Karen Keller
Working smarter, not harder, is a saying that's as old as the day is long. Mastering this concept will make your work life easier and more fulfilling. But if it’s so easy, why are so few doing it? People buy into success as being long hours, tedious tasks and always putting out fires. Those tasks are part of success but not the main force. Visualizing what smarter means aids in making it happen. Here are a few tips on working smarter, hence easier!
- Direct your time. Make a schedule of how you will decide where and with whom your time will be spent. No more hanging out at the water cooler or catching the latest story on Oprah.
- Live an organized life. You do not need to sacrifice spontaneity. However, organizing your life will lead to focus, concentration and completion. Be reasonable with your limits.
- Work in parallel. This is where you have your team, or yourself, working on several components of a project at the same time. This gives you a good idea of how each component or stage fits with the next one – putting you ahead on the curve.
- Recognize the point of no return. When the writing is on the wall, move on and let go of what isn’t working. Doing this sooner than later is a smart move.
When you work smarter, everything gets easier for you AND your client. They see you as a smart, well adjusted, better-than-most producer of the product or service they are buying. After all, that is the end goal, isn’t it? Giving your client the reality of who you are, what you do and how you make it all happen for them.
