It’s normal to want to do better at work for so many reasons. Whether you want the chance to get a pay rise or just want to produce a better product or service that you specialize in, the drive to want to do better in your job comes from a number of different places. How do you do this though?
It’s easy for someone to say “just work harder” when you might be working as hard as you can. This statement suggests that if you want to become a better worker, you must be slacking in some way. However, this isn’t always the case. You can be working your hardest while still wanting to do a better job, no matter what industry you work in or the company you work for.
Here are just a few ways you can become a better worker and see the benefits from it.
Find your time
The average working hours are 9 am to 5 pm but this isn’t always the best time that people work. You might be an early bird or night owl and find that you work better within a certain number of hours in the day.
It’s great if you can put your most important work off until this time, as you will likely do a much better job at it than if you did it any other time. Do you have the possibility to be flexible? Whether your job offers this, you work remotely and can move around your hours, or you are your own boss, there are a number of ways people have access to a flexible schedule.
If you do, finding out the time you feel most ready to work and going with that can be a great way to improve your work. If you are limited to a certain number of hours though, finding your best time within these hours can still be very effective.
Learn a new skill
When most people think about learning a new skill, their minds often go to learning it for a completely new job. This is a common practice, as many find that they want to move on to something else and pick up skills that will help them do this.
Let’s say you want to work in the web industry, learning how to code would be a great start for this. Having said that though, you can learn new skills that benefit your current job and ultimately make you a better worker.
Maybe you run a team and want to improve your people management skills? Perhaps you want to take a number of cyber security courses to improve your knowledge in this area? No matter what it is, learning a new skill is so good for you and may improve the way you work.
Take time off
Of all the examples on this list, this may certainly seem the most counterproductive. Why would you take time off when you want to become a better worker?
This is a common belief, the more you work then the better you’ll work, right?
Working more doesn’t always mean working well and taking breaks is a great way to reset your mind and recharge your batteries.
Just like taking a break from the gym can mean you go back strong, taking a break from work can be the boost you’re looking for once you do get back.
So many people don’t take the time off they are owed but it’s so important to use it. This doesn’t mean you’re not a good worker; it can mean the complete opposite.
Find your weak points
No one is perfect, and that’s completely okay. If you do want to become a better worker though, finding out where you slip and seeing how you can help this can be a great exercise for anyone to take part in.
Maybe you’re great at doing your actual job but your time management is poor? Or maybe you’re great at the admin side of things but aren’t confident speaking up in meetings?
Finding ways to make yourself even a little bit better in the areas where you are falling short can make a world of difference when it comes to how well you work. If you aren’t sure of what these are, speaking to your boss or team and asking for a little constructive criticism may be just what you’re looking for.
It’s admirable to want to do a better job at work and, while you should be proud of how hard you work now, there are absolutely ways that you can do this. In many of these cases, being patient is key as behaviours and habits don’t really change overnight.
Once you do start to see the difference though, it can be a truly great feeling of accomplishment.
