Why I Stopped Working Harder and How I Started Working Smarter

It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it. – Lena Horne

At least once a year I revisit the concept of “working smarter, not harder.” Why? Because I quickly forget. I forget that working harder and harder does not mean I am necessarily more productive.

Tina’s Triumphant Tale

This year, Tina, one of my Camino de Santiago Walking Retreat guests reminded me of this in no uncertain terms. Here is what Tina told me one mellow afternoon as we sat chatting in Merlin the Magnificent’s shade (one of my 200-year-old oak trees:)

“Let me tell you how my week usually started: Monday morning, 7:02 a.m., and I was already staring down my third cup of coffee like it owed me an apology. My to-do list looked like it had been on steroids, my inbox was a digital hellscape, and I had got a Post-it stuck to my sleeve because I fell asleep at my desk the night before. Again.

I was juggling three project deadlines, a client call, and trying to remember if I’d fed the dog that morning (I had, of course I had). My smart watch was buzzing with notifications, my coffee had gone cold for the third time, when I finally realised something profound: this wasn’t living. This was hardly existing.

“I need to work harder,” I decided.

Let’s rewind a bit. I’d always been the overachiever. In college, I was that student pulling all-nighters, surviving on instant ramen and determination. When I landed my first corporate job, I carried that same mentality with me. “First one in, last one out” was my unwritten motto. I prided myself on my ability to multitask, to handle impossible workloads, to be the go-to person for everything.

But here’s the dirty little secret no one tells you about being the “reliable one”: it’s exhausting. Absolutely, soul-crushingly exhausting.

I ended up being that stereotypical overworked, underpaid middle manager who was slowly losing her spark.

I used to think all this chaos meant I was crushing it. I thought hustling until my left eye twitched was some kind of badge of honour. It wasn’t until my then-11-year-old said, “Mom, don’t you ever have fun anymore?” that it hit me like a brick wrapped in shame. I didn’t know how to answer.

Since then, I hadn’t magically managed to Marie Kondo my life and became a minimalist with 12 identical black T-shirts and a perfectly curated capsule wardrobe (though honestly, that does sound phenomenal). Nope. But I started working smarter. Though probably not the way you think.

Six Steps from the Old Me to the New Me

Step One: It’s My Own Fault (?)

So before I had my epiphany (read: mental breakdown), I was that person. You know, the one who brags about being “so busy” like it’s an Olympic sport. I said yes to everything: extra projects, weekend meetings, PTA bake sales (despite being terrible at baking), even pointless Zoom calls that could’ve been a freaking email. I’d convinced myself that saying “yes” meant I was dependable, successful, and valuable. But really? It just made me tired, hangry and kinda cranky.

Finally, I missed an important deadline—not because I didn’t care, but because I’d spent so much time juggling a million other things that the ball I was actually supposed to catch smacked me right in the face. I had no choice but to sit down and ask myself: Why am I doing this? Who told me “busy” equals “productive”?

No one was going to give me a trophy for sacrificing my sanity. And the worst part? I didn’t even realise I deserved one. I was just running myself ragged for… what, exactly? Clout? (Nobody cares how many hours you work and you’re too exhausted to enjoy the rewards afterwards anyway.)

Step Two: Time to Break Up With My Inner Martyr

Once I realised I was the architect of my own misery (ugh), I made one simple vow: I refuse to be that person from that moment on. This might sound fairly obvious now, but let me tell you, at the time it was a game-changer.

I used to think working late into the night made me a hero. Now, I ask myself a blunt but important question: Am I doing this because it’s actually necessary, or am I doing this because it makes me feel important?

Anytime I catch myself leaning toward the “martyr” mindset, I pretend I’m giving advice to my best friend. Because let’s be real—if my bestie told me she was pulling an all-nighter to perfect a PowerPoint that only three people would see, I’d smack her (lovingly) with a pillow and say, “Girl, no. Go to bed.”

Step Three: The Power of Letting Go

Okay, hear me out: I’m not actually lazy. (Well, unless we’re talking about folding laundry. Then yes, I’m fully Team Wrinkle.) But what I am is selective. These days, I don’t waste my time on anything that doesn’t pass my “Is this actually worth it?” test.

For example: I stopped taking notes during meetings. Shocking, I know. But here’s the deal—if something’s really important, it’ll come up again. And if it’s not? Well, then it wasn’t worth remembering in the first place.

I also mastered the art of delegation, which used to feel so awkward. (Asking for help does not, in fact, mean you’re a failure. Wild, right?) Now I outsource like my life depends on it—whether it’s hiring someone to deep-clean my house once a month or letting my kids pack their own school lunches. Sure, one time my son packed himself a single bagel and a chocolate bar, but hey, he learned. And I didn’t have to do it. Win-win.

Step 4 The Game Plan: Small Tweaks, Big Results

This wasn’t an overnight transformation. It was messy, uncomfortable, and required me to completely rewire my brain. I was my own worst enemy:

• Email Overload: I was checking my inbox every 10 minutes like it was a life-or-death situation.
• Perfectionism Paralysis: I’d spend 45 minutes tweaking a presentation font because heaven forbid someone think I wasn’t a Times New Roman gal.
• Multitasking Mayhem: I thought I was being efficient, but really, I was just writing emails with typos while forgetting why I walked into the kitchen.

