BE HARDWORKING, BUT DO IT SMARTLY.

I am not a part of those who believe that smart people should be lazy and try to outsmart others in all they do. When I refer to smart people, I don't mean cunning people. I mean people who know how to handle things in a better and most efficient way. Every smart person should be hardworking, but they should also know how to do that hard work smartly. So what's the difference between hard work and smart work? This article will guide you to understand the difference and help  you to start doing your work smartly.

What is hard work?

It has a relative term to different people. Some define it as doing strenuous and time-consuming things. To me it simply means, putting a great deal of effort into what we do. Of course, it involves more time, more energy, more materials, etc. This takes us to the next question which  is;

What is smart work? 

Smart work is strategically applying intelligence to do your work more efficiently. It often results in easier work and lesser time spent.

“Those that work smart usually evaluate success based on the amount of discretionary time they have to do whatever it is they want to do.  Smart workers don’t focus on inputs they focus on prioritizing in order to achieve the most valuable outputs in the most efficient ways". Jacob Morgan

Smart people don't work too hard to achieve a given goal. What it took someone else five days to achieve, a smart person can achieve it in few hours. I don't mean cutting corners or doing dubious things to achieve same results. What I mean here is that, smart people strategies on how to do the same work faster and easier. I bet everyone wants it easier and faster. Here are some tips to help you. 

How to do your work smartly.

When you are faced with a task, these tips will help you eliminate time wasters and unnecessary energy drainers. It will help you achieve your goal faster, easier and more efficiently.

Strategize wisely. This involves studying the work, planning, prioritizing and moving ahead of time. Look for different ways to arrive at the same result. Pick the one that suits you best. Before you engage a given task, ask yourself these questions; what is the best means to handle this? How long should I spend doing this? What do I need to make it faster and easier? Would doing it a certain way get me ahead of time, behind time or in line with time? Etc.

Avoid multitasking. It makes you less productive because jumping back and forth, slows you down, stresses you out and often involves making mistakes. Do your work in batches.

Use technology. There are a lot of technologies, apps and softwares that can help you arrive at the desired result faster and easier. Apply them to your activities.

Accept teamwork. When a work load is too much, delegate some to other people. Smart people always know how to build a team. Don't try to do it all alone, when you need help, always seek for it. I did a recent post asking for people to help guide our newbies. @ehiboss and I have gotten a team working together to achieve that purpose. I might have lost all my newbies or over work myself if not for the benefits of teamwork.

Avoid time wasters. When you have a work at hand, be careful with your time. Time management skill is very important to help you achieve a faster result. Stop distracting yourself by visiting social media sites, checking your email every time, engaging in unnecessary side-talk or meetings. Give yourself a time limit to complete the task and be focused on doing that.

Take breaks: Taking frequent short breaks can help you clear your mind, refresh it and be more concentrated.

Conclusion

“You don’t have to make yourself miserable to be successful. It’s natural to look back and mythologize the long nights and manic moments of genius, but success isn’t about working hard, it’s about working smart.” Andrew Wilkinson

You can apply these principles to your steemit activities as well. As a newbie, instead of complaining about rewards, study the way things work here. Be hardworking. Don't copy and paste other people's materials expecting rewards. Add quality to whatever you're doing. Be smart; hard work alone can't help you. Socialize with other users.

We all have limited time and abilities. Don't spend all your time and energy doing things that you can still achieve in a faster and easier way. Think smart. Act smart. Be smart about working hard.

You may like to go through the previous articles in this series.

Part One 

https://steemit.com/motivation/@ogoowinner/smart-and-simple-ways-to-change-your-life-for-good-part-one

Part Two 

https://steemit.com/life/@ogoowinner/smart-and-simple-ways-to-change-your-life-for-good-part-two

Part Three 

https://steemit.com/life/@ogoowinner/smart-and-simple-ways-to-change-your-life-for-good-part-three

Part Four 

https://steemit.com/life/@ogoowinner/smart-and-simple-ways-to-change-your-life-for-good-part-four

Part Five 

https://steemit.com/life/@ogoowinner/smart-and-simple-ways-to-change-your-life-for-good-part-five

All images are from imgur.com

Thanks for Reading.

What is the smartest way you've handled a difficult task? 

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