3 Tips for Working Smart

You’re hustlin’.  You’re grindin’. You’re about your business.  Making money.  Making deals.  Achieving your relative success.

Oh yeah… you’re working hard.  But are you working smart?

By now, I hope, everyone is up-to-date on the whole “work smart, not hard” thing. But for those who are still grinding from sun up to sun down, I’d like to share 3 tips that have personally rescued me from stressful nights and worrisome mornings masked by claiming that I am about my business 24-7:

Delegate

Whether you work for yourself or you’re working for the man, there should be individuals around you whom can lend you a helping heap of assistance.  These are your coworkers, volunteers, employees, subordinates… you can even get your boss to do your work if you ask the right way!

Before you get ready to hand off your tasks, you must decipher what you must do yourself and what can be done just as good by someone else.  Next, you must determine the expertise of individuals at your disposal.  Begin to inquire if they have time to take on a little extra responsibility. And if so, be honest and tell them that you are swamped and you vetted them specifically because you know that they’re capable of doing the job.

If you’re a control freak and hesitant to surrender tasks to others for the fear of their imperfections, try creating detailed, dummy-proof instructions for each task that you delegate. 

Work at unconventional times

Every time I suggest to someone that they should work on the weekends, they look at me like I just killed their beloved childhood pet.

But what I have found is by working on weekends, I can save time during the week and I am less stressed, overall. Say you get up a little earlier on Saturday or Sunday and knock out two hours of work… you’re saving yourself almost an extra hour each day during the week.  Even if you take time on weekends only to prioritize how your week will flow, you’re creating an avenue that allows Monday-Friday to be more fluid and less chaotic. 

Yes, I know… weekends are for chill-time but if you want your entire 7 days to be more relaxing, sacrifices must be made.  Then, you aren’t spending your week praying for Friday night when you can finally get your relief.

Additionally, don’t just limit your work hours to 9-5.  We are programmed into believing that these are the only hours when work is to be done. Some of my most productive moments have occurred during my 5-9 shift.  Step outside of that conventional workbox and create windows for productivity and satisfaction!

Take Breaks

Elongated periods of work can also lead to stress.   It is helpful to create a pattern of working and breaking.  The best way to do this is to take one task, focus on it, and complete it.   Then, take a break that could consist of grabbing a snack, returning text messages, answering emails, exercising, using the restroom or going to see a movie (or is that one just for me?).  Do something to let your mind and body rest for a few moments.

Breaks are also vital to guaranteeing that your work is done efficiently.  We are often thrown off from our tasks because of incoming messages, alerts, etc.   But if you have a set time catered to addressing those things, you can devote all of your attention to your assignment, which should allow you to complete it faster and with less error.

But remember not to break for too long.  For me a 15-minute break every 2 hours is feasible. 

Keep in mind, it’s all about working smarter, not harder.

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