Yes, Work Hard… But Also Work Smart
There’s no denying that if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you need to pour a lot of hard work into your business. Working hard is essential, but it is only half the battle. Working 20 hour days and weekends can not be avoided if you want to be successful, but you also need to work smarter and use your time optimally. Finding efficient ways to do things can help you become successful by maximizing work habits and productivity. Here are 5 tips you can try, to help you in working smarter:
1. Single task…stop multitasking.
Yes, we are all capable of multitasking, but that doesn’t mean we should be doing it. The problem is with too many open projects, you end up spreading yourself thin. Yes, you can take on 4 projects at the same time, but can you honestly say that you can give all 4 projects 100%? Give one project your full attention and complete that at 100% so you don’t end up having 4 incomplete projects. I know from experience the anxiety that having too many open projects can cause. Instead now, i stagger my projects so that as I am finishing one, I am beginning another. This way I don’t feel like I’m being pulled in multiple directions and I still get some sleep during the night.
2. Don’t spend all day checking your email.
I’ve been guilty of stalking my email box and letting unimportant emails distract me from getting things done. I try to check my email 4 times a day. When I wake up around 7, again around 10am, around 1pm (or after lunch), then again before I’m done for the day. Otherwise, I could spend my entire day checking emails, which isn’t productive.
3. Automate as much of your business as you can.
If you’re struggling to keep on top of everything, then your current strategy is obviously not working. Business automation is valuable because it can save you a ton of time. You’re likely running your startup by yourself, but automating some of your business can give you the results of an established company. Products such as Trello, Expensify, Mailchimp, Quickbooks and Buffer assist me and automating many aspects of my business.
4. Never stop learning.
Sure you are the owner of your own business with your own clients or customers. You decide your own strategy, your budget, what clients to take and what hours to work. Your business seems to be going great and you haven’t had to take any classes. It is entirely possible for you to continue running your business employing your same tactics, but no entrepreneur continues to be successful without ever having to invest in their own self improvement. There are so many learning resources available in all areas of interest, many of them are even free! A friend of mine turned me on to Udemy a while back. Check it out for courses on basically EVERYTHING!
5. Give yourself a break.
I don’t know about you, but I do my best work when I feel inspired. I will get nothing done staring at a computer screen for 12 hours straight, so it is very important for me to take a break every so often, thinking about something other than my business. What I try to do is to take a 10-20 minute break when things start to feel monotonous. During this break, I may get some food, reply to text messages or return a phone call. Sometimes I may even pull out a book and catch up on some reading. Once I feel rejuvenated, I go back to work, getting things done.
Its easy to get distracted or lost while working hard on your business. Working harder AND smarter, can ensure that you take your business to a whole new level while still #gettingstuffdone
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