Work Less Wednesday: September 17

👋 Hey Reader!

This is issue #172 of Work Less Wednesday, where I share with you 5 things you should know about, in 5 minutes or less. That leaves you with 10,075 other minutes this week.

✅ 1. You Don't Need More Productivity Tools - Minimum Viable Productivity

Killer article that touches on many of the foundational productivity principles of 🏖️How To Work Less.

It starts it off with a bang:

“Productivity systems are procrastination tools for slow decision-makers.”

His “Minimum Viable Productivity” concept basically comes down to this:

Instead of more productivity systems, focus on decision velocity - the speed at which you make decisions.

Why?

Most decisions are reversible.

And the time you spend "deciding" is the limit to how fast you can move.

In 2016, Jeff Bezos said:

“Most decisions should probably be made with somewhere around 70% of the information you wish you had. If you’re good at course correcting, being wrong may be less costly than you think, whereas being slow is going to be expensive for sure.”

Just because you're making decisions quickly, doesn't mean you need to burn out.

I'd argue its most important to act decisively if you're working a 5 hour day - every hour counts.

In the article, he gives some simple steps to get started and also explains how this philosophy interacts with another foundational productivity principle: prioritization (aka what really matters).

Read the full article here.

⚖️ 2. Why "Work Life Balance" Will Ruin Your Life - Article by Dan Koe

Nobody actually wants "work-life balance."

(You'll notice a theme in the stories this week).

In this article, Dan argues that:

Being extreme creates a zestful life.
Work-life balance is for those who don't like their work.

I tend to agree with both points.

As I've talked about in WLW before, I love this quote from chess champion Josh Waitzkin:

"There’s the undulation, most people in high-stress, decision-making industries are always operating at this kind of simmering six, or four, as opposed to the undulation between just deep relaxation and being at a 10. Being at a 10 is millions of times better than being at a 6. It’s just in a different universe. Same as being all-in on a discipline is millions of times more intense than being 98 percent or 99 percent."

Living at a "simmering 6" feels terrible.

It feels like the modern world is designed to make you feel this way: tired, and wired.

To Dan's second point, I've spoken at length on Instagram about the concept of "Work-Life Alignment:"

Most people are living double lives: Work over here. Life over there.

Work Life Alignment is about finding harmony and balance. It’s about bringing your true self to everything that you do.

When you are in Alignment, your work fuels your life, and your life fuels your work. Everything is useful.

It’s not that your work is your life, or your life is your work. Your life is your life. There is no work.

Read the full article from Dan here.

😫 3. Working Every Day Is Why You’re Behind - Video From Joe Hudson

Joe starts this video starts with a lie.

A lie that many of us were told:

“If you work harder, and do more, you’ll get more love, attention, and money.”

But the truth is:

Hard work doesn’t = results.

Check out the full video for 3 experiments to figure out how much you should be working.

⏰ 4. Cool Item I’ve Got Back On My Desk - Time Timer

Bought this thing a few years ago and forgot about it until I discovered it still wrapped from our move last year.

It’s an orange timer.

All it does is count down from 60 minutes.

It makes me happy.

Don’t overthink it.

It’s a nice way to time my writing sessions.

Grab one here.

🖐 5. More Things I'm Into This Week...

🌎 Very Interesting YouTube Channel On Geopolitics - Zeihan On Geopolitics

📺 TV Drama On HBO We’re Enjoying - Task

🐟 Nice Jam From Phish’s Fall Tour - Chalk Dust Torture → Light

🎵 How A Genius Raps - MF DOOM - Figaro | Rhymes Highlighted

💬 Quote I’m Pondering…

“There is no better teacher than history in determining the future... There are answers worth billions of dollars in 30$ history book.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

How we can work together

When you’re ready, here are 2 free ways I can help you:

🎧 My Podcast. Listen to or watch my free podcast The Rich Webster Show. It is an unfiltered look behind the scenes at my life and work.
🛠️ 6-Figure Solopreneur Systems. Free email course. Steal the exact systems I used to run TWO multi-six-figure solo businesses in under 20 hours a week.

And 2 paid engagements:

🏖 How To Work Less. From 2012-2023, I built a design agency that made me $500k/year, working 10 hours a week. 🏖How To Work Less gives the playbook. Enrolling now. (400+ past students. 5 stars)
🧪 The Lab. I advise and mentor 6-7 figure Creative Solopreneurs. If you want to work closely with me (i.e. we speak 1-2 times a week), watch this video, the follow the instructions.