The law of diminishing returns in your life

When the gain is not worth the effort

I’d be lying if I said trying to start a side hustle as a mum of 2 toddlers while working full time hasn’t exhausted me. Dare I say, sometimes I feel I am on the brink of burnout.

The good thing is, I am hyperaware of how I feel, and while my mind is often in overdrive, I make a conscious effort to listen to my gut and body. I know the difference between procrastinating and genuinely needing downtime; between being unmotivated and being mentally exhausted; and between being tired and feeling fatigue.

The difference between me 10 years ago and now is that when I need downtime or feel fatigue, I have learned to stop - and not give myself a hard time about it. And it has been a game changer when it comes to my ability to recuperate and then be able to perform better.

The law of diminishing returns

In simple terms, the law of diminishing returns is an economic principle that states that after a certain point, the more time you invest in doing something, the less you are going to get out of it, assuming all other variables remain constant.

In other words, when you have hit that point where the law of diminishing returns comes into play, the gain is not worth your effort, and you are getting less bang for your buck.

When you try to do something when you are exhausted - like I do sometimes when I sit to write this newsletter - not only will it take you much longer, but the output is compromised. Going to bed earlier and getting a good nights sleep is time better used in this case.

I am at a transition point in my life at the moment as I move out of the corporate world into my own. I don’t want to waste another minute not working on my own projects, however I still have work commitments to close out. So although I have chosen to prioritize my work commitments in this transition phase, only now am I accepting that I need to pause my next phase for a month or so, so that I don’t burn out whilst trying to do both. I don’t want to be worn out before I start my new chapter!

On working less but better

Image from visualizevalue.com - I love their work!

“Most of us are trying to pack 60-80 hour work weeks into a slim profile of available work time, and then getting disappointed and frustrated when we can’t do it all,” says Sarah Peck in her book ‘Do Half’.

This is definitely me.

“Just because you can’t do it all this week or this year doesn’t mean you won’t do a lot of these things in your lifetime. Most people overestimate how much we can do in a day or a week—or even a month, but underestimate how much we can do in few years’ time with focus and dedication.” Sarah Peck, Do Half

Exactly.

My ‘freedom business’

As I step into my own venture of building something for myself that will give me the fulfillment of doing good work whilst also giving me time freedom to manage my family and personal goals, overworking defeats the purpose. I am conscious that I am the type to take too much on that will only burn me to the ground; and then, what is the point?

We all know the 80/20 rule where 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. So all we need to learn to do is determine what that 20% is and choose to focus on it.

What’s in your 20%?