The real measure of success isn't working longer hours or getting a big raise.
Instead, it's about how well you can prioritize your commitments, deadlines, projects and work, says Juliette Han, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.
To be happier and more successful in your career, Han's recommendation is to identify and focus on excelling in a few key strengths and priorities within your role.
It's a "counterintuitive" approach to the one high achievers often take when pursuing their professional aspirations, says Han, who is also an academic advisor at Harvard Medical School.
"People mistakenly think you have to be excellent at everything you do to be successful, but if you go that route, everything will suffer: your quality of work, your focus, your health," she explains. "That mentality puts you on the fast track to burnout."
You can determine the specific strengths and priorities to focus on by splitting your job responsibilities into three categories:
- Tasks you need to be excellent at
- Tasks you need to be good at
- Tasks you can put low effort into or delegate to someone else
Then, make a list of which skills you need to accomplish the tasks outlined in the first and second categories, so you have a clear roadmap of where you might need to upskill to be more effective at your job, says Han.
If you want a second opinion on your job audit, Han suggests consulting either a colleague or your manager.
"Tell them you're evaluating your current workload to maximize your productivity and focus on some bigger goals," she says. "Ask them which areas they think you're doing well in, where you might be falling short, and if the priorities you outlined are helping the company's mission or bottom line."
Ultimately, the tasks you decide you need to be excellent at should feed into your long-term career goals, whether it's positioning yourself for a promotion, gaining leadership experience or developing a new skill.
Even if you're stuck in a job you don't like, scaling back the number of tasks you're putting 100% effort into should free up time in your schedule to network, update your resume and research new opportunities, Han points out.
Learning to manage your energy — and time — at work will require some trade-offs.
But Han says the long-term benefits will outweigh any short-term inconveniences. For example: You might be less responsive to emails, but if you're using that free time on deep-focus work, you're probably turning in better-quality work.
"Thinking through all the components of your workload and how these help — or hurt — your career development is super important," Han stresses. "It helps you avoid being on autopilot and puts you in the driver's seat of your career."
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