Working overtime is pointless

It’s sad to know that we live in a world where working overtime has become a way of living. I know people who spend more 50-55 hours per week working. And to them it is fine, because they believe this is a measure of their productivity. They believe that if they are not putting those extra hours at work, they are not doing justice to their job.

‘Become focused on getting things done. Stop using email to manage work

But the harsh reality is exactly the opposite. The best judge of productivity is not the number of hours you spend at work. It is the amount of work you do in the designated time. And it’s not hearsay. Scientists are carrying out researches to figure out the ideal number of hours you should spend at work to remain productive.

The results are going to not surprise, but shock everyone. I’m going to shed some light on those statistics. And would also make my point about why working overtime is pointless.

So, let us take a look -

More the number of hours, less is the productivity

Recent studies quote that beyond 50 hours a week, more the number of hours you put at less productive you are. As a matter of fact, a research from IGDA says,”Productivity drops immediately upon starting overtime and continues to drop until, at approximately eight 60-hour weeks, the total work done is the same as what would have been done in eight 40-hour weeks.”

And that’s only one of the studies. There are endless numbers of articles and researches published on the same topic.

A tired mind is never productive

The biggest consequence of working overtime is that it fatigues your mind. You may not see bodily signs of wearing out up to a certain point. But, there are clear signs of tiredness on your mind. As John Di Lemme has said - A tired mind means tired results. You must rest your mind and spirit to achieve greatness.

That’s the whole point here. By working overtime you are not giving your mind to rejuvenate. You are putting it under constant stress. And this could be a major reason why you are taking more time to complete a task. So, in a way spending more number of hours at work means that you are being less productive.

It is literally killing your productivity. And your personal life

We all get 24 hours in a day in which we need to maintain balance between professional and personal life. When you are spending more hours at work, it means that you are giving less number of hours to your personal life. This can have dire consequences on your life.

It is going to impact your relationships big time. Spending quality time with your loved ones releases hormones in your body. These hormones play role in keeping you cheerful and help you remain productive at work. But when you are not getting to spend those quality moments you are killing your productivity. And your personal life at the same time.

Being productive is no rocket science!

I’ve not tried to beat around the bush. Nor have I tried to inculcate any scientific findings or something groundbreaking. What I’ve mentioned in this post is basic sense. But the harsh reality of today’s time is that people are too occupied in running. They have forgotten that even machines wear out if not given resting time. And they are dealing with their bodies here.

As a matter of fact, understanding the basics of productivity is no rocket science. All you need to keep in mind that everything deserves rest. If you are not providing rest to your body, you are degrading its capability to remain productive.

Understanding the basics of productivity, and focusing on delivering quality work has become need of the hour. What are your thoughts about it? I’d love to hear them out.

Cheers, Happy Reading

Gagan Malhotra