There is a lot of fear associated with 'overstretched'. Too much financial risk and you'll end up stressed, bankrupt and overstretched. But what about the more prevalent, more subtle and ultimately more damaging notion of being under stretched? The old school factory-mindset encourages every employee to protect their time and their effort. Don't go the extra mile because no-one will ever thank you. Don't push harder because you'll only damage yourself. Don't let them make you do more because that will be the new normal and you'll have to work harder forever. It's true: in most businesses productivity only increases as the result of more effort, and that effort is rarely compensated in an immediately obvious way. Here's the thing: modern work is different. In fact, the exhaustion from overstretching yourself in a modern working environment is some of the best exhaustion you will ever feel. So yes, we need to figure out how to push ourselves until we're overstretched.