How to work smart and not hard

I myself kinda never could this fixed, but wth, advice aftral is free....Some steps mentioned here must be executed at your own risk.

Assess everything that needs to be done.
Before you plunge in headfirst, remember that enthusiasm needs to be tempered with wisdom. Look over every aspect of the job, and allow yourself ample "pondering time" so that you can be sure that every detail is accomplished on time, and accurately.

Make an outline.
Whether it's in your head or on paper, you should have a checklist in mind, and follow it to the letter, and in order - you don't want to repeat steps, duplicate the efforts of others, or make mistakes. Also, you definitely don't want to forget anything.

Consider your materials.
Using inexpensive materials where they are easily installed makes sense. Trying to save a few bucks but spending an extra hour or two because those cheap things didn't install properly doesn't make any sense at all.

Follow your plan and don't deviate from it - unless you must.
Once you've assessed the job and come up with a plan, it's usually best to stick with the plan. However, things come up: all sorts of emergencies can throw a wrench into your plan. Be prepared to think on your feet, and be resourceful. Nimble thinking is essential to working smart, especially when something goes wrong. Following a plan slavishly, in spite of new information, developments, or problems is just plain dumb. Be flexible and change if you need to.

Delegate the right people at the right times.
Make sure your team is well-ordered. If one person is faster, put him or her on the part of your task that will take longest. If one person is more skilled and accurate, put him or her on the part of the task that is most critical. If you are an aggression-less Virgo and just can’t delegate, then face it that you are a out of luck alsoran like me , so get someone else to delegate work for you. Now even that is ‘delegating’ but keep your fingers cross.

Work parallel.
This something I learned in an industry while at my summer internship program. When talking of teams, there must be layers involved. Like if accomplishment of a work requires steps A-B-C-D, and then assign four people each of it. And command them to do it simultaneously.

Give one to three choices - never more.
When you are expected to do something, and it requires an approval before it could roll on. Stick to this maxim above. For e.g., if you are told to design a flyer or a brochure for certain upcoming event. Design just three variants of it, and show it to the judges. If you give more choices the story for you would never end.


Never willingly trap yourself into accepting a bad job.
You know when you get that "uh-oh" feeling that something is not right. A person above you who pressures you into areas where you are not comfortable, either because it is an unreasonable expectation or because it's outside your scope needs to be aware immediately of your discomfort with the job as proposed. Make any misgivings clear instantly, and in front of others, if possible.

Work as hard and as efficiently as possible
-and finish each job as quickly as you can. Hit every job with everything you've got. Getting it done quickly and efficiently - while you have the time - is much smarter than looking at the schedule and telling yourself you have three more days to get it done, and then going to a long PS3 break. You don't know what will happen tomorrow - you might come down with the flu[if you do, eat ice-creams it helps].

Recognize the point of 'no returns.'
The above steps do not imply that you should work yourself to the point of exhaustion. You need to protect your health and the integrity of your job. Working yourself to a frazzle constantly makes you prone to mistakes. When you're so tired that you realize it's taking you twice or three times longer to do a job than normal, you need to call it a day. Rest at least a few hours, and come back fresher, so that you can be strong at the end of the job. Learn how to power nap. It’s tough to power nap, but it does work for some.

Finish strong.
It's sooooo important! Being dead tired and sluggish at the finish line is not smart - it's foolish. Be sure that you are well rested at deadline time.

Ok, much said…now I am working hard and not smart going on and on with this. I won’t try to teach you anything any more. [Oh boy, can I be cruel or what!!!]