Hard work is important. Those who work hard and are consistent with their work are much more likely to achieve the things that they want.
However, working hard doesn’t necessarily mean that the work you are producing is of value and good quality. Other times working too hard may cause stress that leads to producing work that is of lower quality.
I believe that we must put more emphasis on working smarter. Let’s look at 5 ways on How to Work Smarter Instead of Harder.
Time. The first thing that you should be aware of is how you spend your time working. It’s a good idea to make a plan of what you will be working on, how you will carry out your work and also to decide how long you need to spend working on each task. This way you will learn how to use your time in a smart way so that you can reduce your working hours while being more productive.
Standards. Having standards are different that having goals. Standards mean that you have to obey to them because that is how your mind is conditioned. Setting higher standards mean that you are conditioning your mind to achieve things that you haven’t achieved before.
Reflect. A great way to monitor your work is to reflect on the goals that you have achieved and the ones that you fell short on. This way you can understand what works and what doesn’t, so next time you can set new goals applying the things that do work.
Distractions. Staying away from distractions will keep you focused while you are working. The main distractions to be aware of are smartphones, emails, social media and music. While working avoid these unless they are necessary in your work. Working without distractions is a great way to work smart and have more time in your day to do other things.
Downtime. Lastly, it is important to know that you shouldn’t work for long periods without giving yourself breaks. A nice routine is to work for 45 minutes with 10 minute breaks in-between. Furthermore, you should leave yourself time in the day to be enjoying the things you like to do and spending time with family and friends, after all that is more important than your work.
