We’re two weeks into 2015, and already some of those New Year’s resolutions might be wearing off.

You know the drill. We start the year with great expectations and a laundry list of deliverables. We’re excited about all the things we’re going to accomplish in this new year. “THIS,” we tell ourselves, “is MY year!” And maybe we don’t have the road map that will get us where we’re headed just yet, but no matter. We’re determined, and we’re going to get there, right?!

But then Routine and Complacency rear their ugly heads once again. Or rather, they quietly sneak in the back door. They sliver in the first time we skip the gym, forget to call that client, or waste time on the internet. “It’s okay,” we tell ourselves, “I’ll stick to my resolution ‘next time.'” But ‘next time’ we’re too busy with ‘real life’ to notice we cheated again… and again… and again.

And by the time March rolls around, our good friends Routine and Complacency have made themselves right at home. And to make sure they have no competition for the rest of the year, they’ve taken those bright, shiny, hopeful resolutions and hid them where we’ll never find them–at least not until next January.

As the reality of our work sets back in and we’re faced with tough decisions, it’s time to set your most important projects in stone and to make yourself accountable for your biggest goals of 2015. If this is your year to get more done and be more productive, then commit to giving yourself the tools necessary to BE more productive.

As your technology partners and people interested in your productivity, we’d like you to consider setting your Technology Calendar for 2015.

You Need A Technology Calendar

For any big goals, you need milestones. And if you’re looking to boost your productivity through technology in 2015, you need a Technology Calendar. A Technology Calendar will allow you to carefully plan your upgrades around a budget–to make sure when December comes around again, you’re not still
losing hours each day waiting on slow hardware
rolling the dice and hoping that your hard drives won’t fail THIS year
paying too much for service calls that could have been prevented with monitoring and remote support
The best part about a Technology Calendar is that it allows you to schedule upgrades and expenses throughout the year. When the alternative is either

a) waiting until your technology is PAINFULLY obsolete, or
b) taking on hugely expensive projects all at once,

We think the decision is clear.

Backup, Secure, Monitor

If you’re looking to set up your Technology Calendar for 2015, here’s a head start:

Before you start looking at shiny upgrades to hardware, first consider the importance of your data and the integrity of your network. How much would a hard drive failure cost you? Or a network hack that compromises customer data? A day of lost time due to network failure?

Q1 should be dedicated to backing up your existing data, securing your network from intrusion (including viruses and malware), and monitoring the health of your network and workstations. A brand new laptop is just a brand new liability if it’s not secured. Secure your network first.

What are your biggest-leverage technology opportunities?

After ensuring that your network and its data are secure, ask yourself, “What are my highest-leverage opportunities to be more productive? Where is my time being wasted?” Chances are there are hardware and software solutions out there to help you. And if you’re not sure what those solutions are, call us. That’s what we’re here for.