How To Work More Effectively & Efficiently
We would all like to know how to work more effectively and ultimately be better at using our time well because time is a resource which is finite for all of us. With so many productivity guides out there stating what not to do and what to do when it comes to maximizing your work output, I wanted to instead focus on the difference between working effectively and working efficiently.
Although these terms are used almost interchangeably, there are differences we will uncover today which make these two concepts worth differentiating and looking into, because each can uniquely impact your productive capacities.
If learning how to increases your output not only in terms of time but also in terms of getting the right tasks done sounds interesting to you, then continue on reading to find out.
I hope you find todays topic interesting and ultimately useful for your own applications for whatever you want to get done or to just become better at managing your time.
EFFECTIVE VS EFFICIENT
We have to first understand that our productivity through the day or during the course of a week can heavily fluctuate, since it is influenced by factors such as our sleep, ability to stay focused, how organized we are as well as other factors. Some days we will be more productive and energetically focused than others and that is normal. The key is to design and adapt your day around how energized and productive you feel for that day. For example, if you had a bad night of sleep, there is not much point in cramming a bunch of heavy energy consuming work for the whole day since your body is less well equipped to deal with it in the moment, so instead on days like this choose easier tasks to do.
Adapt your work schedule and obligations around your mental and energy capacities and most importantly don't be so hard on yourself for being human and having some days where you just cant seem to focus as well or that you feel uninspired or demotivated. It happens to all of us.
But the good news is that those days and times will pass and by taking care of ourselves first and our bodies needs, we can re-equip ourselves to have another meaningful and productive day, in whatever form that is for us.
Now what we have established that, lets look into the difference between working effectively and working efficiently:
Effective working:
It is about producing the wanted results or getting to the right accurate result, essentially meaning that effectiveness concerns the success of our output.
in a work scenario, this links to the quality of our work and also making sure to have a good grasp of task prioritization by getting the right things done.
Efficient working:
Efficiency is about producing the desired results but without wasting any or much resources such as materials, time or energy.
In a work setting, increasing efficiency is often linked with increasing the speed at which you get tasks done but in other cases it can also mean knowing how to manage your energy levels while still getting the right things done.
HOW TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY
Prioritizing your to do list (Using the Eisenhower Matrix method)
Setting a realistic number of tasks you want to get done today (Shortening your to do list)
Tackling your most important and hardest tasks first
Planning tomorrow the night before
Having a block of “me time” without distractions, meeting, calls etc
Communicating well with coworkers, group members or family members
Breaking down large tasks into more manageable sub tasks
Being careful when it comes to multitasking
Measuring your progress to keep you motivates
Take care of the basics: Reducing stress/ anxiety, sleeping well and eat enough (See blog post here)
Take regular breaks to rest and reenergize
Find your biological prime time (At what part of the day do you work best)
Getting better at saying no and respecting your time and energy boundaries
HOW TO WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY
Time blocking: Enter your most high priority tasks into a schedule
Stay organized (Digitally and physically)
Setting and following routines that work for you
Going into work with the right attitude
Don't wait for motivation or inspiration to start since these things are a result of working
Reduce the number of decisions you have to make in a day - you can only make so many in a day
Using idle bits of time (slots of 5-15 minutes) to knock out short tasks
Make the work you do as fun and engaging as possible
Making it as easy as possible to get started on a task
Avoiding distractions and stay focused (See blog post here)
Scheduling periods of deep work
CHECK OUT MY OTHER PRODUCTIVITY RELATED POSTS:
🧠 KEY IDEAS
In this blog post we have discussed the ins and outs of working effectively VS working efficiently and why it is important to strike a balance of both to optimize our productive output.
✏️ REFERENCES
Indeed Editorial Team. (n.d.). How To Work Effectively: What It Means and What To Do. Indeed. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/work-effectively
Bonnie, E. (2023). How to work effectively: 13 simple Strategies to Work Smarter. Blog Wrike. https://www.wrike.com/blog/how-to-work-effectively-13-strategies/
10 best strategies on how to improve work efficiency | TonyRobbins. (2023, August 1). tonyrobbins.com. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/improve-work-efficiency/
