Working hard is not synonymous with working well. Discover how to make the most of your work hours. Be more productive every day.

Most entrepreneurs and employees work more than three extra hours a day. Besides, according to a study conducted by Yahoo, 6 out of 10 American sleep with the smartphone on the side of the bed and about 80% of people find it impossible not to check their mail outside the working day.

  But is this necessary? No. Working overtime is beneficial to you and the company only when it is strictly necessary. But doing so every day speaks of an inefficient personal and corporate organization. Before you change the structures or the way you work in your company, start with yourself. Follow these tips to get organized and improve your performance:

1. Getting up early

Going to work sooner is a great technique to get the most out of the day. If you are the first to arrive at your place of work you can start your day with fewer distractions (unnecessarily long greetings, inappropriate telephone calls, among others), which will allow you to concentrate on what you need to do. It is certainly difficult to put into practice, but be confident in its effectiveness. 

2. Plan your day

The best way to capitalize on your work day is to plan it. Spend 20 to 40 minutes a day on this assignment and, for no reason, think it's wasted time. Quite the opposite: the definition of a good work agenda will allow you to prioritize with certainty and advance in the critical issues. 

If you do it day by day, it will finally improve your "global vision" about your tasks, and you will be able to anticipate stressful meetings or identify new tricks to improve your performance. Plan your day to concentrate when you arrive early at work.

Learn how to automate your workflow. 

3. Attack the hardest tasks first. Prioritize

and deal with the most complex tasks as quickly as possible. At the start of the day, your concentration levels are better, and you have more energy. 

Result: solve the most difficult issues with greater speed and effectiveness. The other side of the coin is to leave everything to the end and risk making mistakes for not being in your best physical and mental condition.

4. Dedicate yourself to addressing one topic at a time

If you think multitasking is an asset, you're wrong. The right planning of your activities and the firm decision to attack first the most difficult tasks will allow you, then, to have the capacity to attend a single theme each time. 

The goal is to actually focus on solving problems or planning new business or procedures. Also, you will in less time. As much as possible, avoid distractions and guide you through your work schedule.

Read: 23 Ways to Renew Your Professional Energy

5. Rest from time to time

When you plan your day, leave some blanks to rest. Your body and your mind will need pauses to recover energy.

Remember that resting is not synonymous with wasting time. You can read your favorite newspaper for 15 or 20 minutes, have a coffee outdoors or have a nice chat. Do not abuse the breaks and avoid interrupting others while distracting yourself.

6. Learn to say no

Although it sounds logical, a great secret to concentrate on what is critical is to ignore the trivial tasks. If you do not learn to say no, it is very likely that your agenda is full of time-consuming issues and generate few benefits for the company and for you. All this, not counting the fact that any additional task is neither paid nor appreciated. Be faithful to your planning and do not tire without meaning.

Also: 7 Simple Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Attention and Concentration

7. Order your place of work and your computer

Your workspace, most likely, has two faces: one real (your office, the plant, etc.) and a virtual (your computer). And it is impossible to be efficient if this environment is so messed up that you can lose tens of minutes looking for a file or that important document that someone left on your desktop. 

It's not about "forgetting" everything in electronic drawers or folders, so it looks nice. The only purpose of working in an orderly space is to facilitate your performance and, if possible, to stimulate your creativity.

8. Do you need to be always available? 

Communication technologies - namely email, messenger, smartphone, social networks and telephone mailbox - are beneficial if you manage them correctly. But beware, they can become the worst enemies of your efficiency.

Tip: avoid the distractions of being always online and learn to use these services in a measured manner.

9. Divide tasks into smaller activities

Start each day prioritizing activities, writing and scheduling each one. By separating them into simpler and shorter tasks, your brain responds better, decreases stress, and achieves your goals faster. 

10. Delegate Responsibilities

Those tasks that do not generate profits or that only take time away from you to someone on your team or hire outsourcing services. Do not see it as an expense, but as an investment.