Work Faster, Not More Hours, To Make Better Use Of Your Workday

Work Faster, Not More Hours, To Make Better Use Of Your Workday

When you’re behind on your work, it’s all too common to solve the problem with more hours. Instead, try a distraction-free, fast-paced work blitz during your normal work hours.

Picture: J.B. Hill

Most of the time, when we work, we do so at a leisurely pace. We do this for a reason: working in overdrive mode consistently can burn you out. However, that also means there are always ways you can work faster. Whether it’s by making a particular routine more efficient, or just giving yourself a sense of urgency and typing faster, you can get more done in the same amount of time and save your weekend:

I always tell people to start working harder, to hustle. I truly believe that people could watch an hour less of Scandal and instead do some fucking work. But there’s another variable that I don’t talk about enough: be much faster in the hours you’re already in. Train yourself to do a little bit more in each hour than you normally would. Every day add something, and get it all done. The first few days you may not get it all done, but keep adding on, and you’ll get there. It’s training for a marathon. It takes time, but once you’re done, you’ll see that you’re doing much more in a day because you’re moving faster.

As you challenge yourself to work faster, you may find that eventually fast becomes the new normal. Tasks that used to take you an hour can be brought down to a half hour. An emphasis on speed may not always be necessary — and if your work quality starts to suffer, it’s OK to pace yourself — but the more you can get done in each workday, the less you have to put in after hours.

It’s Not Just About Working Harder; You Also Need To Work Faster [Medium via 99u]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments