Before you rest, you have to know your true limits.
1. Phase I – Learning to fight and focus
When I started learning how to program at the end of 2020, at the age of 13, I worked all day long. I had nothing else to do; I was incompetent and unproductive. Here, I was getting something to do, becoming competent and productive. I focused on programming, and that’s it.
Many things held me back, such as bad habits and incompetence, and I had zero leverage. The only things I had were time and energy. Efforts are tremendous at the beginning, but the results remain nonexistent. Most people don’t pass this hurdle.
You must learn to fight a bear with a stick.
This is the price; you cannot avoid paying it. You have to start and face realities you don’t want to face. You will have to keep going with no one rooting for you.
Luckily, it gets easier from here.
2. Phase II – Learning to add balance
After only a few months of hyperfocus, I needed a break, and that’s when content creation was added to my inventory of tasks. I started to create content because I understood it very well. I needed to find a way to market my future apps. Whenever I exhausted my programming capabilities, which usually took a year of twelve-hour days, I would focus for a month or two on content creation. These areas didn’t have a lot of overlap; therefore, creating videos was almost like taking a vacation.
This is not balanced in the traditional sense of working and resting. This is working for months without breaks and then switching focus as soon as you notice fatigue. That’s still exceptionally difficult, but a bit easier than the first stage.
3. Phase III – Learning what one is truly capable of
I lived in the second stage for two years. I had gained plenty of experience and optimized large chunks of my life. Then, I burned out. There were more than enough reasons to burn out, such as heartbreak, exhaustion, and other emotional problems I collected along the way. My burnout lasted for ten days.
Yet, burnout is fantastic; the best thing that could have happened to me. Now I knew what I was capable of without creating any lasting damage. Furthermore, I learned what work really meant, marking the transition from “more” to “better.” No one can learn that for me.
4. Phase IV – Learning how to maintain high performance
Slowly, the stick to fight bears becomes a sword to fight dragons.
I know that it's not healthy to hyperfocus. But the thing is, people who say that are the ones who end up working their entire lives because they were too afraid to sacrifice a year or two.
However, I want to stress that these stages cannot be skipped. You need to learn how to focus. You need to know what work even means. You need to learn how much you are capable of. Yes, that includes burnout, wasted efforts, and failures. No one can learn that for you.
I passed these stages, and I'm infinitely grateful I did.
How to maintain high performance with the help of resting
(1) Never compromise on fitness, sun and fresh air
You are never allowed to sacrifice sun, fresh air, or sports. They are fundamentally necessary, and I don’t believe life without them is possible. No matter where you are, you must discipline yourself to do at least ten pushups, take three deep breaths, and spend thirty minutes outside. I don’t care about focus; you must go outside and do sports. No excuses.
(2) Mirco rest
Programming is unbelievably draining when you get started because nothing works how it should. Nonetheless, programming gave me a six-pack. Whenever I hit an error message, I did some push and pullups. Physical activity boosts performance.
I sit in front of a window. Looking away for three seconds once every five seconds relaxes my eyes and ensures I don’t get a headache.
Posture checks, visualization, deep breaths, stretching, or drinking water also create wonders.
(3) Let’s not forget the basics
Sleep and a good diet are vital for performance; we don’t need to discuss that.
However, no one talks about their room. Your room must be inviting to work in, and it must be ordered and aesthetically pleasing.
Getting up early and starting with the most difficult task is of utmost importance.
(4) Avoid anything hyper-stimulating
In 2022, I went to the cinema. I’ve never watched a movie since. Let’s be honest; the only reason a man would go to the cinema is because of women, either because of their wife or crush. The movie I had to watch with my family was ninety minutes long, and it knocked me out for seven hours. Getting ready, going there, watching ads, and returning home took time. Then, watching a movie with bright colors, loud music, and snacks killed my focus. It was almost as if I burned out; I couldn’t sit down and focus. This kind of ‘rest’ had assassinated my attention and fried my brain.
Hyper-stimulating doesn’t necessarily mean watching a movie. Many things can stimulate you too much, such as watching short videos, playing video games, certain music or even eating unhealthy food. Hyper-stimulation is harmful because it uses too much brain capacity and doesn’t leave you with enough energy to do the big task.
In the last days of the summer holidays, my mother bought me a pizza. I refused to eat it. Eating pizza was too expensive for me. It’s nice for a second, but then the thirst, fatigue, and loss of focus catch up. It compounds. Instant gratification remains the enemy of productivity.
Low stimulation increases alertness, focus, memory, and creativity. When I don’t feel like writing, I go on a low-stimulating walk or stare at the sky for a few minutes, and then I'm back.
Do not mistake instant gratification for rest, at least not on the days you want to perform. Resting doesn’t mean hurting yourself.
(5) Celebrate milestones
Celebrate when you set up your first website, get your first sale, get your first girlfriend, and get your second hot blonde. The temptations to quit are always there. Thus, you need to reward the small milestones.
How you celebrate depends on you. Maybe you want to go to a party, eat pizza, or watch a movie—all things I usually advise against. Yes, you’re not supposed to do that every day, but a party once a month after a milestone will have a positive effect.
I feel inauthentic when I go to a party or eat pizza because those pleasures are not authentic. I like to take a warm bath; a lit candle is an almost emotional ecstasy to me.
(6) You can’t be passive
Lingering around and not being clear on what to do is pointless. You must always be productive, working, resting, playing sports, or socializing. There’s no need for time spent doing work so shallow you don’t even remember what you were doing. If you catch yourself being passive, read, meditate, and do sports. That will massively increase life quality.
5. Phase V – Learn to take a day off
Even if you maintain a perfect lifestyle with sports, meditation, healthy food, and sun without sacrificing sleep, you will eventually reach a point where you need a day or week off.
I want to stress the power of focus. Twenty-focused days and five days of rest and fun yield more than taking a day off once every four days. One rest day doesn’t do anything, while a rest week can be an adventure.
When taking a day off, do whatever you want. If you enjoy parties and drinking, go ahead – without guilt.
Here’s what works for me. I go into total isolation, deprive myself of even more pleasures than I otherwise would, and lie in bed as if I'm sick. This allows my mind to rest and regenerate properly. Maybe it will work for you too.
*****
Many think sitting in one’s room and working is sad, considering you don’t have fun every day. However, I want you to employ a mental frame. Most aren’t willing to pass the hurdle of sacrificing pizza.
I'm living a fantastic life. Three years of self-improvement have made me realize that being in a flow for ten hours a day is infinitely better than having ten draining hours and a pizza at the end. Now we get deep. Ask yourself what you are living for. If you want an exceptional life, you have to do extraordinary things.
Here’s a fun fact: I’m currently sitting on a bench in the fields, enjoying the scenery while I do my work. That’s the reward of working hard.
Most aren’t willing to work super hard.
Do you want to be exceptional?