purposeful work
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Hard work isn’t the problem

It’s not hard work that’s the problem. It’s the sense that your work isn’t purposeful.

There’s a compliment that’s fairly common in Japan, translated as “You are tired“. It’s an acknowledgement that you’ve worked hard and you’re being recognised for your contribution.

Sometimes I feel like the message people get from my writing is that they don’t need to work hard. But this is actually counter to what I’m trying to say. If anything, I think most people have the capacity to do even more. However, your effort needs to be more intentionally directed towards achieving goals that matter.

No-one wants to work to the point of exhaustion and yet feel like you’ve moved nothing forward, or created little value. Hard work isn’t contributing to quiet quitting; it’s the sense that your hard work isn’t purposeful and that it amounts to little more than running on the spot.

Build a deeper understanding of your working context as a starting point for creating a sustainable and meaningful academic career.

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