Work smarter and not harder

Hello there!  I'm Scott Savoy, editor at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
I hope that everyone is enjoying their October weekend and today I am delighted to introduce an editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan.
I wish you a great weekend

 

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Work smarter and not harder

 

I think that I may have just figured out something very important in my life.  I need to start working smarter, not harder.  Up till now I used to think that the harder I worked, the better it would be for me.  I used to burn the candle at both ends by working more than 50 hours a week.  I used to really throw myself into my job and double my efforts to please my clients and even beat their deadlines.  I used to multi task all the time because I honestly felt that it was the only way for me to succeed but guess what!  Whereas I was doing well enough in my business, my personal life along with my health was suffering.
 
Then last year I lost my elder brother to cancer.  Before he passed on he told us he believed that his illness had been caused by too much stress on the job.  As an airline captain he had to spend the majority of his married life away from home and he definitely worked harder and not smarter.  I am still struggling to come to terms with his loss and every day I remember his words.  Working harder does not necessarily mean working smarter.  I am in no way saying that stress is a forerunner to cancer but many health experts are strongly suggesting that there may be a link between the two.

 

As a blind professional woman, I have to work that bit harder in order to keep up with my competitors because like it or not it takes me longer to do things.  The same thing applies to my household chores and these are just facts of life that I have to accept.  What I realized a few months ago is that if I don't change my lifestyle soon it will definitely change me soon.  So, with this in mind, I have made a few changes to the way I do things.  I am still working hard but now I am working smart.  How am I doing this?  Well, here's what I have started to do.

 

I give myself a mental health holiday every week and on the designated day I do what I enjoy doing outside of work.  Things like ice skating, playing chess, fooling around on my electronic keyboard, reading, relaxing, socializing, and cooking.  I have made it a habit not to think about work on my day off and I leave the office to my team.  I enjoy what the outdoors has to offer me and in short I take precious time to smell the roses and appreciate my loved ones.  Working smarter means that I now prioritize my tasks.  I do what I enjoy doing and not what I feel obligated to do.  I work best at tasks I love the most and I work worst at tasks that I feel pressured to do.  So I now work at what I love and enjoy.
 
I take brief mental breaks between projects.  Each day I allocate five to 10 minutes to dream and this helps me to replenish my creative juices.  I take time to eat properly and there is also time to make at least 1 social phone call per day.  Whenever I feel mentally tired I leave my desk and go for a brief walk.  Finally, I ensure that the projects I undertake are ones that will bring me personal satisfaction.  Life is too short to not enjoy what you are doing.
 
Try working smarter and not harder.  It's working for me and I'm feeling really good about myself, my life and my job.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreationsca.blogspot.com
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca