Today I wanted to chat about the 24/7 hustle culture that we’re living in currently because it really seems to encourage and glamorize workaholics and working too much.
We might have to ask ourselves first if this #workhard mentality is actually doing what we assume it does? Is it really resulting in more and better output? Are we actually getting more done by working long hours?
I mean, It seems logical, right? You just measure how many things you can get done on average in 1 hour and then multiply this by the number of hours that you’re working.
However, we’re not machines or robots, we’re human. And sadly we just don’t work that way. We are just not made to concentrate for such a long period of time.
Spoiler Alert: it may seem counterintuitive, but working less can be in fact more productive.
It isn’t about how many hours you work, it is about identifying the right things that keep the needle moving forward in your biz and do these as efficiently as possible.
I don’t know about you, girl… but I became an entrepreneur to have more time and freedom in my life. So working too much and feeling stuck is exactly the thing I want to avoid.
Ironically, right? This hustle culture just TOTALLY contradicts the main reason why people quit their 9-5 jobs and start to work for themselves in the first place.
If you’re still not convinced that you should stop hustling, and work less… Then here are 6 reasons why working too much just isn’t the answer to real productivity.
Ready? rolling up sleeves Let’s do this!
- Why working long hours isn't the answer to productivity
- Tired of feeling on this hamster wheel, having to create new content all the time?😴​​​Grab your FREE copy of my signature 'Repurposing & Recycling Your Content' Guide
- Tired of feeling on this hamster wheel, having to create new content all the time?😴​​​Grab your FREE copy of my signature 'Repurposing & Recycling Your Content' Guide
Other Reads:
- How To Stop Procrastination And Start Achieving Your Goals
- How to Find Your True Passion in Life
- How to be Assertive without Feeling Guilty
- The Secrets of the Law Of Attraction
- How to Create a Balanced Life
Why working long hours isn’t the answer to productivity
Reason #1. Working too much just isn’t sustainable
Working too much just isn’t sustainable in the long term. It doesn’t only make you compromise time with your loved ones, but it also affects your mental and physical health with potential burn-out as a consequence…
And girl, let’s get real for a sec, that. just. isn’t. worth. it. Your health and all those special, valuable moments that you are missing out on, are like a million times more important than this unnecessary obligation you feel to work extreme hours.
Life is just too short to hustle all the time.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. So progressing at a sustainable pace consistently is WAY more effective than giving your everything for a lil’ too much time and burning-out completely.
It is sooo important, you guys, to find a balance between your work and private life. If not, eventually, working too much will break your motivation and enthusiasm about the work that you were once so passionate about and will lead you to associate a lot of negativity with it (and that would be such a shame!)
Your mental state influences your productivity tremendously. So with an exhausted and anxious headspace, let’s be honest, you probably won’t have the most brilliant ideas, right?
Reason #2. You don’t have unlimited focus
Naturally, your focus and productive capacity on a daily basis are limited.
This means that after working too much it will be very difficult to keep your concentration up and will make you perform significantly less.
I mean, your results won’t be that awesome anyway. You will probably have to go back at it and do the exact same thing again the next day…
In other words, it’s TOTALLY pointless to keep trying if you’re feeling exhausted.
It is waaaay more productive in this case to use this time to recover and recharge and continue the next day with a fully charged battery.
Reason #3. You don’t recover sufficiently when working too much
When you are working too much, you aren’t recovering sufficiently in order to perform well the next day, because you are starting off your day with a reduced battery level.
I might sound like your mama right now, but you really need enough sleep, self-care, and downtime in order to recover and recharge your batteries and feel fresh, focused, and energized again the next day.
But sometimes it can be very difficult to make this transition from work to private life, especially when you are working from home.
Did it ever happen to you that even though you stopped working, you’re still thinking for HOURS about your work and some issues you had and maybe what you have to get done the next day… (totally #guilty as well)
If this happens to you, it might be useful to try meditating, journaling, or practicing yoga. These are activities that really bring you back to yourself and allow you to fully disconnect from your work and fully transition to your private life.
Reason #4. It is outdated to think in terms of input instead of output
We’re so used to think to this outdated idea of productivity, in terms of input (how much time you are spending on a certain task) instead of output (your actual results). This can be probably explained by the fact that as an employee you get paid per hour, independently of the number of things you got done. (I mean, I get it, #employeetraumas)
However, this system works SUPER contra-productive, right? Because as an employee, even though you can get your work done in like 4 hours, you often can’t actually leave early from your office without making a bad impression…
So what do you do? You stretch everythingggg and work slooooow so you get it done in 8 hours.
However, as an entrepreneur, you don’t have this problem. If you can get your work done in half the amount of hours, even better! This way, you have way more time to go to your fav coffee shop, spend with your hubby, or whatever the hell you want.
You’re an entrepreneur now, girl! So you are the one responsible for your own schedule. Take advantage of that! YOU get to decide what is worth your time, what you want to delegate and automate. It’s all completely up to you.
Reason #5. Hustling doesn’t spark creativity
If you’re like me, your creativity often appears on these moments where you are actually doing something totaaally different.
You are talking with someone when suddenly an AMAZING idea pop-ups. Maybe you got inspired by a book you read or a Ted Talk you watched. Or maybe you’re sunk in your thoughts while showering, or while walking in nature while you’re having the most brilliant idea.
We really need to take some distance from the work we are doing, to have the chance to put things into perspective.
That’s why when hustling and working too much, it is extremely difficult to be creative, think out of the box, and have innovative new ideas, since you don’t have enough opportunities to take this distance from your work.
Reason #6. The hustle culture leads to unhealthy expectations
The last reason I want to mention today is that the hustle mentality just sets super unhealthy expectations on how many hours you should be working on your business.
I don’t know if you noticed as well, but people tend to brag A LOT lately about how busy they are and how many things they have on their to-do lists (I know, right!?)
And this then leads us to unhealthy comparison and the limiting belief that in order to be successful and gain good money, you have to be willing to go that extra mile and work extreme hours (which is a total lie).
If you’re still not convinced by now, you are probably thinking that you will stop hustling in a year or so, when your business is sufficiently successful and that right then and there, you will slow down.
But let’s get real, that ain’t gonna happen…
Once you are in this hustling mindset, it’s incredibly difficult to escape it and suddenly work normal hours.
So stop now! Don’t wait until you have slipped even further into this toxic mindset and start focusing on how you can automate, outsource, and simplify your biz, so you can start working less.
Other Reads:
- How To Stop Procrastination And Start Achieving Your Goals
- How to Find Your True Passion in Life
- How to be Assertive without Feeling Guilty
- The Secrets of the Law Of Attraction
- How to Create a Balanced Life
Let’s Chat!
Let me know in the comments how many hours you work per day! 🙂
I am of the view that after my work hours, I am my own person. I try and aim to finish my work during the office time itself. Thanks for sharing this reminder.
Great blog post! I completely agree, our culture is centred around the hustle. We are led to believe if we don’t work really hard, we won’t be successful! But it’s so counterintuitive. Many other countries have the opposite mindset and it works great for them!
This is so true. Productivity does not come from over-working. As much as we want to, it just won’t work.
Really enjoyed your post you have made some great points that I will need to keep in mind!
Wow, this is a really inspiring post. I’ve always been one to hustle. In college, I didn’t know when to stop studying, which led to exhaustion and depression. Now that I’ve graduated, worked a few years, and am returning to school, I am gradually learning how to create a healthier balance.
Butn out is definitely not the way to go and balance is key. Thank you for these helpful tips!