With the omnipresence of technology, digital overwhelm is a real threat. Schedule tech-free times and spaces in your home. Turn off non-essential notifications, and fine-tune your online environment to minimize distractions.
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Social Connections and Relationships: In a hyper-connected world, genuine human connections are precious. Make time for family and friends, and invest in relationships that bring joy and fulfillment.
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Passion and Purpose: A fulfilling life is one where passions are prioritised. Whether it’s art, travel, gardening, or music, carve out time for activities that light up your soul. And if you are at the cross-roads, unsure of where your passions lie, spend time discovering what your life-purpose is. What do you want to be remembered for? What are the things that truly inspire you, and that you would want to be a part of?
Work-life integration, and not work-life balance, will be something people aspire for in 2025. What is the difference? An in-person office job expects us to balance our work and life aspects in this manner - we work for 8 hours or more only on professional expectations, and then we come home and focus only on life expectations. More often than not, work spills over to the non-working time, and vice-versa. Rather than attempting to compartmentalize work and personal responsibilities, and suffering the inevitable overwhelm and frustration, we need to acknowledge that these competing responsibilities will coexist. Success and smart productivity lie in managing competing priorities within smaller, intentional time blocks.
Are we setting up ourselves for an intellectually regressive evolution?
Why is ChatGPT so popular? Why are Swiggy and Blinkit our go-to apps? In our quest to make time for ourselves, we have made convenience the king. We need to ask ourselves what we are doing with all the time we have created. If all we want to do is consume short form content on social media, meet online friends and live a lazy life, then yes, we are setting ourselves up for a regressive evolution. Imagine a generation of humans not knowing how to problem-solve, how to be self-sufficient in simple daily activities, how to be actively focussed and present, and how to communicate without an AI assistant. Some claim this situation is already here, with even the brightest young minds needing AI tools as a crutch to communicate.
So, is technology the new enemy? Should we stop using all these tools? No. Instead, we need to learn how to use the multitude of convenient tools to augment what we are doing, not take over our entire lives.
We have come a long way in learning to adapt to situations quickly, be resilient in the face of challenges, be creative and curious, and identify and solve problems. What makes us truly human is our ability to connect, our ability to feel, empathise, love and aspire for more. Let us not forget who we are, and what we can do, in our rush to be comfortable, in our mission to make time for ourselves.
Let us not forget the forest, for the trees.
References:
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https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/five-hybrid-work-trends-to-watch-in-2025/
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https://cxotoday.com/press-release/india-leads-workplace-flexibility-across-apac-regions/
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https://us.sganalytics.com/blog/what-is-generation-z-and-gen-z-hiring-trends/
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https://focuskeeper.co/glossary/what-is-smart-productivity/
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/cynthiapong/2024/12/15/7-workplace-trends-that-will-define-success-in-2025/
About the Author
Ms Ahlada Janani Sudersan has worked in the education industry in various roles, including as an educator, curriculum developer, teacher trainer, and manager, before taking the plunge as an entrepreneur. She is currently the co-founder of ZEN-it, India’s first mindful productivity app designed to help individuals achieve high productivity and realise their goals without the burnout.