There is a phrase commonly attributed to Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, which is:
“I choose a lazy person to do hard work. Because of laziness, she will discover a simple way to solve the problem.”
Although the authorship of this phrase is debatable, the idea it conveys is relevant.
Working smart rather than working hard is a matter of understanding how you work best and using that knowledge to optimize your work. Therefore, we decided to bring you somewhat different content, to give you some concrete tips on how to optimize your digital workflow. Let’s do it?
10 ways to optimize your digital workflow
Don’t forget, to work more optimally, it’s important to personalize your work experience. Some of these tips may not make sense to you.
1) Use organization tools
It’s common during times of busy work to feel like you’re overwhelmed with tasks (it happens to everyone). A good way to prevent this is through a project management tool. This way you will be able to organize your tasks and establish which ones are the most priority. A time-tracking tool is also essential, so you know how much time you are spending on each task. Remember that “time is money”.
You may have to try out some of these tools until you find the right one for you, but eventually you will find one that will meet all your requirements.
2) Create automatisms
Once you have the tools and applications that suit your way of working, create a way to automate them.
As an example, we will explain a form of automation that we have for managing our tasks and time used. We use a time-tracking application that is linked to the project management application, and when we start a task, it starts almost automatically (we still have to click a button to start), counting the time we are on that task.
It is also important to automate your communications, and for that, we have this content that will help you: Email Marketing: 4 Basic Flows to Automate Your Communications!
3) Focus on a single task
For some people, multitasking is the most efficient way to work, for others not so.
The concept of monotasking focuses on this. One task at a time, carried out with full attention and focus. This way of working requires some habituation and commitment, but it brings great results when applied correctly.
Depending on your way of working, it may take time to get used to this way of working, or you may not even be able to make this adaptation.
4) Prepare your workplace for productivity
Think about how your workspace can help your workflow and prepare it accordingly.
Maybe you could organize your desk in a different way or even try a tall desk so you can work standing up. Adding a second monitor to your desktop can also be a good decision. There are many options and everything will depend on your budget.
5) Avoid digital (even if just for a moment)
Yes, this tip seems counterintuitive, but it could help. We are increasingly used to working digitally, but sometimes returning to pen and paper may not be a bad choice. Many people think best visually, or by taking notes. This way, having a pen and paper can help you organize your work better.
An idea that can also work well is to have a board to write on. For example, at Paipeláine, we have a board on the wall, which helps us take quick notes during a brainstorming session. Thus, all the ideas are written down, and sometimes, whether a few hours later, or the next day, looking at these notes with “fresh” eyes, we can reach different conclusions about these ideas.
6) Turn off notifications
This is a very simple tip to follow and will bring many benefits to your workflow. How many times has it happened to you that you are focused on your work and receive a notification on your smartphone or even on your computer?
By turning off notifications, you will focus all your attention on the task at hand. Try it and you’ll see that you’ll get used to it.
7) Shortcuts are your friends
Many people shy away from keyboard shortcuts. Although, at first glance, they seem complicated, with practice they will become an important tool for optimizing your workflow.
Look in the documentation of the software you use regularly, which shortcuts are available and you will certainly find some useful ones. Some software even lets you create personalized shortcuts, this way you will optimize your work even more.
8) Organize your tasks by priority
This idea works quite well with point 3 on our list. You will probably have several tasks to perform at any point in your work, but they probably won’t all have the same priority. Focus on those that are most urgent and leave those that have longer delivery times for later.
For everything to work well, the priority of tasks should be decided before you start them. You can do this, for example, during a task distribution meeting.
9) The help of Artificial Intelligence
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a huge help for your tasks, making them easier and faster.
Depending on the type of work you do, there are different AIs that can help you. You can check out some in this article, and also in this one!
10) Rest your mind
This tip can be used in your daily professional life, as well as for your personal life, in fact, it even works better when used together in both.
Try not to “take work home” in your head. Whatever remains to be done, it will still be there tomorrow, and when you look at that task with a “fresh” mind, you will probably come to the conclusion that it is nothing that cannot be done.
Another important thing you should do, if you are overwhelmed with work, is ask for help. Sometimes we tend to do everything alone, but it’s not necessary. When asking for help, someone will look at your work from a different perspective and will probably give you an idea that hadn’t occurred to you yet.
We hope this somewhat different article was useful to you. You know, for any questions send us a message. Don’t forget to follow our Social Networks: Facebook; YouTube; Instagram; LinkedIn.
See you soon…