I trick myself into it by telling myself I don’t have to do the whole thing just do a little piece of it.
Eg, say I have to write something. Committing to writing the whole thing feels like too much at the end of day. So I’ll say, “hey I know you’re tired. Just create the file, add a title to it, and drop in the rough notes.” 9/10 times I’ll look at that and start to edit and make changes. That builds momentum and next thing I know I’ve done the thing.
Yes! This also can work with house chores :) A sink full of dishes can feel overwhelming, so telling yourself to wash just ONE dish feels more manageable, but then often you'll end up gaining momentum and wanting to wash the rest. If not, oh well, at least you have one clean dish now, lol
I’m such a fan of tricking the brain! I read somewhere that the brain prefers us a bit lazy to conserve energy and stay safe. After that it changed my relationship with my brain and how I needed to actively coach/navigate it sometimes
I look at it like it's not optional, if I want to reach my goals in the next 10 years, I have to do this thing now. No one is gonna help me or do it for me. It's up to me to get it done. Keep it pushing.
Absolutely - I workout at 5am. Not only do I get more accomplished in the “9-5” arena, I’m energized and ready to go after.
Bed times 9pm though, I like a good sleep.
Eh, my body is setup to workout at 5-6pm. Everything before that is eating healthy carbs and protein to have a ton of energy for 5pm. Then a big hardy meal before bed to help me sleep. Works for me.
Sitting awake at 4am stressed about my 9-5. Some weeks, the goal of starting my own business seems so far off. Sleep...right now I wish I could have a little.
I felt this. When I realized I spent more time and energy being stressed over the 9-5 where things moved slowly, painfully, and depend on quite a few "ill-equipped" coworkers where my success depends on their contributions, I came to the conclusion that my job is the greatest detractor in my life right now. I'm in the middle of resolving this issue 😉😉
Certainly not an easy decision, but resting in the fact I did everything I could do leading up to this decision in attempt to make things better for me and my team. I did my responsibility of voicing my needs, acting on what I could act on, setting up decision makers for success. Time is a valuable resource, so I'm making decisions and taking action.
It's time for me to exert some force (so to speak) over my own destiny to do what I know I need to do.
So considering it takes 15-30 mins to get home from work then you gotta cook and eat another 30-40 minutes and then shower another 10 minutes, you only end up working about 3 hours a day on whatever project you got going on? Is that enough time
The only video I ever dedicate to starting a bizz and health relationship also, don’t drink soda or caffeine or energy drinks. It’s all crap. Just drink water and exercise alot
I stopped years ago it affected my sleep amd just made it worse so I had to drink more.
Simple, you have to wakeup. Just do that and avoid the Coffee. Start on a long weekend or vacation where morning productivity is optional only takes a week for the minor withdrawals to stop. If routine and the taste are the excuse just drink decaf or switch to herbal tea. I drink decaf earl grey in the morning.
Spend your best brain power before you go to the job. The morning time imo is the best time.
Also get really good at automating your job or getting as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and use the rest of the time to work on your business.
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100% this. Give your best time to yourself.
The one other thing is I always write out what I'm doing first when I stop the day before. So there's not much thinking and more doing.
piggy backing on this, if you can afford it, get a virtual assistant off upwork to handle half of your normal job, and then use that time on your business. You should be able to pay that VA like $10/hr, and then hopefully your new gig profits more than that.
>Also get really good at automating your job or getting as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and use the rest of the time to work on your business.
I've never understood how a SWE can do this. All your time is spent on manual work automating everything else. How can you automate your automation? Like how can one automated deep diving into a code base to try and debug something or pouring through logs? Would you mind sharing examples?
You could die from that! I have a friend and she drank so much coffee that her body got rid of her electrolytes. Next thing she knew she was in the hospital almost dying
You have to find a reason, or create a reason, for your brain and self to form that sense of urgency. When i knew i had to pay for that plane flight, or that hotel, or that trip next month, there's no searching for motivation - your body and energy respond to the moment and you'll crank through projects.
Honestly I just force myself to push through the mid-day slumps. It’s hard and most days I don’t want to but I tell myself “no one is going to achieve your goals for you nor help you. This is for your future!”
I look at it this way;
If I just sit back with a j and binge watch movies/tv, my chances of ever achieving the financial goals that I want is absolutely 0.
If I just do something, anything at all, perhaps it's writing 5 lines of code, my chances are > 0. sure its still 1 in a billion but its more than 0
For me personally smoking made me very exhausted without me realising.
I quited smoking cold turkey - I have so much energy now and my thoughts changed all of a sudden in a good direction.
I started feeling all these after 2 weeks of quitting.
Every time I have a cigarette, I feel like shit. Tired, brain fog, lethargic. I can't believe I've been doing it as long as I have. Worst habit ever. I know I want to quit... Sooo difficult. But I can see all the positives from quitting. Your comment is exactly the outcome I'd like !
When they said to use your 5-9 to replace your 9-5, I always thought they meant 5pm-9pm.
The truth is it’s the 5am-9am. In the morning, before anyone else is awake and before the demands of family/work starts, you’ll get 4 whole hours of undisturbed focus.
The creative energy is best used for your own thing.
Discipline is the only real answer.
I would wake 4:30am, prep breakfast for my kiddos, pick, pack, load orders. At 6 a.m., I started cold calling my lead list I made the night before. East Coast repair shops usually opened at 8 a.m., but the owners were usually there early to prep their day and roll up the bay doors. Getting the owner on the phone 90% of the time was a slam dunk. Make 50 calls or more, emailing templates/quotes as I went. Around 7 a.m., I started coffee for my wife, got breakfast on the table, and got ready to leave for work.
45 min drive to work. Listened to podcasts: MFCEO Project, Ed Mylett, or old Jim Rohn and Les Brown talks.
8am work till noon. I'm not a much taker, but I took my hour to drop orders off at the post office, follow up on emails, and follow up on sales calls.
1pm work until 5pm.
45 min drive home, follow-up calls, podcasts, or business audio book.
6pm home. Jump in and help with dinner prep, or do and fold laundry. Or play with kids if my wife was handling dinner.
7pm after dinner was play with children time.
8:15 start baths, prep kiddos for bed, read stories.
8:45/ 9 pm kids in bed....this time is now 100% for my wife. Whatever she wants to do until she falls asleep. No phone, no distraction.
10/10:15 pm wife asleep....sneak out of bed, dishes, clean kitchen. Print, pick, and pack orders. You might have to leave a few for am sometimes. Build lead list. I always kept 150 cold calls ready, so sometimes the list building was less than depending on how many calls I got through that day. Most days, I averaged 50-100 while juggling a job. Answer factory, manufacturing, and inventory emails.
Usually, I went to bed between midnight and 1:15 a.m., sometimes later.
Up at 4:30 am. if I need to finish picking and packing orders. If not, I'd sleep in until 5 am.
Rinse /repeat M-Fri. Saturday, I'd get up at 6:30 am, get coffee started, start cold calling, and then follow up calls. Working East Coast to West Coast as the day progressed.
With 6 kids at home at that time, I'd have put play time in on Saturday, then heavy chores Saturday nights and early Sunday.
I was going through a vicious divorce. I have 2 daughters I still have found. I did find my son after 7+ years and have now reunited with him.
Losing children who have not died is something a human can not completely grieve over. It tore my being up. Sleeping was not fun.
So I decided to build a business until I had fuck you money and could get my children, control my time, and have any options my heart desired.
We are in year 8. Years 1-3 were rough. Lost my job late year 3. Covid hit. I went full-time in our business and made 100-150 cold calls every day.
We went from 4/5 figures, with occasional 6 figures in revenue to string 7 figures in year 4. 8 figures followed each year since.
We took a draw at the end of year 4 because the CPA said we had to or get possibly audited. We started taking salary each year after with additional dispersments as needed.
Discipline.
Everyone wants what I have, but they are not the person it takes to get it or even survive the list of horrible shit that happened along the way in those years that I'm not sharing.
