The Overworking
I’ve always wanted to get ahead with my writing. To have a post prepared days in advance, sat ready and waiting to pounce towards your inboxes. It sounds much more preferable to whatever this chaotic sprint writing approach I’ve got going on. I’ll write a piece, rush, and write too much, then have little energy to review, edit, and ensure I’m telling a story worth telling.
Of course, we all reach a point in time where we need to switch off. But what I’m very quickly realising, is that through less but more controlled work, we naturally will have more time to switch off, and our work will positively benefit as a result.
Why We Overwork
· Societal Expectations
· Career Ambition
· Finances
· Failure
· Comparison To Others
· Work To Avoid Other Issues
· The Modern Perception of Success
· To “Catch Up”
Overworking ≠ Success
This is slowly dawning on me. I decided to start writing on Substack at the same time I was writing my dissertation for my master’s in finance. Work for my dissertation meant long days, with very little fun and a lack of touching grass. I had constant improvements to make, and I always felt like my dissertation was lacking something. It was lacking a meaning. Sure, I enjoyed what I was writing about, but I didn’t feel purpose. I was going through the motions to complete work that I’d emotionally disconnected from.
I was also feeling pressure to live up to others’ expectations of myself. I’d started the master’s for the exact same reason. At the end of it, I’m very glad I did it because it contributes to what I write now and will continue to in the future. But before starting it I felt directionless during a year gap I took during COVID. Expectations of society, of friends and family, even of my hairdresser who pries into my life with her cutting scissors, everyone is always asking what’s next? Why can’t we just be?
Why We Don’t Need To Overwork
I listened to Shane Parrish, creator of Farnam Street and the Knowledge Podcast, on Tim Ferriss’ podcast yesterday. A part that stuck with me is that desired behaviour turns into default behaviour through setting automatic rules. For example one of my automatic rules is to never use leverage when investing. It leads me to constantly check my account balance and contributes to my emotional decisions. So I remove the emotion from it by removing leverage. That way, I never find myself having to decide at all.
This is now my aim to limit my overworking.
If I ever feel myself panicking as I rush to finish a piece, step away and take a walk around the block. If I start to ramble in one of my pieces, which I’m most certainly prone to, I’ll set myself a 1500-word limit for every post. There’s a reason why I don’t have a plethora of posts saved in my arsenal to post when life gets busy. It's because I overwork thinking it will lead to success. But it doesn’t. I know you can see right through my words. The busy-brained mumblings of a man who’s tied his purpose to his success.
So now I’m working on telling stories that I’m proud of and that I hope will help others. Shane Parrish started writing his email list every Sunday as a form of journalling, and Tim Ferriss did exactly the same. I like that idea. Consider this my journal for all to see.
As for my purpose? I think it’s just “to be”. That’s where I feel true freedom. Life isn’t happening to us; it happens for us. We just choose how we react to its stimuli. We also, when we just exist, not particularly doing anything, can live in the present and that’s all we truly have.
People will often ask, “What are you doing later”? I’ll often respond, “I might go home and stare at the wall”.
After the raucous applause and laughter have ended, I’ll proudly tap myself on the back for a joke well received. But is it a joke? I often have my best ideas as I stare at the wall doing nothing at all. If we reduce our overworking, we have more time to process the information we take in. We also carefully choose the information we absorb in the first place, and so can use that information to greater effect.
The only person we have to beat is ourselves from yesterday. Life isn’t a zero-sum game. It’s an infinite game. The success of others doesn’t limit ours. So ditch living up to society's expectations and that comparison to other people. Instead, choose to learn from them!
You also have nothing to “catch up” to. Our society has the perception of success all wrong. It's not how much we have, it’s our sense of purpose.
We have to embrace our failures. How else can we learn, grow, and beat ourselves from yesterday? So yes, show incredible ambition. Have the biggest dreams anybody has ever had and commit to them. But don’t overwork. Patience, time, and a lot of failure will be required on the way there.
Concluding Remarks
I’m rushing and as a consequence, I’m overworking to try and cram every little thing into my schedule. But this never brings happiness. It makes me panic, stress, and feel anxious. As I slow down, I’m also limiting myself in how much I work. Desired behaviour will turn into default behaviour. Over time I hope the time I save will help create better stories. Over time, I might even have some stories saved up for when life gets busy.