Burnout occurs in real life. Overcommitting, missing deadlines, skipping downtime, and relentlessly pushing oneself to succeed can have a significant detrimental impact on both your professional and personal lives. 

Finding methods to work more effectively rather than harder is frequently the key to success. Remember have the same number of hours in a day as Gordon Ramsey.

Here are six tips for working wisely to increase your productivity at work in that precise vein.

Write it down!

Write a list, even though it seems so simple. Sincerely, as archaic as it may seem, get a notepad, and a pen, and list your objectives in bullet points. It doesn’t matter if they are life objectives, or errands. Put pen to paper and hold yourself accountable with deadlines for any goals you have. In addition to giving you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as you complete or cross each one off, this exercise enables you to micromanage your days by setting brief, attainable, time-bound goals. We are all familiar with the “SMART” scale for setting goals. By setting out numerous tasks in a limited amount of time, you can accomplish much more because it keeps you on course.

Stop multitasking

Every one of us would like to be divided into five different “selves,” wouldn’t we? You kind of wish you could have the “accountant,” “manager,” “client director,” and “sales manager” versions of yourself all independently working at once, but that’s just not possible, especially for freelancers, start-ups, or small-to-medium production companies where you wear several hats per day. 

Instead of attempting to put out fires in all directions, stick to one at a time. Splitting your time and attention is not a good idea because it is not organized and effective. One task or commitment at a time deserves your complete attention before you move on to the next.

Simply say “no”

Saying “no” from time to time is much preferable to accepting every offer that knocks on your door. Keep in mind that we’re trying to work smarter, not harder. Choose the options that will work best for you if you are currently giving everything you have to every opportunity that comes your way. 

This is a good example of spending your valuable energy, time, and passion on things you don’t want to be doing. You don’t want to expend all of your energy on a project or brief you never really wanted in the first place. A crucial business skill that everyone should develop is the ability to politely decline an offer.

Set deadlines

By establishing reasonable, attainable deadlines, you may control your expectations as well as those of your clients. You may find many justifications to put off or put off work when you’re juggling 70 plates at once and running your business, but if you stick to a timetable, you’ll find that things essentially take care of themselves. Payroll, for instance, should be scheduled for a set time each week. Set a date in your calendar and aim towards finishing a project in three months. To keep yourself and/or your colleagues updated on your progress, schedule weekly 10-minute catch-up meetings. Setting deadlines and adhering to them inspires you to accomplish your goals and forces you to prioritize, thus making your productivity far more streamlined. 

Delegate where possible 

It’s physically hard to divide oneself into five or more different versions of yourself, but if you have other coworkers or contacts with whom you can share the burden, it’s not completely impossible. If you want something done, “do it yourself,” the saying goes. However, there are times when it can be very helpful to remove yourself and your feelings from the situation and, where assistance is possible, delegate small tasks to others so you can concentrate on the bigger fish that need to be frittered. 

We can all be guilty of overburdening ourselves with work because we want it “done right,” but pause to consider whether this lessens your enjoyment of your work. In the future, remember that “many hands make light work.”