Work smarter, not just harder

If you know me, you know that I am a believer in hard work. Sure, some people might stumble upon success despite being incurably lazy, but in general, it’s hard work that leads to success. However, it’s not always better to work harder.

I have managed to achieve some success in search engine optimization, and I would argue that it’s due to two things: luck and hard work. The luck of being in the right place when opportunities presented themselves, the luck of stumbling upon solutions to complex problems, and the luck of meeting the right people. What has ultimately gotten me where I am today, though, is hard work and perseverance. I’m convinced that during the years when SEO in Sweden really started to take off, I worked harder and longer than anyone else.

It might sound like bragging, but what I want to say is that I’m convinced anyone can do it. It’s not about being smarter, faster, more attractive, or any of the other things we often believe lead to success; what’s almost always limiting is how much stamina you have. It’s the person who keeps going for that extra mile when others think it hurts too much who ends up going the furthest (oh, that sentence turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy).

Not just harder

To address what I mentioned in the headline, it’s incredibly important to work smarter, not just harder. I’m not talking about popping mind-altering pills, but rather about learning to understand yourself better. Here are a few examples that have made life much easier for me:

Work at the right time. Personally, I’m much more efficient between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM. That’s when I get the most done, my brain works better than later in the day, and problems that seemed unsolvable the day before are easily cracked. “Sleeping on it” means to me that I have a chance to solve the problem in the morning instead, something I know pays off. What time works best for you?

Work in the right place. It’s not necessarily at your desk where you’re most productive. Now, I’m not a fan of the “work from anywhere” doctrine, and I firmly believe you need to meet your colleagues regularly to build a healthy company culture. However, it could very well be that you’re at your best in the shower or when you’re about to fall asleep. Don’t leave work at the office—if an idea strikes you as you’re falling asleep, take a note.

Calm down. Sometimes the workload gets overwhelming, and that’s just how it is. The most common problem I see in workplaces is the stress that appears when there’s too much to do. You might feel like you have to work every second you’re at the office, but that’s almost never true. Taking five minutes to plan, reflect, and prioritize won’t harm your eight-hour workday, and it could make the work much better done instead of just quickly finished.

Don’t get stuck in jargon. Every workplace has its traditions, routines, and climate. At one place, you take a 30-minute coffee break in the morning even though it was supposed to be 15 minutes. At another, the company doesn’t mind if the customers don’t get the best the company can deliver. At a third, they slack off with invoices. Sure, climate and routines are necessary in a workplace, but watch out for the negative sides of it.

Take responsibility. If there’s one thing I believe distinguishes a good employee, manager, or business owner, it’s taking responsibility. There are no excuses when things go wrong, it’s never anyone else’s fault, and when something falls through the cracks, the person who picks it up and solves the problem is the gold star in the office. The reason it’s easy to avoid this is that being the one responsible can be tough. But if you’re not the one with the responsibility, you won’t grow in the same way. Have you seen the movie The Replacements? There are 30 seconds left in the game, and the win hinges on the final play. Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves) says, “I want the ball.”

Gene Hackman replies: “Winners always do.”