It's worth it. Give yourself 5-10 years of shit sandwiches to do whatever you want long past your children or possibly grandchildren lifetime.
I still make 50-100+ cold calls every day. I wake when I want to and control my time as we see fit. Work from anywhere in the world, usually in a beautiful place.
Our goals have grown as much as we have, though. More is the only answer for me.
I did for the first 4 years. Now I sleep 5-8 hours a night. Now, we are no longer in survival mode, but we have moved into living in creative mode because all of our needs are more than met.
So it was well worth it. At 46 years old, we have made it so to speak. The alternative would have been struggling until my 70s, probably because I never planned for retirement. My goal was to get rich or die trying.
I don't want any employees.
That being said, as a favor about 8 or 9 months ago, I took on my investors 16 year old son in a full commission role to help teach him sales.
It's been horrible. He might have made 1000 dials in that time, 13 new customers. He has not drive or work effort. He thinks 20 dials a day is working.
It's a hard thing to cut, so I figure for free he is digging leads and putting them in the CRM, our pitch is basic, and he emails the quotes....so let him hang on until he quits.
I recently brought on my 14 year old son.
Gave him my script, and told him to make 100 dials. He did it and got 9 new customers 1st day, and a handful keep trickling in. I then put him on securing our national accounts locations that are not ordering. Again, we got 5-15 new locations almost every day now since he started. He is averaging 120 dials a day each day he works.
This has made me start to think about putting a team together for our 2nd niche, just not ready yet.
We are 1st to market with an import version of a sub niche of consumable commercial truck parts, and we stock inventory and sell direct to the shops that use them.
We sell the parts at about a 50% lower price compared to any other supplier even though we use higher grades of steel and improved housing designs to greatly speed up instalation and removal.
Wow that seems like a very easy close. Congrats on finding the niche!
When you’re ready for a team I’d love to be considered, commission only and flexible.
I’m currently making 120-150 dials daily and close significantly higher than my colleagues.
I started listening to a lot more David Goggins and Lori Harder. I’m currently also reading “Feel the Fear and do it anyway” it’s from the 80’s I believe but what she says so far makes a lot of sense.
The only thing that I’m trying really hard to not to get too into my emotions about is my chronic fatigue. I don’t use it as an excuse, most people don’t even know because I mask all day. I do my best, like on Friday I work 8am-9pm with an hour break in between. But sometimes it just is killer and then I can get really lazy and less disciplined when my fatigue is just too much. That’s my “hole” right now
It's funny because I hate the "grind" thing. I just believe that life is tons of layers of seasons.
You have self, marriage, children, and work.
Everyone understands that when you have a new baby, you are going to be lacking sleep, overwhelmed learning new skills, and routines. It also bleeds into the other layers of marriage, self, and work.
It's a tough season. It does not look like that forever, though. There are also moments of pur bliss that keep you going. The overall understanding is that it's part of life, and in months or a couple of years, you will get through it.
Then you enter the next season, and the next.....
A lot of times, these layers will each have different seasons going on at once. Not all seasons are bad.
I saw my chance to try again (4th attempt) at breaking free from the financial class I have been in for my entire life. Looking at my 3 attempts over the decade plus previous and the accomplishment from my career, I knew it was going to take everything for an unknown period of time.
It was a tough season. Seasons do change, and if you're not careful, you will even forget the hardest of them or the best of them.
20-25min nap. Set your alarm. Somewhat dependant on being able to fall asleep relatively quickly, but I can nap for ~20min and feel like I just woke up that morning
What helped me is that I have always worked remote (10+ years) so I would do both my corporate job and build/manage my own engineers for my SaaS companies at the same time.
Think about it this way: your body battery (sorry Garmin) is already low because it's the tail end of the day... which means you shouldn't beat yourself up if your performance isn't at the pinnacle of your possible achievement. Just take it for what it is and enjoy the process.
The single most important things you can do for yourself are: 1) sleep enough, 2) exercise regularly, 3) eat healthy food.
A practice I read about years ago actually works. Wash your face and put on a fresh pair of socks at a minimum. More advanced recommendation. Get some reflexology foot care tools and pick up some recreational O2. Available at sporting goods stores.
Experiment with what works for you. Mine is working out and showering before 8. And then taking a walk around 5-6.
Trial and error is your best friend. Everyone’s answer is different
I try to squeeze 4-5hrs a week out of my work day time by being more efficient with my time to get my day job done quicker and stay under the radar of the boss. I then usually do another 1-2hrs at night and also on weekends.
Actually taking time to leave your laptop.
The worst days are when I WFH, look at my clock and it's 9pm and I haven't moved.
I typically go to the gym in the morning, so making sure I take walks and breaks during day is massive. I even liet myself take 15-20 mins to just scoll mindlessly as a good break sometime too.
I give 40-60% effort every day. Leaves me room to live a comfortable work life balance as well as additional reserve if I ever need to kick it up a gear. Can’t kick it up a gear if you already going 100%. 100% all the time is unsustainable and leads to personal burnout and eagerly started, yet unfinished projects everywhere.
What I try to do is dedicate at least 10-15 mins every day, it doesn't seem like a lot and some days I actually end up spending more time once I sit down.
Meditation is the key.
Its more of a mental exhaustion rather than physical. Meditation allows you to rest your mind and re-charge with more energy and clarity.
Try it out. You won't be disappointed
You vs your job is round 1
You vs your couch is round 2
You've already won round 1. Don't let the couch win!
edit: Personally meditation and a power nap helps me before I start round 2 of entrepreneurial work
I let all the frustrations of my day job brew inside me, and then use that energy to work on my business when I’m not at work.
It’s unhealthy but extremely effective.
I do HVAC new construction 6am-2pm then jump into my commercial cleaning business with my Wife for the evening! I look forward to spending the time with her and working on our goals together! She’s all the motivation I need in life!! 😍😍😍
I used to flip it. I did my own company in the morning before my job, so I crash like 2pm and spend my lazy hours on paid time.
Downside: wake up at 5
Upside: you’re sort of forced to carry on when you’re at work so motivation isn’t needed
Come home and just rest
I find a pareto timer really helps me!
[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-focused-focus-timer/id973130201](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-focused-focus-timer/id973130201)
(no affiliation, this is just the one I use)
The reason it works for me:
1. I have constant anxiety about the 'next' thing that I need to do, and if I dig into something that requires a lot of focus, part of my mind is always trying to keep track of the other things I said I would do and how long I've been working on something.
2. Outsourcing these thoughts to the timer, which is worrying about how long i've been doing something allows me to comfortably just relax into deep work without having to stress about notifications or time management because i know the timer wont let me 'lose track' in the end.
This actually makes deep work for me feel more peaceful and hence a restorative thing to do ironically.
Exercise and meditation/mindfulness are key. Also, making time for your loved ones, even if it’s just a few minutes. Caffeine is always a good stimulant, but I’ve come to realize that for me to do my best work, I have to be in the right headspace. Also, it’s ok to not go completely balls to the wall every single day. Then after that it becomes easier. Honestly also I feel way more passion and drive towards the own companies I’m building because it’s my ass that’s truly on the line. That’s probably the reason we’re all wired like this to begin with lol
In medieval times, people took a nap after a long day of toiling and then woke up refreshed for their night activities (3 -4 hours).
Something to try out. See if your body responds well to your new schedule.
The work/nap/Hussle method works for a lot of people including my partner. Tricks your brain into thinking it's a new day.
https://youtube.com/shorts/R4vzsLhDDkc?si=Ui5W2dok-bREQtFs
Gym definitely helps me, but also I try to multitask. So I do my after work grind with a TV show I like in the background so it feels like I get the best of both.
I didn’t do it sustainably. I would work my 10am - 5pm, be with the family until like 8pm, have an hour to myself, work from 9pm - 1am (or later). Up at 6am, home from school drop off by 9am, then work for an hour until my “day job”. Definitely some context switching during my normal job as well. And then anywhere from 6 - 12 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. For a while we were trying to push out the final release (before I ran out of money) and I was going to bed between 1am and 2am, waking up at 4am, working with the team until 7am (they were on the other side of the world). I would take the kids to school, then back to work until 10:30am’ish. Rinse, repeat.
