Today’s blog post is actually a memo to myself to work smarter instead of just working harder…

Lately, I find myself being continually busy and getting things done, but I think I’m starting to reach the limit of being time efficient with accomplishing tasks, and now I believe I’ll have to be more selective in order to be more productive. Here are rules that I am giving myself for working smarter:

Get more help from others.
We’ve been taught the virtues of being independent and self-reliant… if you want the job done right, do it yourself. It’s also natural to not want to impose on people. Or simply, you don’t want to feel incompetent.

We need to dispel all those obstacles that prevent us from getting support. Notice I am now using the word support, and not help. Technically the same thing, but now the perception is much different.

There are many reasons it makes sense to get outside support for certain situations. You might not have enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do. You might be doing a task that you’re not familiar doing, and what would take you 2-3 hours to do, it will take someone else 15 minutes. Or you might want to solve a problem one way, but someone else who’s more familiar with it can give you a much better solution. Sometimes in the act of collaboration, you can find new opportunities you never knew were possible.

Follow the min-max rule.
It has many names: The 80-20 rule, the 90-10 rule, the Pareto Principle. Whatever name you choose, the point is the same: focus on high yield tasks, and don’t get too bogged down with refining the details. Sometimes you don’t need to be good, but simply good enough.

Prioritize better.
At work, I’m faced with an unexpected crisis or some urgent situation almost on a daily basis. In order to filter though these situations, you must not prioritize only based on when they are due, but also with how important it is in the big picture.

Invest more.
This advice is for general investment into something valuable, not just financial. Invest time and effort in projects that can pay huge dividends, such as investing in new skills, networking, and preventative maintenance (with projects, personal health, organizational health, etc…). As Harvey Mackay would say, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”

Do more things you are good at.
Don’t be the “jack of all trades and master of none.” Remember, it’s your strengths that determine your success, not your lack of weakness.

Do less things you aren’t good at.
Sometimes there are responsibilities that you’re not good at but can’t be avoided. If possible, defer them to someone else either by delegating, outsourcing, or by asking/bartering for a favor. If none of the above possible, consider even dropping the responsibility altogether. Ask yourself, “Is it fruitful for me to let this responsibility drop and instead spend more time on responsibilities that use my strengths?”