One of the common mistakes we make in business and in life is that we think, in order to achieve anything, we’ve got to work hard. If we are really trying to make things work, we’ve got to learn how to streamline, which means that you have to work smart rather than hard. How can we actually do this effectively in our work life?
Measuring Results, Rather Than Time
When we start to keep an ongoing list of the things we need to accomplish, this is going to make us motivated. But when we start to get bogged down by the idea of time, we soon become a victim of our lack of productivity. In business, this means that we start to lose important clients, and we see our productivity take a massive dip. There are going to be tasks that do not keep us motivated, but when we are trying to keep a company afloat, those results have to be measurable, which means that we will need to implement certain infrastructure practices. In any business, solid accounting practice management software takes the guesswork out of the process, and the right tools take the stress out of the equation. As a business, we must remember that working smart is going to yield a lot more positive outcomes, but also give us more time to do the small fixes. When you start to measure your results, it’s a simple way to keep track of your achievements, but also better anticipate how you can achieve similar tasks in the future.
Establishing a Solid Morning Routine
We all know the importance of the morning routine in life, but in business, we can benefit from incorporating some form of get-together in the morning so everybody is on the same page. A little morning debriefing gives everyone the opportunity to recognize the bigger picture, but it also allows you to reiterate some of the important fundamentals of what the business is trying to achieve. It also gives you insight into those who are just not engaging with the process. Sometimes, if someone is not engaging in their morning routine, there could be other problems at play, not least in their personal life.
Working in Solid Blocks
Your brain can only focus for 90 minutes at a time. You may think it’s counterproductive, but taking more breaks can maximize your ability to focus, therefore improving your productivity. This is where something like the Pomodoro method can be invaluable. You might think that there’s not enough time to incorporate many breaks, but as far as your focus is concerned, a correctly timed break can make a significant difference. It also gives you the opportunity to set certain deadlines that will fill the appropriate time. This is Parkinson’s law, where the work will expand to fill the time available. If you set appropriate deadlines within a short time period, you might see productivity shoot through the roof.
Working smart is not always easy, and there are times where you have to put in the relevant effort. But, working to cut your business costs doesn’t always just boil down to effort.