10 WAYS TO WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Working hard has long been considered the path to success. Hard work is equated with increased financial gain and personal achievements.

Adopting to smarter working practices can help you reach these goals more efficiently. Adopting even a few of the ideas outlined in this article could greatly benefit your productivity and results.

Working smarter means you can accomplish your tasks more quickly and using less effort. Remember that being busy does not necessarily mean you will achieve a lot. It can lead to overwhelm, exhaustion and a lack of balance in life.

Working smarter includes improving your skills of prioritization and focus. Learning some strategies to increase productivity will enable you to manage your home, work and social life more effectively. This article outlines the benefits of working smarter. It provides 10 proven strategies to implement in your daily life.

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    1. SMART Targets

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed.

Specific – Make your goal specific so you can visualize the outcome Measurable

Achievable – It needs to push you without being unattainable

Relevant – It should be meaningful and contribute to your overall aim

Timed – Set a time frame for you to achieve the goal 

This framework is used to reach your SMART goal.

For example, perhaps you want to increase interaction in team meetings. This is a goal, but it is not a SMART goal. Writing this as a SMART target might look like this: For the next eight team meetings, I will focus on increasing the amount of staff engagement. I will email reminders in advance to all staff outlining my expectations.

Dedicating time in each meeting for your SMART targets will help focus your intention. This strategy is useful for gaining precise clarity and a growth mindset. It removes confusion and defines a clear way to move forward.

  2. Chunking not multitasking

Multitasking clutters your mind leaving you unable to fully focus on one specific job. Flitting between tasks and projects usually means that less is achieved overall. It can reduce focus on important tasks, and these priority items can be forgotten about.

Instead, it is wise to manage one task at a time. An alternative approach, chunking, involves setting aside chunks of your day where you will dedicate time to one particular task.

For example, perhaps you need to respond to customer inquiries. For the next half an hour, this is the only task you should focus on. This might mean shutting your office door or moving to a quieter location. When the time is up, move on to another task for a set amount of time. This approach means your brain can easily focus on the job. You will complete the work with attention to detail and less strain.

3.  Work in Rhythm With Your Body

Everyone has different internal body clocks. Note the times you feel most energized and the most tired throughout the day and link the types of tasks with your daily rhythm.

Try and group similar tasks. If you need to make many phone calls, write emails or organize paper files, deal with these in one block of time. You will be motivated to complete these faster. Plan your day so that analytical tasks are completed when you feel most energized.

Similarly, schedule more creative thinking tasks to times when you are not as focused. If you are the most alert first thing, do the tasks that require the most brain power. Don’t sacrifice your health and wellbeing, get adequate sleep and eat a nourishing diet. Being aware of your needs will ensure that you can look after yourself. You will be able to fulfill expectations and accomplish your best.

4.  Prioritize

Decide which tasks can wait and which ones are urgent and then tackle the one that needs doing soonest first. This means you are fresh and performing at your best each morning, prioritize your top three tasks.

Do this by defining which ones will generate the biggest impact for yourself or your work. Quicker tasks that don’t require analytical thought are best completed at the end of the day. Review your work schedule daily or weekly and see how you are benefitting. Then implement any necessary changes to your method

Content per smartbrief.com