How to Work Smarter and Not Work Harder: 10 Things to Get Rid of to Work Effectively
By: Sylar Eight
Tags: WFH, Work From Home, Work Smarter

“Don’t work hard,” my employer once told me.

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. I figured he’d elaborate on his statement. But he didn’t — he just left.

In an attempt to salvage his useful statement, there’s this article.

Here, we’ll discuss how to work smarter and not work harder. Like the post before this, the goal is to help you maximize your time and increase productivity while working from home.

Why learn how to work smarter and not work harder?

Look at the image below.

(Image credit: PushToLearn)

Out of the three workers who were pushing obstacles to clear their paths, you can see who the smart one was: the one who was ahead. And this one who was ahead knows how to work smarter and not work harder.

Like their fellow workers, the one who was ahead had to push an obstacle, too. But unlike their fellow workers, they didn’t settle for what was a mediocre and acceptable approach — even if they were the only one doing it.

Instead, they thought outside of the box and figured out a way to be more effective in pushing the obstacle. What they did here was get rid of the edges of the square to transform the obstacle into a circle. And they did that so they could cover more ground — and faster.

A circle (round object) is easier to push. You can roll it around, too.

Want to be like the smart worker and cover more ground — and faster, too? Then revise the way you work. And learn how to work smarter and not work harder.

So say goodbye to an acceptable way of doing tasks. Think outside of the box and get rid of things that slow you down, too.

Here are points on why you should learn how to work smarter and not work harder:

Maximum control of your personal resources — Your energy is a personal resource you need to monitor. By working the smart way, you can use your energy better and not lose control over everything you do

— Your energy is a personal resource you need to monitor. By working the smart way, you can use your energy better and not lose control over everything you do Improved focus — Your mind is at its sharpest when you work smart. You have better focus, alertness, and memorization skills

— Your mind is at its sharpest when you work smart. You have better focus, alertness, and memorization skills More time — Time is arguably the most important resource. And part of working smarter is about having strong time management skills

— Time is arguably the most important resource. And part of working smarter is about having strong time management skills Increased output — Your productivity is up if you work smart. This means you can produce more work and be more valuable

— Your productivity is up if you work smart. This means you can produce more work and be more valuable Better quality of life — And if you tie them all up — control, focus, time, and output, you’re a clear winner if you know how to work smarter and not work harder. You have fewer health problems (or none at all), improved living conditions, and more

How to work smarter and not work harder: 10 things to get rid of

Working a 9–5 job yet unable to take advantage of the perks of having a regular job?

Then it’s time to make changes and know how to work smarter and not work harder.

Here are things you need to purge from your daily schedule:

Toxic mindset

1. Negative attitude

Seeing the world in a half-glass empty perspective has no good effects.

Here’s a chart containing texts organized in three columns. In the first column are attitude traits that suggest negativity in your personality (negative trait). These traits don’t help you work smarter in any way and therefore, they need to go.

Next to the negative traits column are traits you can replace them with (positive trait). And next to that column are thoughts that suggest positivity (positive thought) as they relate to the corresponding negative trait.

Negative trait

Blaming others

Inability to be wrong

Lying

Gossiping

Prejudiced

Positive trait

Accountability

Non-egoism

Honesty

Respect & professionalism

Acceptance

Positive thought

“Sorry. This is all my fault!”

“You’re right.”

“The truth is…”

“The issue isn’t my concern.”

“That’s alright.”

2. Regret

I’m sure you’ve heard the classic saying about not crying over spilt milk.

It’s a classic because (1) it’s true and (2) it contains wisdom. And like the classic saying advocates, let go of things you clearly you have zero control over. That’s how to work smarter and not work harder.

Specifically, don’t dwell on past mistakes, loss, and failures. If you’ve previously made a career-defining mistake, for instance, cry over it for a bit. Don’t keep berating yourself for it, though.

If you insist on dwelling on past mistakes, you’re not doing yourself a favor for these reasons:

You can’t do anything about them — You can’t turn back time. So while you could have done better, you can’t do better

You can’t turn back time. So while you could have done better, you can’t do better It decreases your self-esteem and increases your self-doubt — It challenges how much you currently believe in yourself

— It challenges how much you currently believe in yourself It causes unnecessary stress and anxiety — You end up with useless worries

You end up with useless worries It affects your objectivity and ability to make solid decisions — You’re likely to reject the idea of taking calculated risks. And if you make decisions, they’re linked to the fear of failure

You’re likely to reject the idea of taking calculated risks. And if you make decisions, they’re linked to the fear of failure It discourages you from chasing after opportunities in the present — You’re less mindful of the present. Rather than mind what is real and in front of you, you’re focusing on lost opportunities

Instead, acknowledge the importance of forward thinking, move on, and don’t look back.

How you can push away regret and be a forward thinker:

Admit your faults — Be accountable. As difficult as it can be, come to terms that past mistakes happened because you made them happen

Be accountable. As difficult as it can be, come to terms that past mistakes happened because you made them happen Acknowledge the experience (and lesson) — Find the silver lining from that circumstance. For example, if you didn’t get rejected for a job before, would you have the dream career you currently have?

Find the silver lining from that circumstance. For example, if you didn’t get rejected for a job before, would you have the dream career you currently have? Learn to forgive yourself — So you screwed up? Remind yourself that you’ll do your best to prevent it from happening again.

— So you screwed up? Remind yourself that you’ll do your best to prevent it from happening again. Focus on improving yourself — and not impressing other people — Your mistakes could’ve affected other people, too. But tell yourself that you can’t control how they respond to you in the future. you can, however, control your own responses

Your mistakes could’ve affected other people, too. But tell yourself that you can’t control how they respond to you in the future. you can, however, control your own responses See the bigger picture — Look at your mistakes as bumps in the road. Don’t stop driving to where you truly want to get in life just because you encountered bumps along the way.

3. Useless thoughts

You are what you think. And if you think about useless thoughts… — why don’t you finish this statement?

If you think about knowing how to work smarter and not work harder, you’ll know how to work smarter and not work harder, too.

So don’t entertain useless thoughts. They are what they are: useless.

Below is a chart featuring two columns.

The first column (useless thought) contains a list of useless thoughts. Many people entertain these thoughts, and because they can’t provide help in any way, they need to go. Next to it is a column that contains a list of replacement thoughts (what to replace it with).

Useless thought

“I can’t do it.”

“I’m not as blessed as others.”

“I’ll probably fail.”

“I’m not smart enough.”

“Nobody cares about me”

What to replace it with

“I can do it, as long as I work.”

“Great things are bound to come, as long as I work.”

“I’ll succeed, as long as I work.”

“I am smart, as long as I work.”

“I’ll matter, as long as I work.”

Notice how the statements in the 2nd column are contingent to working? They all end with “…as long as I work.”

Well, that’s because you’re the one who steers your thoughts towards a certain direction. And if you want to lead your thoughts to the right direction, you have to do your end of the bargain: work your way to get them there.

Apart from replacing useless thoughts with useful statements, here’s a list of what else you can do:

Talk back and challenge them — Provoke them until you feel you’re in charge. For example, to challenge the useless thought that you can’t do it, ask why you can’t do it.

— Provoke them until you feel you’re in charge. For example, to challenge the useless thought that you can’t do it, ask why you can’t do it. Set deadlines to when they need to go — This is a bit like how you deal with regret. Acknowledge the useless thoughts for a bit (for example, only 10 minutes) then let go and move on

This is a bit like how you deal with regret. Acknowledge the useless thoughts for a bit (for example, only 10 minutes) then let go and move on Read them out loud — Or use online voice readers read them to you. Hearing them will make you realize they don’t make sense

— Or use online voice readers read them to you. Hearing them will make you realize they don’t make sense Use the “Write, Crumple, and Throw Away!” method — This is an extent of a visualization exercise where you write down a useless thought on a piece of paper, then crumple it, and then throw it away for disposal. The idea is that you can see how useless a thought is if it’s no longer with you.