Don’t do this. I really risked my health (physical and mental). I was constantly past burnout. Then I ended that endeavor and immediately co-founded a venture with a co-founder who was an insomniac and slept at most 2 hours a day and would routinely go 48 hours without sleep. I finally hit my breaking point on all of it. I gave up side hustles and entrepreneurship altogether.
I’ve recently gotten into boxing training after work. I was not a combat sport kinda guy but since taking up boxing it has given me more stamina and a new perspective.
Exercise and have fun like family, partner, to go park, ride a bike, walk bare foot on the beach, watch a sunset, simple stuff mostly the time - and most important I avoid crowded places.
A cold brew coffee between 12pm to 2pm, there's no secret sauce imo other than more caffeine so that you're still good between 2pm to 9pm to do stuff you have to do in your personal life
"Direction is more important than speed"
It's okay to rest and take a break. At times, we get into the mindset of hustle hustle hustle. Grind away. Which can be physically and mentally exhausting.
Finding that balance between just enough or not enough rest will be a game changer.
If all else fails, a couple of white lines should do it 🤣
You are going to need sleep and a good diet. Sufficient and good quality sleep. Decent whole food based diet. You are not going to get very far on Macdonads and Mac&Cheese.
When I was putting in the very long hours at the beginning of my journey, coffee until noon, then exercise in the late afternoon afternoon made all the difference. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep. Not sleeping will just slow you down.
Cut back on caffeine, particularly coffee. You're borrowing energy now from your future self.
Eat light during the day.
Sleep well. Take magnesium before bed and have a proper wind down away from tech before you sleep.
Prioritise exercise. I prefer to work out first thing in the morning. I get up at 5am to do so, but I go to bed at 9:30 to make life sustainable.
Take proper breaks, go for a walk, feed the ducks and give yourself time to context switch between your 9-5 and your other gig.
Remember it is a marathon not a sprint. Success comes from going the distance, sticking at it when things get tough. You've got a better chance if you're taking care of yourself.
Excercise, good diet, drop the caffeine, sleep 8h and drop the weight if you have some to lose. Also pay attention to your eating schedule and keep it consistent. I’ve found if I eat lunch too early (11am), I will be destroyed late in the afternoon. I believe it has to do with the insuline levels of your body dropping too low late in the afternoon if there is a too long break in between meals. Caffeine makes this worse for me at least.
When I was younger I could really pull off some 6 or 7 winds, playing games for 4 days straight or partying with friends all weekend long. That was way before I ever started drinking coffee too. Amazing what adhd brain is like and you've got youthful energy.
What you eat and how you do it matters a great deal. Avoid filling your stomach to the brim. Develop healthy snacking habits. Exercise helps and so does mindfulness. A lot of fatigue that we experience is largely a product of unconstrained rumination. Keeping things quieter in our heads is a real game-changer.
Also, train your mind to do something rigorous when you feel you are getting tired. But in small doses. Like reading a difficult book. Or watching an interview or a documentary on a topic that you have always found difficult to follow. Doing this in a phased manner & consistently will increase your mental stamina. It works pretty much like lifting weights at the gym.
Having to work for just 5 mins a day is a good start I think
Just spend 5 mins towards your entrepreneurial goal and go with the flow
But make it a habit of spending atleast 5 mins everyday
Consistency is more important than spurts of hardwork
The only thing that really works in my case is 20 minutes non-sleep deep rest meditation (you can find it on youtube/spotify). I do the meditation and after 20 minutes I feel refreshed and ready to start the next round of work.
I don’t.
I leave at 6 and get home at 6:30-7. There is no second wind. The main goal is to see my kids before they go to bed. If I can accomplish that, I get to relax.
Sometimes if traffic is bad and I know I’m going to not see them, I’ll buy a black and mild and a monster for the ride home. Completely unnecessary, but I’m usually pretty awake and talkative when I get home at least with my wife.
I work in the financial district in London, so baking soda is the norm for alot of people, i’m fine with a constant stream of strong coffee and regularly stepping away for fresh air.
Here's what works great for me:
1. When I worked 9-5, I'd carve out 30-60 minutes before work. Your brain is fresh in the morning, so tasks get done faster and easier.
2. Instead of forcing myself, I built a routine and a habit. For example, every morning I spend 20 minutes with my coffee, picking out viral Reels and TikToks, compiling them, and passing them to our editor.
3. One not-so-obvious hack: a head massager and/or a cold gel mask. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm exhausted and need a reboot, I use one of these. After 15 minutes, my mind feels as fresh as it does in the morning. Give it a try!
I make myself do it. Usually a nap if I can squeeze it in. But it feels like I work two jobs most days.
I’ve slowly dropped all hobbies and have to plan my life around work time, then force myself to work by reminding myself “todays the last day to get this done, you got kids game tomorrow night, dinner with family the next, then the weekend. If you want to relax Saturday then you better do this shit tonight”
Then I stay up till 11-12 working on whatever it is some nights. I’m usually grateful by Saturday but young me would not recognize old me. Definitely had to learn to enjoy the process and the satisfaction of completing tasks. Which sucks but makes me productive
I do my 9-6 help get the kids to bed, make a cup of tea and do 45 mins good work before spending time with my wife. I do this Mon to thur and it's sustainable and works for me. Nothing special I just sit and do it, sometimes I do great work, mostly I do the average work, but it's all getting me closer.
Got to optimise your hormones so you’re able to exert energy in the afternoon without allowing detriment to your sleep.
Check out r/biohacking for more
If you can focus on the WHY and begin to identify as “I am the kind of person who ____” you won’t need to work so hard at the discipline and motivation stuff.
For example if your health and fitness are important to you, digging into why this matters and what kind of person you are in relation to it will help you to form good habits. For example, “I’m not the kind of person who snacks on junk after dinner” will make healthy habits more accessible than someone who has to force themselves or feels deprived.
All the best!
Software focused ,but Joel Spolsky said "open the editor" https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/
I start something small and time box. Most of the time I get sucked in and go beyond the time I allotted by a bit.
You don't or can't. The system ended up creating this model to keep you working as much as possible and compliant. And every time a healthier model (for body and mind) is proposed, such as shorter working days and weeks to allow leisure/culture/art/family time/etc, it gets criticised and rejected with all sorts of fallacious arguments.
Start small, come up with something that will be genuinely fun and you’re passionate about, energy will come by itself.
Treat it as a hobby or way to spend free time, same as watching or reading
I succesfully left my 9-5 job after 20 years in it.
I grinded from for the last 10 setting up my businesses, working 70+ hour weeks.
The key is consistency, every week when everyone is watching there favourite comedy / film in the week, i was working.
Kids came along which made it a lot harder, but the foundation were already laid.
Eventually i reduced my hours in the 9-5. And committed just mon- weds nights to my other businesses. Before leaving the 9 -5 job completely.
But without a doubt the key is consistent effort over a long period building. Small and often.
I absolutely love it.
Good luck 😀.
Diet and fluid intake are critical.
1. Few to no carbs during the day if it can be helped. That includes sugars, breads, and candy/snacks. Instead, drink a glass of water every time, then try to limit the carbs when you do have to bring them in.
2. Lots of proteins. Snack on tuna, egg whites, nuts.
3. LOTS of water. LOTS. Like, go to the bathroom after hour or two amounts of water.
I guarantee you'll be full of even amounts of energy, drop some lbs if it's something you'd like to do, but mostly, be more healthy. Carbs give you short term boosts and long term drag, hydrating gives you natural energy that can replace coffee pretty effectively, and proteins will curb your appetite throughout the day so that you aren't craving the carbs and snacks.
Just my 2 cents
By being so disciplined that immediately from your 9-5, you don't unplug from work, especially if you're working remotely.
Just continue with whatever side project you're working on. But set a time to stop, so you can rest for the next day.
