The era of being evaluated by time is over. Let's think about the right way to work hard now.

Good morning! This is pon.

This time, I have summarized my thoughts on 'how to work hard' that I have felt through my experience as a manager. If you feel even the slightest sense of 'discomfort' or 'doubt' about your current way of working, please check this out!

Introduction: Who is that 'hard work' for?

'I have to work harder,' 'I'll finish this even if I have to work overtime.'—
Many people have surely faced their work by gritting their teeth like that.

I used to be like that too. Wanting to produce even a little more results than those around me, I was the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave every day.
As a result, I was sometimes evaluated for it. But one day, I suddenly realized,
'How long can I keep working like this?'

Even though I'm working hard, it somehow doesn't pay off. Instead, my physical strength and my mind are being consumed more and more.
—Are you working in a way like that?

Especially in Japan, there is a tendency to easily misunderstand that working hard equals spending time.
However, there are societies like Germany and Nordic countries where 'producing high results in a limited time' is what gets evaluated.

Now in the Reiwa era, why don't we update the meaning of 'working hard'?
When you finish reading this article, the meaning of the word 'working hard' might quietly change within you.

The limits of the Showa-era 'myth of hard work'

I was once told this by an old boss.

I continued to work exactly as those words suggested and became a manager in my 30s.
But when I told my subordinates similar things,

'Isn't that power harassment?'
'Even if you tell me to work hard, I don't know how to work hard.'

I was taken aback.
My success experience was only 'managing to get by by spending time,' and I had no reproducibility or know-how to pass on to my subordinates.

On the contrary, by forcing the same way of working on them, I was on the verge of losing their trust.

There was certainly an era when working long hours was considered 'proof of working hard.'
However, that method no longer works.

In fact, according to OECD statistics, even though the annual working hours of Japanese people are about 350 hours longer than those of Germans, Japan's labor productivity per hour is 1.5 times lower.
This tells us that the assumption that 'if you work long hours, you will get results' is an illusion.

Rather, what is being questioned now is the perspective of **'how much value can be created within a limited time.'**

'If you work hard, you will be rewarded' is now anachronistic.
From now on, the key will be how sustainably you can perform 'the right effort that leads to results.'

Is your 'effort' truly reproducible?

What is the right way to work hard?

To begin with, what does it mean to "work hard"?

Many people perceive working hard as pushing oneself too far or getting through things by sheer willpower.
Certainly, there are moments in life when you must run at full speed.
Launching a new project, a major presentation, right before an exam... at times like these, it is important to concentrate your efforts over a short period.

However, humans cannot run at full speed forever.
If you sprint a marathon, you probably won't even last 10km.

Yet, in the workplace, many people operate under the assumption that "giving 100% every day is the norm."
This is a very dangerous way of thinking.

Working hard is an act of "temporarily applying a boost on top of daily performance."
In other words, the prerequisite is that your daily base way of working isin a state that is reasonable and sustainable.

If your way of working is on the edge every day, you won't have any reserve strength left when you really need to push.
As a result, you fall into a vicious cycle of blaming yourself for "not being able to work hard" and becoming even more exhausted.

The truly "right way to work hard" is to know your own pace and be conscious of pacing yourself.
And, to achieve results without wasting effort, it is aboutmaking wisdom, ingenuity, and tools your allies.

A "sustainable way of fighting" in work

So, how can you change your daily work into a "sustainable pace"?

First, what you want to be conscious of iscutting out the "waste" that you repeat unconsciously.
For example, do you have any idea about these actions?

• Creating materials from scratch every time

• Participating in regular meetings that have no substance just because they are there

• Chat messages piling up so much that it takes 30 minutes just to read them

These can be significantly streamlined with a little bit of system building or IT utilization.
For example, take inventory of your tasks and visualize your weekly tasks in Notion.
Just by using ChatGPT to organize project ideas or creating templates for standard replies in Slack, the way you "get tired" every day will be completely different.

*Even just typing "Please give me feedback on this project proposal" into ChatGPT can provide an objective perspective.
*In Notion, you can consolidate "recurring tasks," "manual creation," and "document templates," which leads directly to saving time.

Also, the perspective that "efficiency improves precisely because there is a time limit," as in Germany, is important.

According to OECD data, the annual working hours of Germans are 1,356 hours, while Japanese are 1,710 hours, a difference of more than 350 hours.
Yet, the results are even better than in Japan.

In other words, it is not that "results come because there is time," but ratherthat creativity is born precisely because time is limited.

Furthermore, in Germany, structural ingenuity such as "reducing wasteful meetings," "performance-oriented evaluation systems," and "job-based employment that focuses on expertise" is thoroughly implemented.

By incorporating these essences into our daily work, we can also get closer to a state where we can achieve results without having to struggle.

By accumulating these improvements, a way of working where you can achieve results without struggling will surely become closer.
So, what kind of style do you want to work in?

How do you want to work?

So far, I have conveyed the perspective that "working hard does not mean spending time,"
as well as the thinking and use of tools necessary for a sustainable way of working.

From here on, I would like you to review your own "way of working."
The keyword is "a sense of satisfaction for yourself."

🔁 Let go of unconscious assumptions

First, let's review the "assumptions about working" that you have within yourself. For example—

• Working overtime is a given

• Busy people are evaluated highly

• You can't leave until your boss leaves

• You are trusted more if you are holding onto tasks

These might be "common sense about working" that have been imprinted on you before you knew it.
But is that really the form you want?