This is an extent of a visualization exercise where you write down a useless thought on a piece of paper, then crumple it, and then throw it away for disposal. The idea is that you can see how useless a thought is if it’s no longer with you. Take a deep breath and re-evaluate — You might only be entertaining these useless thoughts because you’re overwhelmed. If so, calm down and look at the situation again

Smaller priorities

4. Excess tasks

Like the picture above shows, having too much can be overwhelming.

That said, having too many tasks can be overwhelming. And the ability to deal with all those tasks or multitask is admirable. But if you don’t excel at multitasking, focus on a single task.

There’s nothing wrong with having an inability to multitask. Where there is wrong is telling yourself that you excel at it when you don’t.

A secret in knowing how to work smarter and not work harder? Accepting what you can and can’t do.

The reasons to avoid multitasking are a lot. Here’s a list of five of them:

It stresses you — Researchers from the University of California — Irvine measured heart rates of employees with access to multiple tasks. And they concluded that these people have higher heart rates and were more stressed

Researchers from the University of California — Irvine measured heart rates of employees with access to multiple tasks. And they concluded that these people have higher heart rates and were more stressed It doesn’t save time — Jumping back and forth from one task to another slows you down. It takes you longer to finish compared to dedicating your attention to one task before doing the other task

— Jumping back and forth from one task to another slows you down. It takes you longer to finish compared to dedicating your attention to one task before doing the other task It increases the chance of mistakes — Without 100% focus, you’re prone to committing mistakes. And because you’re more stressed, you’re also prone to mental weakness

— Without 100% focus, you’re prone to committing mistakes. And because you’re more stressed, you’re also prone to mental weakness It blindsides you and keeps you from obvious opportunities — Because you’re minding multiple tasks, you won’t have time to see the opportunity right in front of you

— Because you’re minding multiple tasks, you won’t have time to see the opportunity right in front of you It negatively affects judgement and memory — Because you’re busy minding more tasks than usual, you won’t have time to be at your sharpest. The result is poor judgment and the ability to easily forget

Below is a chart that contains two columns.

The first column (multitask list) acknowledges the ways a person tends to multi-tasks while working from home. The next column (how to do the task better) points out the “better” way to attend to the tasks.

Multitask list

Work > movie > work > TV show

Work #1 > work #2 > work #1 > work #2

Play > clean > work > clean > work

Work #1 > work #2 > work #3 > work #1

Work > talk to friend > do chore > work

How to do the task better

Prioritize work then watch movie + TV show

Prioritize work #1. Once done, do work #2

Prioritize work. Then play and clean

Prioritize one type of work. Then do the other types

Prioritize one task. Then do the others

Notice that every item on the second column begins with the word “prioritize”?

That’s because you need to prioritize.

Pick one task and put it above other tasks. If the other tasks you have are inessential, get rid of them. That’s how you do it!

It’s one of the smartest ways to combat problems associated with multitasking. And it’s how to work smarter and not work harder.

5. Excess habits

Like excess tasks, excess habits can drag you down. Hard as it may be, you need to get rid of them.

It’s understandable to struggle with this because habits can be hard to break. And according to the researchers from the University of California — San Diego, science agrees.

To elaborate on this, the researchers performed experiments (involving mice) and discovered:

“…the brain’s circuits for habit- and goal-directed action compete for control in the area of the brain that makes decisions. [And moreover], neurochemicals called endocannabinoids allow for habit to take over.”

So yes, it’s hard. But with a relentless determination to know how to work smarter and not work harder, breaking habits is doable.

