Most of us have heard about “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss at this point. If we haven’t, it probably means we’re not interested in working smarter, or we’ve been living under a rock or in a cave. Now, this post is not about creating a 4-hour work week. No, there’s been plenty written about that digitally and otherwise.
No, this post is about an article from Quartz, entitled “How successful people work less—and get more done.”
The study found that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that there’s no point in working any more. That’s right, people who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours.
To me, the most important part of the article is the idea of “Numero Uno comes first.” And definitely not in a selfish, “I am the most important person in the world, everything must bend to my will” Mussolini-type of “#1 comes first.” No, what I’m talking about is making sure that you and the most important parts of your life come first.
What are the aspects of your life you care most about?
- Family
- Friends
- Hobby
- Vacation
- Experiences
These are some of the most important parts of my life, and they come first every day. Work, money, those are just tools to help us achieve what is truly important. The Quartz article does a good job of reminding us that success comes in many forms.
Funny how being successful at work means that we’re usually successful at home.
2 replies on “How to work less and be successful”
i guess I have been living under a rock! And working for forty years in teaching unproductively?
Oh, but the world was a much different place when you were teaching! 🙂