As a high performer, you probably work more than your peers. There is a good chance that you work more than most people that you know.
I know how you feel and I confess that I used to feel guilty about working “too much”.
It stemmed from my belief that truly efficient people should finish a day’s work within a day and those who work overtime were either poor time managers or less efficient or competent. I used to nod in agreement when others would advise me to work smarter not harder and find ways to leave work on time or early by speeding through my work, reducing my daily goals and prioritizing my task list. But then I was accomplishing less…
… and I realized that …
… I’m not special.
Special people can do special things like outperform others with minimal effort. For normal people like me, to outperform others, I need to read more books, think more often, learn and practice more skills, meet and connect with more great people and in general do more than others. The only way I can accomplish this is to spend more time on it than others do. So far, I don’t have a better answer.
Of course, I can continue to be more efficient by refining the systems I have in place and identifying the most impactful activities but even then, I’m still better off if I work both smarter AND harder.
When I read biographies about people who achieve great things, their stories are filled with hard work and persistence. From world leaders to top athletes to successful CEOs, hard work has been the common denominator throughout their careers. Unfortunately, the hard work is never glorified. It doesn’t seem fitting for natural talent to require effort. Effortless is often the adjective we use to describe mastery and the utmost expertise. This has created a generation of work smarter-not-harder converts who unsurprisingly never really achieve greatness themselves.
High performers always put in the time.
Whether you name it your passion, magnificent obsession or true calling, find what you love to do and spend your time doing it. It’s the only way you can put in the hours to achieve greatness. If you’re looking to just get by, 9-to-5 is certainly available to you.
Now, this doesn’t mean you forgo sleep, relationships or exercise. These pieces are essential to your well-being and helping you work smarter and harder. Take time to self reflect on your energy levels and the factors that affect it positively and negatively.
Who would you prefer to partner with or hire?
Someone who works smarter NOT harder or someone who works smarter AND harder?
Photo by With Associates
