Are you working too hard?

There are two kinds of hard work, the doable hard, and the destructive hard.

In his fantastic book Axiom, author Bill Hybels mentions some of his team members speaking about hard work.

"As they talked about their stressors, their energy actually increased, their eyes brightened, and their posture seemed to straighten a bit. They'd use language like, "This is exhilirating!" "It's hard, but it's fun!"

He also brings up other team members who "talked about how they were losing sleep at night. They were experiencing anxiety and increased bouts of fear and despondency. They were having escapist thoughts. They were worried that they'd lose their jobs if they didn't set new excellence records."

Here are some examples of the two kinds of hard for musicians.   

Doable hard: Create a private teaching studio     
Destructive hard: Reschedule every single missed lesson              

Doable hard: Make a living as a musician                
Destructive hard: Refuse the gigs that don't pay well enough

Doable hard: Practice a piece until you know it well
Destructive hard: Practice a piece until absolute perfection

Doable hard: Create a band or a chamber ensemble     
Destructive hard: Solely do all the planning, but don't get paid more

Make sure to keep in check with the kind of hard work you're doing, to stay motivated and not get buried under your work.



Picture from http://nolongerquivering.com/2010/06/19/mayhem-on-the-homefront-update-on-everything/