Most people who hear the term hard worker automatically think that they must be an “all-out” worker who is always working, always sacrificing other things to be working to get that recognition. It is seen as insult to for somebody to state that you are not a hard worker. Being called a hard worker is like a badge of honour. It elevates you to a higher status by gaining the respect of others.
Here is something which most people seem to forget; a healthy, happy and successful life is not dictated by how hard you work. It is dictated by the results you achieve. Would you rather be a hard worker who struggles to hit his targets or; a lazy worker who hits his targets on time, every time? If you choose the former, you need your head examined.
A great worker is a focused worker. You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity.
Be a great worker not a hard worker
Forget the idea of being a hard worker and instead aim to be a great worker. The following are some key reasons why you should do so:
1. Results require less effort
Great workers are those that know how to balance work with other aspects of their life. When they are faced with a major project, they take the time to plan and organise effectively. They don’t rush into the project like a headless chicken. They know that starting slowly, by taking time to plan and organise, will ensure the project runs more smoothly because they know what needs to be done, when it can be done and, who can help them get it done.
The hard worker jumps head first into the project. They get a lot of work done in a short time. Due to a lack of organisation and planning, they spend a lot of that time doing things which are not very important or doing things in the wrong order. In the worst-case scenario, they may make a total mess of things. They then must clean up the mess before they can get the actual project completed.
Key Point
A great worker takes time at the beginning of the project to minimise the amount of work required. The hard worker tries to start fast but only ends up creating more work for themselves.
2. Great workers are healthier
Hard workers put themselves under too much pressure to get more work done because due to their lack of organisation and planning, they must complete more work than necessary. To make up for the lost time, they tend to neglect themselves with bad habits such as eating on the run or skipping meals. They also regularly miss out on their daily exercise requirements. Sustained hard work is detrimental to good health.
Great workers understand that they do their best work when they are at their best. So, they know that there is no point in neglecting themselves to try save some time. If they don’t get the proper nutrition and exercise, their health will suffer and their performance will suffer as a result. A great worker will always ensure that they have enough time for nutrition, exercise and, managing their health. In the long-term, this approach will save far more time than the unhealthy shortcuts.
Key Point
Performing to your best consistently cannot be achieved by short-term quick fixes. Instead, you must focus on developing the right long-term habits to support your efforts.
3. Great workers are energised
The hard worker only knows one way to get more work done – work more. This means extending the length of the working day. This in turn pushes every other part of your day back, including the time you go to bed which results in less sleep.
When you cut out one or a few hours of sleep to get more work in; you feel run-down and are more susceptible to disease and illness. In addition, you aren’t as mentally focused on what you are doing, including on your work.
Sleep quality is also essential and, if you are placing too much pressure on yourself during the day, by working too hard, you will find it difficult to get to sleep as you will have thoughts racing through your mind. So, less sleep and poorer quality sleep will result in reduced energy levels which means you will complete less work, to a poorer standard.
A great worker knows the importance of getting sufficient rest and relaxation. They understand that doing so allows them to rebuild their energy levels, ensuring that they can perform to their very best every day.
Key Point
If you are consistently low on energy, stress is not far away; if you are not already experiencing it. Despite what you may have been told, there is no such thing as good stress.
A great worker is a focused worker. You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity.
4. Great workers have great personal lives
What exactly do you work for? You’d be surprised at how many people cannot provide an honest answer to that question. Work can be a fantastic way to express yourself and to improve as a person. It is a great way to get an income. But at the end of the day, there is far more to life than work. You were not put on this Earth to slave away at a desk or a conveyor belt. It is illegal for others to treat you as a slave but I often feel that it should also be illegal to treat yourself as a slave.
A hard worker is so focused on giving the impression of being a hard worker that he neglects his life outside of work. He fails to see that if you neglect family and friends, a distance soon builds between them and this can impact everybody emotionally. There is little point in thinking about them during the working day if you don’t put in some effort with them. Relationships can break down and this only results in more pressure, stress and strain which you don’t need. Sadly, the hard worker is often blind to all of this.
An example
I once worked with a man who left home before his two young children woke in the morning. On his way to work, he would ring them from the van and every day, he would lie to them by telling them he would be home early. Then every day, he would arrive home late when they were already in bed.
He was making more than enough money and didn’t need to work the extra hours but he was out chasing wealth when the real wealth, his children, were sitting at home, not knowing their father.
A great worker knows what he is working for. He knows there is more to life than work and has plans and goals for every area of his life. Realising that all areas of life require effort, he doesn’t waste all his time in the workplace. Consequently, he has a much happier, healthier and successful life because there is a balance where time and energy are given to all the important areas of his life.
Get Organised and Focused
If you want to swap hard work for great work, you need to get organised and focused. 'The Modern Professional's Guide to Organisation and Focus' will teach you how.
Conclusion
As you can see, adopting the mentality of the hard worker and ignoring other aspects of your life can result in a lot of emotional pain and suffering, along with the deterioration of your health. The irony is that while you are working hard to make a good impression in your career, all that hard work will likely lead to poorer-quality work. You cannot ignore your own human needs in an effort to produce more quality work. Sooner or later, it will catch up with you and cause you a wide variety of problems e.g. stress, broken relationships, reduced performance inside and outside of the workplace. Striving to be a great worker, not a hard worker, will result in you achieving the right balance between work and other aspects of your life and; will enable you to produce your best work on a consistent basis.