Still,
it’s easy get sucked (or suckered) into working too hard. To avoid
this, you’ll need well-articulated strategies. Try these.
Understand that overwork is not necessary for success.
If
you buy into that thinking, even just a tiny bit, you won’t be able to
resist triggers, like others telling you about their overworking. This
social pressure will activate your anxiety, with all the attendant
emotional and physical reactions.
Here’s
an example. Another author recently told me how many podcasts
interviews they’d done to support their book launch. It was far more
than me, and this sent me into a spiral of worry. Even hours later, my
heart rate remained elevated and my mind kept drifting back to it.
To
avoid the temptation to keep up with vocal overworkers like that author
you need to radically reject the idea that such behavior is required or
even beneficial. In my case, I literally had to say to myself, “That
person believes overworking is necessary for success. I don’t believe
that.”
If
a situation continues to trigger you, consider using even more
compassionate self-talk. For example, “I feel anxious that if I don’t
buy into their assumptions, I’m going to fail. My success is important
to me, so that’s scary. But I’m going to remind myself about how I can
do my best work through methods that don’t involve overworking.”
Be clear on your values.
As
that author talked about their many podcast appearances, the tone
wasn’t “I’ve connected with so many amazing interviewers, and it’s been
so interesting and enriching.” It was more like “I’m grinding it out.
Isn’t it a pain to have to do that?”
I
never want to feel that way going into interviews. I want to approach
with curiosity, learn something from the interviewers, and be prompted
to think about ideas differently or express my own thoughts in ways I
haven’t before.
Beyond
that, I also value efficiency. Yes, I could try to be a guest on 100
podcasts. But it seems far smarter to identify the 20 most likely to
drive book sales and then another five to 10 that seem interesting, to
introduce some randomness and serendipity into the process.
It’s
important to specifically identify your values. Sure, most of us can
agree that things like equality, justice, efficiency, generosity,
bravery, autonomy, challenge, cooperation, adventure are good. However,
we differ in our priorities — our most important values — and what makes
us feel most like our lives and careers are meaningful and on track.
For instance, if you highly value bravery, consider how you can approach
your core tasks with more of it. Think not just about what you’d rather
be doing than working but also your attitude and approach to finding
fulfillment in work.
Also
trust that this values-driven approach will lead to some of the
outcomes that are important to you. With experience and experimentation,
you’ll learn to do “enough” in your work/career, instead of measuring
achievement by the hours you’re putting in.
Reject hustle culture. Instead focus on deeper goals and your craft.
Einstein
wasn’t trying to “crush it” or “kill it” at work. In fact, the
behaviors and language associated with hustle culture don’t typically
lead to great accomplishments. What does is the pursuit of deeper, more
personal goals like knowing and understanding important phenomena,
solving complex problems, or making a positive impact in society. You
might think about goals in more concrete terms, of course (for example,
sales targets) but also consider the greater ambition that matters most
to you and try to focus on the tasks and assignments that help you
achieve it, jettisoning much of the rest.
Another
way to step away from hustle culture — whether you’re a teacher,
accountant, or manager — is to reframe your job as a craft that you’re
trying to hone. This should make you more interested in facets of work
like acquiring skills, getting feedback, and interacting with a wide
range of people who can help you improve. All of these will propel you
to, not more, but more important work that allows you to make good on
your big goals.
Learn from role models.
Consider
the people who have achieved the kind of success you want without
overworking or constantly noting how “swamped” and “exhausted” they are
like it’s a badge of honor. (Note: this type of complaining has become
normalized, but it not normal. If someone is truly exhausted by their work, that’s a problem that needs to be addressed.)
To
be clear, I’m not talking about identifying role models who are
celebrities or CEOs you admire but don’t know. A more effective strategy
when trying to find role models is to simply look inside and outside
your professional niche. Who inspires you by doing well without
overwork, hustle, or burning themselves out? What are their approaches?
Can you adapt any of them to fit your values, goals, personality, and
circumstances?
Ignore requests to overwork.
Here’s
a very basic law of psychology: When behaviors are reinforced, they
increase. When you ignore them, you might see an “extinction burst” — a
short-term rise in the problematic behaviors — but then they will stop.
For
example, if a colleague emails you after-hours and you reply, you’re
encouraging more work at night. The sender will ask for more — from you
and everyone else. If you instead ignore inappropriate attempts to push
you to overwork, the person may for a short period of time try
frenetically and in more manipulative ways to get you to comply — the
extinction burst — but then they’ll adapt. People are wired to learn.
If
your boss is the one pressing you to overwork, that’s one of the most
basic signs of an abusive work culture. Make your boundaries clear, and,
if the behaviors don’t stop, consider roles on different teams or in
different organizations with managers who have more realistic
expectations. As Adam Grant says, “It’s not your job to fix a toxic workplace from the bottom.”
We
all face internal and external pressure to do more. But, in the pursuit
of career success and fulfillment, overwork is your enemy, not your
friend. These strategies can help you push back against it.
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