As I started writing this post, I had just sent out my first ever exclusive newsletter article to my subscribers (read more about why you too might want to subscribe). It was 7:39 AM and I had been up since five. Today, my alarm failed me and I woke up only at six, fired up my computer and got to changing my world. My kids will wake up soon, and I’m a bit anxious to have the post out of the door before they wake up.
With two small children I don’t have too much time to work on my projects, so I keep coming back to the thought of working smart instead of hard. It would be nice to just work an hour or two when I feel like it and then forget all about it. But that’s not how it goes. Smart work is great, but it’s no substitute for hard work.
So, if you are procrastinating on your next big idea, here’s the deal: stop looking for the smartest ways to do it, and just get back to work. If you don’t have a plan for how to work smart, work just as hard as you can and figure out the smart as you go.
How I Work
During July (my summer vacation from my day job), I have been testing my ideal work routine, which I plan to continue when I stay home with my kids starting January 2011. It consists of nowhere close to as many hours of work as that of some of the most hardworking bloggers and internet entrepreneurs I know, yet it is as hard work as it can get for me.
- I work every morning, except Sundays when I sleep in. I wake up between five and six AM depending on how late I stayed up the night before — aiming to start closer to five than six, with varying success.
- I jump right in. I try to plan my work for the next day in advance before I get to bed so I have a clear plan for where to start. When I forget to do this, I can easily lose half an hour in the morning for surfing the web and looking for inspiration.
- Focus. Knowing that I only have the three or so hours in the morning available for my work, I am forced to focus on the things I think matter most. When Oiva wakes up, I turn off the computer and stop my work right there. If I haven’t completed the most important task by then, the task gets postponed to tomorrow.
So, my hard work is about three hours every day. That’s not hard work, you say. And, sure, it’s not optimal yet: if I got to bed a bit earlier, I could probably wake up about an hour or so earlier and squeeze in one more hour.
But that’s not the point.
Work Hard With the Hours You Got
This is where smart work comes to play.
Most office workers spend eight or more hours at the office every day. You probably do too, just like I do, when it’s not July. And out of those eight hours, how many are actually hard work? Four? Maybe five?
When working these three hours, the risk is the same. If I don’t pay close attention to what I do, three can easily turn into one, or even less. That has happened. But when you do pay attention, you don’t need full working days to get a lot of things done. A couple of hours can be plenty.
Blog posts and e-books don’t write themselves. The world isn’t changed in five minutes (although many five minute iterations will ultimately do the trick).
So work hard with the hours you have available. It’s the only thing you can do.
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This is a blog about making time and creating opportunities for things that matter (you, your family, the community around you and changing the world for the better) through minimalism, slowing down and a never ending curiosity.
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Great post, Jarkko! I agree with the importance of making a plan for the following day’s work. I’m always much more productive when I can dive right in and start knocking items off my to-do list.
I’ve also found that consolidating tasks (like answering emails all at once, instead of throughout the day) also works wonders.
Hi Jarkko, I found your blog here by mistake and continued to read through your achieves and found ALOT in common with you. I have gone through my life searching for a better life then 12hr shifts a day work just to earn a living. Everyday I would chase many DREAM opportunities such as work online, work at home, pyramid schemes, network marketing, etc.. I made some money and lost money but learned it was only a non existent opportunity. Things in life always work out for the best and after many friends and family telling me Im going against the flow of life and its impossible to make my dream a reality, I can proudly sit here today and tell you I found my niche in life and I MADE MY DREAM, REALITY I am 27 years old and RETIRED, I havent worked a job for over 2 years. I spend all day with my wife and kids and have plenty of time to do anything I want to. I know what you must be thinking and NO Im not rich in wealth and I diddnt downsize my life at all, I want to show others that you CAN live this dream we all have, you just have to know where to look and make some drastic changes in your enviroment. You also need to be business minded. You can email me at manbenjamin@msn.com for more info about SACRIFICING TO A BETTER LIFESTYLE.