Part 4 in the Mindsets that Perpetuate Burnout blog series
You should be proud of a healthy work ethic, an enjoyment and fulfillment of purpose when you work,
and allow yourself to take joy in your accomplishments.
A work-harder mindset takes a good work ethic too far, though.
It may look like...
- Thinking you have to be the hardest worker in the room to earn others' (and maybe your own) respect.
- Looking down on those who don't look like they are working hard.
Instead, working smarter means being strategic and innovating more efficient and effective ways to do things.
It may look like...
- Recognizing what you need to get into a work flow state.
- Creatively problem solving instead of using your usual go-to solutions.
This results in working with more ease, but it may look like working less on the surface.
If you think working harder proves that you have a great work ethic,
you may not only be missing out on ways to improve how you work,
but also creating a burnout cycle for yourself.
Working smarter takes more brain bandwidth,
which is in short supply during a pandemic because of all the background processing our brains are doing.
If you want to get more done and do it better,
you may just need time off or radical self care to give your brain the time and space it needs
to create solutions that allow you to work smarter.
If you think you need to work hard all the time,
you may be creating the perfect storm for your own and your team's burnout.
Dr. Nancy Williams is a musician, educator, and culture consultant/coach who helps leaders create cultures of joy and empowerment.
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