Hard Work Can Backfire if You Can’t Track How Hard It Was

Learning to measure performance is more important than learning to perform

I had a challenge recently at work where I came to conclusion the endless hours I had invested over the past 18 months might have actually turned out to not only be a waste of time, but a sign of my incompetence.

So I set out one weekend, asking permission from my family to go off in solitude for a day of deep thinking and contemplation on the days that had gone by, and those yet to come.

And it hit me, just like I was hoping it would. I didn’t waste my time, but hadn’t consistently tracked my efforts out of belief that catching to take a breath might just knock me out of my trance-like momentum. That was a deadly sin I will never make again.

Once I put the numbers together it was clear, the year was a beautiful one, and the grim view I’d perceived more than a year of my life was bright and shiny again. Lesson Learned: Always be aware of what you’re achieving, or not, before someone comes along and claims otherwise.

I wish you productive hours, and amazing families to spend them with.