How to Work Smarter

Here at CORE Communications, we believe that working harder will always bring you closer to your goals. If you're already working as hard as you can (let's face it, you can probably work harder!), then the next step is to work smarter! If you want exactly the same results as you're already achieving, then you would want to work smarter instead of harder. But, if you want much better results, work harder AND smarter! Here are a few tips we've found to help you work smarter:

1. Single-tasking: Your brain really can't fully concentrate on multiple things at once when you are "multi-tasking." We don't really juggle multiple tasks as much as we jump between them. Your brain has to refocus each time you jump, so you end up wasting a lot of time in between moments of focus. It's better to focus on the task at hand until it's complete rather than switching around without finishing anything.

2. The Willpower Trinity: According to a Stanford Professor named Kelly McGonigal, understanding willpower will help us hit our goals. She says there are actually three powers of willpower:

• I "won't power" means telling yourself how you'll specifically resist temptation, like "I won't check Facebook until my lunch break," or "I won't take personal calls during the work day."
• I "will power" means telling yourself what you will accomplish.
• I "want power" means reminding yourself of your why. If you are going to be disciplined, you must remind yourself what your end goal is in order to stay motivated.

These three must work together. I "won't power" alone can cause someone to become very frustrated. 

3. Power Poses: Check out this insightful Ted Talk from Amy Cuddy. It basically discusses how slouching or slumping can zap your energy and confidence, while putting your hands on your hips or making yourself bigger and taller can energize you and boost your ego subconsciously. It really works, try it!

Instead of just clocking more hours all the time, try these three tips in order to maximize your efficiency and work smarter. Let us know which method works best for you!

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc., Houston.