A mentor once suggested that I was working too hard, and could be achieving ten times the results all while working less. As my business grew, I came to understand what she meant. Success requires doing hard work, but not necessarily working hard.
The two are often confused; the key distinction being that hard work necessitates courage and skill rather than time and toil. Take, for example, making a difficult decision, having an uncomfortable conversation, or facing your greatest fear: examples of hard work that can be accomplished in an instant.
100 Words of Fortitude 