We all want to relax and chill, but the truth is, we need to work. Whether it is in an office or in the home there is always work to be done. Bills need to be paid, houses need to be cleaned, and occasionally you have to feed those kids!
To be happy and productive, work smart not harder. Here are 7 tips for working smarter, not harder:
- Be the King or Queen of delegation. This doesn’t mean that you have to be like the royalty of old and start chopping heads. It means being a leader with great ideas on how to get things done and usually adding some fun to the process. People like to do tasks for others, when they receive praise and feel that their efforts are worth the time they put in. Delegate with a golden touch and don’t forget kids are capable of helping too!
- Master the priorities. Again, you have to be the ruler. Treat yourself well but don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of doing non-essential things. Decide what needs your full focus and do that one thing before moving onto the next high priority. Not everything needs to be done perfectly and NOW!
- Be a master planner. Have you ever seen someone attempt to build a backyard deck without following a plan. Very few people have the skills to do priority tasks without doing careful planning. Following a well thought out plan will help you manage your time effectively and reach your goals. Calendars and time management tools are great for helping you stay organized and ahead of the game.
- Become computer savvy. Technology is amazing as it can help you manage many things at once. If you aren’t techy yet, teach yourself or take a class. If you are and have lots of emails and documents to deal with, improve your typing. Speed is efficiency. Many people speed up their writing by using voice software like the one found in Google Docs. Look for programs that can help in your specific need.
- Be kind-take a break. It’s smart to take breaks. Becoming overwhelmed and tired will lead to issues, always does. Taking a quick walk can really put things back into perspective if you are feeling overwhelmed. You can actually save yourself time by taking breaks. Clearing your head a lot of times make things go much smoother!
- Pick up the phone. In today’s world, most people rely on emails to contact people. Speed things up by calling instead. Sometimes it is just easier and faster to pick up the phone and make a call rather than wait on the other party to respond via email!
- You are the boss of your time. You need to gently, but firmly make sure that family, friends and co-workers understand that you can’t do everything at once. People will always want everything done now. Learn to say NO to now. This is where prioritizing comes into play. Say Yes to important, No to the things that can wait.
Hope this helps you Work Smarter Not Harder!
