I will (NOT) work harder.

Instead, I can ask whether this needs to be done at all. And if yes, why?

What's the cost of not doing it? Can we bear the cost?

And if it needs to be done, does it need to be done now? Can it be pushed down for later?

Also, can someone else get it done? Can we pay them or ask them for a favour?

And if we have to do it, is there an easier way of getting it done? What does a good enough version look like? We can ask what matters here and what doesn't.

Our answer to any challenge or opportunity that shows up in front of us need not be, "I think I can squeeze that in?".

We can choose to ask the right questions and choose not to work harder.

“He felt like the tragic character Boxer the Horse in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, described as the farm’s most dedicated laborer whose answer to every problem, every setback, was “I will work harder”—that is, until he collapsed from overwork and was sent to the knackers’ yard.”

~ Excerpt From the book "Effortless" by Greg McKeown