Your basket is currently empty!
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.
Career development course
Build a deeper understanding of your working context as a starting point for creating a sustainable and meaningful academic career.
Share
Newsletter
Sign up to my bi-weekly newsletter to get these articles delivered to your inbox.
Library
Browse the library of articles and other resources.
If you believe in the goal of trying to shift academic culture towards a state of calm productivity, and you’d like to do something to help sustain the project, you can buy me a coffee. Or you can share a link to the online courses with anyone you think would appreciate it.
Leave a comment