Some of the most successful people in history have worked the shortest hours.

Charles Darwin, Stephen King, and Maya Angelou have produced massive, influential bodies of work, without needing to work 40, 50, or 60+ hour weeks.

But for most of us, the idea that we can work less and still hit our long term goals seems counterintuitive. There's lots of reasons why this is the common belief, but here's a few of the big ones:

• We think more work should equal more output: Most industries champion long working hours in some way or another. And we see productivity not as doing more with less. But simply doing more.
• We're afraid of being "left behind": In our competitive work environment , the thought of taking time off is scary. Not only could we miss out on some important conversation, but we worry that we'll be left behind.
• Work has become a larger part of our identity: Perhaps most importantly, we feel personally connected to the work we do. Taking time away opens up all sorts of questions that can be hard to face. And even harder to answer. As Soojun-Kim Pang puts it , "When your work is your self, when you cease work, you cease to exist."