15 Hard Working Tips That Help You Keep Going

Hard workers hear one message over and over: do more. Almost nobody tells you when more stops helping.

Economist John Pencavel of Stanford studied that question using an unusual source. In a paper that appeared in the Economic Journal in 2015, he analyzed production records from British munitions factories in World War I, which were collected by a government committee that wanted to know how long workers should work. Most of the workers in the data were women. He found that the relationship between hours and output wasn’t a straight line. Below about 49 hours a week, output rose in proportion to hours. Above that, output kept rising but at a decreasing rate. One striking result was that output at 70 hours differed little from output at 56.

Some important cautions. These were factory workers a century ago, doing repetitive tasks, and Pencavel noted that the threshold may be higher for other kinds of workers. It doesn’t tell you how many hours you should work, and many people can’t choose their hours at all. I’m drawing a general lesson, and that’s my own extension: effort has diminishing returns, and rest is part of keeping going.

The 15 tips below are about working hard in a way you can keep up. They’re my own, and I’ll flag where the study informs them.

Start With One Small Daily Habit

Grab my free 9 Daily Habits guide. It has nine morning practices you can pick from, and any one of them makes a good small first step.

Get the Free Guide

1. Notice when extra hours stop paying off

The heart of the research is that later hours can produce less. Pay attention to your own pattern. When does your work start to slow down or get sloppy?

I used to push through until everything I did needed redoing. Now I look for the point where my output drops. That’s my experience, and it fits the general idea.

Try this: For a week, note the hour when your work quality starts to slip.

2. Count output, not hours

Hours are easy to measure, and they don’t tell you what got done. At the end of the day, write down what you finished.

If you worked long and finished little, that’s useful information. That’s my suggestion, and it reflects the study’s focus on output.

Try this: At the end of each day, write down three things you completed.

A Small Reminder to Pace Yourself

I make prints, mugs, and shirts at Premier Print Works. Some people like a reminder where they can see it.

Visit Premier Print Works

3. Take a full day off each week when you can

In the data, the absence of a rest day seemed to hurt output. Summaries of the study note that a six-day week produced slightly more than a seven-day one. You may not control your schedule, and if you can, protect a day.

A real day off means a break from the work itself. That’s my view, and it’s one I wish I’d followed sooner.

Try this: Choose a day this week to be a real day off, and tell the people involved.

Hard work that lasts has room for rest built in.

4. Work in focused blocks, not endless stretches

Long, unbroken hours tend to blur. Work in blocks of 45 to 90 minutes with breaks between them.

The numbers are my suggestion, not from the study. Blocks give your effort a shape. That’s my method.

Try this: Set a timer for your next block of work, and take a break when it ends.

Take a Week to Check Your Pace

My free 7-Day Life Reset is a short week of reflection on your own routines. It’s a good place to start seeing what gets in your way.

Start the Free Reset

5. Do your hardest work when you’re freshest

Your best effort is worth more early in a block or a day than late. Put the demanding tasks first.

By afternoon, I do more routine tasks. That’s my own pattern, and it makes the hours count.

Try this: Schedule your most important task for the time of day when you feel freshest.

6. Set a stopping time, and treat it as part of the job

A stopping point makes the day finite. Decide when work ends, and plan what you’ll do afterward.

Without one, work expands. I’ve learned this the hard way. That’s my experience.

Try this: Choose a stopping time for tomorrow, and set an alarm for ten minutes before.

7. Protect your sleep

Tired hours are weaker hours. I’m not making any specific health claims. It’s common sense that sleep supports your work.

If you often feel exhausted or can’t sleep, it’s worth talking with a doctor. That’s my caution. Rest is a part of working hard.

Try this: Pick a bedtime that gives you enough sleep, and protect it for a week.

8. Eat and drink during the day

It’s easy to skip lunch when you’re pushing. Hungry hours aren’t your best. Plan a simple meal and keep water nearby.

Everyone’s needs are different, and I’m not offering nutrition advice. This is my own practice, and it keeps my afternoons steadier.

Try this: Schedule a real lunch break on your calendar tomorrow.

9. Take short breaks, and don’t feel guilty about them

Hard work isn’t the same as nonstop work. A few minutes away from your task can help you return with more focus. Step outside, stretch, or get a drink.

I used to feel guilty about every pause. That’s gone now, since the work is better with them. That’s my experience.

Try this: Take a five-minute break after your next hour of work, without checking your phone.

10. Ask for help before you’re overwhelmed

Working hard includes knowing when to share the load. A quick request early can save hours later.

Asking isn’t weakness. It’s efficiency. That’s my view, and it’s saved me many late nights.

Try this: Identify one task someone else could help with, and ask this week.

11. Say no to work that doesn’t matter

Not every task deserves your effort. Filter what you take on. Each yes uses hours you can’t spend elsewhere.

A few years ago, I began declining low-value commitments, and I finished my important work sooner. That’s my own experience.

Try this: Look at your list, and cross off one task that doesn’t serve your goals.

12. Plan recovery after a big push

Sometimes you’ll work longer for a deadline. That’s normal. Plan a lighter stretch afterward so you don’t run on empty.

The study’s data suggest very long weeks give little extra output, so don’t make them a habit. That’s my suggestion, based on the general pattern.

Try this: After your next busy week, schedule a lighter day or an early finish.

13. Keep at least one thing in your life that isn’t work

Hobbies, friends, and family are part of what keeps you going. Protect time for at least one of them.

It gives your effort a purpose beyond the job. That’s my own belief, and it’s not from the research.

Try this: Schedule one non-work activity this week, and treat it like an appointment.

14. Celebrate finished work

Notice what you completed, even when it’s small. Write it down, tell someone, or enjoy a simple treat.

Progress you notice is easier to repeat. That’s my habit, and it keeps the long haul feeling worth it.

Try this: At the end of each week, write down one thing you’re proud of finishing.

15. Check in with your pace, and adjust when you need to

Once a month, ask whether your pace is sustainable. Are you rested, or running on fumes? If not, what could change?

If you feel constantly burned out, it may help to talk with a doctor or licensed mental health professional. That’s my caution. Keeping going means adjusting along the way.

Try this: Put a monthly pace check on your calendar with three questions: rested, rushed, or ready?

Ready to Work Hard and Last?

Download my free 9 Daily Habits guide and pick one small habit to start today.

Download Free Now

A Small Reminder to Pace Yourself

Take a look at Premier Print Works for prints, mugs, and shirts made for people who like a small daily reminder.

Visit Premier Print Works