In this day and age, people who "achieve results in a limited amount of time" are becoming more in demand.
That is why you should stop for a moment.

Just one question can be the trigger to fundamentally change the way you work.

🧭 Have your own "axis for working"

The next thing to think about is "what you want to value while working."

• I want to prioritize time with my family

• I want to focus on career advancement

• I want to make more use of my areas of expertise

• I want to work stably while taking care of my health.

All of these are correct. The important thing is to clarify what is most valuable to you.

Once you know that, your judgment on what to pour your energy into and what to let go of will not waver.

And those who work in line with that "axis" are not swayed by those around them and can steadily build up their own unique achievements.

🌿 Organizing your days through "systems that don't require overexertion"

When changing how you work, you don't have to make big decisions all at once.
First, just incorporating "systems" into your daily tasks can create a big change.

For example—

• Spend 5 minutes every morning writing down "three tasks for today" (ToDo management).

• Compile frequently asked questions and share them with the team (FAQ creation).

• On Fridays, look back on the week and write down "what went well this week / what I want to improve" (weekly review).

These small accumulations will become the foundation that supports your "effortless way of working."

Finally, I have a question for you.

Start work after spending a relaxing morning with family.
Focus on tasks in the afternoon, and close your computer with a sense of satisfaction in the evening.
After work, take time for hobbies, reading, or spending time with people you like—.

Instead of deciding that it is "impossible," finding ways to get closer to it is the first step toward redefinition.

5 steps to break away from the "time-investment mindset"

The assumption that "working long hours equals working hard."
Letting go of this is not easy.
However, if you keep these 5 steps in mind, you can transition to a "way of working that is not bound by time" naturally and without strain.

Step 1: Let go of the belief in effort

The first thing to do is to temporarily remove the assumption that "effort equals virtue."

Of course, this does not mean that effort is meaningless.
However, it is important to have the habit of evaluating yourself based on the "value created" rather than the "time spent on effort."

• Working overtime is impressive → ◎Finishing in a short time is impressive

• Working without sleep is impressive → ◎Resting properly and maximizing results is impressive

Reframing your thinking in this way will change your values regarding time.

Step 2: Start task design by "visualizing value"

If you are making a To-Do list but it is not leading to results, you should switch to "task design that works backward from value".

Example:

• ❌ "Create materials for XX" → Purpose and delivery standards are vague

• ✅ "Create a proposal for Company A that will be approved in 5 minutes" → Result standards are clear

Before starting a task,

Just by asking this, the quality and speed of your output will change dramatically.

Step 3: Control your "effort points" on a weekly basis

Humans cannot keep working hard every single day.
That is why designing "days to work hard" and "days to take it easy" in advance is effective.

• Monday: Focus on light routine tasks

• Wednesday: Full concentration on planning meetings

• Friday: Review and reset day

Instead of "giving 100% on everything," designing your schedule to exert effort when it counts will naturally make you less tired and more likely to achieve results.

Step 4: Create the "perfect balance" between AI and humans

In this day and age, not using AI is like doing accounting without a calculator.

For example—

• Meeting minutes and brainstorming → Throw them into ChatGPT

• Information organization → Manage with tags in Notion

• Routine tasks → Save time with automation tools

The important thing is the stance that "AI is a supporting role, and humans focus on judgment and creation." Think of it as
AI supporting an environment where you can focus on thinking.

Step 5: Have a "reproducible model" for developing subordinates

Can your subordinates reproduce the experience where you "worked hard with time"?
What you really need to convey is the process of "how you thought and acted."

For example—

• When giving instructions, convey "why this is necessary" and "what the outcome is" as a set

• Turn successful work into checklists and templates to share

• Schedule "time to think together"

In this way, turning your hard work into a "visible form" leads to next-generation leadership.

By incorporating these five steps into your daily routine,
your "working time" will become increasingly lighter,
and at the same time, your "results" will steadily accumulate.

Why people who don't work hard by time are somehow evaluated (Summary)

Thank you for reading this far!
Finally, let's briefly look back at the content of this article.

🧩 5 Steps to Break Away from the Time-Investment Mindset [Summary]

① Let go of the belief in effortHave a perspective that evaluates results by "value created" rather than "time spent."
② Design tasks based on "value criteria"Clarifying goals → Improving the quality and speed of output.
③ Adjust "effort points" on a weekly basisDon't be at full power all the time; decide on days to put in effort systematically.
④ Create a "just right division" between AI and humansUse ChatGPT, Notion, etc., to focus on thinking work.
⑤ Have a "model" for development that can be reproducedPeople who can verbalize, share, and systematize their experience are evaluated.

By making these five things a habit, you can quietly change from "someone who is working hard but exhausted" to "someone who produces results naturally."

Your "effortless results" are about to begin

There is just one last thing I would like to tell you.

As long as you think "I have to work hard," you cannot escape the way of working that relies on effort...
A truly "authentic way of working" is supported by a "system that produces results without having to work hard."

Your wisdom and ingenuity should be put to better use in your future career.
And your transformation will surely spread to your team, your family, and your juniors.

💬 Comments welcome

Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on this article or any realizations you have had about your own way of working!

Recommended books👇

Recommended articles👇

#EffortlessWorking
#SystematizingWork
#WorkStyleReform
#ReiwaWorkPhilosophy
#TheRightWayToWorkHard