Five Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder

No matter how hard we work, it seems that there is never enough time to get all the important tasks done. Rather than working longer, consider working smarter, not harder. Here are some ways to work smarter:

Make a careful plan. Just like every organization needs a business plan, an efficient worker needs a work plan. 【小题1】 Schedule your tasks throughout the days, weeks, and months, but do it ahead of time.

Set your goals. As a part of your work plan, you should set clear and measurable goals. Goals should state which tasks are to be completed and when they get completed. Rather than setting firm deadlines, which can lead to pressure and stress, allow a period of time to reach goals.【小题2】.

【小题3】Develop a consistent daily work schedule and stick to it! If a typical workday consists of some writing tasks（emails, reports）, one-on-one meetings, and processing data, set aside specific time each day to accomplish each kind of tasks.

Delegate（分派工作）effectively.【小题4】The person who tries to do everything himself or herself not only is overloaded and overstressed, but is bad for their colleagues, by not allowing them to be challenged and grow by taking on important duties.

Don’t make work harder than it actually is. Much of the pressure is produced by ourselves.   【小题5】 We feel like we should do more. Remember that tasks should be completed step by step. Focus on each step rather than on the entire project, which can help us cut down on feelings that we are overwhelmed.