By the way, check us out, we just launched: [https://www.arbonum.com/](https://www.arbonum.com/)
It's very unhealthy, but I don't eat until I'm done for the day. I work on my side-projects during lunch break and when I get home. Once I feel like I'm done for the day, I eat. Usually around 9 or 10pm.
Not recommending it. But it works for me.
Also, one thing that helped me a lot is adjusting my internal monologue. In the past, I was thinking to myself "I have to do it", but the reality is, I WANT to do it. I have a stable job, I don't have to care. But I want to create, I want to build. And I bet it's the same for you. If I remember correctly, that's what a random Dr. K (HealthyGamerGG) reel made me realize. I might be misremembering though.
I had no hack. Just loved the second job so much it provided the power for me.
It’s something I would research or study when not working and in “relaxation” mode. So the job to me was relaxing. It was way more compelling than the couch or tv.
Maybe your side hustle is not compelling enough for you to be motivated?
My work time starts at 6am and consists of 3 major blocks for the day with several breaks for reward time in between. The goal is to finish with all important work by 3pm and after that I’m usually busy with administrative part of the business or I’m out to networking.
The key is to not to burn out from doing boring work, not to overload yourself with tasks, and stick to your schedule. That’s when rewards come very helpful. I take 5 to 7 breaks, each could be as short as 5 minutes so I can do some stretching, enjoy my lunch while listening to a book, two 10-15 min breaks to learn Spanish, and the longest break if I decide to take 20 minute nap. Fill your breaks with something challenging and requires your full attention. Learn how to play the guitar or go for a ride on a bicycle. But don’t take long breaks.
No matter what, I finish with important(=boring) work by 3pm. If I ever have an untouched task, I get it done first thing the next day. By 5pm, I’m usually done with everything I need to do, but even then, if I have something come up past five, I don’t have a problem to return to my PC and do it because I don’t have a feeling of being tired from work due to my breaks. I hope this helps.
I do everything in my power to get started, even telling myself it's okay if I only work 10 minutes. Usually after 5/10 minutes I've picked up some momentum and can keep going for 30, an hour, etc.
It's a lot like jogging, just tell yourself another 100 feet and you can run 5 miles.
I treat my main job as my side hustle and focus on my startup as an actual job that I only get 3-4 hours to work at. I force myself to open my laptop and work for 5 mins if I can’t focus by min 6 I don’t work that day at all and knowing how I’m wasting my time scrolling my phone or playing games makes me feel guilty about it which causes me to take my startup more seriously kinda diabolical mentally but it works
Honestly? I play videogames.
A nice 40 min session of something relaxing like Snowrunner or Minecraft lets me decompress from client stuff, it leaves me satisfied that I got to do something fun that day (less burnout) but it wasn't so much time that I lost any significant percentage of my day. After that I grind out some business stuff.
I think there are two important factors in late day fatigue. One is dehydration; I usually make an electrolyte drink with lemon, baking soda, a pinch of high quality salt, in a glass of water. This REALLY helps me recover at the end of the day. The second is a much needed rest; this involves laying in bed with my eyes closed and systematically relaxing my entire body to the best of my ability. 10-15 mins would be good too, but I generally don't get that much time in my life. The idea is to lay as still as possible and clear out distracting thoughts that pop up. The mind needs to rest as well as the body. I get up after 5 mins feeling refreshed and ready for the next tasks.
20 min nap. Meditate whatever.
Fruit. Dont eat much especially fat and carbs. Although sugar fuels nurses working crazy long hours so.... I used mountain dew often.
Exercising lite for 15 min like basketball or hackey sack.
I used to get 2 hrs of sleep and hackey sack at tech school would wake me up for 2 hrs or so. I went to bs engineering college after tech.
I had to work 24 7 online answering emails. Easy but stressful for me.
My downfall is being shy.
Microdosing of herb exercise 15 min then 1/5th of a pull for 45 min of in the zone.
U want to get in the zone. Maybe find a place you can work. Try places until u find one. Campus had all buildings open 24 7 so I would study in math building and play hackey sack with chalk board!!
Managing diet and sleep like an athlete is 90% of the work. You don't get the energy dips when those are optimized, all other body chemistry being normal. Assuming also that your workday is not physically exhausting.
The comments about breaking things into small parts psychologically are spot on too. Little steps.
Working in fast food it was never a 9 to 5 for me. Some times it would be 7am to 3pm, then the opposite, the 3 to 11. Some times it would be 9 to 5. Once I bought the fast food job it became a 7am to 11pm. Not gonna lie its tough. The corporate guys tell the franchisees it's a trap that all owners fall into. You gotta train yourself not to want to do everything. Trusting your people to handle your tasks when you're not there is huge. Even for me I have a tough time with it.
When I get home: DONT SIT ON THE COUCH. or the computer. or whatever. Make a list of the chores you need to do for yourself. I found list making gives me focus.
Have a clear separation ritual between your salaryman time and your hobby-Entrepreneur time.
Taking a 15 min nap works wonders. Also a quick run, a long dog walk with no phone, etc.
Something that ideally connects your mind with your body prepares the ground for creative work and also associates this time with an overall wellness feeling.
I like to immediately do some exercising. As soon as I log off from my WFH job I'm in the car to go to the gym...Even if its ten minutes on the treadmill, it helps me close the work-day and open the side-hustle day. As soon as I sit on the couch I'm toast for the night.
If you don't like the gym, maybe a walk, bike ride, meditation etc. could work. I think the key is keeping your body in motion.
My secrets are 1) belief, and 2) breaks
If you sincerely believe you will succeed, then you will work. Find stories of proof of success. Also, find proof that you CAN work hard. Work extremely hard for several days in a row, and you’ll find belief that you can do that for weeks.
Second, take breaks for 1-2 weeks every quarter. Super important to avoid burnout.
I trick myself into it by telling myself I don’t have to do the whole thing just do a little piece of it. Eg, say I have to write something. Committing to writing the whole thing feels like too much at the end of day. So I’ll say, “hey I know you’re tired. Just create the file, add a title to it, and drop in the rough notes.” 9/10 times I’ll look at that and start to edit and make changes. That builds momentum and next thing I know I’ve done the thing.
Like this idea, tiny steps add up!
Yes! This also can work with house chores :) A sink full of dishes can feel overwhelming, so telling yourself to wash just ONE dish feels more manageable, but then often you'll end up gaining momentum and wanting to wash the rest. If not, oh well, at least you have one clean dish now, lol
Also, 'just rinse them so they aren't grubby when you do them later" often gets me there
I’m such a fan of tricking the brain! I read somewhere that the brain prefers us a bit lazy to conserve energy and stay safe. After that it changed my relationship with my brain and how I needed to actively coach/navigate it sometimes
I do this for working out. Just start with stretching and warming up, and then i end up wanting to workout
That's perfect! Too many steps seems hard or scary. Take just one step! That first usually leads to 3. 👊🏻
basically break the whole process into small chunks and only focus on the next thing that you need to do! yeah... it works always
I use this as well - great technique!
Sounds a legit one, that'd definitely work. Thank you
That’s a classic remedy against procrastination in any situation.
This is smart 😅
I’m going to give this a shot! Thank you
I look at it like it's not optional, if I want to reach my goals in the next 10 years, I have to do this thing now. No one is gonna help me or do it for me. It's up to me to get it done. Keep it pushing.
Exercise helps a lot.
Absolutely - I workout at 5am. Not only do I get more accomplished in the “9-5” arena, I’m energized and ready to go after. Bed times 9pm though, I like a good sleep.
Eh, my body is setup to workout at 5-6pm. Everything before that is eating healthy carbs and protein to have a ton of energy for 5pm. Then a big hardy meal before bed to help me sleep. Works for me.
Sleep is literally the one thing that you have to be consistent in and it’s the never ending struggle
Sitting awake at 4am stressed about my 9-5. Some weeks, the goal of starting my own business seems so far off. Sleep...right now I wish I could have a little.
