We all want to be productive and get the most out of our days, but sometimes it can seem like no matter how hard we work, it’s never enough. It seems as though we’re always being told to work smarter, not harder. But how exactly, do we do that? In this blog post, we’ll be exploring three easy ways to unlock the secrets of working smarter, so you can get more done in less time. Keep reading to find out how.
We all know that if we want to achieve something in life, it’s going to require a little hard work. That doesn’t mean that you have to push yourself to the brink of exhaustion though. Working hard is important, but so is taking care of yourself and knowing when to take a break.
High achievers work hard, but they also find ways to work smarter and not harder. So what are the key strategies that they employ?
Prioritise
When you’ve got a lot on your plate, it’s essential to prioritise. Even if everything you have to do seems equally important, there are bound to be some things that can wait a few hours or days for completion. Figure out which tasks are both important and urgent and tackle those first. Doing this will help you avoid having to rush to finish something right before the deadline. Plus, you can take your time with the less pressing stuff and not feel like you’re up against the clock. Take care to note that just because something is urgent doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s also important. What will be the consequence if it doesn’t get done? Will there be penalties? Who will it affect? The answers to those questions should help you to figure out the importance.
Delegate
Delegating in some situations is nigh on impossible. I get that. But take a moment to think outside the box too. It might not be possible to delegate at work but how about at home? Don’t be scared to outsource those tasks that you hate to do. We’re not just talking about getting family members to take on tasks but how about services for hire? Cutting the grass, window cleaning, laundry – these are all services that are often available locally.
When I worked in an office full time back in Sheffield (with a sizeable commute on top of the working day) I used to have an ironing service that would collect and drop off. I still did my own washing but the service took care of the ironing for me. It was worth it to me to pay for that, rather than lose more precious family hours on top of the work time.
If that’s not affordable right now, then is there a friend that you could switch tasks with? If you enjoy gardening and they prefer cleaning, then you could help each other out with a skill swap.
Batch Tasks
This tip isn’t the easiest on the list, but it’s worth giving it a try. When you’ve got a lot of similar tasks to do, try batching them together and getting them all done at once. For instance, if you need to send out emails, just take an hour to respond to all of them. Or if you have to make phone calls, just make them all in one go. This approach can save you both time and energy. Since you are already set up to complete one of the tasks, completing more doesn’t require any further setup. Additionally you may be able to reuse responses, for example cutting and pasting a portion of one email to another.
If you want to get more done with less effort, it’s time to unlock the secrets of working smarter, not harder. Start by prioritising, delegating, and grouping tasks together. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can boost your productivity. Soon, you will have everything you need to get finished in no time at all, and with much less effort on your end.