Everywhere you look, the message is the same: work harder, longer, faster… push yourself to the edge.

Success has become a synonym for suffering.

Remember that Rick Ross song? The one that goes:

Nothing to say about the song.

But about the hustle culture?

"Rise and grind"

"Work hard, play hard"

"Outwork the competition"

Fuck that.

Here's the thing: it's all bullshit.

What if I told you that to succeed you need to do less?

That less is more.

Real success isn’t about how many hours you grind, but about what you do with the hours you have.

It’s not about having a never-ending to-do list; it’s about knowing what really needs to get done.

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Cold shower mentality can lead to burnout

We seem to live in a world where the 5 a.m. club, non-stop grind, and 'sleep when you're dead' mentality are celebrated like badges of honor.

I get it, the cold shower mentality is about pushing oneself to do hard things as a discipline tactic.

But it's like we are climbing a ladder, doing whatever we can to climb it faster, to reach the top, and realize we don't even know what we're climbing after.

Hustle culture glorifies overworking, constant productivity, and sacrificing our well-being for some distorted ideal of success.

It's trying to put the "self-made entrepreneur" on a pedestal.

It wants to make waking up before the sun is out, working after everyone went to bed, skipping meals, and living on an overdose of caffeine and adrenaline a glamorous and desirable lifestyle.

It wants you to believe that working harder than everyone else is the only way to succeed.

Death is rolling its eyes, and me too.

Have we lost our minds?!

Imagine a plant was like:

'LOOK, THE BEES ARE HERE! COME ON, KEEP GOING—MORE WATER, MORE SUN, MORE ROOTS! TONIGHT, WE’RE STAYING UP ALL NIGHT GROWING THESE MOTHERF*CKING FLOWERS!'

It’s ridiculous, right? Plants grow in their own time. So why do we think we’re any different?

And the cost of glorifying this madness?

The evidence is clear: overworking isn't just unproductive; it’s dangerous.

What if the secret to real success is about listening to your body, about glorifying rest as much as work?

What if I told you, you make more progress by going on a walk in nature, taking a nap in the middle of the day, or doing less work?

You would like that, wouldn't you?

Then, keep reading.

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The myth of Sisyphus

In Greek mythology (something I want to explore more), Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to an eternity of pushing a massive boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down each time he neared the top.

Day after day he worked extremely hard, relentlessly, using all his strength to achieve what seemed like progress, only to end up right back where he started.

This story is a powerful metaphor for the trap of endless hustle.

He never reaches his goal because he's stuck in a cycle of unproductive labor, and it shows that without a strategy, focus, and a clear sense of purpose, even the hardest work can lead to an exhausting journey.

If you only hustle, progress can become an illusion.

The 80/20 Principle

Just like Sisyphus, a lot of people feel trapped in endless cycles of busywork. But the 80/20 Principle shows a way out of the toxic cycle.

You might have heard about the 80/20 principle (or Pareto principle) by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto.

Pareto noted that 80% of Italy's wealth was owned by 20% of the population, and since then the concept has been applied to various fields, including business, productivity, and personal development.

The concept suggests that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes.

If you feel overwhelmed by all the tasks and work you have to do and struggle to see results, adopt this new mindset.

Identify and focus on the high-impact tasks—the 20% that drives the most significant results.

When you have the capacity—that is the energy available to do something—you get better results, you have no problem focusing and burnout becomes history (always keep an eye on history, as it tends to repeat itself).

If you had more energy and achieved more goals by stressing less, why would you choose to hustle?

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Strategies to embrace an anti-hustle lifestyle

I want to admit something.

I hate calendars and productivity tools.

I use them. I know they are necessary to keep an organized life when you have meaningful goals, but I hate the feeling of letting a calendar or productivity tool dictate my life.

I have watched a lot of YouTube videos about how to be more productive, and about all the different productivity tools and systems you can implement.

Most times I feel like I want to puke lol.

There's not necessarily anything wrong with it, it just isn't for me.

I like to have autonomy and be spontaneous, and to have that I also need to be organized and productive.

Now I come up with new systems that work for me. I get ideas from others and see what fits my life.

If you want a more fluid approach, that doesn't feel so overwhelming and tedious, but you still want to see results, I invite you to try these strategies.

Implement them in your own way.

