Ever notice how some days you collapse into bed exhausted, yet struggle to name one meaningful thing you’ve accomplished? You’ve attended meetings, responded to emails, and tackled an endless stream of administrative tasks. But your most important work – the research that could advance your field, the paper that could shape your career – remains untouched.

The problem may not be that you’re working too hard – it may be that your work doesn’t feel purposeful. Many academics find themselves exhausted at the end of each day, yet struggle to point to meaningful progress in their most important projects. This sense of running in place, of pouring effort into tasks that don’t move your scholarship forward, can be deeply demoralising.

There’s a compliment in Japanese culture that translates to “You are tired“, which is meant as a recognition of someone’s hard work. This acknowledgement highlights an important truth: working hard isn’t inherently problematic. What drains us isn’t the volume of work – it’s the lack of purpose behind it.

The unconventional solution? Try working even harder, but only on what matters most.

This might seem counterintuitive in an era of “quiet quitting” and work-life balance discussions. But the real problem isn’t that you’re working too much; it’s that your effort is scattered across too many low-value activities. By intentionally directing your energy toward your highest-impact projects, you can actually increase your output while feeling more fulfilled.

Here’s how to redirect your effort:

• List everything you’re working on right now
• Identify which projects will have the most significant impact on your career and scholarship
• Ruthlessly eliminate or delegate tasks that don’t align with these priorities
• Schedule focused time blocks specifically for high-impact work
• Track your progress on meaningful goals, not just completed tasks

The goal isn’t to work less – it’s to ensure every hour of work moves you toward something meaningful.

Found this useful? Learn how to align your daily work with your academic mission through the Career Development course. You’ll discover practical strategies for identifying your core purpose and creating workflows that support meaningful scholarship, without sacrificing your well-being.