Work Harder and Accomplish More

A STRETCHYOURSELF Makeover

It’s impossible, right? In order to get more done, you need to invest more time. Working ten hour days will make you more accomplished than a colleague that only works seven. Studying three hours a day will get you better grades than the guy who skims through a few chapters before the test. More work = more results.

I disagree. Working smart beats working hard. In some cases working more can actually damage the amount you get accomplished. In both cases, the degree effort matches outcomes has been overstated.

Working less and accomplishing more isn’t easy. It requires thinking creatively to find more effective ways of doing things. But first, you have to be open to the possibility that your methods aren’t as efficient as they could be. Once you do that you can look for ways to get more accomplished without just increasing your to-do list. So in this blog I'm going to share some of the rules I use to approach my day to day operations, so read on and enjoy!

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Working less and accomplishing more isn’t easy. It requires thinking creatively to find more effective ways of doing things. But first, you have to be open to the possibility that your methods aren’t as efficient as they could be. Once you do that you can look for ways to get more accomplished without just increasing your to-do list. So in this blog I'm going to share some of the rules I use to approach my day to day operations, so read on and enjoy!

The top three obstacles to efficient work productivity include overwhelming yourself (trying to do too much at once) paperwork of course, and our ole favorite: procrastination. So how do you stretch yourself to get more accomplished without working harder?

Whatever you are avoiding to do needs to be the first thing done that day. With that being said, here are some of the rules that I use to approach my day to day operations.

Create a “weekly to do” list – After years of beating myself up with the daily to do's and not getting the last couple of items scratched off the list I created a week to do list that is prioritized by importance, and duration of time down to breaks taken. this alone allowed me to break my larger project into manageable pieces while still staying on task. Some of the things I did was:

• Cut e-mail time to beginning 30 min or end of day 30 mins to invest more in larger projects.
• Say no to people who want commitments that don’t contribute enough value schedule on my Friday time slots for networking and follow-up.
• Stay on task – Try to complete each task within the time requirements before shifting your focus. The tasks you don’t complete become first priority the next day. Some of the things I implement was:

1. Putting a time limit on small projects. If it wasn't completed within the time constraints, STOP, set up the time you needed for it the next day
2. Any larger project break into smaller pieces to have completed by the end of the week to stay on task
3. Create a “don’t do” list - I created a don’t do list to keep my focus on the tasks at hand for example…On a important project that demands my attention, I don’t answer my cell phone for that time that is allotted. Some of the things I implemented was:

Don't take long breaks, Break in bursts. Taking small 5 min breaks away from the work when needed keeps you alert and focused on task.

• Don't use my break to do other things. Rest, meditate listening to music on your power nap, take a walk, AWAY from the office. Master the ability to recharge when needed
• Stay Sharp. There’s an old story about a lumberjacks that got hired working for this company and in the first week he cut 57 trees. The next week he cut 37 trees and the 3rd week he cut a paltry 15 tress. Frustrated, he talked with his boss about his production and his boss asked him did he sharpen his axe.

"Sharpen my " he exclaimed, "No, I was too busy cutting trees." axe!?!" he exclaimed, "No, I was too busy cutting trees." 

The moral?  Stay Sharp, don’t use rusty tools.

Don’t waste your time doing things you don’t intend to be excellent at. Delegate the small stuff - non-essential tasks others can do as well or better than you. Spend time on the things you enjoy doing and make it a priority to sharpen your tool beyond what is necessary to cut. Skill saves time.

Celebrate the small successes. No matter how small, celebrate the accomplishments for the week. This does two things; It keeps your mind focused and engaged on what you are successful at and keeps the momentum on the success you are having.

These are the only rules I have that are very simple, but important. Your rules should STRETCH you; require some effort, but ones that you can maintain and reach. You always want to be clear; whether you abide by the rules or break them it produces a certain result.

Your turn...

What are some of the things you practice to work smarter and accomplish more? Are there some things you've experienced that will help us throw away some habits that we are currently using. Comment below, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts. 

Remember...This is your life - make the most of it - Success doesn't have to a hard drawn out process but, in fact, the ability to be efficient and effective with what you do to gain the results you want in life. Thanks for reading and I look forward to connecting with you soon.