Thread by @thedankoe

I like to experiment.

For the past 3 weeks, I’ve done the complete opposite of popular life advice.

- No pomodoro timers
- No morning routine
- No thinking through problems

Here’s what I’ve learned following Lao Tzu’s “Law Of Reversed Effort:”

Here's the problem.

If you try to be productive, you will be lazy.

If you try to be happy, you will be unhappy.

If you try to be confident, you will be insecure.

If you try to close the sale, you lose it.

This is the paradox of life.

In comes the Law of Reversed Effort.

The reason you are overwhelmed, insecure, unhappy, lazy, etc is because of the mental friction.

Too much thinking. Too much going on.

Too much expectation and assumption of how things should be, rather than how they are.

Non-stop effort to control every little thing about your life.

Over-optimizing.

Adding tactics and hacks to your day to try and make it better.

You begin to attach to these things. Identify with them. Holding on to something you didn't need in the first place.

I like to think of this "over-optimizing" process from a bodybuilding perspective.

- You bulk up (add to your life)
- Gain weight (feel slow / groggy)
- Cut down (trim the fat)
- Reveal the muscle you built

That last point is crucial.

If you feel lost, the only option is to let go.

Trim the fat.

Quite literally stop doing everything.

The result? You reveal the muscle you built during that time.

The things that stick will stick. You will continue doing them.

An added bonus is that you become aware of why you did those things in the first place.

You rediscover your purpose behind those actions.

By not trying, you begin moving levers

You do the things that are critical to your productivity, health, etc

IF you learned + experimented

Back to my situation.

I had gone on an experimentation binge.

- I tried 3-4 different dieting methods
- I changed my routines a few times
- I tried new lifting & cardio methods

No wonder I was less productive, stressed, and "had no time on my hands"

The only option was to let go.

Stop the experimentation.

Trim the fat.

Stop thinking.

Connect with the "divine," "Source," or "Infinite Intelligence"

Emphasize mindfulness and presence throughout my day.

The result?

I ended up working 3 days out of the week.

2-4 hours at a time

I knew what had to be done and there was little friction in doing it

I now have 3 weeks of work done. I could the next take 3 weeks off if I wanted

High-leverage work just got done. No need to schedule work blocks

Side note:

You won't work on things if you have no idea what to work on.

This process is about thinking less. Spending your days in a state of no mind.

BUT - that does not eliminate the need for thinking.

Think to strategize.

Read my pinned thread for more on that.

In terms of health, I dropped everything as well.

Had a few nights out drinking.

Incorporated foods I hadn't had in a while.

Brought the intensity to the gym.

Walked 15-20k steps a day just because I felt like it.

It became very apparent what worked and what didn't (for me).

In terms of mental health, everything began to flow.

I took my days slow and leaned into my intuition to guide my actions

Sounds woo-woo as fuck, but that's why we experiment people

12 hour days and sleepless nights have their place — as does doing nothing.

Don't force either

The things that were supposed to stick, stuck.

I rediscovered my why behind:

- What I work on
- Why I eat a certain way
- Why I structure my days unlike others

By "letting go," you become confident in your decisions.

In summary:

The act of not trying, not caring, and living in alignment with the person I want to become (via pinned thread)...

My work quality, life enjoyment, and mental clarity went through the roof.

Lesson: You may not need to add more. You may need to subtract more.

Another profound realization:

I talk about doing what you want instead of what others want

WHILE I WAS DOING WHAT OTHERS WANTED.

I became dogmatic in my health, life, and business views due to social media echo chambers

I wanted to be a part of their "tribe"

Silly mistake, but I wouldn't have realized that without the process I've described in this thread.

NOW

I have a semi-unique way of structuring my days for maximum output.

I use a soft structure. Fill, empty, use.

You can read about that here

letter.modernmastery.co/issues/why-pro…

I am a firm believer in the lifestyle first approach to business, health, and productivity.

If you combine the above (fill, empty, use) structure with I like to call Focus Fasting

Being focused, happy, & lean becomes seamless.

Again, read more here:

letter.modernmastery.co/issues/my-dail…

LASTLY

If you enjoyed this thread, an RT on the first tweet would be helpful.

If you'd like to read more about this "Law Of Reversed Effort, mental minimalism, and no-mind

Read this (and subscribe for this Friday's edition)

letter.modernmastery.co/issues/an-argu…