Work smarter, not harder

@leateagee (3667)
China
March 19, 2013 4:28pm CST
I believe in this old maxim that in life we do not have to add another day in a week, or add another hour in a day just to be able to accomplish our tasks or responsibilities. "Work smarter , not harder." We should be smart in choosing the strategies we must use to be productive and useful. We must be wise in using our time to be able to accomplish more. Though this is what I believe in, it is very hard to put into practice. I still wish there is one more extra day in a week or additional hour in a day so I could say I have done all my "things to do list". I am always organizing my thoughts before I begin a day so I will be very productive or at least have time left for myself and my family. But at the end of the day, I am tired and there are still unfinished work lingering in my mind. There is no peace though I try to ignore it because there is still another day. I wonder how could I apply this old maxim "work smarter not harder". Maybe I am doing already but I just do not realize it or I am doing it the wrong way. Friends, do you do your work the smart way or are you like me, the harder way? How can we be smart in working instead of working our body and mind to death? Are there simple ways or tips to advice to people on how to work it out the smartest way instead of the harder way? Hello my friends. Thanks in advance for sharing!
1 person likes this
8 responses
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
19 Mar 13
You are doing everything right and you know this already. What you have to learn is to switch off when you come home as this should not be work time but family time. The brain needs to slow down too and replenish itself. You cannot work 24/7. Best of luck
1 person likes this
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 Mar 13
. Thank you. I needed that friendly reminder to switch off my work mode when I am home. I am guilty of bringing my work to home. I have to always remember my home is for my family.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
20 Mar 13
We've all done it and it is wrong - not healthy. Turn off the cell phone and if youare addicted then turn it off for one hour then check messages. Work your way up to 3 hours without checking and DO NOT ANSWER WORK RELATED CALLS WHILST AT HOME. Tell whoever is in charge at work that this is family time.Or if uou are hourown boss then discipline ourself
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 Mar 13
Thanks for the tips. I will try that. I tried not bringing work to home before but it did not work. I will consider trying your suggesstions. Thanks again!
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
19 Mar 13
i know that i still need to improve my ways on how to work smarter than working harder. what i do is to list the things that i need to do for the day. the listed activities are just the minimum. then, i also add the unfinished work that need to be done for the week. then, i can start planning for the work in the future. in this manner, i know that i am achieving something.
1 person likes this
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 Mar 13
. As long as you are looking for ways to improve something there is hope. I agree we have list and do only the minimum task that we could accomplish. Listing a lot and not being able to accomplish all will just result to frustration. Work with what you can. Set priorities. Oh, this all came out because of the term 'minimum'. Thanks my friend.
@allknowing (130066)
• India
20 Mar 13
Time management is the key and to achieve this one needs to be organised in approaching a task. I am pretty good at doing things in an organised way. If the manager believes in this approach the subordinates can handle their tasks using the same technique.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 Mar 13
Good for you! Time management is really the key. But doing this takes a lot of practice and self-discipline. To be a leader is to set an example.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
20 Mar 13
I do believe that, too. What is the use of adding hours of work if the kind of work that you provide isn't any different from what you used to do? I mean, the quality of work is most important. And in doing this, one should know how to plan things, with proper sequence of techniques and also considering the time involved in accomplishing a task.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 Mar 13
I could not agree more. Being successful in doing or accomplishing the tasks does not mean you have more but how effective the tasks were done. Planning and good techniques indeed should be considered. Thank you for sharing this. I will put into practice.
@suni51 (3429)
• India
20 Mar 13
I agree with you. As a marketing professional I know that you must be organized rather be pushy. In our country there are two schools of thought in management 1- do it after your schedule time- that makes you look important 2- Do it within your working hours that makes you look perfect. Cheers.
@whutbe (2)
• China
20 Mar 13
In my opinion ,A sense of urgency is very important to us ,especially in the present age.what i mean is that we should improve our work efficiency sharply.so we can do more work in limited time.
@suni51 (3429)
• India
20 Mar 13
Urgency is alright but not rush of things. I think if you would push the red button every one would panic and your job would not be done as per your need. cheers.
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
20 Mar 13
I am always thinking of ways on how to improve my performance especially with my online earning activities. I see to it that I constantly review my activities. Am I improving? Where did I go wrong? What do I need to improve, change, or retain? I have been online for a year and I can say that I am going to the right direction. One step at a time and I'm sure I'll be able to achieve my goals. What kind of activities are you presently engaging with? You can start by evaluating your past actions and the corresponding result. Don't be afraid to try new things. Have a great day!
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
20 Mar 13
You are doing great there.. but sometimes that doesnt work for all of us. Keep up the great job there.