The Importance of Ending the Pride in Overworking and Constant Busyness
In many workplaces, the chatter revolves around being overworked, with employees constantly expressing their busyness. This could be a sign of a 'busy-badge' culture, where being occupied is seen as a demonstration of value. However, is this excessive hustle leading to the most impactful work, or just a byproduct of being caught up in the hustle and bustle?
As a career and leadership coach, trainer, speaker, and author of 'Less Hustle, more Happy', I've observed this culture take root in organizations globally, often pulling even the most disciplined individuals into its frenetic pace.
In a world that appears to place such emphasis on busyness, it's essential to maintain focus on strategies that direct our efforts, expertise, and enthusiasm in ways that deliver results while avoiding the mindless hustle. Here are three ways to achieve this:
- Know Yourself and Your Career Values: To drive a sustainable, rewarding, and fulfilling career, understanding your motivators, strengths, and personal triggers is vital. This self-awareness not only aids better decision-making in the moment but also enables long-term career planning based on internal drivers rather than external ones.
- Leverage Your Strengths: As emphasized in my book, the formula for a satisfying career hinges on effort, expertise, and enthusiasm. Central to this formula is recognizing and maximizing your unique talents. For example, if organizational skills are one of your strengths, explore ways to incorporate this talent into your daily tasks to increase effectiveness and streamline work.
- Focus on Impact and Outcomes: Traditional career advice encourages taking on every opportunity without considering trade-offs, with the expectation that someone will eventually recognize and reward hard work. A better approach is to routinely ask, "Am I busy being busy here, or am I making an impact?" By focusing on the outcomes of tasks and effectively communicating those results to managers, teams, or stakeholders, you'll be recognized as a value-added, high-potential leader.
With the average individual spending around 25,550 days on Earth, a significant portion of our time will likely be dedicated to work. The question is, how do you want to spend your working years? Engaged, fulfilled, and finding meaning in your work, or consumed by relentless hustle, counting down the days until retirement?
About the author: Claire Seeber is a Career and Leadership Coach, Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Author of the book 'Less Hustle, More Happy'. She specializes in leadership development and career advancement strategies, blending her experience in business, HR, and communications to help people make a meaningful impact on themselves, their teams, and their organizations.
- To ensure a successful and fulfilling career, one must prioritize understanding personal motivators, strengths, and triggers – aspects that Claire Seeber, author of 'Less Hustle, more Happy', emphasizes are crucial for self-awareness and career planning.
- Rather than focusing on busyness, embrace the importance of aligning effort, expertise, and enthusiasm with your unique talents, as Claire Seeber's book suggests, to create a satisfying and productive career.
- Pursuing a career centers on making an impact and achieving meaningful outcomes, rather than however busy one might be. Claire Seeber's advice encourages individuals to regularly evaluate their tasks to ensure they are making an impact, rather than just being busy for the sake of it.
