When you work, work hard. When you're done, be done.
Not enough time in your day?
Welcome to the club...
When I started doing what the quote in the title prescribes, things started shifting for me.
When you work, work hard.
Part 1 of the quote: when you work, work hard. There are a lot of things you can do to optimize your performance when working. The key is focus. So…
get those distractions out of the way,
prioritize the most important tasks,
set an intention to work diligently,
get at it and see your productivity levels increase.
Just checking, do you have any idea of how much time you loose because of distractions or a lack of focus? Or by doing things that don't bring you much joy or value (e.g. brainless scrolling)?
Take a moment to list this and pinpoint your most important attention points. Then get at it and create time 😎. #magic
For more tips on becoming more productive, see:
When you’re done, be done.
Part 2 of the quote: when you're done, be done. If you're like me, your head keeps on going over or stressing about unfinished tasks and to dos.
Set up a system like "Getting things done" to feel confident that it will be picked up at the appropriate time so you can mentally let go of those pending things. Train your mind as well to be ok with ending the workday. Work is only a part of life. A ritual to close your workday might help here.
overconfidence
Why is this second part so important? Mental (and physical) rest is key for high-performance. A lot of us, including me in the past, overestimate the endurance of our brain. Just as our body, the brain needs rest to function optimally, but many of us ignore it. Another coffee or red bull to push away tiredness and our body's request for relaxation seems to be more often than not the answer to this fatigue. We've probably all fallen pray to it at some point. Doing this on a regular basis is detrimental for your productivity in the long run.
Find some more information on this topic here:
De dag dat je stopt met racen, is de dag dat je de race wint (Dutch)
Geluk als voorbode van succes (Dutch)
Van drukte naar impact en voldoening - hoe het ook anders kan (Dutch)
The proof is in the pudding.
I work (much) less than in the past but on average, I get more done.
I'm writing this while having the Tour de France in the background. You cannot do worse productivity-wise... Just to say, we don't have to be and cannot be perfect. Learning to be ok with this as well, is an incredible addition to your life's joy.
Happy working and happy relaxing!
To a life fully lived 🥂.
#becurious #becourageous #beyourbest
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