How to work smarter and be more efficient

‘Work smart not hard’. I remember a certain lecturer telling us this and, at the time, I wondered what he meant. I’d spent much of my school life being told to work hard. That was the only way I knew I could get the results I wanted. Fast forward a few years and here was this learned man telling us to forget about working hard and instead start working smart. I was confused.

Years later, I’m thankful for that lesson. It changed my way of thinking and working. I realised that making smarter decisions about how I did my work ensured that I got it all done within the shortest amount of time without compromising on the quality.

If you’re wondering how to get ahead at work without necessarily working until you’re barely functional, read on.

1. Make a shorter to-do list

I’m a huge fan of to-do lists. There’s so much satisfaction in ticking off completed tasks, and I do that with a red pen for added flare. However, having a to-do list with 10 tasks that need to be completed come the end of the day can be discouraging. 

Therefore, when writing out your task list for each workday, limit it to the most important tasks. Then, start with these when you’re at your most productive. Once you’ve completed these tasks, you can now begin to work on the less important ones, which you can note down in a separate list.

2. Focus on tasks you enjoy

Whether you have your dream job or not you will notice that there are those tasks that are the bane of your existence and others that you could work on day in, day out with no complaint. Where possible, choose to only perform those tasks that you excel in and outsource the rest. This will leave you feeling more inspired and satisfied. Any challenges that crop up will be welcomed.

3. Find a way to relieve stress

I have noticed that when something is nagging at me, I struggle to concentrate at work. Stress drains you of your energy, affects your health and puts you in a bad place mentally, not to mention you find it harder to deal with your colleagues.

Since we can’t isolate ourselves from stressful situations, your best bet is to find a way to deal with it. Some examples of stress-busting exercises include meditation, exercise, listening to music, pursuing a hobby, etc. 

So if you find yourself teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown because of stress or if you want to keep stress at bay entirely, pick up habits that will help you relax at the end of every day. 

You could also reduce chances of stress on each workday by writing your to-do list the day before, doing small tasks each day that contribute to completing that project on time, speaking to your boss about needing help, etc.

4. Avoid multitasking

I’m a huge believer in multitasking but I have to admit that I have noticed that when I try to do two or three things at the same time, I either don’t do them well or it takes longer to complete them. This often leaves me feeling discouraged since my to-do list goes unfinished.

Studies have shown that when you multitask your brain struggles. Change this habit by working on one task at a time. You’ll be able to focus better and work faster and more thoroughly.

5. Reduce the number of decisions you have to make

I remember hearing that at one point Mark Zuckerberg wore the same outfit every day to reduce the chances of decision fatigue. What is decision fatigue? It’s basically how your ability to make good decisions reduces over time because your brain is inundated with decision making.

You don’t need to wear the same thing every day if you don’t want to but make it so that you save your brainpower for more important decisions. Automate tasks such as bill payment and other work-related tasks. Avoid overthinking minor things like what you’ll eat today by creating a menu at the beginning of every week. Set up a routine so that your brain knows what it’s meant to be doing at each moment thus you don’t need to think about it. 

6. Focus on accomplishments rather than time spent

When it comes to work and measuring your success, it’s easy to feel discouraged when you notice that you’ve spent x amount of time on one task when you could have done so much more. Now we all want to know and feel like we have scored come the end of the day. So instead of measuring how much time you have been working on any given task, look at what you have accomplished. Perhaps you solved that computer glitch that made your laptop keep hanging or you finally completed that report you have been delaying. Make a completed or done list as a way to remind yourself of your accomplishments, and then, celebrate them!