Believe it or not, hard work can be counterproductive. And staying busy can be like morphine — it numbs the pain of not knowing what to do in life or career.
When we want to escape that pain of feeling lost, doing inconsequential things is very tempting. Alas, when its pain-numbing effect wears off, the underlying problem only feels worse.
Many times in my startup journey, I did not know what to do because the product wasn’t working. In those moments, it was extremely comforting to just do something and stay busy. Hard work feels virtuous.
But without direction, hard work is yet another distraction.
When you are facing intractable problems, don’t get busy doing random things — face the problem. Feel that discomfort. Reflect. Read books. Talk to friends. Generate ideas. Experiment. And then, work really hard.
But work on real things, not on some sideshow distraction. That is when hard work and grind count.
Don’t stay busy to escape reality — I have tried it — it never works.
– Rajan