“Hustle” is one of the most popular words in today’s world of business and entrepreneurship. The dominant message is simple: If you want to make it, you have to hustle. You need the drive to work hard and the willingness to go all in and put it on the line. Yet this mentality can leave many of us feeling like there must be a better way. Enter the work smart vs. work hard debate. What will lead to the results we’re looking for? Additionally, if constant hustle isn’t the answer, how can we learn how to work smarter, not harder?
We’re human beings, and we need balance. That is where working smart can be your superpower. Working hard isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to success. Remember, if you lack a strong strategy to start with, your hard work could end up yielding little to no results.
Here’s the secret: work smarter, not harder. Prioritize working smart first, and then work hard and hustle.
How to Work Smarter, Not Harder: Breaking It Down
We all know what it means to work hard, but what about working smart? Working smart means having a strategy and a purpose. It means prioritizing the results of your work and not getting so obsessed with demonstrating your work ethic that you end up wasting time better spent on another task.
Do your hard work in alignment with your commitment to smart strategy. You can hustle 24/7/365 when you know that you have a plan that works for you and your business. You put in the hard work to make the game plan work. In other words, your hard work is the byproduct of consistently following your strategy.
Remember, if you work all day and put in long hours but your strategy is unclear or weak, those hustle hours may not amount to much.
There are many examples of successful people in different industries who follow this concept of working smarter. Beyoncé, for example, works on setting boundaries and focusing her energy on projects she’s passionate about, as well as prioritizing time to rest and recharge. Richard Branson has created his own processes to filter and prioritize ideas and advocates for a daily routine. Steve Jobs understood and worked to his strengths, focusing on larger goals, then taking the small steps needed to complete them.
24/7/365: The Pitfalls of Constant Hustle
The 24/7/365 meaning is continuous, round-the-clock operation. These little numbers are a big representation of hustle culture. While hustle is still a big part of work culture for many entrepreneurs, it has plenty of downsides. For one thing, it isn’t sustainable over the long term (and even sometimes in the short term). If we push ourselves too far, we can end up with health problems and even emotional damage.
Some of the pitfalls of constant hustle include:
Exhaustion and Burnout
If you’re constantly hustling, you’re sure to burn out at some point. You will likely end up exhausted and drained, both physically and emotionally.
Lack of Psychological Wellbeing
Your mental and emotional wellbeing can suffer if you hustle constantly for too long. If this happens, you’ll find it harder to work smart, and your output could suffer.
Less Attention to Detail
The faster you work and the longer you keep up the hustle, the more likely you are to overlook important details.
Perhaps even more significantly, without a strong strategy, hustling 24/7/365 is unlikely to bring you success. Prioritize time to rest, recharge and practice good self-care. This can help you maintain focus on your big-picture goals, have more creative energy and complete tasks more effectively.
Why Working Smart Is Better Than Working Hard
In the Harvard Business Review, Utkarsh Amitabh explains that “while hard work and success are most certainly correlated, correlation is not causation.” Amitabh suggests that it’s important to look at the big picture, and the steps you need to take get long-lasting results.
According to Robin Madell at U.S. News & World Report, smart work techniques are “designed to help you reach your goals and complete tasks with less time and effort than you would have spent by grinding out hard work.” Smarter work output is key.
In other words, working smart means planning and strategizing. Think about it this way. You can work as hard as you want on something and not reap any rewards. For example, you could get up right now and work on product design for the next 24 hours, but it won’t benefit you unless there is market demand for the product. Hard work alone doesn’t necessarily result in success.
Smart Hard Work: Finding the Right Balance
It’s important to strike the right balance between working hard and working smart in your daily routines. With this in mind, you can help to ensure you’re putting in a great effort while conserving your energy, so that the work you do is truly useful and valuable. In other words, prioritize quality over quantity.
Here are some strategies for how to manage hard work when it’s necessary.
Communicate Well
When there’s an enormous workload, communication can fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, though, a lack of good communication can affect work quality and efficacy.
So, the next time you have to work hard because of an important project or something similar, pay extra attention to how well you are communicating.
Stay Calm
It’s all too easy to get flustered when you’re working hard, but staying calm can help you achieve better results. In many cases, a feeling of calm is essential to focus.
Focus on Goals and Objectives
Remember that the reason you’re doing a task is to achieve an objective. If you keep that in mind, you’re more likely to work smart. Decide on the objectives that will help you achieve your goals.
Learn How to Delegate
If you manage a team, you can delegate tasks to better manage your workload. Understand your team members’ skill sets so that you can choose the most capable person for every task.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Practical Tips for Sustainable Success
Take frequent breaks, delegate tasks where you can and focus on your highest-priority goals. Taking these steps means that you achieve your goals without breaking the pace of your stride, giving you the best chance of success over the long term.
Goal-setting is key to smart work. Once you’ve set your goals, it’s important to prioritize them strategically. This way, you minimize expending any unnecessary energy and effort.
Here are some useful tips for working smart.
Minimize Distractions
Improve your awareness of potential distractions and how you can eliminate them. Maybe you’re in the habit of peeking at your social media accounts when you want a short break. However, this can be a problem, because a few moments could turn into an hour.
Instead of falling into this trap, decide on something else specific you can do when you need to refresh your mind. Adam Alter with New York University’s Stern School of Business, for example, recommends going on a two-minute walk.
Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Knowing and recognizing your strengths and weaknesses can make it easier for you to decide on the smart work strategy that fits your personality and needs. By knowing where you excel and where you struggle, you’ll be in a solid position to prioritize goals and tasks.
Use the Power of Routine
The World Economic Forum reports that having a routine “can support cognitive function, boost health and provide meaningful activities and social opportunities.” That’s because when you’re used to doing the same or similar tasks regularly, they eventually require less cognitive energy. When this happens, you have more mental space to do more demanding tasks. If you can, try to use time blocking during your work day to harness the power of routine.
Prioritize and Stay Organized
Prioritizing means deciding on which tasks and goals are the highest priority. Creating a schedule and dedicating time to high-priority tasks can help ensure that you focus on these things first.
Staying organized is essential to working smart. If you’re not organized, it can be challenging to keep the kind of concentration you need to make the most of your time.
The Power of Smart Work and Hustle Combined
Now you have some ideas on how to work smart. Remember, a strong strategy is to combine the power of working smart and working hard. Use these ideas to help you find your personal balance between efficiency and effort.
Start using smart work strategies right now. This can help you have the chance to reach a higher level of success without the danger of burning out. By working smart, you can work hard and be successful.
Photo by Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock.
