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3MM: Productivity, Exes & Dragging
3 MINUTE MONDAYHi friend, I'm in Australia!! Live tour starts this Thursday 💜 Come see me. “I struggle to believe I’m worthy of moments of joy and peace without first putting myself through a brutal schedule, monitoring my productivity levels down to the minute.
Perhaps some people apply this “earn your cookie” mindset in ways that lead to healthy achievements.
Not me.
Mine is a mutation whereby joy and self-compassion are regularly outlawed by an internal tyrant who decides when I’ve been flogged enough for one day.
Just when I’m about to collapse, a voice inside says: “OK. Give him half an hour of peace before bed. But make sure he knows we’ll start again, bright and early in the morning.” — Matthew Hussey
This insight makes my soul hurt, largely because I see it in myself. The writer Oliver Burkeman has a name for this bottomless pit of self-imposed expected efficiency - Productivity Debt. “Many people (by which I meant me) seem to feel as if they start off each morning in a kind of "productivity debt", which they must struggle to pay off through the day, in hopes of reaching a zero balance by the time evening comes.
Few things feel more basic to my experience of adulthood than this vague sense that I'm falling behind, and need to claw my way back up to some minimum standard of output.
It's as if I need to justify my existence, by staying "on top of things", in order to stave off some ill-defined catastrophe that might otherwise come crashing down upon my head.
And make no mistake: paying off your imaginary productivity debt completely – in other words, working so hard and so efficiently that you no longer feel like you're falling behind – is literally impossible, not just gruelling and unpleasant.
In the modern world of work, there's no limit to the number of emails you might receive, the demands your boss might make, the ambitions you might have for your career, etcetera – so there’s no reason to believe you’ll ever get to the end of them.”
Here’s to overcoming the vague sense of falling behind. MODERN WISDOMI do a podcast where I pretend to have a British accent. This week’s upcoming episodes: Monday. Thursday. Saturday. THINGS I'VE LEARNED1. On average, it took about 4.18 years for the emotional attachment to an ex-partner to be halfway dissolved. For the typical person, the bond to an ex completely faded away around 8 years but for some it takes longer. (Social Psychological and Personality Science (Chong and Fraley, 2025) **A response I thought was interesting: 2. “I have a hard time celebrating my achievements because in my mind it was my obligation to achieve it.” — Michael Smoak 3. If it doesn’t fit, eventually it’ll hurt wearing it. LIFE HACKGet your bloodwork done. You need to know what’s happening inside of your body. Function Health does a single test that allows you to check everything including your cortisol levels, heart health, hormone levels like testosterone and even screens for 50 types of cancer. It’s the most comprehensive, simple and quick way to get bloodwork done. This is the exact test I get every 6 months. Function is now just $365 ($1/day), plus get an extra $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Big love, Try my productivity drink Neutonic. PS |
3 Minute Monday
Podcaster with 1bn+ plays. I write about the most important lessons from the best thinkers on the planet. 300,000+ people read my free newsletter. Press subscribe to join.
3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, The brand new MW Merch is available for the next 3 days only - once the store closes, every piece is gone for good! Big love to everyone who’s copped so far <3 I can't wait to see you all wearing these. “The most important question to ask is what pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for? Anything worthwhile is going to require some degree of pain and struggle. So if you’re oriented toward the pain and struggle you’re probably going to be...
3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, The new MW Merch drop launches this Friday! 12 midday CT/6pm UK. On sale for 6 days only, then they're gone! We're printing in the US, UK and Australia this time, so shipping should be a lot cheaper - thank you for your feedback there <3 I’ll send you an email with all the information on Friday. I really hope you love this stuff - I worked so hard on it and I adore all of these designs. “I still find myself with this sense that success has to be earned. And the only...
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