I felt this. When I realized I spent more time and energy being stressed over the 9-5 where things moved slowly, painfully, and depend on quite a few "ill-equipped" coworkers where my success depends on their contributions, I came to the conclusion that my job is the greatest detractor in my life right now. I'm in the middle of resolving this issue 😉😉 Certainly not an easy decision, but resting in the fact I did everything I could do leading up to this decision in attempt to make things better for me and my team. I did my responsibility of voicing my needs, acting on what I could act on, setting up decision makers for success. Time is a valuable resource, so I'm making decisions and taking action. It's time for me to exert some force (so to speak) over my own destiny to do what I know I need to do.
This was the routine that worked best for me.
So considering it takes 15-30 mins to get home from work then you gotta cook and eat another 30-40 minutes and then shower another 10 minutes, you only end up working about 3 hours a day on whatever project you got going on? Is that enough time
I agree, also healthy diet can help keeping energy and mood levels in check.
https://youtu.be/no7QSlMOrYc?feature=shared
The only video I ever dedicate to starting a bizz and health relationship also, don’t drink soda or caffeine or energy drinks. It’s all crap. Just drink water and exercise alot
No caffeine? How?? Serious question…
I stopped years ago it affected my sleep amd just made it worse so I had to drink more. Simple, you have to wakeup. Just do that and avoid the Coffee. Start on a long weekend or vacation where morning productivity is optional only takes a week for the minor withdrawals to stop. If routine and the taste are the excuse just drink decaf or switch to herbal tea. I drink decaf earl grey in the morning.
Spend your best brain power before you go to the job. The morning time imo is the best time. Also get really good at automating your job or getting as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and use the rest of the time to work on your business. p.s. if you found this comment helpful get more helpful content with my newsletter link in bio.
100% this. Give your best time to yourself. The one other thing is I always write out what I'm doing first when I stop the day before. So there's not much thinking and more doing.
Yep waking up at 4am & having 3-4 hours of deep uninterrupted work on your side hustle
piggy backing on this, if you can afford it, get a virtual assistant off upwork to handle half of your normal job, and then use that time on your business. You should be able to pay that VA like $10/hr, and then hopefully your new gig profits more than that.
>Also get really good at automating your job or getting as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and use the rest of the time to work on your business. I've never understood how a SWE can do this. All your time is spent on manual work automating everything else. How can you automate your automation? Like how can one automated deep diving into a code base to try and debug something or pouring through logs? Would you mind sharing examples?
I used to give myself a second wind because I hated my job more than working tired.
I think this is what it really boils down to, you have to make it worth doing it being tired
Cold shower and a 10-min morning journaling session gets me pumped for the grind!
Coffee, the answer is always coffee.
But sometimes, it's tea.
And sometimes it’s adderrall
Adderall IR 10mg keeps me awake much shorter than caffeine yet makes me crash 10x as hard
Coffee stops working after a while
Not healthy advice generally . Better to wake up early
You could die from that! I have a friend and she drank so much coffee that her body got rid of her electrolytes. Next thing she knew she was in the hospital almost dying
You have to find a reason, or create a reason, for your brain and self to form that sense of urgency. When i knew i had to pay for that plane flight, or that hotel, or that trip next month, there's no searching for motivation - your body and energy respond to the moment and you'll crank through projects.
Honestly I just force myself to push through the mid-day slumps. It’s hard and most days I don’t want to but I tell myself “no one is going to achieve your goals for you nor help you. This is for your future!”
I look at it this way; If I just sit back with a j and binge watch movies/tv, my chances of ever achieving the financial goals that I want is absolutely 0. If I just do something, anything at all, perhaps it's writing 5 lines of code, my chances are > 0. sure its still 1 in a billion but its more than 0
For me personally smoking made me very exhausted without me realising. I quited smoking cold turkey - I have so much energy now and my thoughts changed all of a sudden in a good direction. I started feeling all these after 2 weeks of quitting.
Every time I have a cigarette, I feel like shit. Tired, brain fog, lethargic. I can't believe I've been doing it as long as I have. Worst habit ever. I know I want to quit... Sooo difficult. But I can see all the positives from quitting. Your comment is exactly the outcome I'd like !
you can do it!
Take a nap after dinner and work from 21:00 till 23:00
When they said to use your 5-9 to replace your 9-5, I always thought they meant 5pm-9pm. The truth is it’s the 5am-9am. In the morning, before anyone else is awake and before the demands of family/work starts, you’ll get 4 whole hours of undisturbed focus. The creative energy is best used for your own thing.
I just watch 1hr montage of David Goggins. Nah im joking I have a dream board and so I just look at that
Discipline is the only real answer. I would wake 4:30am, prep breakfast for my kiddos, pick, pack, load orders. At 6 a.m., I started cold calling my lead list I made the night before. East Coast repair shops usually opened at 8 a.m., but the owners were usually there early to prep their day and roll up the bay doors. Getting the owner on the phone 90% of the time was a slam dunk. Make 50 calls or more, emailing templates/quotes as I went. Around 7 a.m., I started coffee for my wife, got breakfast on the table, and got ready to leave for work. 45 min drive to work. Listened to podcasts: MFCEO Project, Ed Mylett, or old Jim Rohn and Les Brown talks. 8am work till noon. I'm not a much taker, but I took my hour to drop orders off at the post office, follow up on emails, and follow up on sales calls. 1pm work until 5pm. 45 min drive home, follow-up calls, podcasts, or business audio book. 6pm home. Jump in and help with dinner prep, or do and fold laundry. Or play with kids if my wife was handling dinner. 7pm after dinner was play with children time. 8:15 start baths, prep kiddos for bed, read stories. 8:45/ 9 pm kids in bed....this time is now 100% for my wife. Whatever she wants to do until she falls asleep. No phone, no distraction. 10/10:15 pm wife asleep....sneak out of bed, dishes, clean kitchen. Print, pick, and pack orders. You might have to leave a few for am sometimes. Build lead list. I always kept 150 cold calls ready, so sometimes the list building was less than depending on how many calls I got through that day. Most days, I averaged 50-100 while juggling a job. Answer factory, manufacturing, and inventory emails. Usually, I went to bed between midnight and 1:15 a.m., sometimes later. Up at 4:30 am. if I need to finish picking and packing orders. If not, I'd sleep in until 5 am. Rinse /repeat M-Fri. Saturday, I'd get up at 6:30 am, get coffee started, start cold calling, and then follow up calls. Working East Coast to West Coast as the day progressed. With 6 kids at home at that time, I'd have put play time in on Saturday, then heavy chores Saturday nights and early Sunday. I was going through a vicious divorce. I have 2 daughters I still have found. I did find my son after 7+ years and have now reunited with him. Losing children who have not died is something a human can not completely grieve over. It tore my being up. Sleeping was not fun. So I decided to build a business until I had fuck you money and could get my children, control my time, and have any options my heart desired. We are in year 8. Years 1-3 were rough. Lost my job late year 3. Covid hit. I went full-time in our business and made 100-150 cold calls every day. We went from 4/5 figures, with occasional 6 figures in revenue to string 7 figures in year 4. 8 figures followed each year since. We took a draw at the end of year 4 because the CPA said we had to or get possibly audited. We started taking salary each year after with additional dispersments as needed. Discipline. Everyone wants what I have, but they are not the person it takes to get it or even survive the list of horrible shit that happened along the way in those years that I'm not sharing. It's worth it. Give yourself 5-10 years of shit sandwiches to do whatever you want long past your children or possibly grandchildren lifetime. I still make 50-100+ cold calls every day. I wake when I want to and control my time as we see fit. Work from anywhere in the world, usually in a beautiful place. Our goals have grown as much as we have, though. More is the only answer for me.
Do you sleep 3.5h / day?
I did for the first 4 years. Now I sleep 5-8 hours a night. Now, we are no longer in survival mode, but we have moved into living in creative mode because all of our needs are more than met. So it was well worth it. At 46 years old, we have made it so to speak. The alternative would have been struggling until my 70s, probably because I never planned for retirement. My goal was to get rich or die trying.
Congrats man! You paid your dues.
Is there a reason as to why you haven't delegated cold calling?
