Feel like you’re working all the time but still falling behind?
Then you’ve come to the right place! This guide is an effective way to improve your productivity and achieve more with less effort. This guide will show you how to work smarter, not harder, with 12 proven strategies that save time, protect your energy, and help you focus on what moves the needle. Let’s dive right in.
Who am I? I'm Demir Bentley, co-founder of Lifehack Method and author of the WSJ bestseller Winning the Week. After burning out in a high-pressure career, I reinvented my lives and created a system that’s helped 50,000+ professionals at companies like Google, Uber, and PepsiCo work less and achieve more. Learn more here.
Key takeaways
- Working smarter means more results without burning yourself out
- You can 10x your output by focusing on the right tasks
- Sustainable energy—not hustle—is your secret weapon for long-term success
- Working smarter is a key to being successful in your career and personal life
- Maintaining motivation is essential for sustaining smarter work habits
Table of contents: Work smarter, not harder
- What does it mean to “work smarter, not harder”?
- 12 proven ways to work smarter
- Real-life examples
- Common mistakes to avoid
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What does working “smarter, not harder” mean?
“Work smarter, not harder” means streamlining your workflow to maximize your impact and protect your energy.
At its core, you leverage tools, systems, and high-impact thinking to get better results with less effort. So, while hustle culture screams, “Do more! Sleep less!”—often equating being busy with productivity—true success comes from actually accomplishing meaningful work, not just filling your day with tasks. Working smart says, “Do what matters. Use leverage. Build systems. And go ahead and sleep more too.” But working smart doesn’t mean you never have to work hard; in fact, combining both approaches—work smart and work hard—leads to the best results. In a world of burnout and AI disruption, this kind of mindset shift is SO important. 32% of employees waste up to two hours a day on tasks that don’t matter. And according to a survey by Indeed, 52% of workers feel burned out. Working smarter helps you break that cycle. Here’s what you gain:- More free time without falling behind
- Higher quality output with less stress
- Less burnout and overwhelm
- Better boundaries (and less guilt)
- More energy for the things you care about (like friends and family or passion projects)
Working smarter is our “secret” to having done so much in a short period of time. We’ve built a 7-figure business, traveled the world, lived abroad, published a WSJ bestselling book, and started a family of five. Oh, and we seldom work more than 20 hours a week.
Understanding the benefits of working smarter
Working smarter, not harder, is more than just a catchy phrase—it’s a proven concept that can transform your work and your life. By embracing working smarter, you unlock the ability to complete tasks more efficiently, freeing up valuable time for important tasks and your personal life. This shift doesn’t just boost productivity; it also helps you maintain focus, stay organized, and reduce stress. One of the biggest benefits of working smarter is achieving a healthy work life balance. When you use smart work strategies—like the Pomodoro technique, regular breaks, and prioritizing high-impact tasks—you’re able to manage your workload without feeling overwhelmed. This approach reduces decision fatigue and helps prevent burnout, supporting your mental health and overall well-being. Working smarter also means you spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on what truly matters. By streamlining your processes and staying organized, you can achieve your goals with less effort and more satisfaction. Ultimately, adopting the smarter not harder mindset leads to greater productivity, improved focus, and a life where you can thrive both at work and at home.
12 proven ways to work smarter and not harder
These 12 science-backed tips will help you work smarter, not harder, so you can get more done without burning out.
1. Get extremely clear on your goals
Radical clarity is your best productivity hack. So, before you tweak your schedule or try a new tool, ask yourself: What am I even working toward? Or better yet: What’s the ONE big result I want this year? Write it down. This is your filter for what matters (and what doesn’t). Once you know your big-picture goal, it becomes much easier to break it down into weekly and daily steps. 🎯 In this video, I share my exact process for achieving radical clarity.2. Focus on high-impact tasks
You’ve probably heard this before: 80% of your results come from just 20% of your actions. That’s the Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule). It’s a decision-making filter you can use every single day. Ask yourself:- What are the tasks that move the needle in my life or career?
