Most of us prefer to wear multiple hats when it comes to enhance productivity and work efficiency either at home or at the workplace. But, multitasking can make you feel like you are sinking in things to do instead of getting them done on time. Working smarter not harder is the thing that makes you productive and efficient in your jobs.
Whether you want to maintain good work-life balance or simply want to enhance your ability to focus while doing work, below we have gathered some definitive ways to work smarter instead of harder to chase your work goals and to become more productive by improving focus on things.
1- Edit Your To-Do List
Creating a to-do list is one of the great productivity hacks but you should keep it smaller because a smaller to-do list is less threatening and more attainable according to your work schedule. You should also keep your most important tasks at the top of list to get them done early. Be sure to cross a task when you complete it successfully because it will not only keep you focused on remaining tasks but will also encourage you to get them done within the chosen timeframe.
2- Focus Your Time
Time is money. Manage your time before it fly. We all get an equal amount of hours (168 hours) in a week to get different tasks and jobs done. So count every hour and manage your time effectively to get more done without working harder. Plan out creatively what you will be working in next week and stay on the top of your tasks by making things to do list or work schedule.
3- Avoid Multitasking
Believe or not, multitasking can leave you less productive instead of making you more productive especially when you don’t have a real brain power to meet your goals. When you think you can pay attention to everything around you at once, you are wrong and you are less productive than others who focus on only one thing at a time. Multitasking will not only make you slower in your work but chances of getting things done wrong are always higher when you are dealing with more than one thing.
4- Napping is Also Great
Believe me, afternoon naps can do wonders for you to make you more efficient and productive. It can also help you remember things you’ve recently learned. It could be a great way for you to boost energy levels for tasks need to be done by you at the end of day. Drinking a cup of coffee before afternoon nap can have significant impacts on your productivity levels.
5- Schedule Tasks Based on Your Energy Levels
We always ignore energy levels when scheduling our day to day jobs or tasks but it is the most important thing to become more productive. We can do things with best when have top levels of energy and are more likely to skip things for tomorrows when low on energy. That’s why always plan your tasks according to the energy levels and try to do hard things in this morning.
However, you can schedule the most important and tough things for the afternoon if you think that you can perform better after eating your lunch. Always put your hardest tasks work in the time spans when you are fully energetic.
6- Turn Notifications Off
If you really want to be productive and enhance focus on work, try to turn all digital notifications off. Turn off your internet connection connected with your smartphone or sign out from all your social media profiles in order to perform with enhanced focus and efficiency. Hence, you can turn them on when you want to take a break from work to relax and to refill your energy.
7- Take Regular Breaks
Continuous work can make you feel lethargic and fatigue. So take regular breaks if you really want to get all the tasks listed on to-do list done. Taking breaks from work allows you to feel relax and refill your energy to get started again with boosted energy levels and focus.
8- Measure the Results
Keeping track of your activity is one of the best things to work smarter than harder. Instead of thinking about things yet to complete, measure the results you have attained till now and things achieved. It is something great to make you feel more positive about your progress and can also boost self esteem.