Tips for success: how to work smarter, not harder

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Wouldn't it be great if we could be as productive as possible without causing burnout? Well, it's actually possible! By working smarter, not harder, you can improve your productivity and performance while increasing your overall job satisfaction and life quality. Learning about some strategies to work smarter means finding ways to use your energy and time at work more efficiently, which can help you be more successful throughout your career.

Curious? Click on to learn what it means to work smarter, not harder.

Create a morning routine

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Try to start your morning the same way each day. This could mean calmly getting ready, or taking a short walk to move around before sitting at your desk.

Minimize your to-do list

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

If your to-do list is long, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Therefore, keep it short, concise, and realistic.

Limit notifications

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Whether it's from your phone or your computer, a single notification has the ability to derail your productivity for several minutes. Therefore, silence all notifications for blocks of time throughout your day to ensure you are distraction-free.

Complete tasks in chunks

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

You can also combine taking breaks with completing tasks in chunks. Combining these two tips is a great way to ensure you’re working smarter, not harder.

Aim for results, not time spent

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

The time it takes to do a task doesn't equate to the quality of the finished product. Rather than focusing on logging longer hours, focus on end results.

Strengthen your communication skills

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

If you communicate effectively, your tasks and projects flow more seamlessly. For example, when you're writing an email to a coworker, try to keep the email short with a straightforward message.

Expedite your meetings

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Meetings are necessary and unavoidable, but you can make them more efficient in most cases. Start by cutting down meeting times and getting hyperfocused when deciding what to discuss, and what can simply be an email.

Match tasks with your energy levels

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Whenever possible, try to match your tasks for the day to how energized you feel. For example, if you feel down or tired, you may want to work on more mundane tasks that don't require as much mental bandwidth.

Use stress management techniques

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Beyond helping your productivity, managing your stress will help you become more resilient in all areas of your life. Some helpful techniques include meditation, therapy, and moving your body throughout the day.

Embrace challenges

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

To work smart, you must learn to embrace challenges. It's through challenges that we grow and learn.

Set clear goals

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Setting goals makes it easier to define what you want to achieve and focus on the most important tasks.

Enjoy the outdoors

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

When you find yourself at a standstill with work, it's helpful to seek out a change of scenery. During your lunch break, try walking to the nearest park and breathing some fresh air.

Continuous learning

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

By constantly updating your skills and knowledge, you'll be well prepared for smart work. For example, it could be a new technological skill.

Delegate more

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Mastering the art of delegation is an essential skill, which isn't easy if you're a control freak or perfectionist. However, the key is understanding that the ability to delegate will make you more productive.

Track progress

Create a morning routine, Minimize your to-do list, Limit notifications, Complete tasks in chunks, Aim for results, not time spent, Strengthen your communication skills, Expedite your meetings, Match tasks with your energy levels, Use stress management techniques, Embrace challenges, Set clear goals, Enjoy the outdoors, Continuous learning, Delegate more, Track progress

Often, we waste more time than we realize. So tracking your progress is essential for understanding how you spend your time and resources.