You don’t just want to get things done, you want to get the right things done. You’re ready to add to your list of accomplishments and work smarter, not harder. These are all traits of a highly effective, efficient professional. If you do these 6 things, you can join their ranks! Why would you want to? Because these are the achievers, the go-getters, and the career rock stars of the world!

1. Make Sure Goals Are Set & Never Forget:

If you’re not working with a purpose, it’s hard to stay motivated. That’s why goals are so important. If you have set goals and you’re always driven to reach them, small roadblocks won’t affect you. And small distractions won’t derail your focus. Make sure you have set goals that you’re actively working towards and never forget what those goals are.

2. Let Goals Automate Your Decision Making:

When you know what your goals are your decision-making process doesn’t have to be fraught with contemplation. Think about your most important work goals. Prioritize them. Then, if an opportunity arises or a decision needs to be made, all you have to do is ask, “will this help me reach my goals?” Indecision is a hallmark of ineffective, inefficient people who don’t know what they want. If you can make your decision-making process almost automatic, you’ll reserve a lot of time and energy that can be put to use elsewhere.

3. Create Systems:

If you want to make progress towards your goals, setting up systems is key. For example, someone trying to lose weight will set up systems for exercising on a regular basis, preparing healthy meals in advance, etc. When you have a system in place, it’s a lot easier to stay focused on the road ahead and consistently put in work that produces effective meaningful results.

4. Believe You’re In Control of Your Life:

Are you the kind of person who blames luck for your successes or failures or do you believe you’re in control of your own life? If you answered the latter, you’re well on your way to becoming an effective, efficient person both at work and in your personal life. Not everything is in your control but, if you believe you are in control of your life, that belief will help you spend less time worrying about what might happen to you so you can spend more time making things happen for yourself.

5. Single-task, Don’t Multitask:

The most effective, efficient people know that multitasking isn’t the way to get your best work done as quickly as possible. Instead, focusing on a single task and throwing all of your energy and attention behind it will result in higher-quality work that’s often finished a lot faster than it would have been had you multitasked.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Deviate from Plans or Ask for Help:

If you want to be highly effective and efficient, you need to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ‘em. If you’re afraid to deviate from your set plans or ask for help, you’re locking yourself in a box that may lead to widespread inefficiency and ineffectiveness. You won’t be able to achieve all of your goals if you refuse to deviate from plans when things aren’t working out or ask for help when you need it.

When you’re a highly effective and efficient professional, you’re constantly achieving and moving forward in your career. Who wouldn’t want to be one of those people? Do these 6 things and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a highly effective and efficient professional.

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