Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Set priorities
• Method 2 of 4: Dealing with customers
• Method 3 of 4: Get more done in less time
• Method 4 of 4: Take care of yourself
• Tips
• Warnings

Work smarter, not harder, is an age-old saying. If you master this concept, your entire working life will become easier. There are simple techniques you can apply to get through each task in fewer steps and keep you from getting bored.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Set priorities

1. Assess everything that needs to be done. Before you get started right away, remember that enthusiasm needs to be tempered by wisdom. Look at every aspect of the work, and give yourself enough time to "think" so that you can be sure that every detail is completed on time and accurately.
2. Make a plan. Whether it is in your head or on paper, you need a step-by-step plan that you can complete in the right order. You don't want to repeat steps, redo the efforts of others, make mistakes, or forget something.
3. Learn to say no. Avoid an overloaded schedule and be realistic about what you can accomplish in a single day. Sometimes you just have to cut back on your tasks, because in most professions there is almost always something to do.
   • Know when to leave work at work. You could get more done by working from home, but doing so is exhausting yourself by not getting enough rest and putting pressure on your relationships.
4. State your goals. Try to avoid multitasking or you'll often get less done as your brain switches back and forth between tasks. Pick one thing to work on and commit to it until it's completed. Set a time limit to stop working on the task and rest.

Method 2 of 4: Dealing with customers

1. Manage your customers good communication. Make sure your customers understand the normal delivery time for a project. Don't be swayed when they say it's a rush job. Most companies have more than one client, but many clients forget that their work is not the only task you are engaged in.
   • Give customers one to three choices - never again. Handing over a swatch book to a customer and asking what colors the customer is interested in is going to be a disaster. Too many choices will cause terrible delays because the customer "all consider options and tends to change every decision afterwards. Instead, say something like, "Do you like this blue or this green?"
2. Never take a bad job. You know when an assignment is going to be great. A client or boss who pushes you in a direction you are uncomfortable with, because it is an unreasonable expectation, or because it is out of your reach, should be immediately made aware of your doubts about the task as suggested. If you are self-employed, it is much smarter to decline such a task, even if it is difficult to pass up the money.
3. Counter-propose, if necessary. Do not accept so many changes that you end up working out a much more complicated or more expensive assignment than was agreed in principle. When you realize you have entered new territory, stop working and prepare a new quote, reflecting the entire task as originally intended and comparing it to the scope of the new task. Please let the customer know what amount it will cost more than the original bid to continue. It is how much the customer is willing to pay. How smart you want to be while working for the client is your decision.

Method 3 of 4: Get more done in less time

1. Consider your materials. Do not save on the quality of your materials. Cheap materials or tools are more difficult to work with because they are not as sturdy or good. Trying to save a few bucks, but spending an extra hour or two on it, isn't helpful because those cheap things don't want to install properly.
2. Evaluate your methods. You want them to be as efficient as possible. Do your job when there are no distractions around you. Try to cluster things instead of finishing them one at a time. You want to work as efficiently as possible.
3. Look for quick methods. This means not that you choose something simply because it is the easiest method, or out of laziness. For example, if you have to answer numerous emails a day and keep coming across the same questions, save your responses. When the same questions come up again, you can cut and paste the default answer. You may need to make some minor adjustments, but most of it will already be written.
4. Delegate tasks to the right people at the right time. Make sure your team is properly aligned. If an employee is faster, put him or her on the part of a task that takes the longest. If one person is more skilled and accurate, put him or her on that part of the task that is most critical.
5. Avoid procrastination. Whenever, while you're supposed to be working, you find yourself browsing the Internet or checking your email unnecessarily, your day gets longer. Force yourself to work when the time is right, and do the more relaxing activities as soon as you are ready for the day.
6. Be flexible. Your day doesn't always go as planned. Be open to new methods and try new things.

Method 4 of 4: Take care of yourself

1. Take a rest. You ideally need eight hours of sleep every night. You can certainly continue with your work for 12 hours a day, but you will ultimately not be able to do this. After a certain point, your body gets tired and your mind becomes exhausted, leading to more frequent loss of concentration and careless mistakes.
2. Take regular breaks. Even in the office, you need plenty of time for your mind to regroup and recharge. Force yourself to work through the first 50 minutes of each hour and then reward yourself with a 10 minute break.
3. Recognize the point of "diminishing returns". The steps above don't imply that you should keep going until you get exhausted. You must protect your health and the integrity of your job or task. Constantly exhausting yourself makes you susceptible to mistakes. If you're so tired that you realize that a particular task is taking you twice or three times more time than usual, then call it quits for the day. In any case, rest for a few hours so that you can return fresher and be strong at the end of the task. Learn how to incorporate short naps into your day.

Tips

• Make your money work for you. A lot of work and spending every cent you earn is not smart!
• When you can to work, then do that. Don't delay or let time slip out of your fingers so that you end up having to hurry to meet the deadline. If you finish early and nothing else has come in, then you can go play or rest. Don't do this too often in the middle of the work.
• If you are sick, stay home and rest until you are well. You make too many mistakes when you are sick or tired, and that is not "smart work".
• Listen to people with experience. They will often be willing to share their stories. You don't always have to make your own mistakes first to learn to work smarter.

Warnings

• Beware of interim changes in the assignment, which will end up losing a lot more time than you originally planned. A small adjustment is one thing. With a major change, you have to stop and think - and perhaps renegotiate the price.