Work like a panther

There’s a pattern among history’s most successful & influential people: Most of them worked fewer hours than the average American.

Darwin, Hemingway, Beethoven: None of them worked more than 4 or 5 hours in a day.

Yet they produced lifetimes of great work. Here’s how:

Hemingway would write in the morning until lunch. That was it.

Darwin would place sections of focused deep work in between long walks and reading.

Beethoven would write music for a few hours in the morning. Then he’d enjoy his day.

You’ll see this pattern over and over.

There’s a common thread among these 3 and many others:

Each of them had the freedom to organize their days around productivity.

They would work, hard, when they worked best.

By doing so, they could maximize both their productivity and their leisure time.

They understood that good leisure is intentional.

It’s not Netflix for 8 hours––it’s pursuing passions, exercising, side projects, or spending time with friends.

By enjoying life, you’ll do better work.

In other words, a balanced lifestyle isn’t lazy: It’s more productive.

Here’s a model you can use:

Treat your mental energy each day like an hourglass.

Many scientists and creatives think you have about 3 to 6 hours of truly focused work before you run out.

When you turn that hourglass over, make the most of every minute.

I’m writing this because, until recently, most people haven’t had the freedom to organize their lives this way.

But remote work gives you the agency to organize your day like Hemingway & Darwin & Beethoven.