In the most recent decades, we’ve always heard the advice “work smart, not hard in order to be successful”.
But what does it really mean to work smart?
While there are different working cultures around the globe, like the Japanese still working late hours or the Australians working only until Friday morning, the technology advancement in the recent years is making it “easier” for people in the concrete jungle to “work smart”. Working remotely has become very popular in the last few years and the number of virtual assistants working for entrepreneurs is rising rapidly.
But what does it really mean to work smart? Do we really need to forget about working hard?
In this piece, we will define what it really means to “work smart”. You see, working smart isn’t just limited to earning as much with little time, or using as little effort or energy to achieve your desired results. Working smart means a lot more than that.
This is what it really means to work smart:
Working smart means you are wise in your decisions and actions.
Working smart, first of all, is being wise in your actions and decisions. It is when you learn from your previous actions and decisions that you become wiser in everything you do. This is not only career-wise but it is a holistic approach that you can bring into your work.
Working smart means knowing your focus.
Many of us work impractically too hard because we don’t have focus. When we don’t have focus, we tend to multitask and never finish anything. Know your focus so you save the time and eliminate unnecessary stress.
Working smart means learning to prioritize.
When you know what your focus is, it becomes easier to prioritize what needs to be done when it needs to be done. When we accomplish something that is most important, we are fueled to do more. Prioritize your what you want to focus on, and the other tasks become easier to complete. This is what working smart is all about.
Working smart means working on what makes you happy.
It makes no sense to work on something you despise. Work on something that makes you happy. The problem with this generation’s society is that we actually categorize certain roles as “practical jobs” or certain businesses as “smarter business choices”. Working smart doesn’t always mean working remotely. Working smart doesn’t mean creating a business that brings the highest revenue. Working smart means doing what makes you happy.
Working smart may mean working as a salesperson because every sale you close makes you feel super. Working smart may mean creating a “not so popular” start up business because you believe in your long term vision. Working smart, at its core, is doing what you love. When you do what you love, and that makes you happy, you excel at what you do whether you are an office worker, a startup CEO, or a successful entrepreneur.
Working smart means providing the needs of a demanding market.
So, you have become wiser and learned your focus. You know to prioritize, and you know in your heart what you really want to do. Now, it’s time to take action on that. Provide a product or service that is needed in a demanding market.
Working smart means having an open mind.
Working smart isn’t always confined to a set of ideas or beliefs. Working smart means having an open mind and responding to the circumstances and changes, and allowing yourself to find and accept “unconventional” solutions and being comfortable with what is new in order to improve not only your business or your career but your working attitude as well. An open mind is essential so as not to be left behind where change is always constant.
Working smart means being positive.
Working smart also needs a positive mindset to “work”. When you have a positive view of things, you become more efficient in finding solutions and will help you move on from your past mistakes in order to turn the situation for the better.
Working smart means working hard if you need to.
Finally, working smart doesn’t always mean working “easy”. For a start-up business, it would be too costly not to work hard in the first year of the business. Working smart, as mentioned earlier, is being wise in your actions and decisions, and knowing and taking action on what would yield the best result for your business (or career). Working smart means knowing when to work hard and doing it when necessary.
Are you working smart?