Here’s a list of excess habits that need to go:

Power naps — Limit naps to 10–20 minutes. Napping for more than that will make you tired and increase your urge to sleep for hours

— Limit naps to 10–20 minutes. Napping for more than that will make you tired and increase your urge to sleep for hours Drinking too much water — Use this Water Intake Calculator to multiply your weight by 2/3. And the result is the amount of water that you’re advised to drink daily

— Use this Water Intake Calculator to multiply your weight by 2/3. And the result is the amount of water that you’re advised to drink daily Eating out of schedule — Getting food into your system is vital. But eating too much, too often can intervene with work. The World Health Organization also advocates against this habit because it leads to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and a range of health problems

— Getting food into your system is vital. But eating too much, too often can intervene with work. The World Health Organization also advocates against this habit because it leads to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and a range of health problems Repeated email checks — Schedule 30 minutes of your day for email checks. Then use a tool like Freedom to block other unhelpful apps, websites, or even the internet

— Schedule 30 minutes of your day for email checks. Then use a tool like Freedom to block other unhelpful apps, websites, or even the internet Repeated news checks — The same is true with the habit of repeatedly checking the news. Current affairs may be important, but checks need to be properly strategized

6. Unwanted people

Having family, friends, and colleagues around when you’re working? It’s not how to work smarter and not work harder because it’s counterproductive!

I dislike unannounced visits and anything that would make me lose my momentum and disrupt how I work. This is not just me.

Among the findings in a recent study conducted by a team at Stanford addresses this (unwanted people) as one of the pitfalls of working from home. According to the study, being around an unsuitable environment can lead to productivity slump and a threat in economic growth.

So if you find yourself in the company of unwanted people, act proactively and tell them to go away.

Here’s a list of reasons unwanted people need to go:

They drain energy — Rather than invest energy in your work, you give it to them

Rather than invest energy in your work, you give it to them They eat up time — You also give them your time — time you could spend on attending to work

You also give them your time — time you could spend on attending to work They may provide unimportant input — They’ll talk about matters that are unimportant at that moment. This leads to — albeit slightly — changing your original perspective

— They’ll talk about matters that are unimportant at that moment. This leads to — albeit slightly — changing your original perspective They make you lose focus — They stand in your way. Rather than put undivided focus into your work, they’re around to cause distractions

— They stand in your way. Rather than put undivided focus into your work, they’re around to cause distractions They make you impractical — Peer pressure is real. They can pressure you into taking an irresistible offer that you’ll only regret soon

How to tell unwanted people to go:

Set a time limit for when to hang out with them and when they need to leave — Inform them you can only accommodate them for a limited period. Be firm about it

— Inform them you can only accommodate them for a limited period. Be firm about it Ignore them — Soon, they’ll get the message you’re busy

— Soon, they’ll get the message you’re busy Invite them to go somewhere else without you — Direct them someplace entertaining

— Direct them someplace entertaining Assign them a task — Let them help you lessen your workload. Think of it as outsourcing

— Let them help you lessen your workload. Think of it as outsourcing Tell them directly — Be kind about it or give it to them straight. Inform them of the situation — that you’re working and their presence can distract you from getting work done

However you do it, get it done. And don’t make a big deal about it.

Turning people away, especially your favorite people, isn’t always easy. They might even get offended in the process.

Assure yourself, though, you don’t mean to offend them. You’re simply looking out for yourself — for someone who needs to be productive. And what you’re doing is a surefire way how to work smarter and not work harder.

Ineffectiveness

7. Noise

Here’s another thing I hate. I hate noise so much — and that’s putting it mildly.

It stands in the way of knowing how to work smarter and not work harder.

Here’s also a limited list of why I hate it:

It wastes time — Mindless chatter and loud street noises are unnecessary. Listening to hours of noise leads to hours of unproductivity

— Mindless chatter and loud street noises are unnecessary. Listening to hours of noise leads to hours of unproductivity It makes you less efficient — Noise impairs cognitive functioning and negatively affects performance. It makes less alert, less energetic, and less sensible

— Noise impairs cognitive functioning and negatively affects performance. It makes less alert, less energetic, and less sensible It causes distraction — I get distracted easily and I’m protective of my ability to stay focused. Noises get in the way of that ability

I get distracted easily and I’m protective of my ability to stay focused. Noises get in the way of that ability It increases blood pressure and stress level — Plus, a range of health problems that can go away in an instant

Plus, a range of health problems that can go away in an instant It provokes annoyance — I can’t stand noise. And I refuse to invest time, energy, et cetera in noisy things and people

Think I’m the only one who hates noises? The simple and straightforward answer is no.

