The Myth of ‘Hard Work’
“She’s a hard worker. She puts in at least 60 hours a week and is getting nowhere.”
I overheard that phrase recently and cringed. Somewhere along the way, we started equating long hours with hard work. While putting in 60+ hours can certainly be demanding, it doesn’t automatically mean the work is meaningful—or effective.
It reminds me of a line from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams:
“So, the hours are good, are they?”
“Yeah. Though now you come to mention it, most of the actual minutes are pretty lousy.”
We often count hours like badges of honor, but if we’re honest, many of those minutes aren’t productive or fulfilling. So what does real hard work look like?
Hard work looks like having the tough, honest conversations we usually avoid.
Hard work looks like sacrificing mindless entertainment to spend time on personal growth or a project we’ve been putting off.
Hard work looks like sending that email we’re nervous about—because growth often comes from facing fear, not avoiding it.
The most effective people I know focus their energy on these meaningful actions, while the rest of us fill our days with busy work that feels productive but ultimately isn’t.
If you find yourself caught in the trap of “long hours but little progress,” here are a few resources to help refocus on intentional, meaningful work:
LINCHPIN by Seth Godin – Learn how to work effectively and become indispensable.
THE FLINCH by Julien Smith – A concise guide to overcoming fear and taking action on what matters.
THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK by Tim Ferriss – Strategies for focusing on high-value work over busy work.
Other helpful tools:
Todd Henry’s podcast on daily tasks and focus strategies.
A structured planner like a Moleskine Professional Notebook for goal setting and project organization.
At 5th Corner Counseling, we see this all the time: mental and emotional health often suffers when we confuse busyness with progress. True “hard work” involves awareness, intention, and action that aligns with your values—whether at work, in relationships, or in personal growth.
I’m also releasing a book later this year on ways to tackle meaningful, intentional work. You can sign up here to be notified when it’s available.