A delightful guide; Simplifying your work (and life)

Waking up and feeling overwhelmed with the day that awaits you is a familiar feeling for many. While working every day is an unavoidable reality, dreading it doesn’t have to be.?

To keep myself in a healthy relationship with my work, I’ve transformed how I approach day-to-day tasks. Here are some of my much revered tips on how to simplify work and make it a part of your life, rather than letting it take over your life.

?? Prioritize from the get-go?

Make a list of your tasks and put the most important and urgent ones at the top. This strategy helps you tackle the most crucial tasks first and avoid getting bogged down with less important ones. I personally use the project management tool called Asana. Other tools do exist, like Trello, Monday.com, etc. The tool choice itself is less important than actually prioritizing and documenting your TODOs.

? Divide and conquer - a smart strategy for your tasks?

Break your large tasks down into smaller, manageable chunks. You'll be able to focus on one task at a time and make progress on large projects faster. We tend to get into “flow state” when we are working on tasks that are just large enough and just complex enough to challenge us, but not enough to intimidate us! Find the task size and complexity that works best for you. Task breakdown becomes an art rather than a science!

?? Cut the clutter to speed up your tasks?

Look for ways to simplify and streamline processes and eliminate any steps that are not essential to the task at hand. Try to eliminate the “nice to haves” in your task list. Focus instead on the most compelling part of each task. It’s okay if something is 80% complete by the time you mark it as done. Just as we do in startup-land: launch, test, and iterate.

? Reject repetitiveness, embrace automation

Let technology do the heavy lifting. There are a variety of tools available that can help automate repetitive tasks. Instead of proof-reading yourself, find online tools like Grammarly that can help. Instead of following up with people via email manually, use automated reminders or Gmail’s Snooze functionality.?

When you find yourself doing a repetitive task more than twice a day, hire a developer on UpWork to automate it for you, or find an online service that can help you automate it. After all, a few dollars invested in automation will make you that much more productive so you can spend your expensive hours on impactful stuff.

?? Delegate wisely

Don't be a hero - it may seem like a good look, but you’re setting yourself for an overwhelming routine. If you have team members or colleagues who can help, delegate tasks to them. This will reduce your workload and allow you to focus on the important stuff. Always ask, “What makes me the best person to do this task?”, if the answer is “nothing in particular”, you can probably delegate the task effectively.

? Keep track of your time

Use a calendar or planner to keep track of your schedule and deadlines. Stay organized and avoid missing important deadlines. When you receive emails, find a way to turn them into either a scheduled action or just “get them done” on the spot. Research the Get Things Done framework to read more about this. Email accumulation can be one of the biggest reasons for lack of productivity.

?? Learn to say ‘no’ when necessary

Say “no” often. Especially to non-essential tasks or projects. With so much on your plate, it’s crucial you focus on important tasks and avoid overloading yourself. Using your day to knock-off a large, hairy, and difficult task is far more rewarding than using it on numerous bitesize tasks.

?? A clean workspace = a clear mind

Keep your workspace clean and organized. How can you focus on the task in front of you when it’s hiding under the clutter?

?? Set goals that you can measure

Establish clear, specific goals for your business and create a plan to achieve them. Make sure you have a way of marking goals as complete. It will feel good, trust me. With every milestone reached, you’re giving yourself the boost you need to continue staying focused.?

Some of these points may seem straightforward. But reading through a list and silently agreeing is vastly different from implementing it in your life. Although changing a routine you’re accustomed to can be challenging, the end feels like a victory.?

And at the end of the (work) day, we all deserve to leave our work stations with a sense of accomplishment.