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Iāve been an entrepreneur my whole life. Working, hustling, for hours on hours, has been my default lifestyle for almost a decade. Hustling has easily been my addiction to escape, positive or negative my whole life.Ā
Whether youāre an entrepreneur, or an A+ student in medical school, or a parent who has way too many responsibilities, read this article for powerful insights.
Whatās interesting is I would realize on the weekends when I didnāt hustle or workā¦.
I would feel more existential pain than usual. Anxiety, restlessness, feeling not worthy, at times feeling guilty or depressed, not knowing what to do with me..
I started to become aware of this pattern intensely in 2019 by asking myself questions like:
Why do I think Iām worthless when Iām not working?
Why have I attached so much meaning when hustling, and meaninglessness when not working or relaxing?
Am I incapable of sitting down and simply enjoying my life?
I started to ask myself these questions because I had finally worked hard enough to actually create my dream life, and exist in a life Iām proud to live.
I made more money than I had ever made in my life by being myself and doing things I enjoyed. It honestly didnāt feel like āwork.ā
I impacted hundreds of thousands of people with positive content, messages, and moving the needle forward with my influence.
I traveled all around the USA and practically spoke in every major city in America about my message and purpose in life. People would walk up to me crying, take pictures with me, and tell me deep and personal stories, and how I inspired them to do better.
From 2016 to 2019, after so many early lonely mornings waking up at 4:30 am, sacrificing, taking risks, trying my best to work on my health, making time for my family & friends, and then putting my head down at nightā¦
I did it. I worked hard for years daily obsessively, to set myself up for the rest of my life and give me a foundation that would change my lifeās trajectory.
Well done!
And then my body & brain started to warn meā¦
I started drinking more and more coffee to meet my increased energy needs.
I didnāt feel as much happiness as I felt doing things I loved to do.
It all became about efficiency. My mind would constantly calculate how much time something would take me, and if it was worth doing or not, incessantly.
In some rare instances, I would feel stomach pain I hadnāt felt in years since suffering from gastrointestinal issues as a kid my whole life.
I was checking off all the boxes and paying close care to my nutrition, stress management habits, meditation, sleep, etc.
But, I was still facing a sense of stress, which I didnāt know how to deal with.
After speaking with mentors, experimenting, researching, I concluded it was because I was working too hard and too often, without legitimate breaks & rest.
Believe it or not, humans are not robots.
We often believe that if we donāt wake up in the morning, and immediately start working from 9 am, nonstop to 9 pm then thereās somehow something wrong with us.
This is the recipe for creating chronic stress and inflammation in your body and brain.
God forbid, pay attention to this now because what happens when you burn out?
You will at minimum spend 1-3 years having to rebuild yourself if you even figure out how to sustainably rebuild yourself. Young or old.
If enough the danger here is for young people who havenāt learned the natural breaks and limitations that many grown adults have painfully learned on their journey.
I read this Twitter thread yesterday, I recommend you go read it š
What I Started Doing Differently
Every day, I stopped working around 5-7 pm.
I created an end-of-the-work day routine, that involved a mindful walk, cooking, socially interacting, and learning about what personally interested me all night until I fell asleep.
I stopped working on the weekends. Well, not entirely but I would try, or at least limit myself to very specific things. For example, writing or social media content. As an author, I technically get paid to write, but I also really enjoy it and exercises my mind in a relaxing and exciting way.
I stopped taking meetings before noon. I realized I needed time to work independently on creative tasks, only I can do when Iām by myself. I dedicate the first part of the day towards that, and then take meetings from 1 pm to 6 pm.
I dedicate Fridays to creative work only. Aside from the occasional meeting or two, I spend my Fridays creating, expressing myself, planning ahead.
Should You Do Anything Differently?
Maybe. Iām honestly not sure.
Iām sure it depends on who you are, what you want, and what you are willing to do to get it.
Iām sure some of you need to spend more time with your family and build relationships.
Maybe some of you have to work on the weekends, but can figure out something that works for you during the weekend.
I know some of you will read this article and say āMark, Iām not privileged enough to not work weekends because I need the money.āĀ
I totally understand you should do whatever you think is best for you now, but also consider your future self in the process too.Ā
One thing I know for sure is, life is limited. Pick your sacrifices very carefully.
Understand the cost you are paying, to get money.
Understand the cost you are paying, to get social status.
Understand the cost you are paying, to become successful.
PS. Have you checked out my podcast yet?
Listen onĀ Apple,Ā Spotify,Ā andĀ YouTube.
Can I help?
Over the last several years Iāve devoted my life to helping introverted, shy, socially anxious creators, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and professionals move these mental health obstacles out of their life so they can get busy being their real selves in front of anyone.
If you are interested in potentially inquiring about my services for yourself or someone else, please fill out this form below.
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