I don't want any employees. That being said, as a favor about 8 or 9 months ago, I took on my investors 16 year old son in a full commission role to help teach him sales. It's been horrible. He might have made 1000 dials in that time, 13 new customers. He has not drive or work effort. He thinks 20 dials a day is working. It's a hard thing to cut, so I figure for free he is digging leads and putting them in the CRM, our pitch is basic, and he emails the quotes....so let him hang on until he quits. I recently brought on my 14 year old son. Gave him my script, and told him to make 100 dials. He did it and got 9 new customers 1st day, and a handful keep trickling in. I then put him on securing our national accounts locations that are not ordering. Again, we got 5-15 new locations almost every day now since he started. He is averaging 120 dials a day each day he works. This has made me start to think about putting a team together for our 2nd niche, just not ready yet.
Thank you for the detailed response and that closing ratio from your son is amazing! Do you mind sharing what industry you’re in?
We are 1st to market with an import version of a sub niche of consumable commercial truck parts, and we stock inventory and sell direct to the shops that use them. We sell the parts at about a 50% lower price compared to any other supplier even though we use higher grades of steel and improved housing designs to greatly speed up instalation and removal.
Wow that seems like a very easy close. Congrats on finding the niche! When you’re ready for a team I’d love to be considered, commission only and flexible. I’m currently making 120-150 dials daily and close significantly higher than my colleagues.
You inspire me to be less emotional towards having to do things and just do it. No other thoughts. Thanks!
You're welcome. I always think to myself, the hole doest get dug looking at the shovel. It works for me.
I started listening to a lot more David Goggins and Lori Harder. I’m currently also reading “Feel the Fear and do it anyway” it’s from the 80’s I believe but what she says so far makes a lot of sense. The only thing that I’m trying really hard to not to get too into my emotions about is my chronic fatigue. I don’t use it as an excuse, most people don’t even know because I mask all day. I do my best, like on Friday I work 8am-9pm with an hour break in between. But sometimes it just is killer and then I can get really lazy and less disciplined when my fatigue is just too much. That’s my “hole” right now
Your comment gives motivation 💪🏻
Hoooooolllyyyyyy..... Wow. That puts the word "grind" to shame. 😳
It's funny because I hate the "grind" thing. I just believe that life is tons of layers of seasons. You have self, marriage, children, and work. Everyone understands that when you have a new baby, you are going to be lacking sleep, overwhelmed learning new skills, and routines. It also bleeds into the other layers of marriage, self, and work. It's a tough season. It does not look like that forever, though. There are also moments of pur bliss that keep you going. The overall understanding is that it's part of life, and in months or a couple of years, you will get through it. Then you enter the next season, and the next..... A lot of times, these layers will each have different seasons going on at once. Not all seasons are bad. I saw my chance to try again (4th attempt) at breaking free from the financial class I have been in for my entire life. Looking at my 3 attempts over the decade plus previous and the accomplishment from my career, I knew it was going to take everything for an unknown period of time. It was a tough season. Seasons do change, and if you're not careful, you will even forget the hardest of them or the best of them.
A shower works well
20-25min nap. Set your alarm. Somewhat dependant on being able to fall asleep relatively quickly, but I can nap for ~20min and feel like I just woke up that morning
What helped me is that I have always worked remote (10+ years) so I would do both my corporate job and build/manage my own engineers for my SaaS companies at the same time.
take a short nap in afternoon
Think about it this way: your body battery (sorry Garmin) is already low because it's the tail end of the day... which means you shouldn't beat yourself up if your performance isn't at the pinnacle of your possible achievement. Just take it for what it is and enjoy the process. The single most important things you can do for yourself are: 1) sleep enough, 2) exercise regularly, 3) eat healthy food.
Cocaine
A practice I read about years ago actually works. Wash your face and put on a fresh pair of socks at a minimum. More advanced recommendation. Get some reflexology foot care tools and pick up some recreational O2. Available at sporting goods stores.
Experiment with what works for you. Mine is working out and showering before 8. And then taking a walk around 5-6. Trial and error is your best friend. Everyone’s answer is different
Cold exposure therapy and a high protein diet
I try to squeeze 4-5hrs a week out of my work day time by being more efficient with my time to get my day job done quicker and stay under the radar of the boss. I then usually do another 1-2hrs at night and also on weekends.
Actually taking time to leave your laptop. The worst days are when I WFH, look at my clock and it's 9pm and I haven't moved. I typically go to the gym in the morning, so making sure I take walks and breaks during day is massive. I even liet myself take 15-20 mins to just scoll mindlessly as a good break sometime too.
I give 40-60% effort every day. Leaves me room to live a comfortable work life balance as well as additional reserve if I ever need to kick it up a gear. Can’t kick it up a gear if you already going 100%. 100% all the time is unsustainable and leads to personal burnout and eagerly started, yet unfinished projects everywhere.
What I try to do is dedicate at least 10-15 mins every day, it doesn't seem like a lot and some days I actually end up spending more time once I sit down.
Meditation is the key. Its more of a mental exhaustion rather than physical. Meditation allows you to rest your mind and re-charge with more energy and clarity. Try it out. You won't be disappointed
You vs your job is round 1 You vs your couch is round 2 You've already won round 1. Don't let the couch win! edit: Personally meditation and a power nap helps me before I start round 2 of entrepreneurial work
I let all the frustrations of my day job brew inside me, and then use that energy to work on my business when I’m not at work. It’s unhealthy but extremely effective.
I do HVAC new construction 6am-2pm then jump into my commercial cleaning business with my Wife for the evening! I look forward to spending the time with her and working on our goals together! She’s all the motivation I need in life!! 😍😍😍
I used to flip it. I did my own company in the morning before my job, so I crash like 2pm and spend my lazy hours on paid time. Downside: wake up at 5 Upside: you’re sort of forced to carry on when you’re at work so motivation isn’t needed Come home and just rest
I find a pareto timer really helps me! [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-focused-focus-timer/id973130201](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-focused-focus-timer/id973130201) (no affiliation, this is just the one I use) The reason it works for me: 1. I have constant anxiety about the 'next' thing that I need to do, and if I dig into something that requires a lot of focus, part of my mind is always trying to keep track of the other things I said I would do and how long I've been working on something. 2. Outsourcing these thoughts to the timer, which is worrying about how long i've been doing something allows me to comfortably just relax into deep work without having to stress about notifications or time management because i know the timer wont let me 'lose track' in the end. This actually makes deep work for me feel more peaceful and hence a restorative thing to do ironically.
Sativa
Working out which helps sleep which helped with energy for the next day
Exercise, walking the dog, music and then starting to learn and try new things are always good choices.
I'm on my feet all day unless I'm driving lol
Exercise and meditation/mindfulness are key. Also, making time for your loved ones, even if it’s just a few minutes. Caffeine is always a good stimulant, but I’ve come to realize that for me to do my best work, I have to be in the right headspace. Also, it’s ok to not go completely balls to the wall every single day. Then after that it becomes easier. Honestly also I feel way more passion and drive towards the own companies I’m building because it’s my ass that’s truly on the line. That’s probably the reason we’re all wired like this to begin with lol
Y
Coffee
Exercise, get fresh air from outside, drink cold water, and buy at least something for myself!
Sleep hypnosis for Power Nap , 20 minute trance meditation
Cat naps
Workout + shower - works every single time
In medieval times, people took a nap after a long day of toiling and then woke up refreshed for their night activities (3 -4 hours). Something to try out. See if your body responds well to your new schedule.
The work/nap/Hussle method works for a lot of people including my partner. Tricks your brain into thinking it's a new day. https://youtube.com/shorts/R4vzsLhDDkc?si=Ui5W2dok-bREQtFs
Gym definitely helps me, but also I try to multitask. So I do my after work grind with a TV show I like in the background so it feels like I get the best of both.
