There is something to be said about the value of hard work. We constantly hear that fortune comes to those who work the hardest. While hard work is certainly important it does not guarantee success. If you are not working smart you could be wasting your time. It is far better to work a productive four hours and an unproductive ten hours. Technology has made working smarter as easy as ever. There are many hacks and shortcuts you can take to improve your efficiency. By working smarter not only will you get more done but you will enjoy yourself doing it. Here are a few tips to help you start working smarter.
- Make Lists. Some of the most successful people in business swear by making lists. They may lists for every aspect of their day from start to finish. This act alone helps improve focus and gives you the push you need. Every day thousands of real estate investors wake up with the desire to take over the industry. Where many fail is that they don’t have a plan of how to get there. Before you go to bed every night you should make a list of everything you need to do the following day. When you wake up instead of wasting time planning your day you can hit the ground running. You can accomplish more before breakfast than you thought was possible. Accomplishing one task often leads to the desire to tackle the next one. Before you know it you start to develop a routine and crossing things off your list becomes second nature. You need to make a list of everything you want to accomplish every day.
- Prioritize Tasks. Making lists is a great first step to start working smarter. The next step is to take your list and prioritize it. It is human nature to procrastinate on tasks that are intimidating or overwhelming. You put things off until the afternoon and then the next morning and soon enough the next week. When you make a prioritized list you tackle the most important tasks on your plate. Getting one or two major items accomplished is more important than handling half dozen smaller ones. You can fool yourself into thinking you are working hard but you are really just spinning your wheels. One way to handle important tasks is by finishing a smaller one before it. Give yourself something that is fairly simple to do to get your day started. This gives you the feeling that you can take on the next challenge. From there tackle the truly important items on your list. Eliminate the distractions and focus on whatever you are doing. When you finish the two or three most important items then you can start working on other stuff. Resist the temptation of doing this the other way around.
- Delegate. Time is the most valuable asset you have in your business. Instead of spending it on tasks you aren’t best suited for you should delegate. It is certainly possible to handle everything on your plate. You need to ask yourself if you are losing business this way. It is better to take a step back and let your team do what they do. If you don’t have a team you should consider employing people to help make your life easier. Even if you are strapped for cash spending a few hundred dollars a week makes sense. Not only will it make your life easier but it allows you to focus on whatever you do best. Instead of trying to be in five different places at once you can concentrate on wherever you are needed.
- Use A Calendar. The best real estate investors are the most prepared. You should have an idea of exactly what you are going to do almost every minute of the day. In addition you should know what you have coming up for weeks on the horizon – and make sure not to procrastinate. Technology has made it as easy as possible to stay organized. Between our phones and whatever other electrical device you use there are multiple calendars available. You can use these to help maximize your day. It takes a little discipline but they can help develop a daily routine. You can read emails from 7-7:30, review deals from 8-10 and network from 10:30-12. However you structure your day is up to you but you should be this precise with your calendar. Once things get thrown off you should try to get back on track as quickly as possible.
- Focus On One Thing At A Time. Trying to handle three things at once but accomplishing nothing doesn’t do you much good. While multitasking is often seen as badge of honor is can actually be counterproductive. You end up stopping and starting several different tasks without finishing any of them. Instead of juggling everything focus on one thing at a time. Finish this task to completion. Not only will this task get done better but you will end up getting more accomplished. When your mind is free from clutter you are more efficient. Working hard is trying to do eight different things at once. Working smart is knocking off everything on your list one thing at a time.
There are only so many hours in a day. It is up to you to get the most out of all of them. Hard work is always important but working smarter will help you get more done.
