Work Smarter, Not Harder - 11 Ways to Be More Effective at Work

Regardless of your job or industry, there aren't always enough hours in the day to get everything done. As a result, you constantly feel like you're always behind. And that's just not good for your productivity or your health.

Trim Your Task List 

We all know how paralyzing it can be to start a big project or tackle a crazy to-do list. So don’t overwhelm yourself with a massive task list! Give yourself 3 to 5 items that you need to accomplish in one day, and focus on those. If you get them done early, you can always add a few more things to your list, but keeping it manageable will keep you productive — instead of just keeping you busy. 

Swap Your To-Do List for a Schedule

Sit down, look at your available time for the day, and be realistic about what you can get done. Then make a game plan: schedule specific slots of time for each of your important tasks—and be sure to include breaks. By dedicating time and structuring your day, you can take advantage of the times of day you're naturally more focused and motivated, make tangible progress on important work, and ensure you actually take the necessary breaks to stay mentally fresh. 

Stay Organized

Highly effective people have systems in place to help them find the exact information they need, right when they need it. A simple system like David Allen's Getting Things Done method (GTD) can ease the mental burden of storing reminders and ideas, and free up brain space for more meaningful and effective work. Get a 20-second overview of the famous GTD method here.

Get Organized and Be More Efficient with the Right Products

Make life more enjoyable while at work by ensuring you have the right equipment to be efficient at your job. Efficiency means saving time and by saving time, means you can prioritize your list more strategically and are able to accomplish more of it. 

Products such as the Multi Charing Power Strip will charge up to 6 different devices, quickly, making it the perfect solution to keep your devices running and your environment tidy, no matter your location.

Never worry about down time due to electrical failures with the Universal AC Portable Power Pack. Starting at 27,000mAh, these slick, lightweight battery pack features up to 54,000mAh capacity and is the ultimate battery pack for any mobile charging need: laptops, cell phones and other mobile devices, iPads and tablets, CPAP machines, medical devices, desktop computers, printers, flat screen TVs, PS5, XBOX, Nintendo Wii, mini fridges, cameras, drones, hoverboards and more. 

Make Bad Habits More Difficult to Indulge

Constant distractions tank your productivity and your IQ, and you can't work effectively if you're not performing at your best. So create some simple barriers to help you focus. If you’re constantly pulling out your phone while you work to text a friend or check social media, for instance, put your phone in a locked desk drawer and keep the key in an upstairs closet, or ask a trusted co-worker to hold on to it until lunch. 

Prioritize 

A big part of being effective at work is learning to say no. Figure out what really matters — which tasks actually move the needle on your primary goals? Which projects have the biggest impact on your bottom line? Cut the busywork that doesn’t actually amount to anything. Using a data-driven goal-setting technique like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) is a practical way to focus your daily efforts on clearly-defined, measurable goals that directly contribute to larger business objectives. 

Tackle Your Most Important Tasks First

Your motivation and creativity are at a high point in the morning, So instead of starting your day by checking emails (which can quickly derail your plans, as what you intended to accomplish gets pushed off or lost among incoming requests), wait a few hours to check your inbox and work on a more significant project while your mental energy is still high. 

Plan Tomorrow Tonight

While you shouldn't stay up agonizing over all the work waiting for you tomorrow, creating a short list of simple to-dos at night can help you hit the ground running in the morning, establishing a productive momentum that will carry you through the rest of the day. Try to include at least one moderately challenging task in your list—according to Dr. Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyi, there's a sweet spot where your brain more easily enters that "flow" state where your brain is humming and you're doing your best work. It happens when the degree of challenge and your abilities intersect at a high point. (If the task isn't challenging enough, you'll get bored, and if it's too high, you'll get anxious and stressed). 

Schedule Meetings With Yourself

Create a distraction-free zone where you can go to focus when necessary. Block time off on your calendar where you won’t be disturbed, turn off your email and message notifications (or better yet, disconnect from the internet entirely), and focus on a single important task for an hour or two. 

Change Your Self-Talk 

Instead of saying “I have too much to do today!” and “I’m so stressed out right now!” say “These are the two things I need to focus on today." A simple shift in perspective can do wonders for your motivation and energy levels.

Communicate and Clarify 

All of us have to collaborate with others at some level in order to do our jobs, so learning how to work effectively with others is an essential part of improving your own effectiveness at work. One of the best ways to avoid unnecessary rework and wasted time is to eliminate misunderstandings and miscommunications. Get it right the first time, and you’ll save yourself a ton of time and mental energy revising and redoing tasks.