I find that most people fall into one of two camps.
There are those who throw themselves into their work, always chained to their desk and never feeling like they’re on top of things.
Then there are those who get easily distracted, putting things off to the last minute and feeling guilty that they’re always a little behind.
In both cases the outcome is the same: long hours spent working, with the fatigue and the stress that comes with it.
But what about doing less work? What about being more selective with your time, and more selective with what’s on your to do list, such that you didn’t have as much to do at all?
Working less means prioritising what you spend your time on, and recognising the tasks that add little or no value to your day.
It means spending fewer hours working, but making sure those hours are more focused and that they are free from distractions.
It means accepting that your value and output is not measured on the basis of how many hours you put in, or how much work you get done. It’s measured instead on the quality of the work, and on the level of focus you can achieve.
So if you find yourself burning the candle at both ends, ask yourself whether what you really need to do is work less.
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