You could be the CEO of a multinational company, an 18-year-old gamer on YouTube, or make a living by skateboarding on Instagram. If you are a worker, then you want to optimize your hours so that you’re efficient and still have the time for non-work-related activities that you love … like sleeping, perhaps.
This is why the discussion about smart work vs hard work is crucial. Truthfully, hard workers have their advantages. In fact, one must be willing to adopt some of the qualities of a “grinder,” like consistency, for smart work to be effective. So, think of smart work as hard work under control and mindfully applied.
If you still aren’t sold on why you should adopt a more efficient method of working, the points below should help you make the right choice.
Why You Should Choose Smart Work
- You can achieve more: To say you work smart, you should have created a system where you get the maximum work done in the shortest time possible and with minimum physical and mental effort.
You’re right; that almost resembles the definition for some chemistry or physics term. But you get the gist of it. Smart work helps you save time and energy, which (only if this is what you want) can then be used to get even more done at work.
- Your happiness might depend on it: “It takes sweat, determination, and hard work to make dreams into reality.” Not to diminish the wisdom contained in this quote by C. Powell, but if reading it made you feel tired, then you must rethink your work style.
No, working shouldn’t make you anxious. You don’t have to “put up a brave face” or cut fun entirely from your life just to protect an income stream. It can be different. It can be better. You can work smart and derive joy from your business.
- Your health depends on it: What you do for a living should not be what kills you. Stress, anxiety, and lack of attention to one’s physical, mental, and emotional health can be overwhelming, even to the point of being fatal.
And guess what encourages you to sacrifice your health to make as much money as you can? Yep, hard work. Smart work says, “you can have both money and good health.”
- Your loved ones will thank you for it: Money truly is important. It gives you choices, and allows you to live with decency and dignity. But it can be argued that time well spent with your friends, kids, romantic partner, parents, or yourself holds more value than all the money you could ever make or spend.
Now, you might say that some amount of money is often needed to enjoy quality time with loved ones. You’re not wrong. But with hard work, it’s usually a choice between one or the other. Smart workers are productive moneymakers who don’t always have to miss their kid’s games.
- For an increased self-esteem: This is listed last for a reason. Look at all the points above. What do they all add up to?
By working smart, you will be an efficient, happy, and healthy person who enjoys a good relationship with their loved ones. It is highly likely that such an individual will also be confident, assertive, and empathetic. All the hallmarks of a healthy self-esteem.
Use this checklist to measure how smart you worked and what should be improved on:
| Yes | No | Maybe | |
| I took a 20-minute break after working for 90 minutes | |||
| I automated more tasks so I don’t have to waste time thinking about them | |||
| I focused on my results, instead of worrying so much about lost time | |||
| I got better at time management | |||
| I felt happy during and after work |
Boost Your Productivity With These Tips
- What you eat matters. Here’s a fact: you cannot neglect or be reckless with your diet, and expect to be your best self. Your output at work or anywhere else depends, first, on what goes into your mouth.
You want a diet that nourishes you both physically and mentally. You might want to stay away from foods that provide only a temporary high and leave you feeling fatigued. Yes, sugar and coffee are being called out here.
- Multitasking is a time waster. Blame evolution if you will, but this is who we are as human beings. We are just incapable of fully focusing on more than one task at a time.
When you accept the fact that multitasking is not real, you are one giant leap closer to a better organized and productive life.
Instead of practicing multitasking, the solution might be to gain some control over your tendency to procrastinate. If you can focus on one task at a time, you’ll finish up faster than a “multitasker.”
- Sleep early, wake up early, and don’t rush into doing. The chances that you will not only feel energized during the day but also stay that way for long periods depends on how much sleep you get.
We’ve all been lied to. Getting, not some, but ample amounts of shut eye isn’t what lazy people do. It’s what people must do if they hope to function at their best.
- Begin your day predictably. Maybe you already know this, but routines are essential. Spontaneity is good for those things you don’t mind spending a lot of time on.
If you want to get a task done quickly, then you should make it a routine and a habit. Brushing your teeth, for example, at the same time every day takes away the need to remember or even feel motivated to do it.
- Don’t let tasks pile up. This is either the result of procrastination or having a wrong idea of one’s strengths.
Do you leave emails unattended, believing that you can easily respond to each one in under an hour—but the number of unread emails keep stacking up until you feel overwhelmed?
Make it a habit to deal with each task as soon as you get the opportunity.
- Take breaks and optimize periods of high focus/creativity/energy. People are usually able to perform at their best for 90 minutes before they need to take a break (of about 20 minutes).
Using this knowledge to shape your work life could mean the difference between always having a bad day and enjoying work.
Remember that the 90-minute work period and the break are equally important. Try not to be distracted when you should be working, and your breaks should be entirely about chilling.
- Delegating is not a weakness. In business, it is possible to do it all by yourself. You just have to be against real growth of any kind.
Whether you’re the CEO of your company or the manager of a small branch, you must learn to assign tasks to different people. By delegating, you can focus on more important tasks and achieve higher levels of productivity.
Note that micromanaging people is not the same as delegating.
- Listen more. When those who are close to you say what you consider a good work ethic is beginning to adversely affect your health, social life, or productivity, don’t just brush their worry aside.
Give it some thought. This also applies to the suggestions of your colleagues or employees on how to perform certain tasks with less stress and more efficiency.
We have evolved as humans to need people in our lives, and this is one reason why.
- You need a shorter deadline. More time to complete a task doesn’t always mean you will do a good job of it or even be able to meet the deadline.
Try a reasonably shorter deadline instead. If, on average, it takes you two hours to write a chapter for your book, try doing it in an hour and thirty minutes. You will find that you are either able to meet this time limit or less likely to go over two hours.
- What do you do when you’re not working? For many people, this time is spent stressing over what they did, didn’t do, or will do at work.
It doesn’t seem like it, but going out with friends and having a laugh can be what makes you a more effective worker. Having fun is always a good thing, especially for someone who wants to get rid of stress.
It also energizes you to give your best at work.
FAQs About Smart Work
Is working smart the same as being creative?
Yes and no. Smart work can be as simple as working on the most crucial and valuable jobs first, and leaving the tasks with the least value for last. But it can also involve coming up with creative ways to ensure efficiency and reduce stress.
Is smart work easy work?
Again, there is no straight answer for this question. You cannot cozy up in bed with a laptop and be as productive as someone who is seated at a desk. However, by definition, smart work is easier than merely working hard.
Final Thoughts
Working smarter, not harder isn’t just “what the kids say.” It’s what must be understood and adopted to thrive as a worker in today’s fast changing world.
Not getting enough sleep or falling sick due to working yourself too hard are not virtues—especially when there’s an easier, smarter, alternative.
Use the tips in this book to achieve that enviable (and much talked about) work-life balance, and boost your productivity.