If you've read my content before, you're likely already aware I'm not a fan of hustle culture or doing something just because someone says you should. 

Related reading: 

• There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ marketing plan

• Business books that you likely don’t need to read

• Challenge the status quo with your business—in good faith

In the corporate world, there are clear guidelines around your work; standards embedded directly into the culture and structure of the organization.

As an employee you (generally) have set working hours, specific deliverables, and a certain number of holidays and sick days. You have a contract in place. You have someone holding you accountable to your personal working goals and company KPIs. 

You also (hopefully) have check-in meetings where you’re able to talk openly with leaders about your progress, productivity, and desires. 

Now, this doesn’t negate the fact that management or corporations can still take advantage of their employees. 

From unrealistic expectations regarding project timelines or task turnaround times, to unpaid overtime, to salary increases or promotions being withheld, to unreasonable precedents set around answering emails after-hours – there can be a lot of toxicity in the corporate world.

In fact, one of the reasons I left the corporate world is because I got thoroughly frustrated with leaders who nod in agreement with everything you say, respond with all the right words, and then take action in an opposing direction.

However, in a healthy workplace you should be able to have open conversations around these expectations. You’d be able to set clear boundaries, negotiate changes or suggest improvements. 

As an entrepreneur, none of these systems, structures, rules, or guidelines around your work are in place. 

And while that flexibility and freedom can be exciting and empowering, it’s also a lot of responsibility. 

The line between productivity and overworking

If you want to improve your productivity, you can check out the over 500 million web pages with advice for you. If you want to level up your work performance, you've got over four billion pages of content to help you out.

There’s no doubt work and productivity have become glamorized in the Western world.  

And while there’s nothing innately with these concepts (I love my work and find a lot of fulfillment in the sense of accomplishment I get at the end of a productive day), there is an important distinction between:

1. Enjoying your work and being productive in pursuit of a goal, and 

2. Overworking to no end, toxic productivity, burnout, and exhaustion 

Here are some signs you’re overworking: 

• Persistent anxiety about your work and work-related outcomes

• Constantly worrying about other people’s perceptions of you 

• Micromanaging tasks due to fear of failure 

• Being lenient with your “boundaries” to accommodate other people’s schedule 

• Perfectionist tendencies 

• Struggling to relax 

• Avoiding asking for help 

• Volunteering for more work when you know your schedule is already full 

• Sacrificing your personal life for work-related success 

• Moving quickly onto the next project without celebrating your accomplishments along the way 

Hustle culture is prominent in our society. Being “busy” is worn as a badge of honour. Working long hours is often praised – even if someone else was just as productive in a shorter time period. Answering emails after-hours or on weekends is seen as going above and beyond. 

Comparison, FOMO (fear of missing out), and other external pressures often cause us to feel the need to continue to strive for more money, success, or “freedom” (in quotations because if you read my blog post on passive income you know that this freedom often comes at the price of more overworking). 

Combined, these habits, pressures, and mindsets are likely to lead to burnout and exhaustion. 

Here’s a quick checklist for signs you’re burnt out: 

• Lack of motivation 

• Lack of satisfaction 

• Decreased performance 

• Chronic fatigue 

• Difficulty sleeping or changes in sleep habits 

• Irritability, impatience, or unexplained frustration 

• Headaches and/or tension

• Withdrawal from social engagements and networking 

• Lack of concentration 

• Detachment from your goals and work 

Let’s chat underperforming 

I briefly also want to touch on the opposite side of the spectrum: underperforming. The main risk here is wasted potential. 

Whether you’re not being challenged enough in the corporate world, or have set such loose boundaries for yourself as an entrepreneur that your work has become almost effortless, being disengaged or uninterested in your work is another path to exhaustion (just in different ways).  

“When you operate below your abilities for too long, you stagnate. Skills degrade as you lose the drive for self-improvement. Creativity diminishes as you settle into a routine. Promotions and rewards seem unlikely, leaving you feeling stuck. Persistent boredom and lack of fulfillment often lead to depression and anxiety.”

– Michelle Myers, Women’s Leadership Today

Here are some signs your work might not be challenging enough for you:

• Procrastination and lack of motivation 

• Frequent errors 

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Questioning yourself or persistent self-doubt

• Lack of creativity 

• Boredom 

• Lack of fulfillment 

Other reasons you struggle can include life circumstances or neurodiversity (shout out to my fellow ADHDers!), which can compromise your executive function.  