- What’s just fluff that feels important, but doesn’t create real progress?
You can also use a system like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your to-do’s.
3. Use data to improve your workflow
Most of us waste more time than we think, simply because we’ve never seen the data. That’s why we have our Lifehack Tribe clients do something simple but game-changing: track their time for two weeks. Almost every single one finds 10+ hours they didn’t know they were losing! To do this, you can use an app like Toggl or even a simple spreadsheet. Here’s what you’ll likely notice. You’re:- Spending your best energy hours on low-value stuff
- Constantly context switching (more on that in a bit)
- Procrastinating more than you realized
- Not getting enough sleep
- Having too many meetings each week
Analyzing your workflow in this way can help reduce cognitive load by minimizing unnecessary task-switching, making it easier to focus on what matters most.
This kind of data is eye-opening and lets you redesign your workflow to match your energy and priorities.
4. Plan your week before it starts
The one habit that changes everything? Planning your week before it begins. Here’s how:- Block time for your top priorities
- Add admin, errands, and buffer time
- Include breaks and personal time
- Put everything on your calendar
- Review your plan for the next day to ensure a focused and productive start
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5. Time block your calendar
The average American makes around 35,000 decisions a day. Even small ones—what to work on next, when to take a break, whether to answer that email—add up and can lead to decision fatigue. It’s exactly why Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck every day. Fewer choices = more energy for what matters. While you don’t need to dress like a tech icon, you can simplify your days just like Steve Jobs simplified his closet. How? By creating a clear time-blocked calendar.Use Google Calendar (or any tool you like) to block time for specific tasks. Effective scheduling, such as calendar blocking or pre-scheduling breaks, helps you stay on track and reduces decision fatigue by organizing your day in advance. This gives your brain a plan to follow so you’re not constantly asking, “What now?”
6. Delegate, eliminate, and automate to leverage your time
If you’re doing everything, you’re holding yourself back. The key is to shift from control to leverage. Now I know that letting go of control can be hard at first. But once you start? You’ll wish you’d done it sooner. That’s where our signature tool comes in: TACO.As you use this method, remember the importance of learning to delegate tasks—by assigning responsibilities to others, you free up time for higher-priority work and boost your efficiency.
Here’s what TACO stands for:- ❌ Terminate what’s not necessary
- 🤖 Automate repetitive stuff (with tools like Zapier, ChatGPT, or Claude)
- 📦 Consolidate similar tasks (aka batching)
- 📤 Outsource what you don’t need to do yourself
In this video, I show you how to use the TACO method to shrink your workload and get your time back.
7. Reduce mental clutter with systems
Stop using your brain as a messy to-do list, and let your systems carry the load. Start here:- Create recurring checklists for things you do over and over (like end-of-day wrap-ups, weekly planning, or meal prep)
- Write simple SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for repetitive work (like onboarding a new client or processing invoices)
- Use digital dashboards (like Notion or Trello) to track tasks instead of trying to remember them (like content calendars or personal goals)
8. Use AI tools to get more done
I’ve tested 50+ AI productivity tools. Here are five of my favorite ones to work smarter instead of harder:- ✍️ ChatGPT Writer: Automate email writing to clear your inbox in half the time.
- 🔎 Perplexity: Lightning-fast research without wasting time on endless Google searches.
- 🎧 NotebookLM: Instantly pull insights from notes, PDFs, or transcripts.
- ✅ Asana AI: Stay on top of projects without constant emails or meetings.
- ⚙️ Zapier: Automate repetitive tasks so things get done while you focus elsewhere.