Noises even have a fatal effect on certain animals — dolphins, for one.

Besides, anybody who wants to concentrate, work, be productive, et cetera can back me up on this.

And if you need something eloquent, the word you’re looking for is misophonia. According to the source, compared to people without the condition, people with misophonia:

“…showed a physical difference in the frontal lobe between the cerebral hemispheres. [It also] evoke a heightened physiological response with increased heart rate and sweating.” Hindustan Times

And whether you have misophonia is not the primary concern. To know how to work smarter and not work harder, get rid of excess noises.

Here are actionable ways to make it happen:

Move to a closed room — Cover windows with drapes, put rugs, and use other soundproofing methods. And shut the door

— Cover windows with drapes, put rugs, and use other soundproofing methods. And shut the door Use earphones / headphon e s — Visit our shop to find dynamic earphones and headphones. Noise-cancellation features is another smart way to go

— Visit our shop to find dynamic earphones and headphones. Noise-cancellation features is another smart way to go Drown out the noise — Listen to playlists that can amplify your focus and softly shoo away undesirable sound. This is my go-to “focus playlist”

Listen to playlists that can amplify your focus and softly shoo away undesirable sound. This is my go-to “focus playlist” Invest in sound-friendly items — Fortunately, we exist in an age when technology offers practical solutions. Examples of sound-friendly are acoustic wall panels, noise-friendly flooring, and modern furniture with sound absorbers

— Fortunately, we exist in an age when technology offers practical solutions. Examples of sound-friendly are acoustic wall panels, noise-friendly flooring, and modern furniture with sound absorbers Settle with noise-makers — Talk to the noise-maker and if all else fails, report to authorities. An effective approach to get rid of noisy people with zero common sense is to call the attention of more qualified officials

8. Defective items

A memorable quote that compelled me to watch House of Cards is a line that Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood spoke during the first moments of the pilot episode: “I have no patience for useless things.”

Here’s a clip of that scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHpXOAfLUFQ

Haunting, right?

And it’s also from House of Cards where I learned all about ruthless pragmatism. It’s an ends-driven mentality where you’re all about getting from one point to the next without regard for anything in between.

If you want to know how to work smarter and not work harder, you need this mentality. You need to be ruthlessly pragmatic.

Let’s apply it in this article’s discussion.

Endgame = increase productivity

Ruthless pragmatism approach = get rid of anything (items and people) to increase productivity

How to get rid of defective items:

Throw away — You can’t use it anymore. Don’t let it occupy space

— You can’t use it anymore. Don’t let it occupy space Replace — Get something better — something that can help you work faster and easier

— Get something better — something that can help you work faster and easier Donate — Find a good cause and let somebody benefit from it

— Find a good cause and let somebody benefit from it Sell — Propose it to your neighbor or better yet, let the online marketplaces take it from you. Ebay, for example, is an online marketplace that accepts practically any item

— Propose it to your neighbor or better yet, let the online marketplaces take it from you. Ebay, for example, is an online marketplace that accepts practically any item Barter — Exchange it for useful goods. You can find many barter communities on social networks

9. Self-doubt

“Confidence is everything.”

Not sure who said this first. But I’ve read about it and seen it on films at least a dozen times.

And I agree! A plethora of studies (including this one) agrees, too.

According to studies, building your confidence is how to work smarter and not work harder. It’s like having an inner voice that never leaves you alone and persistently tells you that YOU CAN DO IT.

If you lack confidence, you’ll survive. But is surviving all you want to do with your life?

Rhetorical question, that one. So build your confidence, eliminate self-doubt, and never look back.

