How I Torched My Hustle Culture Addiction in 7 Days (And What Emerged From the Ashes)
Burn calendars, not hours. Measure life in moments, not metrics.
Hi Friends,
At the start of January, I found myself caught in a whirlwind of productivity. Ideas were flowing, connections were being made, and I was collaborating, planning, writing, and editing with relentless energy.
My list of ideas seemed endless, and my days stretched from early morning to late at night. Yet, amidst this frenzy, I realized I was missing out on precious moments with my daughter because, day after day, I just needed five minutes more to finish a draft or answer an email.
I was constantly thinking about work, even during breaks, and my phone was always within reach, ready to capture any sudden inspiration.
This continued until I listened to the best podcast episodes of my life: Modern Wisdom: #887 - Dr Rangan Chatterjee - The Key Strategies Of Behaviour Change.
Dr. Rangan introduces you to the “Deathbed” exercise that’s quite simple:
…write your own happy ending exercise, where you imagine yourself on your deathbed and you imagine looking back on your life, what are the three things I will want to have done in my life?
I urge fellow recovering productivity addicts: This episode contains more wisdom than 100 productivity hacks.
The Problem
Two things were clear to me after doing this exercise:
Nobody ever says on their deathbed, “Man, I wish I posted more on LinkedIn”
You can be damn sure you’ll regret missing time with your loved ones
I felt I was becoming a hustle, bro, too busy to spend time with loved ones. It was time for a change, but how?
Gradually?
Of course not.
The Solution
On this Monday morning, I decided the experiment starts now.
I imagined a world where all the information, ideas, and opportunities didn’t exist. I focused solely on the essentials: family, exercise, and work–the three major pillars of my life for more than a decade.
I cut out everything else. Sorry if I didn’t reply to your DMs this week. I spent 2 minutes on social media after accidentally opening Substack. Note to myself: delete it from the phone.
The Impact
The impact was immediate and profound.
I felt amazing as if I had attacked my biggest fear head-on. I was no longer the person who was too busy for family.
Instead, I felt like a blank slate, ready to rebuild my life with intention.
The Turning Point
The turning point came when I received an email promoting FOMO.
It was such a great reminder of the distractions I had eliminated. Upon seeing this, I laughed and said, you think I’m becoming part of your marketing funnel. Not on my watch!
From now on, I’ll just call this week the “Week of the Phoenix”.
The week when I systematically burned down my life to its essentials and began rebuilding from there.
Lessons Learned
This experience taught me valuable lessons about priorities and trade-offs. Whenever I consider reintroducing something into my life, I now view it as a trade-off.
Less Time for Exercise: Every new commitment means less time for physical well-being.
Less Time for Family: Family time is irreplaceable, and every additional task takes away from it.
Less Time for Work: Even work, which seems essential, must be balanced with other aspects of life.
But one of the biggest challenges was resisting FOMO. The pressure to engage, post, and show up daily was intense.
However, I realized that by cutting back, I gained greater clarity and focus, which cannot be measured in book sales or the number of new subscribers.
3 Pillar Tests for New Commitments:
Does this align with my deathbed priorities?
What existing pillar loses time if I say yes?
Can I delete the app/process/commitment entirely?
Conclusion
This journey has been transformative. I’ve learned to rise above the noise and understand the systems that govern my life. By thinking outside the box, I’ve redefined my priorities and found a balance that works for me.
As I move forward, I am committed to maintaining this balance.
I will continue to evaluate every new opportunity as a trade-off and prioritize what truly matters.
I challenge you to make your next week the Week of the Phoenix!
It’s a big challenge - are you ready for it?
Learning to say NO is a game-changer. I used to neglect the fact that by saying YES to something, I say NO to X different other things.
It's all about trade-offs and being aware helps a lot here to gain more clarity.
Great post, Akos!
Great post Akos :)
I will definitely listen to the episode, thanks for the recommendation.
I think it’s a bit more complex though (at least for me). Of course I would not say on my deathbed that I wish I posted more on LinkedIn. But consistently posting for 2 years helped me meet some amazing people, and created opportunities that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.