Rather than scrambling to meet an impossible deadline, work to your normal pace. The amount of work you can do is constant — the only real question is which work to do. – Extreme Programming

I had a coaching client who worked every weekend. He always felt like he couldn’t get ahead so kept spinning and spinning to try and move faster than the issues with his work.

Instead, he’d use up so much energy on the weekends that he’d get to the weekdays and feel like he was already creatively spent. This is because he was.

The amount of work you can do in a week is constant. Adding days or hours is almost always highly diminishing returns in that the more time you add the less effective work gets done.

Aim for quality of work and a minimum of quantity. Aim for 5 hours a day of quality time. Time when you’re focused and on task. If you can do that, you’re going to outwork 99% of your peers.