Work Smarter Not Harder: The Hack List

If you want to work better, you’re going to have to work smarter, not harder.

Image Source: Pexels

There are a lot of things you know you have to do to make your workday more efficient, and more enjoyable, like staying organized, and well informed.

But there are a lot of things you can do, which aren’t as obvious but can save you a lot of time, energy, and even money.

If you want to work better, you’re going to have to work smarter, not harder.

Take a Break

If you work a desk job, you’ve probably been told you should take a break every 50 minutes or so. There’s actual science backing up this claim. But how many actually listen to that rule? That’s why, taking a break is a real work hack, even though it’s a rule that’s been around for ages.

It is not just for your own benefit.

Image Source: Entreprenuer

Even if you’re a workaholic, you need to take breaks every so often, to keep yourself running at top efficiency. And take actual breaks, not just switching between tabs until you get bored. Get up, walk around, and clear your mind off work.

Make Plans for Lunch

Lunch shouldn’t be an afterthought. It gives you that midday boost of energy, and it gives you something to look forward to during the morning. It divides your day with a nice break in the middle, so it’s easier for you to make a schedule, instead of jumping straight in, all willy-nilly.

Image: UnityHouston

If you want to go the extra mile, you can check out cool discount offers in your area. You save some money, and you get the chance to try out new things every day.

Talk to Your Coworkers

According to the study, we tend to check our Facebook page so often because our minds are always prepared to socialize. Avoid these distractions by spending some time talking to your coworkers instead.

Image: Glamour

Socializing with the people you spend so much time with makes for a more pleasant work environment. And that’s bound to boost your productivity. And interacting with a real person is much more fulfilling than scrolling up and down through pictures of food, cats, and inspirational quotes.

Listen to Your Body

Some people find they are more productive during the morning; others do better in the afternoon. Don’t try to fight against it. It’s way more productive to just plan around your natural patterns.

Image: Lovesurf

If you’re the kind of person that has an intensity of a burst of energy during the first half of the day, that tends to wind down during the second half, consider tackling the more difficult tasks in the morning, and leave the rest for later.

But if you need a little time to get started, maybe you should do the stuff that’s boring, but easy in the morning, and leave the best for last.

It’s Not Just Good; It’s Good Enough!

There’s no way anyone can convince a perfectionist that doing something well enough is actually better than laboring for hours on every single, tiny detail. You can spend your whole life on a task, and never be satisfied.

Image: Profession

But remember, some people are depending on you to get the job done well. If it was good 3 hours ago, then you could save someone 3 hours of waiting. And you can become more efficient, and productive yourself. And that’s going to make a way more valuable employee.

Turn Off Anything that Might Beep, Bleep or Blink

There’s a kind of urgency about notifications that are begging for attention. Even if you know, it’s not something important when you hear that sound, or when you see the light on your phone blinking, you can’t just leave it like that.

Image: GoProTuto

Avoid these distractions by turning off notifications. Take a couple of breaks during the day to check your email and phone. Don’t let gadgets boss you around!

Listen to Upbeat Music Without Lyrics

Some people find it harder to stay focused if there’s a lot of noise around them. Listening to music can block these noises out, and it can also give you a really nice work rhythm.

Image: ScienceDaily

But sometimes, lyrics can get distracting as well. Instead of focusing on the task, you’re focusing on the story in the song. It might be best if you just stick to instrumental music or at least music that doesn’t foreground the lyrics.

Group Your Tasks

If you have a lot of tiny tasks that don’t take up a lot of time but are just tedious to do, split them into chunks, and work on each piece as if it were a whole task. On that same note, if you feel like how a larger task is segmented doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to you, rearrange the steps until you feel comfortable.

Image:.dtelepathy

Or try talking to one who gave you the task. Maybe you can find a better way of going about it, or maybe you’ll see why the first solution is best.

Give Every Task the Attention It Deserves

When it comes to working, when they hear this phrase, most people assume it’s about spending a lot of time on complicated tasks. And sure, it’s a good idea to be careful about larger projects, so you don’t get it right the first time, and avoid ending up having to do it twice.

Image: HuffingtonPost

But rarely do we think of smaller, unimportant tasks. The ones that don’t deserve a lot of attention.
Being diligent is one thing, but if you lose track of your schedule, and end up spending most of your day with some minor thing, that can be done in just a few minutes, that’s not being good at your job, that’s just wasting time. If a task can be done in a few minutes, or a few hours, with similar results, then why not take a more efficient option?

Assess Your Progress Often

Take a couple of minutes a week to look back at what you accomplished at work during the last few days. Self-assessment can save a lot of time, and energy in the long run. Be as critical as you have to be about your work and your workflow. If you spot possible issues early, you have time to address them, before things get out of hand.

Image: investment executive

And it’s also an opportunity to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Take pride in your accomplishments, even if they don’t seem all that important right now. Find out what you did right, and what kept you motivated to keep doing it. With that lesson, see what you can improve on that stuff you’re not really satisfied with.

Hacks are all about making you more efficient. There are probably tons of hacks out there to suit everyone’s needs. Experiment to find out which tricks work for you!

Updated: May 09, 2020