Is more work making us less productive?
Marisa Guthrie
Business Coach to solopreneurs ?? Helping you build a thriving business so you can make money AND do good ?? Apply for 1:1 Coaching and book a FREE 60 minute call
The phrase ‘Work smarter not harder’ was coined back in the 1930’s. In those days, before the advent of computers, the internet and Facebook notifications on our iPhones, most people would have worked on a 9 to 5 basis. When they left the factory or the office and went home, they knew they were probably not going to be working again until the next day.
Nowadays for most people there is no absolute cut off point as the potential to carry on working is always a possibility. You can keep checking emails any time, anywhere, but is this really sensible or productive?
In his book, ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’, Stephen Covey tells a story about a woodcutter whose saw gets more blunt, but he still keeps cutting down trees. If he were to stop sawing, sharpen the blade and go back to his tree cutting with a sharper saw, he would save himself time and effort.
It isn’t hard to see why this analogy is important for modern working practices. So take more breaks, spend time in nature, and make sure you have a definite cut off point to your working day.
You probably can’t work any harder, but you can definitely decide to work smarter.
To find out how you can work even smarter, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation. Go to https://www.businesscoachingsussex.co.uk/contact