Be productive but not exhausted

● You worked nonstop this week, but your to-do list remains as long as it was on Monday morning. What’s going on?

Dean Furman, a strategist and the author of Exponential Potential, calls this illusionary motion: your busyness does not translate into productive work. “This is often exacerbated by not having clear goals and by doing low-impact tasks that could be outsourced or automated.” He may be referring to running a business, but it is just as relevant to your tasks at work. Furman has the following advice:

Don’t tell you manager, but roundthe-clock work does not equal success. It is, in fact, counterproductive;

Take time out — a “no-work zone” — every week to do the things you love, and stick to it, no matter what deadline looms;

Remember Parkinson’s law: work expands to fill the time available for its completion. If you set yourself three hours to complete your report, you will finish it in three hours, but if you allow for six hours, it will take that long; and

Remember why you work so hard. Spend time with your family, exercise, or sit and think about life. “Being passionate about your career is great, but when it becomes all-encompassing, it usually isn’t healthy,” says Furman.