Wow, today I feel very called out (but not in a bad way). I started reading Greg McKeown’s book Effortless. I previously read his book Essentialism and loved it (I even follow him on LinkedIn for his weekly insights). I’m not even 15 pages into this book, and he describes my family and me to a tee.
The Burnout Dilemma
At the beginning of the book, he describes a situation in which an executive of a big company got burnt out—“He felt like the tragic character Boxer the Horse in Orwell’s Animal Farm, described as the farm’s most dedicated laborer whose answer to every problem, every setback was ‘I will work harder’—that is until he collapsed from overwork and was sent to the knacker’s yard.” Definitely a way in which I would have described myself at one time.
Challenging Work Ethic Beliefs
He then goes on further to say something a bit mind-blowing and eye-opening, not just about me but my entire family. And it touches upon something Damien and I discuss regularly—my deep, ingrained need to “do”. McKeown writes, “For some, the idea of working less hard feels uncomfortable. We feel lazy. We fear we’ll fall behind. We feel guilty for not going the extra mile each time.” (Dude, like, get out of my head!!). He goes on, “This mindset, conscious or not, may have its roots in the Puritan idea that the act of doing hard things always has an inherent value. Puritanism went beyond embracing the hard; it extended to also distrusting the easy.” While my family background doesn’t descend from Puritans, it does from Pennsylvania Dutch, who have a similar view on work ethic.
Connection to Fixed Mindset
The other thread I am following with the opening of this book is about the fixed mindset described in Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, which I recently finished. McKeown talks about how “your work ethic was evidence of your character” and how an executive “didn’t just think that working endless hours would lead to success; he thought it was success.” This is such a true description of the fixed mindset—believing that your qualities are fixed and needing to prove yourself over and over again.
Ponder This
- How do you perceive the balance between working hard and working smart?
- Have you experienced guilt or discomfort from not going the extra mile each time?
- How has the concept of fixed versus growth mindset impacted your approach to work and success?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Books
- Blink
- Effortless
- Misbelief
- Mindset
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