The Real Cost of Valuing Effort Over Efficiency

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio:

I recently heard a term that stopped me in my tracks. 

It explains so much, in 2 words, about the predicament we find ourselves in.

What is this term?:
“Effort Moralization”

And I think it might be capitalism’s most toxic trait. 

Now, I’m not railing against effort; I don’t think effort is bad. 

In fact, I think effort is generally a good thing.

You don’t generally reap great rewards via no effort at all. 

Success requires work. 

And work requires effort.

Effort is a means to an end.

But, what is bad, I think, is the moralization of effort.

And here’s why:

• It keeps you in a vicious cycle, working more and more hours with diminishing returns.

• It leads companies to track their employees’ moment-by-moment actions instead of the outcomes.

• It induces burnout.

And, when we moralize the effort, the incentives are all messed up.

Do you know what the prize is for being really efficient at work?  

More projects, more work. 

Accolades, sure.  

But accolades don’t get you more discretionary time.

And I don’t know about you, but my goal with efficiency is not to do more work.  

In fact, that’s the opposite of what I want.

When I aim for efficiency, it’s so that I can have MORE time to do what I want.  

So that I can do what I need to do (and do it well!) in less time, with less effort.

So I have more room for all the other things I want to do.

So, by all means, be efficient.  But think about WHY. 

Who are you doing it for?

I once had a boss who regularly told people: “Alexis can do in 20 hours what most people can do in 60 hours.”

I took it as a compliment (and I’m sure it was meant as such).

But I don’t see it that way anymore.

In retrospect, I should have just asked for a raise.

So here’s my plea: stop moralizing effort!

You’re not better because you put in more hours.

Saying that you sleep less than 5 hours a night isn’t a flex.

You’ve heard: “work smarter, not harder.”

But deep down, you might not believe that a) that’s possible and b) that it’s truly better.

But that’s “effort moralization” worming its way into your brain, telling you that the harder you work, the more hours you put in, the better off you’ll be.

Sometimes, you want to take a step back, and look at what’s going on, and figure out a way to do it (just as well!) with LESS effort.

So, if less effort for the same (or better!) results is your goal, then I’m excited to share that my program, Time Well Spent: Time Management for Real People, will be open for enrollment next week!

You’re just one click away from getting on the waitlist. 

Click here now to join the waitlist and be the first to know when the doors open again.

I can’t wait to help you learn practical ways to do more in less time, with less effort, so that you can spend more of your time in any way you damn well please.