What is the gateway to success? Most would say that success is a combination of hard work and talent. Well, if you ask me, I’d say…yes, that is almost right. Just remove the ‘hard’ from hard work, and replace it with ‘smart’. Smart work, what is it? Working smart means making the most of the time you have, instead of spending more time than you practically should. Here’s how you do it:
- Planning Ahead:
- Have a vision map! Jot down what you want to achieve by the end of a certain period.
- Reflect on what you have been able to accomplish and work ahead accordingly.
- Highlights the areas where you have been falling short. This lets you come up with a new strategy for achieving those unfulfilled goals.
- Setting Goals:
- Set proper goals! Goals provide both motivation and direction. It is essential to set both short term and long term goals.
- Short term achievements keep you connected to the moment and productive. They also offer mid level satisfaction.
- Long term aims, on the other hand, are essential for thinking ahead. They remind you of what you are working towards, and help you make better decisions.
- · Being Focused:
- Stay focused on your plans and your goals. Many people compare their work lives with their peers and end up unmotivated.
- Such comparison causes a sense of displacement which is potentially disastrous.
- Remain fixed on only your own career trajectory. This focus ensures your clarity is maintained, and identifies weaknesses quickly.
- · Taking Initiative:
- Go the extra kilometer, not just an extra mile! The market pool for newcomers is highly saturated. This also makes it harder to be noticed.
- Do more than what a job asks of you. Make it your job for your supervisor to notice your contribution.
- Initiative is more important than skills as it is initiative that is inbuilt. It is the key to making you an indispensable part of any organization you are a part of.
- · Staying Synced:
- Do not lose touch with those working with/under you. Being self sufficient is great but flexibility is essential.
- Stay in sync with your team. This includes relaying progress/updates, checking in on them, and being accountable about pitfalls.
- This serves more purpose than just team building and bonding. It also improves your communication skills, which is something greatly demanded by almost every firm.
So there you have it, the fivefold trick to systematically working to achieve success. We are in the midst of the development of an efficiency driven work culture. When you stay ahead of the curve, people are bound to sit up and take notice. Aren’t you at least a little glad that you read right till the end?
I’ll be back soon, with answers to more questions you hadn’t thought of asking. Okay fine, maybe you did! There is a lot more of this to come. This is barely the tip of the iceberg of life hacks. Keep your eyes peeled. Till then, keep working hard smart!
