Do you feel like you’re working loads at the moment?
But it’s still not enough… you get to the end of each day thinking ‘Did those tasks REALLY take me that long to complete, where has my day gone?’
Adding in extra hours to your working day isn’t the only solution to this problem
Who really wants to be working all of the hours under the sun, day in day out? That isn’t what life is all about!
So it’s time to work SMARTER not HARDER!
Here’s how we suggest you do it…
#1 Focus
The best way to work smarter? By focusing! While easier said than done, you have to try to set aside time each day where you turn off your phone, don’t check your email and ignore your co-workers. This sounds harsh, but the best way to focus on a difficult task is to cut out all distractions.
By spending a set amount of time each day isolated and taking your most complex assignment, you can free up your mind for the rest of the day. You will be less stressed, less drained and more productive. Every day block out time on your calendar to solely focus on you and your tasks, this is your time to get down to business.
#2 Take breaks
Never underestimate the importance of taking breaks, similar to focusing, in your breaks you need to switch off completely.
Do something different, go for a walk and take in some air. Having some space to think about things that are unrelated to your work will make you so much more efficient when you return.
#3 Work with a timer
The Pomodoro Technique works really well, basically you set a timer for 25 minutes and do nothing but work for those 25 minutes.
You focus on the task in hand, you eliminate distractions and you launch full on into your tasks. Then when the 25 minutes is up you get a luxurious 5 minute break to do whatever you want. Rinse and repeat, and after 4 ‘Pomodoros’ you get to have a 15 – 20 minute break.
#4 Plan ahead
Planning ahead is the best way to get things done.
You need to have a clear structure of what you need to do and when you need to do it by, although it seems silly, spending making a little plan in your work diary will really help you out in the long run. Try finding a good planner to write down all your to dos!
Give these suggestions a go today and start your journey, working SMARTER not HARDER!
