How to work smart, not hard, as a creative

There are many conventionalisms we should change when it comes to working culture. One of the most significant is probably the amount of time we spend at the office.

The truth is, spending more time at the studio doesn't make you a better worker. Working hard is not the same thing as working smart. We feel it's better to make good use of your time than working more extended hours.

The thing is, how do you work smarter as a creative? We would propose to make sprints.

If you are not familiar with the term "design sprints", check Google's methodology. The power of sprints consists of the time pressure and focus. It makes you concentrate on achieving a particular goal in a specific time frame. That means not multitasking, not checking Instagram or emails.

It doesn't have to be complicated and lengthy. You can set sprints of one or two hours to finish a sketch for the poster you are doing, or an hour and a half to finally sit down and write that proposal you have been willing to complete for a long time.

The same rule applies to meetings and ideation sessions. Always set a precise time frame for it. There is nothing more time consuming than an endless meeting.

You shouldn't take this as the only alternative. There are many ways to make your work more productive. The exercise would be to ask yourself "how could I work smarter, not harder?".