Photo by Elsa Noblet on Unsplash
We've all heard the saying, "work smarter, not harder," but what does it actually mean?
You have less than an hour left in the workday, but your long, pretty to-do list has barely been touched. Though the day started off full of potential, there were countless fire drills, and the tasks you marked as "important" didn't make the cut, after all.
Now you're considering canceling your dinner plans or burning the midnight oil to catch up later in the evening. Sound familiar?
So many of us feel like we’re past the point of exhaustion when it comes to our effort at work, but we're still coming up short on productivity.
In a world where you can be reached 24/7 with countless “urgent” matters to tackle, it can be hard to distinguish between what really needs to be done. How can we manage our time and our responsibilities practically. We all need to learn how to work smarter, not harder. It's not as easy as it sounds!
Throughout my career, I've tested out various productivity tools to find the best way to set up my day. The below tips have been the most helpful when it comes to conserving my energy levels and my ongoing attempt at a good work-life balance.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: My 6 Routines for Success
- Create a Weekly, Ever-Evolving To-Do List
- Break Your Daily Tasks Into AM, MID, and PM
- Block Out a Breather in Your Calendar
- Block Off "Do Not Book" Time
- Start a "Smile-File" Inbox Folder
- Have an End-of-Day Routine
1. Create a Weekly, Ever-Evolving To-Do List
Starting with a weekly view of which tasks need to get tackled helps you gain a clear understanding of what must happen and when on any given day. If you know you have a deadline on Tuesday morning, you can make sure that project is on your “must do” Monday list.
This method helps cushion for the inevitable, unplanned fires that pop up while also ensuring you are chipping away at your biggest priorities.
I like to keep this list in my Outlook Drafts folder and start creating it the week prior. As I’m promising certain items to various teammates or clients, I can drop in when I’m going to tackle them.
If you are more visually inclined, you can also use productivity tools or calendar blocking. Though it’s satisfying to write down lists, I would keep this version on your computer for quick and easy access throughout the week.
2. Break Your Daily Tasks Into AM, MID, and PM
Once you have a clear view of your “must-do” weekly tasks, you can create a daily list.
There are many different methods to creating a daily to-do list: blocking out tasks in your calendar, writing them down, setting reminders—the list goes on. It may take testing a few methods before you find the right one that will work best in the long run.
I break out tasks, meetings, and other to-dos into time-of-day sections. I often write my daily to-do lists down (compared to my weekly email drafts), so I can get that satisfaction of crossing off an item. Blocking out the day by time frames gives me a little more flexibility on when I get things done, while still helping me prioritize tasks by importance.
If there’s something I’m really dreading doing, I try to knock that out in the morning. If the AM isn’t your best time (I tend to be most productive between 9:30 – 11:30 AM), it can be helpful to at least start in the morning. Beginning the day with strong time management skills gives me the sense of accomplishment I need to continue the day with greater productivity.
What About High-Priority, Demanding Projects?
Now let's talk about prioritizing very demanding projects—especially ones where you'll likely need to delegate some work.
If I’m working on a project that demands 100% of my time and knowledge, it can often get bumped to midday or even PM. If I need to gather data from another team member, put in an ask for something that will take multiple days, or enlist anyone else’s general support, I like to get to them early.
This demonstrates that you respect your coworker’s busy schedules, which will help when you do need to call in those “sorry, this is urgent” favors.
3. Block Out a Breather in Your Calendar
On busy days, it can be hard to remember to leave your computer, let alone take a work break.
To ensure a mental escape each day, I block out a 15-30 minute window on my calendar.
I set an alert for 5 minutes before my scheduled break. This serves as a reminder to wrap up the task at hand. I'll snooze the reminder if something is urgent and I can’t stop. This way, I make a point of taking a break once the task is done.
This break can be anything from getting fresh air on a short walk to making an effort to have an actual lunch break. If you are not used to regular breaks throughout the day, start with a five-minute break. Use this time to grab a glass of water in between meetings. Work your way up from there.
If you know you should be taking breaks but have difficulty holding yourself accountable, it's always helpful to have an accountability partner at work.
Communicating your desire to carve out downtime to have better long-term productivity can help hold you to the promises you make to yourself and it can help impact the culture of your company by advocating for your own needs.
4. Block Off "Do Not Book" Time
You can never have too many calendar-blocking methods!
In addition to scheduling a pre-planned break throughout the day for something that recharges my energy, I've gotten in the habit of blocking "do not book" time in between meetings or at the bookends of the day.
The goal of this time is not to fill it with a project or use it as a mental recharge. Instead, this gives a cushion to accomplish anything that may be unexpected but timely. I've used this time to catch up on client emails, internal Slacks, or follow-up items.
The more you can buffer your schedule to account for all the unexpected items that can pop up in the day, the better prepared you'll be to handle the day without derailing your own priorities.
5. Start a "Smile-File" Inbox Folder
One of my old coworkers taught me about this gem, which truly changed my workday attitude. It’s as simple as making a folder in your inbox for the sole purpose of making you smile.
It can be nice notes people have sent your way (think: a thank you email, recognition of something you worked hard on, a funny joke from a co-worker, or pictures of your dog. You make the rules here!)
Having a collection of notes that make you smile is a game-changer on more challenging days. When nothing is going right or everything is feeling a little more difficult, these notes can be one of your resources for an instant mental health boost.
6. Have an End-of-Day Routine
If you work longer hours, the last thing you may want to do is add work at the end of the day.
But putting in the time to reflect and prep for the next day can bring some serious mental peace the next morning. If you’re like me and have issues “turning it off” after work, an end-of-day routine can also help you train your brain to learn when the workday ends.
One of my favorite routines is computer organization. This can be filing your emails, closing out old browser tabs, or simply checking your calendar for the next day. This can also be extended to your physical space, and you can block time at the end of each day to clear your office space of any clutter.
If everything is already organized—or this just isn’t your jam—my other go-to routine is to prep my to-do list for the next day.
As mentioned, I break out everything into AM, MID, PM.
Knowing my game plan for the next day eliminates some anxiety the next morning and reassures me that I’m covering all my bases.
Last but not least, I snooze my notifications until the following day (especially on Slack). You can also set notifications to snooze at the same time every day to make it more of a forced habit and less of a conscious decision.
Looking for more career-focused advice? Book time with me as a Career Coach, or check out these additional online resources:
