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  1. Discussions
  2.  → Tips for sustainably working 12 to 16 hours a day.

Tips for sustainably working 12 to 16 hours a day.

Aniruddha Ingle
14 replies
I have, recently, been obsessed with the ability of people to work 12+ hours a day. Consistently. I tried doing it and I lasted one week. So, how do you guys do it?

Replies

Sanjana
Start by tracking Social media usage time. Don't spend the first 30 mins after waking up on Instagram and instead spend it on planning further for the day.
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Aniruddha Ingle
Creating Value with Data and Drive.
@sanjana1 Yes, I agree. Social Media can be a sink for time.
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Elen Udovichenko
Head of Content @ Reply.io
Just don't. It can't be healthy and will definitely lead to burnout (or other more serious problems) down the road.
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Brandon Kindred
Founder @ Look-see
This is a frog in boiling water type of scenario. You can't just jump into doing it. That will lead to immediate burnout because you aren't used to it. Instead slowly increase the amount of time you work daily until you are working that much. I will say this, if you don't absolutely have to do it, then you shouldn't. It can have a negative impact on health as well as your relationships with family and friends. Best to stay focused for 8 hours and then go do something else
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Aniruddha Ingle
Creating Value with Data and Drive.
@brandon_kindred1 This is really good advice. Thank you, so much!
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Mariano Pardo
Flowoid, Founder - eToro, Elite Pro PI
I'd say motivation is the largest contributor. I wouldn't work that much for something I'm not interested in, but I can work 16 hours on my startup. Something I learnt is important to make a stop before bed, just 10 mins of meditation, going for a walk or doing some chores is enough.
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Aniruddha Ingle
Creating Value with Data and Drive.
@marian2js The state of flow, that is another thing I have been reading a lot.
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Judith Ackerman
It's just not sustainable. Depending on the person someone might last 1 week, 1 month or more but the end result is almost always burnout. Only in some cases where your work is actually your life and in that case you're not working anyways. So it's unrealistic to push yourself to do it because it's what the cool guys do. Just work on your pace and in the long run you'll see that you're more efficient compared to your 15 hour working self.
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su kaygun sayran
Digital Marketer - Podcaster - Writer
Don't :) You have to sharpen the ax my dude
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Aniruddha Ingle
Creating Value with Data and Drive.
@su_kaygun_sayran1 Wouldn't you count sharpening your axe as working?
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Minh Dang
Business Development Manager
Work hard but work smart is the key. You could use some automation tools to save your time and improve productivity.
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Dmitrii Pashutskii
I can say only one thing: It's very bad idea. You not only damage your health but it also affect your business, productivity and ability to recover. Eventually you probably burn out and face a serious health issues. There is not healthy way to do this. Moreover you will be much more productive and achieve more if you work 4-6 hours. Just believe me.
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Andrey Drobitko
Founder and CEO, SketchAR
I work 12+ hours per day for at least 15 years. I've always been a founder, and switching between tasks is super helpful to keep focus for a long time. Plus, as an artist, I spend my weekend at my studio and painting. So, as a summary, two solutions work for me to keep focus: different activities and tasks during a day (building a product, talking to investors, partners, etc) and art on weekends. And yes, you need to love what you do! A lot! - My company sketchar.tech - My art Adno.me
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Latoya Hall
Create boundaries between you and work..12+ hours is not an accomplishment! It's a pathway to burnout like others said....If you truly want to do 12 hour days, maybe try breaking it up throughout the day rather than going 12 hours straight....regardless productivity takes a hit as well as mental health and focus if you work for that long days on end!
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