I don’t know about you, but to me January always feels like a busy month. It’s the time to start new things and throw yourself into achieving your resolutions. And while I am planning on working hard this year, I want to work smarter not harder. I constantly find myself spending days working hard, but not ticking off things off my to-do-list. So here are some of the ways I’m planning on worker smarter, not harder this year:
Set time limits
I used to do this a lot in a previous job and I’m not sure why I haven’t stuck to it. But essentially when I write down my to-do-list, I also allocate a time limit next to each task. So if the task is to schedule social media promotion, I then allocate myself half hour to do this. By giving myself a set-time limit, I find I actually focus more to get the task done within the time. Rather than spending hours procrastinating! And speaking of to-do-lists….
Write a functional list
There’s nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed every time you look at your to-do-list. I’m as guilty as the next person by brain dumping everything onto a list knowing there’s no way to get everything done in a day. Which is why I know break my lists up into a weekly list – what I need to achieve that week. And a daily list – what I’m actually going to achieve that day. I can then prioritise each task and make my workload a bit more manageable.
Focus on one thing at a time
I’m really guilty of doing this. I think I’m a multi-tasking queen. And while I am in most areas. When it comes to work, it’s so much more productive to be able to focus on one thing at a time. By taking the time to focus on just one task, you can give that task your all. I find this is easier said than done, but it does help by only having one internet tab open at a time, so I’m not tempted to go and check my emails, or search for whatever has just popped into my head.
Remove the distractions
I can’t be the only one who is easily distracted when there’s work to do. And for me, my inbox and my phone provide the biggest distractions. I try to limit the amount of time I spend on emails but only checking them at certain times. And then spending an hour clearing the inbox fully. I’m terrible for reading emails and then forgetting to respond to them. I also try and take my phone out of reach to avoid the distraction. It’s so tempting to pick it up and have a look at every notification that pops up.
Take a break
And finally, I’m going to ensure I take regular breaks when working. While it might be tempting to just plough through your to-do-list like a ninja, I’m not sure that’s the most productive way to work. Your brain needs a rest too, even if it’s just getting up and going for a quick wander around to clear your head and get re-focused for the next task,
Do you have tips for working smarter, not harder?