How to start changing the script in your life and business 

After reviewing the above concepts: overworking, burnout, productivity, and underperforming, how are you feeling about your recent work performance? 

Are you in that sweet spot – excited about your work and feeling accomplished at the end of each day while maintaining healthy boundaries around your personal life? Or are you veering towards one side of the spectrum more than the other? 

It’s important to get super honest here! 

Gut check time:

• Are you benefitting from doing more or is someone else?

• Are you aligned in your work? Excited about it? Motivated to tackle new projects each (week)day?

• Do you feel appropriately challenged in your work? 

• Do you have clear goals set? Is doing more going to help you achieve the goals you've set? 

• What's the rush? Are you working towards reasonable timelines associated with your goals? Or are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? 

• What boundaries do you have in place? Have these been appropriately communicated with your clients, team members, and/or managers? Are you consistently upholding these boundaries?

• What systems and structures do you have in place around your work to support you? Are you automating redundant tasks? Delegating work where possible? Eliminating projects or tasks that you don’t really need to be doing? 

• When was the last time you reassessed your values? Are they aligned with your work? 

Granted, you may not love every element of your job, or be able to control every element of your career. Overall though, there should be feelings of fulfillment and excitement associated with your chosen profession. 

You should have clear goals and deliverables to work towards. You should be doing work that’s aligned with your values. You should be appropriately challenged by what you’re doing. And you should have clear boundaries and structures in place – whether you’re an entrepreneur or employee. 

You also need to make rest a priority if you're worried about performance and productivity in your business.

Why?

• You don't want to end up burning out.

• You need time for yourself, your family and friends, and to pursue other interests.

• Your health is too important to let your business take over.

• You will be more productive when you take a break, rather than pushing yourself too hard.

• Rest will allow you more stress resilience, enhanced problem solving, and the ability to make more strategic decisions. 

• Add any other points that are relevant, and re-order if you're inspired! 

This year, I’m taking my own advice 

Personally, I tend to get a ridiculous amount of work done. It's not always everything I want to do exactly when I want to do it, but I'm a high achiever. Even the Enneagram agrees with that statement (3w2 - that's me).

Performance and productivity aren't my problem. Instead, I'm more likely to need rest. 

Yes, I get downtime on weekends and I keep that time pretty dedicated to my family and rest. 

However, I have also gone through periods where I worked far too hard. One day this year, I actually worked at my desk until after 5am, and went up to get a few hours of sleep before a client meeting. Oops! 

For the first time since I decided to work full-time in my business, I made note of when I want to take time off throughout the year. 

In years past I’ve done this on an ad hoc basis and wait to see what my workload is going to be like.

WEIRD APPROACH, I know, since I'm the boss.

But as I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, the freedom and flexibility associated with entrepreneurial work aren’t always easy to uphold. 

We can work whenever, so we do. More hours worked seems to equate (at least in our minds) to more money made or more success, so we push ourselves to do more (forgetting that feeling productive and actually being productive are two different things). We allow our work to expand to fill all hours, instead of blocking dedicated time for work and rest. 

Productivity and performance are often about getting us to do more, more, more. To what end, though?

“Einstein wasn’t trying to “crush it” or “kill it” at work. In fact, the behaviors and language associated with hustle culture don’t typically lead to great accomplishments. What does is the pursuit of deeper, more personal goals like knowing and understanding important phenomena, solving complex problems, or making a positive impact in society.”

– Alice Boyes, Harvard Business Review

This year, I’m taking my own advice. 

I’m doing the preemptive planning and boundary setting required to be able to prioritize rest and vacation. 

I’m scheduling rest the same way I schedule my work. 

I’m setting expectations for my time off. 

And in doing so, I’m giving myself clear guidelines for when to rest, what that rest will look like, and what I need to do in advance to ensure that rest occurs. 

Regardless of whether you work in a larger corporation or as an entrepreneur, it’s up to you to advocate for yourself. 

It’s up to you to set your own boundaries. 

It’s up to you to do the above gut check often to see how you’re feeling about your work, energy levels, productivity, and motivations. 

Because rest is critical. But just as important is knowing when to take these breaks, and being proactive about them to ensure the rest actually happens.