The better you know yourself, the more you can improve your performance when working to achieve your goals and tasks. Here are some questions you can ask yourself that may help you work more efficiently and effectively.

When are you the most/least productive?
This is a common oversight when scheduling your goals and tasks. If you schedule a task that you truly dislike during a time when you are least productive, that task will never get done. You will be sluggish, make more mistakes and you will begin to further dislike the task. Scheduling that task when you are the most productive will help ensure you get it done quickly, with less mistakes.

Do you know your limits?
All of us at one time or another have over extended ourselves to get a task or project done because we want to get it over with. Putting this pressure on ourselves can make the task or project much more difficult. The best thing to do is to stop working on a project when you still have energy and have hit your peak. Forcing yourself to get through it will slow the project down. You will associate your stress with the completion of the project and possibly never get back to finishing it. If you stop when you are still energized, it will be much more enjoyable to come back to at a later date. You will associate that energy with the project and be motivated to finish.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Make a list of all your strengths and weaknesses. Take all your weaknesses and start delegating as many tasks as you can that fall under that category. It is far more efficient to pay someone else to do a task instead of continuing to put it off, and have that feeling of inadequacy because you haven’t done it. And if you aren’t convinced it’s worth it, calculate your hourly rate. If you work for a company, determine all your expenses. Include your salary, payroll taxes, the cost of office space you use, insurance (if you have it through your company), travel and other expenses if they apply. If you are self-employed, determine the annual cost of running your business. Now determine the profit you should generate by your activity using a good educated guess. Determine how many hours you work in a year and do the math. You may be shocked to find out how much you are worth and how valuable it is to pay someone else to do the job.

Do you work in a dysfunctional environment?
If you are working in an environment that is full of clutter, noise, or even dust you may not work as effectively or efficiently. You spend most of your time at work so do what you can to spruce up your space. Paint the walls a soothing color, buy a chair that is comfortable, invest in an air purifier, buy a set of headphones and listen to music that motivates you. Be sure to allow sunlight to get in and clean up the clutter. If the clutter is overwhelming ask for help from a family member, friend or professional. And if money is preventing you from getting the things you need remind yourself that you deserve to be happy and healthy!