Most of us know what working hard looks like with its long hours and full up calendars, not to mention the constant barrage of notifications. And there’s that awful feeling of always having lots to do but never quite catching up with where you want to be. The issue is that that kind of thing is often praised, and it’s even expected, especially in professional environments, so we all just keep doing it.
However, we’re starting to realise that working hard doesn’t always mean working well, and more and more people are starting to see there’s a potentially pretty big gap in between. So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the difference between working hard and working well.
Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash
Working Hard Focuses On Effort, Not Outcomes
When you’re working hard, effort basically becomes the measure of success, and you’ll always be thinking about how much you got done that day, how late you stayed at the office or stayed logged on for, and how many tasks you were able to do at once. But although that might look impressive on paper, it might actually be that the effort you’re putting in isn’t really going to guarantee progress, and you can put a huge amount of energy into tasks that don’t really get you anywhere at all.
If you work well instead, you’ll be changing the focus to outcomes, not the effort put in, and you can look at questions like what actually mattered today? What did you do that made things clearer and easier? The truth is that sometimes one focused task that’s done properly is far better than ten half-finished ones or ten that are done, but not done to a high standard.
Systems Support Working Well
Working well doesn’t rely on willpower, which is a great thing to hear. You’ll actually need some useful systems and tools in place to make it happen, and if you choose wisely, those useful tools and systems can make everything a lot easier, so you’ll be working well, and not necessarily having to work hard.
In some professional environments, that might include using ABA practice management tools to make admin, scheduling, and communication better, for example, and there are plenty of other options for other sectors as well. The point is, when routine tasks are handled in the right way, people can spend more time thinking, planning, and doing good work.
Working Hard Often Ignores Energy Levels
Another big difference is how energy is treated – working hard tends to push through tiredness, distractions, and generally feeling overloaded, and guess what? That’s not good. In fact, that can cause far more problems than it solves, and most of the time, you’re not going to get very far ahead.
But if you decide to work well instead, you’ll be able to notice these things and realise that you need to put limits in and take breaks. When you’ve got boundaries in place, it might seem as though you’re slowing down and you’re not going to get enough done, but the truth is, when you let yourself take a rest, you’ll be a lot more productive because of it.
