The phrase work smarter, not harder, might have a different meaning for everyone. After researching this phrase, I discovered that the term originated in the 1930s by Allen F. Morgenstern. As an industrial engineer, he created a work simplification program to increase productivity with less effort.

There are different opinions on this idea, some agree while others do not. These opinions come from each person’s perspective. My perspective, or opinion, leans toward agreement in the sentence, work smarter, not harder. Let me explain.

In the past I wrote an article titled ‘Why I Say Professional Organizers Are Lazy’. The gist of this article talks about the term work smarter, not harder. In the article I explain why I say that. Simply put, professional organizers find ways to complete tasks with the least amount of effort.

Everyone has their own ways of doing things, and as I’ve said in the past, what works for one may not work for another. Finding ways to work smarter rather than harder based on your specific lifestyle requires some internal research.

Think about the ways you work on projects and tasks, both professionally and personally. Then take a look at the list below to see if any of these ways will work for you. Including ways to work smarter rather than harder will allow you to get things done easily, thereby reducing your stress in the process.

Get organized

Naturally, this way he would be first on the list! When all your things are organized, you can find what you need quickly. You don’t waste time searching for the items needed to work on a task or project. Your spaces are clear and there is no clutter to distract you from thinking clearly.

brain dump

You probably have a lot going on in your head. Do a brain dump by getting them out of your head and onto a piece of paper, or if you’re into electronics, onto your computer or phone. Knowing what you have to do is the first step.

to do list

Now that you understand what you want to do, put those tasks on a to-do list. You may have more than one list. I know that many will tell you not to do that but sometimes it is necessary. For example, you might have one list for work and another list for home. That’s fine, it’s less confusing that way. At this point, you want to prioritize the tasks on your list(s).

processes

Using processes is a great way to work smarter, not harder. I’m a big fan of using processes for repetitive tasks. Whether it’s work-related or personally, everyone has repetitive tasks of some sort.

When you organize a process by listing the steps and referring back to the process each time you do the task, it will become a routine or a habit and get things done faster.

But don’t get complacent and stop referring to these processes, or you risk forgetting a step. It may not sound like much, but it can cost time and/or money, and in a professional setting it can be detrimental to your career.

delete steps

This is a good way to streamline processes. As you work on a process and the situation changes, modify the process to accommodate the change. This can occur in the form of removing a step or steps in the process. By removing a step, the consequence is likely to save time. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t sacrifice quality in your quest to optimize a process.

schedule everything

This point is probably the most effective way to work smarter, not harder. When you schedule all your tasks, projects, and appointments, there’s no question about when and what you need to be doing at any given time.

Use your priority to-do list to schedule all tasks and appointments, either on a paper planner or on an electronic device. Check your paper planner often or set audible alerts on your electronic device to stay on schedule.

Take into account extra time to travel or unexpected things that may come up. Downtime also needs to factor into your busy schedule. Downtime isn’t wasted time, it’s a time to regroup, relax and refresh for an effective strategy of working smarter, not harder.