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Kill bad habits [1]: choosing between working hard or working smart

Please read "Kill bad habits" before starting to read this post.

Excerpt from the post “Kill bad habits”:
[1] Working long hours without an inspired goal for the month, the week, the day.

f you are working long hours every day, chances are you will go through troubled times. First, it is extremely hard to work long hours and stay efficient all day long. You can have the stamina to live like this for short periods of time only. Second, this bad habit doesn’t keep you fit. On the contrary, your health suffers. Third, workaholism is more a disease of isolation than an example of best management practices, like sharing with others.

I have learned with the years that concentrating on your priorities is the essence of efficiency and a good way to reduce your stress.

Working hard is probably one of the easiest solutions to give yourself and others the impression that you are working smart. Well, the truth is that it’s totally absurd.

→ A few suggestions on the fly:

Set your priority list for the month, for the week, for the day.

In order to reserve space for thinking, book meetings with yourself at least twice a day.

Don’t jump on your emails like crazy.

Answer select emails briefly, max. 3 lines. No more. Double-check urgent requests.

Pay attention to your written feedback: stay cool. Watch your wording. Be precise and accurate in asking questions.

Pick up your phone for sensitive stuff but don’t rush into a meeting!

Use SMS to reach your contacts immediately. Not familiar with SMS gateways? Check here.

Keep your laptop happy at the office. Switch off your iPhone or Blackberry.

Review / update your priority list the next morning with a fresh mind.

Go swimming, jogging or yogaing everyday and leave your stress behind you.

Want me to share more with you? I’d be glad to do so.      

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Other articles on EFFICIENCY:
 

Kill bad habits

Kill bad habits [1]: choosing between working hard or working smart

Kill bad habits [2]: analyse our wrongdoings, learn, teach, activate

Kill bad habits [3]: strengthen your meeting practices

Kill bad habits [4]: listening, listening versus talking, talking

Nick Paulus © 2012. This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.smilingresults.com. Please contact us for permission to reproduce this content in other media formats.