How to Work Smarter

Everyone believes that to achieve, you have to work hard. And that is true as far as it goes, but it doesn’t quite go far enough. There is another part of the equation you need to understand to achieve success – you need to work smart as well.
You put in long hours. This, you think, is the way to get ahead. But more often than not, you are actually doing yourself more harm than good. By doing this, you rapidly reach a point of diminishing returns, where you become less and less productive during those extra hours because you become fatigued, both in mind and body, losing focus and getting stressed out.
Here are a few things to do to help you work smarter;
1. At the end of the day, write down three accomplishments, and three priority tasks for the next day.
Writing down your three accomplishments helps to reinforce what you have done for the day. It helps you to keep focused, and give your spirits a little lift. Writing down the three priorities for the next day also helps to keep you focused on what is important. By doing this, you can get right at these things when you get to work. Since these are the most important things you need to accomplish, the best thing to do is tackle them at the start of the day when you are at your most energetic, alert and focused. This will also help prevent wasting time by looking at email, or any of the other activities you do that are actually a way of procrastinating.
2. If you are stuck on a problem, take a break.
If you have been working and thinking hard about some problem or challenge you are facing, and you really don’t seem to be getting anywhere, just stop. Get away from it for a little while. Do something else. This will help reduce stress and help you to recharge. As you work on something else, the problem will actually be percolating in your unconscious mind, and when you return to it, you may come up with a solution.
3. Make a deadline for finishing work each day.
Plan on getting your work done at the same time each day. Setting a deadline like this will help you focus and set priorities for the things you need to get done. What usually happens, as the old saw goes, is that your work expands to fill up the time you have allotted to do it. So, if you give yourself more time, you end up taking more time to get something done, but is it any better because of the extra time? By giving yourself a deadline to finish, you force yourself to focus and work to get the work done on time.
If you are looking for work in the Anchorage area, send a message to the Opti Staffing Group, one of the best in the region. We would love to discuss how we can help find a position that is right for you.

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