I needed to change. Here are the game-changing strategies I implemented to do just that:

1. Energy Management, Not Time Management Forget tracking every minute. I started tracking my energy levels. When am I most creative? When do I hit peak focus? Turns out, my golden productivity hours are between 9-11 AM and then again from 3-5 PM. Everything else? Meetings, emails, admin stuff. No more forcing deep work during my natural low-energy zones. I created what I now call my “energy map” – a colour-coded calendar that tracks not just my appointments, but my actual productivity potential. Green zones are my peak performance times, yellow are moderate, and red are basically “do not disturb unless the building is on fire” moments.
2. The Two-Minute Rule If a task takes less than two minutes, I do it immediately. No adding it to a list, no “I’ll get to it later.” Instant action. This small shift was revolutionary. My inbox became manageable, my desk stayed relatively clear, and I stopped letting tiny tasks become mental clutter. You’d be amazed how many “urgent” things can be handled in 120 seconds or less. Responding to that quick email? Two minutes. Filing that expense report? Two minutes. Sending a thank-you note? Two minutes. Suddenly, my to-do list wasn’t this mammoth mountain of terror anymore.
3. Strategic Saying No This was hard for a people-pleaser like me. But I realised that every “yes” to something was a “no” to something else – often something more important. Now, I’m ruthless about my commitments. Not in a mean way, but in a self-preserving way. I developed a simple decision-making framework. Before saying yes to anything, I ask myself three questions:
   • Does this align with my core professional or personal goals?
   • Can someone else do this just as effectively?
   • What will I have to sacrifice to make this happen?
4. Time Blocking (a.k.a. My Sanity Saver) Instead of bouncing between tasks like a caffeinated squirrel, I block out chunks of time for specific things. Emails from 9–10 AM. Writing projects from 10:30–12 PM. Lunch at 12 (and yes, I actually eat away from my desk now). Pro tip: During these blocks, I mute notifications. If the world’s ending, someone will call.
5. Batch Tasks for Maximum Efficiency Grouping similar tasks together is surprisingly effective. I group similar tasks together and knock them out in one go. Emails? Done in 30 minutes flat. Content creation? Knocked out on Tuesdays. Meal prep? Well… still working on that one, but hey, I’m making progress.

Step Five: Automate Like I’m Running a Tech Start-Up

I used to spend hours every week on stuff that could’ve been automated. HOURS. I’m talking mundane, soul-sucking tasks like scheduling appointments, sending follow-ups, and remembering to pay the electric bill before it’s too late (again).

Then I discovered apps. Glorious, life-saving apps. Now, my calendar sends me reminders, my groceries show up on my doorstep, and my bills get paid without me having to lift a finger. It’s like having a personal assistant who works for free and doesn’t judge you for eating cereal at 11 p.m. Three of my favourites:

• Trello or Notion: Think of these as Pinterest for your brain. I organize my life into neat little boards and lists, and it feels oddly satisfying.
• Google Calendar (With Reminders!): I set reminders for literally everything—deadlines, appointments, and even when to water my plants (RIP to the ones I forgot before).
• Otter.ai: This transcribes meetings or voice memos for me. Because who has time to re-listen to an hour-long call for the one important thing someone said?

Step Six: Redefine Success (Because the Old Definition isn’t working anymore)

Somewhere along the line, I realised that my old definition of success—working myself to the bone and praying for a pat on the back—was a one-way ticket to Burnout City. So I decided to change it.

Now, success looks like this:

• Having time to laugh with my kids without checking my phone every five seconds.
• Taking a random Tuesday off to read a book in bed, just because I can.
• Saying “no” to things that don’t light me up or pay my bills. (Honestly, this one has changed my life.)

Working smarter isn’t about being selfish—it’s about being intentional. It’s about realising that you don’t have to climb every mountain; sometimes you just need to find a better trail or, better yet, take the ski lift.

So here I am. Rocking self-care by attending this Camino de Santiago walking retreat. It was something I always wanted to do, but it has been languishing on my bucket list for years. Decades. Not any longer, now I focus on doing this sort of thing to keep my batteries fully charged.

Look, I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out. There are still days when I slip into old habits, overcommit, or say yes to something out of guilt. (Hey, I’m human. And also, people-pleasing is hard to quit.) But now I know how to pull myself back before I spiral into full-blown chaos.

The crazy part? By doing less, I actually accomplished more. My work quality improved. My stress levels plummeted. I started sleeping better, reconnected with my family, and rediscovered hobbies I thought I’d abandoned forever.

My team noticed too. Instead of seeing a frazzled manager running from fire to fire, they saw someone strategic, calm, and genuinely present. Productivity isn’t about looking busy – it’s about making a meaningful impact.

So tell your guests to work smarter, not harder. Trust me—it’s way more fun. 😉”

Final Thoughts

Do you also think hustling is a virtue? It’s not. And rest is not a reward. It’s a necessity. Success isn’t measured by how exhausted you are, but by the quality of your life and the impact you make on the lives of others.

This journey isn’t about perfection. Some days, I still fall back into old patterns. Some weeks, my to-do list feels overwhelming. But now I have the tools and strategies that I use daily and That I share with my retreat guests, and most importantly – I have self-compassion.

So, next time you’re overwhelmed, ask yourself: Am I making this harder than it needs to be? You might be surprised by how many things you can simplify—or just stop doing altogether.

So here’s to working smarter, not harder. Starting TODAY.

Esprit Meraki Retreats From Troubled to Triumphant: Finding Solid Ground During a LIfe Quake Retreat Walking and Writing Retreat: Find Insight and Inspiration with Every Step Tick-off-Your-Bucket-List Camino de Santiago Walking Retreat Book Lover’s Binge Reading Retreat and Christmas Binge Reading Retreat