Work Smarter, Not Harder

Everyone knows anything worth having in this life is going to require a little hard work. But this doesn't always mean you have to work yourself to the point where you are totally exhausted and barely able to stay awake.

High achievers work hard, but they also find ways to work smarter and not harder.

1.    Prioritize

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. You need to find the tasks on your list that can't wait and complete them first. This way, you will do the things that are important ahead of the deadline. You won't need to rush last minute because you did less important tasks first.

2.    Delegation 

Don't be afraid to hire someone else to do your menial tasks. Sometimes this is not easy, especially if you are the type of person who doesn't like to relinquish control. It is well worth it, though. When you delegate tasks that take up your time and energy for little to no return, you will have time to work on more important tasks that offer better rewards. Note that you can do this both in your professional and personal life. In your professional life, you can hire an assistant to file paperwork or make routine phone calls. In your personal life, you could hire someone to do your cleaning and laundry.

3.    Group Tasks

This tip is probably the hardest one on the list, and it may not work for all task, but you should try to batch tasks which are similar and get them all done at once.

For example, if you have to respond to emails, respond to all of your emails at the same time. If you need to make phone calls, sit and make all the calls at once. This behavior can save you lots of time. Since you are already set up to complete one of the tasks, completing more won't require a new setup.

Working smarter, not harder, may seem difficult, but you can quickly increase your productivity if you know what you are doing. All it takes is some prioritizing, delegating, and grouping similar tasks together. Soon, you will have everything you need to get done finished in no time at all, and with much less effort on your end!