Psalm 127:2

It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

Although more frequently used in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the term “worker bee” used to be something of a compliment around the water cooler. It generally meant you were considered a very hard worker and a great addition to the team. You might have even been told at one time you were a work horse, suggesting a person who carries (or can carry) a heavy load. These days...BEAST MODE!

Did you know the worker bee and the work horse both have shortened life spans compared to their counterparts? It’s true. Worker Bees born during the “work season” (spring/summer) only live an average of six weeks. Drones (who don’t work nearly as hard) live over 90 days on average during the same period. Arabians, which are lighter horses used for entertainment and competition, can live up to 10 years longer than the hard-working draft horse.

If you are one of those professionals who believe it is critical to put in long hours and have an over-packed calendar just to get ahead, you are doing yourself a disservice. The implications on your health are very well known. Working too hard, especially in a high stress environment, will physically do you in. In Japan they actually have a word for it, karoshi . The term literally means “death from overwork” and has become something of an epidemic for our Asian allies.

Proverbs 19:2

Desire without knowledge is not good – how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

And the consequences are more than just physical. When you seem like you are always in a hurry at work, it can often come across that you are a poor planner or bad time manager. We think we appear important or someone with much responsibility, yet it tells a different story. Know anyone at work who always seems to be in a hurry, rushing to get to the next meeting? How about those colleagues who are habitually late? How do you view them?

Being frantic or overworked does not give our minds the much-needed time for rest and cognitive rejuvenation. In a famous study done at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health over a five-year period, a comparison was done with workers of a 40-hour and 55-hour week. The results were conclusive: those who worked an average of 40 hours scored much higher on vocabulary, short term memory and reasoning. And if you have been successful, thus far, burning the candle at both ends, imagine what you could accomplish with a better work/life balance.

Here is a powerful truth: As gas expands to fill its container, so work fully occupies the time you surrender.

The work will always be there. You won’t ever be able to catch up to it. Instead, invest time learning to think laterally. Hire an executive coach to help you master valuable prioritization skills. Practice removing little bits of waste from your daily habits. Lay off the bad food and take time to prepare healthy meals. Commit to a sleep schedule that includes at least six hours of sleep each night. You will reap a lifetime of benefits as you work smarter, not harder.

Shawn Sommerkamp is a motivational speaker and Executive Coach with 20+ years of Fortune 100 leadership experience. He founded Motivationeer™ to coach Christian professionals how to bring the power of Christ’s word, as the foundation of career success, into corporate and small business America.