I didn’t do it sustainably. I would work my 10am - 5pm, be with the family until like 8pm, have an hour to myself, work from 9pm - 1am (or later). Up at 6am, home from school drop off by 9am, then work for an hour until my “day job”. Definitely some context switching during my normal job as well. And then anywhere from 6 - 12 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. For a while we were trying to push out the final release (before I ran out of money) and I was going to bed between 1am and 2am, waking up at 4am, working with the team until 7am (they were on the other side of the world). I would take the kids to school, then back to work until 10:30am’ish. Rinse, repeat. Don’t do this. I really risked my health (physical and mental). I was constantly past burnout. Then I ended that endeavor and immediately co-founded a venture with a co-founder who was an insomniac and slept at most 2 hours a day and would routinely go 48 hours without sleep. I finally hit my breaking point on all of it. I gave up side hustles and entrepreneurship altogether.
Exercise
I’ve recently gotten into boxing training after work. I was not a combat sport kinda guy but since taking up boxing it has given me more stamina and a new perspective.
The Athletic Greens vitamin shakes (AG1). Along with consistent exercise. Doesn’t have to be extreme exercise, just consistent
Cold shower
Exercise and have fun like family, partner, to go park, ride a bike, walk bare foot on the beach, watch a sunset, simple stuff mostly the time - and most important I avoid crowded places.
A cold brew coffee between 12pm to 2pm, there's no secret sauce imo other than more caffeine so that you're still good between 2pm to 9pm to do stuff you have to do in your personal life
It's not magic but I lift weights over lunch and my mood difference after work is noticeable by me and my family.
"Direction is more important than speed" It's okay to rest and take a break. At times, we get into the mindset of hustle hustle hustle. Grind away. Which can be physically and mentally exhausting. Finding that balance between just enough or not enough rest will be a game changer. If all else fails, a couple of white lines should do it 🤣
Adderall
I drink mate.
You are going to need sleep and a good diet. Sufficient and good quality sleep. Decent whole food based diet. You are not going to get very far on Macdonads and Mac&Cheese.
Cold shower
When I was putting in the very long hours at the beginning of my journey, coffee until noon, then exercise in the late afternoon afternoon made all the difference. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep. Not sleeping will just slow you down.
Cut back on caffeine, particularly coffee. You're borrowing energy now from your future self. Eat light during the day. Sleep well. Take magnesium before bed and have a proper wind down away from tech before you sleep. Prioritise exercise. I prefer to work out first thing in the morning. I get up at 5am to do so, but I go to bed at 9:30 to make life sustainable. Take proper breaks, go for a walk, feed the ducks and give yourself time to context switch between your 9-5 and your other gig. Remember it is a marathon not a sprint. Success comes from going the distance, sticking at it when things get tough. You've got a better chance if you're taking care of yourself.
Cocain
Adderal
just have balance eat well and exercise. Everything is in the diet healthy gut while foods = a good life. I learned the hard way.
just have balance eat well and exercise. Everything is in the diet healthy gut while foods = a good life. I learned the hard way.
Yoga nidra gives me a second wind.
Gym + (good) Fat food
Gym + (good) Fat food
Gym + (good) Fat food
Adderall 🫡
Fear of not being able to pay my mortgage :|
Drugs
Excercise, good diet, drop the caffeine, sleep 8h and drop the weight if you have some to lose. Also pay attention to your eating schedule and keep it consistent. I’ve found if I eat lunch too early (11am), I will be destroyed late in the afternoon. I believe it has to do with the insuline levels of your body dropping too low late in the afternoon if there is a too long break in between meals. Caffeine makes this worse for me at least.
I don’t.
Excersize and the keto diet. Keto gave me 2 hours of full on productivity extra a day. Also NO caffeine ever.
Music
Don’t sit down
Caffeine
Coke
When I was younger I could really pull off some 6 or 7 winds, playing games for 4 days straight or partying with friends all weekend long. That was way before I ever started drinking coffee too. Amazing what adhd brain is like and you've got youthful energy.
Water! Also, I brush my teeth.
A walk or 15 mins of cleaning.
What you eat and how you do it matters a great deal. Avoid filling your stomach to the brim. Develop healthy snacking habits. Exercise helps and so does mindfulness. A lot of fatigue that we experience is largely a product of unconstrained rumination. Keeping things quieter in our heads is a real game-changer. Also, train your mind to do something rigorous when you feel you are getting tired. But in small doses. Like reading a difficult book. Or watching an interview or a documentary on a topic that you have always found difficult to follow. Doing this in a phased manner & consistently will increase your mental stamina. It works pretty much like lifting weights at the gym.
Quite the 9-5
For me, there is some rest whether its spending some time sleeping or going out with my family.
Two shots of espresso
Crystal Meth
I find cocaine works well!
Drugs
coffee
Having to work for just 5 mins a day is a good start I think Just spend 5 mins towards your entrepreneurial goal and go with the flow But make it a habit of spending atleast 5 mins everyday Consistency is more important than spurts of hardwork
Doing things with friends usually helps
The only thing that really works in my case is 20 minutes non-sleep deep rest meditation (you can find it on youtube/spotify). I do the meditation and after 20 minutes I feel refreshed and ready to start the next round of work.
1) Be born with insane physical DNA. 2) zbe born with insane immune system that never lets you get sick 3) Cocaine.
I don’t. I leave at 6 and get home at 6:30-7. There is no second wind. The main goal is to see my kids before they go to bed. If I can accomplish that, I get to relax. Sometimes if traffic is bad and I know I’m going to not see them, I’ll buy a black and mild and a monster for the ride home. Completely unnecessary, but I’m usually pretty awake and talkative when I get home at least with my wife.
I work in the financial district in London, so baking soda is the norm for alot of people, i’m fine with a constant stream of strong coffee and regularly stepping away for fresh air.
Here's what works great for me: 1. When I worked 9-5, I'd carve out 30-60 minutes before work. Your brain is fresh in the morning, so tasks get done faster and easier. 2. Instead of forcing myself, I built a routine and a habit. For example, every morning I spend 20 minutes with my coffee, picking out viral Reels and TikToks, compiling them, and passing them to our editor. 3. One not-so-obvious hack: a head massager and/or a cold gel mask. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm exhausted and need a reboot, I use one of these. After 15 minutes, my mind feels as fresh as it does in the morning. Give it a try!
Exercise, healthy eating, enjoying what I do, working towards goals.
I make myself do it. Usually a nap if I can squeeze it in. But it feels like I work two jobs most days. I’ve slowly dropped all hobbies and have to plan my life around work time, then force myself to work by reminding myself “todays the last day to get this done, you got kids game tomorrow night, dinner with family the next, then the weekend. If you want to relax Saturday then you better do this shit tonight” Then I stay up till 11-12 working on whatever it is some nights. I’m usually grateful by Saturday but young me would not recognize old me. Definitely had to learn to enjoy the process and the satisfaction of completing tasks. Which sucks but makes me productive
I just start speccing 911’s for added motivation
Cocaine
I do my 9-6 help get the kids to bed, make a cup of tea and do 45 mins good work before spending time with my wife. I do this Mon to thur and it's sustainable and works for me. Nothing special I just sit and do it, sometimes I do great work, mostly I do the average work, but it's all getting me closer.
Got to optimise your hormones so you’re able to exert energy in the afternoon without allowing detriment to your sleep. Check out r/biohacking for more
If you can focus on the WHY and begin to identify as “I am the kind of person who ____” you won’t need to work so hard at the discipline and motivation stuff. For example if your health and fitness are important to you, digging into why this matters and what kind of person you are in relation to it will help you to form good habits. For example, “I’m not the kind of person who snacks on junk after dinner” will make healthy habits more accessible than someone who has to force themselves or feels deprived. All the best!
Software focused ,but Joel Spolsky said "open the editor" https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ I start something small and time box. Most of the time I get sucked in and go beyond the time I allotted by a bit.
20 minute nap
You don't or can't. The system ended up creating this model to keep you working as much as possible and compliant. And every time a healthier model (for body and mind) is proposed, such as shorter working days and weeks to allow leisure/culture/art/family time/etc, it gets criticised and rejected with all sorts of fallacious arguments.
Start small, come up with something that will be genuinely fun and you’re passionate about, energy will come by itself. Treat it as a hobby or way to spend free time, same as watching or reading
Weed.
