Work Smarter Not Harder
How many times do we spend countless hours on a task only to find an easier way to do it? My rule is, if I'm spending 15 min and getting no where, there has to be a better way. (and of course there are exceptions... like putting together IKEA furniture)
Most days, I have a healthy list of tasks that I attempt to conquer. Most days I get a good chunk of the items complete, and some days not so much. I can say that everyday, withstanding an emergency, I get the critical items done.
Each night, I review the day and how productive I was. I think about why I wasn't able to finish non urgent or non critical items in my digital planner. Last night, I reviewed Sunday, and I was able to accomplish everything relevant, but I had to remove some duplicate items and I realized that I also included some long term goals on my daily planner that didn't need to be there. Having them on my daily page just creates a distraction.
Every night, I review the current day, to plan for the next. Also, on Sunday's, I do a brain dump of items and categorize them according to need. Sounds like a lot but it's a 10 second mental exercise to keep things in perspective.
1- What is the need- What is it and What do I actually need to do for this specific item?
2- Importance of Need- Is it Critical, Urgent, BAU (Business as Usual)?
3. Why the Need- Is it a nice to have/do, does it fulfill a need, does it fulfill a want, or is it something to think about or research?
4. Who's Need - Business, Home, Family or Personal.
Next, I plot my brain dump into my already populated weekly/ monthly routine in my planner. I edit or re-arrange as necessary in order if importance based on my 4 needs analysis. I order these items against specific time frames, and highlight the critical items that cannot be adjusted.
To keep me focused during the day, I think about 3 things:
Time Traps - stay away from social media and put phone in Do not Disturb, Airplane or Focus mode when you need heads down Focus.
Dial a Lifeline - If I am spending 15 min on an item and getting nowhere, phone a friend to help (google or youtube are my BFFs)
Transform ways of work- Documenting projects, status and updates into one system that is accessible and flexible - Trello or Monday board are 2 great options. If that is too much, try a simple excel file or google doc to so that you have everything where you need it. Documenting may seem like overkill at first, but when you start to document link items, you'll never waste time searching thru endless notes, files and apps. Keep everything secure in one spot.
Let me know if you are struggling with working smarter. I'd be glad to share more tips in detail or let me know what your best work smarter tips are. I would love to hear!