It could be the case that you are working harder than you need to, im going to make an assumption about how you approach problems, hopefully its pertinent. I would recommend thinking critically about any given task before getting into the work. When assigned a task, I look it over and try to establish the plausability of its subcomponents first; think of this as reading the instructions and questions on a timed test before foolishly attempting to solve the first equation you see. I also try to think about who cares about that task, for what reason, and why; you can think about this as using the education you received leading up to the test, rather than using math you learned outside of the class and subverting the intent of the test.
I dont know what huristics and values will be most important to you, I dont know you; but I do think you could find an efficiency benefit from first evaluating a task based on that type of thought process, rather than immediately beginning the work.