The New To-Do List

First of all, I don't like the term "To-Do", so I call it "The List", but feel free to find something that you like and that makes sense—come up with a positive name you like.

I recommend using Notion to set up this to-do list but find an app that suits you if you don't like it.

Create a list where you add all the tasks you need and want to do.

I use it for everything (personal and business).

I am refining the system but this is how it looks at the moment:

The idea is that you have:

• A start date
• A due date
• A score system:
• Fun
• Prio
• Fun / Prio (this is just Fun + Prio score divided by 2)

When you have that you want to add rules and sorts so that you get the tasks that require your attention will end up at the top.

Play with it as we are all different.

The key takeaway is to see which tasks you NEED to do (paying a bill) and which ones you WANT to do (creating a new logo).

This will remove a lot of friction as you will more easily see what task to focus on, because you want to achieve goals but also have fun and feel like what you do is rewarding—stop forcing yourself to do everything.

Implement the "Two-Task Rule"

The To-Do list can become very long if you have a lot of ideas and projects you want to work on, but there is a time and place for every action, that's why you need to prioritize what you focus on every day.

Commit to achieving two high-impact tasks that align with your most important goals (or values).

These tasks should be the 20% of activities that can drive 80% of your desired outcomes.

• A high-impact task could be creating a long-form blog post or a video that addresses a key pain point for your audience, providing value and driving traffic, engagement, and conversions.
• A low-impact task could be tweaking the fonts and colors on your website or updating your social media bio for the fifth time this month.

Of course, there's not always a black-and-white answer. Sometimes refining your bio might fuel your inspiration because it feels more aligned or aligns better with your current vision, but the point is:

Distinguish between tasks that create meaningful progress and those that are more about busywork.

And don't forget about balance, some days the high-impact task is going on a long walk and doing some brain dump—postponing a task can slow you down, but burnout will kill all momentum.

Start each day with clarity (or the night before). Identify the two most critical tasks. Finish those before you move to any other task or distractions.

Now, this is a reminder that we are all humans, so don't be too hard on yourself if you slack some days. Accept it and get back to work.

Create a "Focus Hour" for Deep Work

Dedicate an hour each day solely to deep, focused work.

This could be one of the high-impact tasks, like writing this newsletter for example.

Find the time that works best for you.

Remove all distractions.

Set a timer if you want (look up the Pomodoro method, if you don't know what it is).

A compassionate approach

I'm not a fan of restraining myself from doing something or strictly controlling behavior, but I also don't let my urges take over my life.

You need to have boundaries in your life, and also follow your calling for fun and enjoyment if you want to achieve meaningful goals, which are most likely long-term goals.

That is why having a compassionate approach toward yourself is what works best.

What I mean is that you should allow yourself to work hard and also to spend time playing.

At times pursuing those meaningful goals means working for long hours and ignoring some meals—that happens when you're in flow, you're absorbed into what you're doing.

That is great.

Other times you feel overwhelmed, tired, or like you need some excitement in your life. That's when you want to be more playful, you want to explore a bit more.

Don't feel guilty for not being so productive when that happens, instead do something that lets your mind rest.

You know what works best for you, and no, endlessly scrolling or binge-watching Netflix series is not the healthy way of resting your mind, although the right amount might do you well.

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I'm challenging you

Did I hear "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!"?

Great!

I want you to dedicate two hours a day for a week to deep work and see how much more you accomplish.

You will not only increase your productivity but you will challenge your belief that working longer hours is what's necessary for success.

Remember to work smarter, and not harder.

If you try it out, please let me know how it goes.

You can reply to this email or reach out to me on SoME (X, Threads, LinkedIn): @SeenAsPat

I'm excited to see how much traction you gained!

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Summary

This time we dug into how the hustle is a myth, and that real success comes from balance, focus, and intention.

We presented the 80/20 principle and how you will get more productive, have better health, and have more time for what truly matters.

We explored using better strategies to work smarter and not burn out like a madman. Rest is when the gains happen, so glorify that as much as you glorify smart work.

You also got challenged to try one week of deep work every day.

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Next week we will talk about personal branding, so keep an eye on your inbox!

Enjoy the rest of your day and week!

If you aren't following me on X, Threads, and LinkedIn, I'd love for you to reach out to me there @SeenAsPat. Just say Hi :)

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