Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, considers “work smarter, not harder” to be one of the most widespread personal development clichés. Busy people are always hurrying to get from point A to point B, and half of the time, most of them are running late in the process. They’re off to work, meetings, social events, presentations, etc. and they barely have enough time for their family and friends. On top of that, they’ve had so much coffee throughout the day that they can’t get a good night’s sleep, which makes them less productive the next day. These people have emails spitting out of their iPhones as fast as a jackrabbit in front of a prairie fire and their Google calendar is jammed with “to-dos.” Are you guilty of keeping yourself busy just because you feel compelled to do so, but in reality, you haven’t accomplished anything?

Collaboration Essential to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Wouldn’t it be nice to slow down, breath and prioritize your tasks? Do one thing at a time and be productive while doing it! There are so many instances where I, myself, am “busy,” but 3 hours later, I’ll look at the time and see that I haven’t accomplished one thing on my to-do list. Working smarter individually and with a team is the key to sustainability and most companies are using technology (particularly online platforms) to make effective collaboration a reality.

There are many online platforms that help improve the natural team workflow to work smarter. And collaboration is now central to the way we work and come together. While nothing may replace face-to-face collaboration, technology certainly does help fill in some of those gaps.

Working effectively with others outside the line of formal meetings to accomplish goals and to produce is how many companies are striving to get ahead, and how many individuals are seeking to do the same, while keeping themselves sane! Live more, work less…work smarter, not harder!