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  The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. –Stephen Covey The gospel of smart work has been preached far and wide, and has stirred up many debates, but how exactly do you master it? You may have heard the saying, ‘work smart, not hard’ and wondered what it really means. Many professionals have endorsed this mantra as the number one secret of success, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood success principles. Many people think that working smart means you no longer need to work hard, but this is simply not true. Here are a few tips to help you learn how to work smart: 1. Know your main thing Priorities are what set apart the excellent from the mediocre. This is especially true for people who are multi-talented. You need to F.O.C.U.S- Follow One Course Until Success- and you can only do this when you know what to focus on. If you’re an employee for instance, think carefully about what your company hired you for. Of all the activities you engage in, which ones most favourably affect your company’s bottom line? That’s the one that must mean the most to you. Identify it.   2. Do your main thing After identifying your main thing, you need to do it. If you must, keep a literal reminder of it in front of you every day; I always have my business card on my desk to remind me of the reason I set up my business, and what I’ve promised my clients. Just because you’re being busy doesn’t mean you’re giving your best shot. Busy doing what? That is the question. You can’t afford to devote equal attention to each task. Your main thing should remain your main thing. 3. Keep at your main thing until you can do it better than most Your main thing should be up front in your head every single day. It should so be your priority that you work harder at it and so become terrific at it. This may not apply to you if you’re still at a place where you just have a job and not a career; at this stage you simply do what impacts the company most. However, when building a career, you need to be conscious of YOU as an asset. You need to hone your main thing and polish it until it is almost synonymous with your name. That something that you do better than other people will eventually be the basis of your career if you’re going to be successful.  What’s your main thing?   About the writer: Joy Ehonwa is a writer, editor and online proofreader who is passionate about relationships and personal development. She runs Pinpoint Creatives, a copy-editing, ghostwriting and transcription business, and blogs at www.anafricandiva.wordpress.com and www.girlaware.wordpress.com 
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This article was first published on 30th October 2014 and updated on June 26th, 2015 at 3:00 pm

jehonwa

Joy Ehonwa is an editor and a writer who is passionate about relationships and personal development. She runs Pinpoint Creatives, a proofreading, editing, transcription and ghostwriting service. Email: pinpointcreatives [at] yahoo.com

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