9. Eliminate distractions by design
Distractions are the biggest productivity killers. Here’s how to design your space for focus:- Create phone-free zones = out of sight, out of mind
- Do a notification audit and silence anything that isn’t urgent
- Use tools like Freedom and Cold Turkey to block distracting apps and websites
- Batch email replies to 2-3 scheduled times a day instead of constant checking
- Let colleagues or family know when you’re in “deep work” mode
- Dare to say no more often
10. Stop multitasking
Think multitasking saves time? It doesn’t. ⛔ Our brains literally can’t perform multiple tasks at once. Instead, it just switches rapidly between them, with each switch causing mental slowdown. Some of these switch costs are tiny, sometimes just a few tenths of a second, but they add up fast. Instead, try this:- Batch similar tasks (like replying to emails or doing admin)
- Monotask (do one thing at a time, start to finish)
11. Protect your energy (sleep, nutrition, boundaries)
Smart work is sustainable work. That’s why it’s so important to protect your energy:- Take regular breaks during your workday
- Prioritize sleep like it’s your secret weapon
- Move your body to recharge
- Eat nutritious meals that fuel your focus
- Say “no” more often and set clear boundaries with your time
This is how you create a life you don’t need to recover or escape from.
12. Build routines that run on autopilot
Remember how we said the average American makes over 35,000 decisions a day? Routines reduce that load. Start with:- A morning routine that energizes you and sets the tone (think: movement, journaling, or focused time)
- An evening wind-down routine that signals it’s time to shut off
- Decision-minimizing habits that remove decision fatigue (same breakfast, weekly planning rituals, etc.)
Consistent routines not only save mental energy but also help you build skills—like time management, organization, and effective communication—that support long-term productivity.
The less energy you waste deciding what to do next, the more you have for what matters.Overcoming the hard work mentality
For many of us, the idea that hard work is the only path to success is deeply ingrained. We’re taught that putting in long hours and grinding through endless tasks is the way to get ahead. But in today’s fast-paced world, this hard work mentality can actually hold you back and lead to stress or burnout. To truly embrace working smarter, not harder, it’s important to shift your focus from just working hard to working efficiently. This means using tools and technology to streamline your processes, delegating tasks when possible, and prioritizing the most important work. By managing your energy levels and focusing on smart work strategies, you can reduce stress and achieve a better work life balance—without sacrificing results. Remember, working smarter isn’t about avoiding hard work altogether. It’s about combining a strong work ethic with effective strategies and the right resources. For example, a developer who uses project management tools to organize tasks and share information with their team can complete projects more efficiently and with less stress. Sharing ideas and learning from others can also spark new strategies for working smarter, leading to greater productivity and success. By letting go of the belief that only hard work leads to achievement, and instead focusing on working smart, you’ll find it easier to manage your workload, maintain your well-being, and accomplish your goals—both in your career and your personal life.Real-life examples
The reason we’re such advocates of “working smarter” is because it completely transformed our lives. My wife, Carey, and I were once severely overworked. But using the same strategies we now teach, I cut my hours to just 2 per week—and still got promoted. That shift became the foundation of the Lifehack Method. Today, we support over 50,000 professionals and run a multi-7-figure business in just 20 hours a week.
We also prioritize our family and spending time with our three daughters.
Common mistakes to avoid
Now, even with the best tools, working smarter can backfire if you fall into these common traps:- Mistaking “busy” for “productive”: If your day is packed but you’re not making meaningful progress, you’re likely focusing on the wrong tasks.
- Overloading productivity systems: A color-coded digital dashboard won’t help if it takes over an hour a day to update. Keep it simple and sustainable.
- Not reviewing and adjusting your strategy: What worked last quarter might not work now. So, review your goals weekly and adjust.
Next steps
And that’s how you work smarter, not harder! Pick one of the 12 strategies above and try it this week. Then build from there. Want a simple way to put it all into motion today? Grab the Winning the Week worksheet for free right here:
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The Friday Ritual 100,000+ entrepreneurs use to walk into Monday already winning. Get the PDF + a 7-day setup guide.
- How to Have More Time for Yourself When You Are Busy
- The BEST Time Management Techniques for Busy Professionals
- How to Be More Productive at Work (Without Working More)
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