# Hard work My father worked hard his whole life. That's all he knew. He taught me the value of being strong and always keeping my head up. But he also shared his greatest weakness with me. [[20 years from now, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids]]. [[There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither]]. Working hard is (sometimes) useful, but above all, we need to take care of our well-being. It's ok to take a break. It's ok to push back some deadlines. It's ok (even recommended) to do nothing from time to time. It's ok to chill. It's not being lazy. It's being good with ourselves. Our brains cannot stay in a chemically stimulated state indefinitely. Rest is vital for sensitivity when the stress response or focus are demanded. Instead of hard work, try [[Deep work]] and [[Zen Productivity]]. Hard work is not the only way to achieve success. It's not the only way to be happy. It's not the only way to be fulfilled. My father failed to find meaning in what he did. He didn't take time to discover his "why". He didn't take time to deeply explore his passions, interests and creativity. He didn't even start to discover his potential. He was too busy working hard... > [[Si on travaille pour gagner sa vie, pourquoi se tuer au travail]] > [[Work to live. Don't live to work]] ## Related - [[Working less than you possibly could is not laziness]] - [[Avoiding hard work]] - [[What you choose to work on, and who you choose to work with, are far more important than how hard you work]] - [[30 Areas/33 Permanent notes/33.02 Content/Work life balance]] - [[Work life integration]] - [[Start with the why. If you can't figure out the why, stop]] - [[Work on your list of why's]] - [[Hard work includes hard thinking]]