Working Harder Almost Broke Me

After 10 years of treating my calendar like a game of Tetris and my sleep schedule like a suggestion, I learned the hard way that hustle culture is a lie.

I used to think working harder was the answer, so I pushed nights and weekends. Slack was always green. I believed output = value.

It didn't.

The more I did, the worse it got. Quality slipped. Team morale dropped. Endless meetings, last-minute fire drills, rushed launches.

We were "crushing it" on paper and quietly imploding in reality.

The turning point?

I stopped solving everything with effort. I started asking: Why does this even exist?

The results shocked me:

• 60% of our meetings had no clear purpose

• Half our "urgent" deadlines were completely arbitrary.

• Most deliverables never got used by anyone

So I deleted deliverables. I cancelled recurring meetings with no agenda and pushed back on fake deadlines.

The outcome: I cut my hours by 30% and our team's productivity doubled.

Now, I have a rule: If it only works when someone's burning out to keep it alive, it's already broken.

I wish someone had told me earlier that exhaustion isn't a badge of honour. It's a sign that the system is broken.

One thing you can try this week is to ask before your next meeting, "What specific decision will we make?" If the answer is unclear, cancel the meeting.

What's one "busy work" task you could eliminate today? Drop it in the comments—I'd love to hear your wins.