Here’s a list of more reasons why you need to get rid of self-doubt:

It won’t attract success — It discourages you from investing in a grand strategy and focusing on the big picture. And because of short-sightedness, you won’t go far and succeed

It discourages you from investing in a grand strategy and focusing on the big picture. And because of short-sightedness, you won’t go far and succeed It makes you afraid — It keeps you from taking risks. And it forces you to settle for complacency

— It keeps you from taking risks. And it forces you to settle for complacency It lets you overlook your potential — The inability to believe in what you can achieve prevents you from chasing great things in life. It also makes you think less of yourself

— The inability to believe in what you can achieve prevents you from chasing great things in life. It also makes you think less of yourself It makes you say “no” to promising opportunities — Even if promising opportunities are staring you in the eye, you turn down any hints of moving forward. You do so because you don’t believe you’re deserving of great things

Even if promising opportunities are staring you in the eye, you turn down any hints of moving forward. You do so because you don’t believe you’re deserving of great things It messes with your thinking — It makes you question what you believe in. The result is an unreliable and manipulatable perspective

And now that we’ve established self-doubt prevents you from knowing how to work smarter and not work harder, it needs to go.

Here’s how you can get rid of self-doubt:

Surround yourself with positive people — The people you spend hours can affect your work and mental performance. So rid yourself of toxic and hang out with people who are smarter than you

— The people you spend hours can affect your work and mental performance. So rid yourself of toxic and hang out with people who are smarter than you Let go of personal judgments — Allow yourself to be great. And don’t recall past incompetence

— Allow yourself to be great. And don’t recall past incompetence Do a power stance — Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy says they can boost confidence in an instant. Example of confidence-building power stances are The Wonder Woman, The Obama, and The Loomer

— Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy says they can boost confidence in an instant. Example of confidence-building power stances are The Wonder Woman, The Obama, and The Loomer Subscribe for courses — Check out Udemy’s self-esteem courses. You may also dig up how successful people do it

— Check out Udemy’s self-esteem courses. You may also dig up how successful people do it Use a simple battle cry — My go-to battle cries are Nike’s “Just do it.” and Yoda’s “Do or do not. There is no try.”

10. Poor communication skills

A failure to communicate effectively is a failure to get someone to do something effectively. Poor communication also causes problems — both small and unredeemable ones.

A simple tip to make sure communication between two parties goes flawlessly? Cut out the middle man, the mediator, or any third party.

The primary reason is that the middle man can say a different version of the narrative that they needed to relay. Or they may sugarcoat statements or soften/toughen the blow.

Worst case scenario is that they’ll relay information that isn’t even remotely close to what was said.

Below is an image that depicts that.

In the image, the woman interprets the traffic lights. She tells the man what the colors of the lights mean. She relates it to the alert levels of her boss when in fact, her boss didn’t say anything about them.

(Image credit: TimeCamp)

Here’s a list of things you also need to get rid of to polish your communication skills:

The urge to “just listen” — Listen inattentively and understand — not so you could reply. Cliché, maybe

— Listen inattentively and understand — not so you could reply. Cliché, maybe Distractions — Don’t let your mind wander — to your phone, TV, or to another person. be mindful of the one speaking to you

Don’t let your mind wander — to your phone, TV, or to another person. be mindful of the one speaking to you Assumptions - Don’t get lost in probable actions. Instead, focus on what a person is telling you

Don’t get lost in probable actions. Instead, focus on what a person is telling you Biases — Let go of biases or any judgmental view of a person. Instead, listen to them as if you’ve met for the first time

— Let go of biases or any judgmental view of a person. Instead, listen to them as if you’ve met for the first time The need to give advice — Unsolicited advice can be irritating to hear. Never advise anybody unless they’re asking for your advice

Final thoughts

When my employer told me not to work hard, it wasn’t long before I figured it out.

I figured he meant it not as words of encouragement to go around and be lazy. Rather, he was telling me to be smart every time I work. And while he didn’t explicitly tell me how to work smarter and not work harder, I learned a valuable lesson nevertheless.

A way I applied this lesson from him? I got rid of things I didn’t need/needed less — cold turkey-style. I made a list and based on that list, I adjusted my priorities and eliminated certain things. Specifically, I eliminated the things I pointed out above. And this process worked for me.

Hopefully, it will work for you, as well. And hopefully, it can help you know how to work smarter and not work harder, too!

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(Original post: https://sylareight.tech/how-to-work-smarter-and-not-work-harder/)