How to work smarter

What are your proven strategies how you can work smarter - not more?

Here 3 of mine:

1. Do what I am good at - hire out what I am not good at or learn it - if I have the time.
2. Make sure all jobs are done: If necessary by someone I trust.
3. Pick people's brains who have done it over a cup of coffee if I can. They have tried lots and are often very happy to share. I can learn from their mistakes and successes.

Anything else?

 

great points, I'd add automation, just because I have a dev background
automate repetitive tasks when possible

 

Common, you must be working smart (not hard) too! Tell us how!

 

If low on budget and can't hire a person, do the job yourself, if don't know how learn that, and do what you have to do to succeed, break your head over the wall and test different strategies until something works out for you, in the end, after you spent time and your head is over wighted with information, you might succeed.

 

One of my most important rules is the to-do list and deadlines. I always have a to-do list, and I always keep deadlines, if not I won't finish the tasks on time.

 

Personally, here's my check list:

1.) Check / Update Goals (daily / weekly / monthly)
2.) Perform at least 2 marketing activities every day (5 days a week)
3.) Focus On what I'm good at & hire for the rest (There's no shame in spending a little to make more)
4.) Research new markets / strategy's / technology's (At least once per week)
5.) Cut out middle men and go direct (Direct cuts down on production times)
6.) Use the Latest Industry standard software's (Staying up to date help things run smoother)
7.) When a problem occurs, Take care of it immediately (Procrastinating only leads to the problem getting worse later)
8.) Always make back-ups of your computer files (When you least expect it your PC may crash & all is lost)
9.) Always be honest about your abilities & intentions to your clients / customers (A small lie in the beginning can create 10 times the problems later)
10.) Keep a schedule / Calender (Update daily)
11.) take the extra time to do things right the first time and don't cut corners (Cutting corners leads to more work later)

The above are just the basics I follow, but it at least gives you an idea of the right direction.

 

Ya well said and good points.

It's right to do that in which you have expertise, coz there will be less chance of shortcomings. And I think perform you work into deadlines as per the demand of others. That will enhance your work performance and your work beauty.

 

Presence of mind and have a goal that at the end of the day you all your task.

 

Eat breakfast!!! Gives your brain the much needed energy to start the day! haha.

 

Woth my thoughts , the samrt work is that , that saves time , money and resources hence get a good desired result...

 

@scorpionagency ==> Good list!...

I saw the title of this thread and seeing that my username is WorkingSmart, I figured I had to contribute to this one...

Adding to @scorpionagency's list... ( in no particular order )

- utilize your network of resources when needed
- create and complete your daily to do list, no matter what!
- learn 1 new thing each day no matter how small or unimportant it may seem
- listen with an open mind <== Important one!
- completely unplug ( phone and all ) for at least 1 hour during daylight hours. - Take a walk, exercise, or just do nothing.

Cheers!~

 

Thanks for the advice. Just starting out anyone can start to wander and waste time. You need to focus.

 

You can work smarter in different areas or field if you've got a strong determination to excel on that particular aspect. Focus on the things/details that concerns or have something to do with your work, research and do a lot of reading, choose the best strategy to apply and take appropriate action.

 

Thanks you very much for this valuable thread I will keep it in my mind.

 

Excellent points. The only one I would add is automation for sure. There are a ton of repetitive or monotonous tasks related to SEO and marketing that having an automated system to handle can really help improve your efficiency. It's definitely a way to make your work smarter and open up you're time to work on more important things.

 

I've found that if I don't start working shortly after I wake up, it's hard for me to get going later on. So I try to make sure I only spend a few minutes in the morning checking forums, drinking coffee, etc. After that, I immediately start working on my projects. If I slack off early it's incredibly difficult for me to "get going" later on in the day.

 

Stay on task! Time management is of the utmost importance. Too many marketers think that they are really busy working their businesses everyday when in fact they are just doing "busy work" that doesn't move their business forward. Things like spending alot of time checking emails, reading forums, social networks, skype etc. Not saying that these things don't have their place, but how many marketers mistake being busy for working ON their business. Try writing some copy, creating some email for your autoresponder, create a product, or contact a potential jv partner. Do something productive every day consistently and don't let your guard down to be tempted into wasting a lot of valuable time doing things that don't really help your bottom line.

 

Great information , keep it up

 

Good work ethics work wonder! To your success, Revis!

 

Having good contacts helps also. I recently met a friend who is a whiz with server administration and has really helped me a lot