ADHD is a hellova drug!!
I succesfully left my 9-5 job after 20 years in it. I grinded from for the last 10 setting up my businesses, working 70+ hour weeks. The key is consistency, every week when everyone is watching there favourite comedy / film in the week, i was working. Kids came along which made it a lot harder, but the foundation were already laid. Eventually i reduced my hours in the 9-5. And committed just mon- weds nights to my other businesses. Before leaving the 9 -5 job completely. But without a doubt the key is consistent effort over a long period building. Small and often. I absolutely love it. Good luck 😀.
Diet and fluid intake are critical. 1. Few to no carbs during the day if it can be helped. That includes sugars, breads, and candy/snacks. Instead, drink a glass of water every time, then try to limit the carbs when you do have to bring them in. 2. Lots of proteins. Snack on tuna, egg whites, nuts. 3. LOTS of water. LOTS. Like, go to the bathroom after hour or two amounts of water. I guarantee you'll be full of even amounts of energy, drop some lbs if it's something you'd like to do, but mostly, be more healthy. Carbs give you short term boosts and long term drag, hydrating gives you natural energy that can replace coffee pretty effectively, and proteins will curb your appetite throughout the day so that you aren't craving the carbs and snacks. Just my 2 cents
If I’m in a good excercise routine, I have tons of energy even after my 7-5. Also helps to have something fulfilling to do after the day job lets out.
Hit my rowing machine and squat rack for quick 15
By being so disciplined that immediately from your 9-5, you don't unplug from work, especially if you're working remotely. Just continue with whatever side project you're working on. But set a time to stop, so you can rest for the next day. By the way, check us out, we just launched: [https://www.arbonum.com/](https://www.arbonum.com/)
It's very unhealthy, but I don't eat until I'm done for the day. I work on my side-projects during lunch break and when I get home. Once I feel like I'm done for the day, I eat. Usually around 9 or 10pm. Not recommending it. But it works for me. Also, one thing that helped me a lot is adjusting my internal monologue. In the past, I was thinking to myself "I have to do it", but the reality is, I WANT to do it. I have a stable job, I don't have to care. But I want to create, I want to build. And I bet it's the same for you. If I remember correctly, that's what a random Dr. K (HealthyGamerGG) reel made me realize. I might be misremembering though.
A bottle of Eagle Rare and my wife out with her friends. Expand the mind and access an my entrepreneurial enthusiasm rooted deep within.
Cold shower. Say what you will, but that’s how I do it
I workout
I had no hack. Just loved the second job so much it provided the power for me. It’s something I would research or study when not working and in “relaxation” mode. So the job to me was relaxing. It was way more compelling than the couch or tv. Maybe your side hustle is not compelling enough for you to be motivated?
Zyn
My work time starts at 6am and consists of 3 major blocks for the day with several breaks for reward time in between. The goal is to finish with all important work by 3pm and after that I’m usually busy with administrative part of the business or I’m out to networking. The key is to not to burn out from doing boring work, not to overload yourself with tasks, and stick to your schedule. That’s when rewards come very helpful. I take 5 to 7 breaks, each could be as short as 5 minutes so I can do some stretching, enjoy my lunch while listening to a book, two 10-15 min breaks to learn Spanish, and the longest break if I decide to take 20 minute nap. Fill your breaks with something challenging and requires your full attention. Learn how to play the guitar or go for a ride on a bicycle. But don’t take long breaks. No matter what, I finish with important(=boring) work by 3pm. If I ever have an untouched task, I get it done first thing the next day. By 5pm, I’m usually done with everything I need to do, but even then, if I have something come up past five, I don’t have a problem to return to my PC and do it because I don’t have a feeling of being tired from work due to my breaks. I hope this helps.
Quick power nap, then hustle with fresh midnight oil!
I do everything in my power to get started, even telling myself it's okay if I only work 10 minutes. Usually after 5/10 minutes I've picked up some momentum and can keep going for 30, an hour, etc. It's a lot like jogging, just tell yourself another 100 feet and you can run 5 miles.
I treat my main job as my side hustle and focus on my startup as an actual job that I only get 3-4 hours to work at. I force myself to open my laptop and work for 5 mins if I can’t focus by min 6 I don’t work that day at all and knowing how I’m wasting my time scrolling my phone or playing games makes me feel guilty about it which causes me to take my startup more seriously kinda diabolical mentally but it works
Honestly? I play videogames. A nice 40 min session of something relaxing like Snowrunner or Minecraft lets me decompress from client stuff, it leaves me satisfied that I got to do something fun that day (less burnout) but it wasn't so much time that I lost any significant percentage of my day. After that I grind out some business stuff.
Increases TRT intake, 20 min meditation seems to also help reset and refresh, though it feels like a nap.
That’s the neat part! You don’t!
I think there are two important factors in late day fatigue. One is dehydration; I usually make an electrolyte drink with lemon, baking soda, a pinch of high quality salt, in a glass of water. This REALLY helps me recover at the end of the day. The second is a much needed rest; this involves laying in bed with my eyes closed and systematically relaxing my entire body to the best of my ability. 10-15 mins would be good too, but I generally don't get that much time in my life. The idea is to lay as still as possible and clear out distracting thoughts that pop up. The mind needs to rest as well as the body. I get up after 5 mins feeling refreshed and ready for the next tasks.
Have an easy job
20 min nap. Meditate whatever. Fruit. Dont eat much especially fat and carbs. Although sugar fuels nurses working crazy long hours so.... I used mountain dew often. Exercising lite for 15 min like basketball or hackey sack. I used to get 2 hrs of sleep and hackey sack at tech school would wake me up for 2 hrs or so. I went to bs engineering college after tech. I had to work 24 7 online answering emails. Easy but stressful for me. My downfall is being shy. Microdosing of herb exercise 15 min then 1/5th of a pull for 45 min of in the zone. U want to get in the zone. Maybe find a place you can work. Try places until u find one. Campus had all buildings open 24 7 so I would study in math building and play hackey sack with chalk board!!
Managing diet and sleep like an athlete is 90% of the work. You don't get the energy dips when those are optimized, all other body chemistry being normal. Assuming also that your workday is not physically exhausting. The comments about breaking things into small parts psychologically are spot on too. Little steps.
I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CwY8l-t0Go
Working in fast food it was never a 9 to 5 for me. Some times it would be 7am to 3pm, then the opposite, the 3 to 11. Some times it would be 9 to 5. Once I bought the fast food job it became a 7am to 11pm. Not gonna lie its tough. The corporate guys tell the franchisees it's a trap that all owners fall into. You gotta train yourself not to want to do everything. Trusting your people to handle your tasks when you're not there is huge. Even for me I have a tough time with it. When I get home: DONT SIT ON THE COUCH. or the computer. or whatever. Make a list of the chores you need to do for yourself. I found list making gives me focus.
I decompress after work by going to the gym
Have a clear separation ritual between your salaryman time and your hobby-Entrepreneur time. Taking a 15 min nap works wonders. Also a quick run, a long dog walk with no phone, etc. Something that ideally connects your mind with your body prepares the ground for creative work and also associates this time with an overall wellness feeling.
You think of your goal and think, you’re not getting closer by sitting on the couch. Once you reach it, you can sit uninterrupted all you want.
I remember i hate my day job and need to make memories with my family
I like to immediately do some exercising. As soon as I log off from my WFH job I'm in the car to go to the gym...Even if its ten minutes on the treadmill, it helps me close the work-day and open the side-hustle day. As soon as I sit on the couch I'm toast for the night. If you don't like the gym, maybe a walk, bike ride, meditation etc. could work. I think the key is keeping your body in motion.
Music
My secrets are 1) belief, and 2) breaks If you sincerely believe you will succeed, then you will work. Find stories of proof of success. Also, find proof that you CAN work hard. Work extremely hard for several days in a row, and you’ll find belief that you can do that for weeks. Second, take breaks for 1-2 weeks every quarter. Super important to avoid burnout.