Sustainable Success
Sustainable success
To be successful you must be able to sustain your efforts over decades.
Anything that is truly valuable takes decades to achieve.
- If you want to build a successful business, it will take years, not months.
- If you want to build a championship performance, it will take years of sustained effort.
- If you want successful relationships, you want them to last for years, not months.
To be successful you must "play the game" for years. So therefore, you must work in ways that are sustainable.
In this respect there are two ways that people fail.
- Some people don't work hard enough. The consequences of laziness are obvious.
- Other people work too hard, for too long. The consequences of working too hard, are not obvious. But they are very real. The consequences are mental and physical overwhelm and the eventual collapse of mind and body.
In order to be sustainable, your efforts must fall within the middle ground between the two extremes. This means working hard, with sufficient rest and recuperation.
Working too hard
Do you know anyone who pushes themselves too hard?
They work until they collapse. They fall ill, then they slowly recover. The moment they feel recovered, they immediately go back to overworking again.
The formula for disaster is: Work, work, work, work, work, work, collapse.
If you are in this cycle you must do the following three things:
- Recognise the futility of the cycle.
- Commit yourself to change.
- Replace the cycle with the success formula, of a sustainable working practice.
Sustainable Working
Sustainable working means you work hard; then you rest and recuperate; then you return tomorrow and work hard again; then you must STOP working and go home and rest.
The formula for success is: Work, rest, work, rest, work, rest.
Balance work and rest
Remember that you are a limited resource facing an unlimited demand. If you work too hard for too long, you will exhaust your limited reserves of mental and physical energy and you will experience a meltdown.
Therefore, you need to respect the laws of your nature and work in ways that will allow you to keep winning for decades to come.
Moderate the intensity, duration and frequency of your work effort.
Definition: sustainable working
In business, sustainable working is a practice that lets you keep high output for many years. You switch hard work with planned rest, stay within safe effort limits to guard health, aim for steady long-term results, and review your routine often to match your energy. Remove any one of these parts and the work pattern is no longer sustainable.
Show CG4D Definition
- Alternates focused work with planned rest
- Keeps effort inside personal safety limits to protect health
- Targets stable output over many years, not short bursts
- Uses regular review to adjust work intensity, length and rate
Article Summary
True success is a long game: push hard, pause to rest, then repeat. By balancing work with renewal you protect mind and body, avoid burnout and stay strong enough to grow your business, skills and ties for many years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What does “sustainable success” mean in simple terms?
Why does lasting success usually take years, not months?
What happens if I work too hard without proper rest?
How can I recognise the work-collapse cycle in myself?
What is the blog’s recommended formula for sustainable working?
How do I balance work and rest when demand feels endless?
Does taking regular breaks really improve long-term productivity?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
The UK Health and Safety Executive reports that in 2022/23 almost half (49%) of all work illness came from stress, worry or low mood, causing 17.1 million lost work days. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends study finds 52% of workers feel burnt out and 43% say this cuts their output.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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