Many people support the notion that good results are impossible to achieve without a lot of hard work. Even though this statement has some truth in it, success is not only about the amount of effort and time we’re willing to invest in our goals. Quite often, it’s possible to do the same amount of work in a more efficient way by working smart.
Working smart essentially means to make the most of every minute of your hard work.
Take a look at these two scenarios; a farmer that weeds with a cutlass or hoe; a farmer that does exactly the same with a mower or tractor. The former may understand the rigour of this approach and appreciate the value of the process, but the latter also understands the rigour and is able to achieve much more within the same time frame.
Hard work is somewhat the minimum requirement for success, working smart is the multiplier that turns that hard work into meaningful results faster and more efficiently.
“Work hard, and you will earn good rewards.
Work smart, and you will earn great rewards.
Work hard and work smart, and you will earn extraordinary rewards.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
Here Are 3 Things To Ensure You Work Hard and Smart at the Same Time:
1. Understand the Fundamentals
Fundamentals speaks to the basics, structure, principles, workflow etc. of whatever you want to do; A lot of people are looking for the clever and exciting paths to success that they ignore the most direct route – which is paying attention to details and fundamentals.
Working without understanding the fundamentals of the Job is like trying to complete a Masters Degree without a Bachelor’s degree – not possible.
Hence, whatever you want to do, you must take time to understand the fundamentals – they are the foundation of deep simplicity.
Also, when learning something new, you need to work hard in other to first understand the field/space.
“Take your time to really learn and study the fundamentals of your pursuit, so that one day, your fully developed skill set will allow you to grow into a leader.” – Baron Davis
2. How Can I be Smart at It?
It is not the load that breaks you down; it is the way you carry it – Evangelina Bobadilla
In other to prioritize time and efficiency, having understood the fundamentals of whatever you want to do, the next question is how can I leverage on various tools to achieve my goals? which technology can I use to ensure I get work done?
There are various tools depending on your field of work that can used to automate your tasks.
Utilizing tools that will help you automate mundane tasks and keep you on track is key to getting the work done efficiently.
In this digital age, there are tools for almost anything. What are the processes you carry out manually? See if you can get a technology system to automate it for you.
3. Outsource/Partner
You must Learn how to delegate, leverage other people’s time and expertise.
These people do not have to report to you physically, in fact, there are freelance sites like Fiverr, Upwork, etc. Some of these sites are global, thereby gives you a larger access to variety of resources and experts regardless of their nationality.
Outsourcing is key to a successful business mindset — network with others and ask for help from people with the technical know-how. You need a team around you to get things done and as result, you can easily delegate small and less-important tasks that take up valuable time.
So, work hard and smart at the same time by so doing you get more done in less time.
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT!
