Quick thought.
Not all of us enjoy the luxury (and pressure) of self-employment.
If you are working for someone else, in a real job, I’d like you to think about an idea. If your job was ‘out sourced’ to a very efficient and creative company, what would they do differently than you do?
Now, think of yourself as that outside company. You’ve just contracted to do your ‘job’. What changes? What improves? Since you’re an outside company, you want more business from your ‘client’. More business means more work and more money for you.
So?
What do you do? Improve those reports? Clean up the office? Boost morale and cooperation? Improve a process?
Think about delighting your client. That’s the path to more business and more money. You do want more money, right?
Do this.
If your client doesn’t appreciate your effort, get a new client. You’ll be ready for that if you really do come up with noticeable improvements.
Did I say work harder? No.
Make improvements. Better. Always strive for better.
Improvements almost always mean less work and less pressure. Isn’t that a good reward?
Get on it. Think of yourself as a company brought in to perform a service.
You might even introduce this thinking into a full department or perhaps your entire organization.