How I Conquered Multiple 100 Hour Weeks In A Row

It was another 100-hour work week.In fact, it was the 5th one like it in a row.

I didn't think it was possible before I did it. How could it be?

At a 60-80 hour work week, you sacrifice the extras. You sacrifice things like social engagements, lunch hour, TV, and weekends.At an 80-90 hour work week, you sacrifice the basics. You sacrifice things like exercise, time with your family/partner, and the last of any personal time left.At the 90-100 hour week mark, you sacrifice the essentials, like sleep.Seems ridiculous to only have 5 hours of sleep per night for 5 weeks in a row, right?It is.

But there's so much more work to be done!

Does anyone else have a voice in their head that says this??Sometimes you can't work smarter. Sometimes the only person who can get it done is you!Guess what?

There is always an infinite amount of work.

If you are obsessed with social impact and making continuous improvements, you'll never get to a place where you've done enough work to stop working.Even if you somehow are the 1% of people that figure it out, if you're like me, you'll get bored really fast.

So, give up that idea.

Even retirement can stir up the urge to volunteer or be helpful in other ways.

The mantra of living a productive life focused on social impact is about being happy with the pace and intensity.

It's up to you to constantly push the comfort zone of your own intensity and pace. This means that if you're constantly pushing your comfort zone, you're never really in it.I think you get the point.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You will not grow strong enough to achieve your dreams without internalizing this belief.Understand your needs for rest, relaxation, re-focusing and whatever else you need. It's your responsibility to understand yourself and take care of your needs.It's your responsibility to understand how much sleep you need to avoid making excessive, stupid mistakes.It's your responsibility to understand how much you can take on to maintain long-lasting productivity.It's your responsibility to understand your weaknesses and discomforts so you can conquer them and grow stronger.

2 Minute Action

What's a part of your job that makes you feel really uncomfortable?What's something you really are not looking forward to doing today?What's something that you've been avoiding for some time?You guessed it. Make it happen.You've got 2 minutes to set up the conversation, push the button, or ask that embarrassing question.Everyone has 2 minutes to take action.

It's Not Your Fault, But It Is Your Responsibility

The skills that were taught in school are mostly irrelevant.

Sure, there are basics like math and reading--but even now, the average reading level in the US is 8th grade.

It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility.

It's not fair, for sure.

The sooner we accept and adjust, the sooner we can get moving.

What skills are relevant for your success, today?How about in 10 years?

There are basic, fundamental skills that are required in everything you do.

Some of these are reading, writing, and math.

Then, there are multiplier skills, which help you get better at other skills.

Some of these are discipline, focus, and work ethic.

There are also transferrable skills which are more advanced and can be useful across any field.

Some of these are project management, negotiation, and leadership.

It's not your fault you were never taught these things.

But it is no one's responsibility but yours to make sure you practice, learn, and successfully implement these skills.

2 Minute Action:

Take 2 minutes to identify which of these skills you feel you are good at.Which ones are you bad at?Now is the time to commit to improving 1 of those weaknesses.The world is your oyster. "I don't know how" is a poor excuse.You have the internet, professional counselors, universities, and a supercomputer in your pocket.

"You have everything you need to build something bigger than yourself."- Seth Godin

The Unintuitive Thing That Hurts But Makes You Stronger

When was the last time you heard someone criticize your work?When was the last time you heard criticism and didn't get defensive?When was the last time you listened to someone's feedback and considered that you had room for improvement?Forging ahead without listening is called being stubborn.Forging ahead while taking in and testing feedback is called growth.

2 Minute Action

Every couple of years, I send out a survey to my friends, family and co-workers.In it, I ask for them to anonymously tell me what they think my 3 greatest strengths and 3 greatest weaknesses are.Most of them take the 5 minutes to fill it out, and over time, I've collected a good amount of data.I'm not saying you need to create a survey, I'm just saying this format helps for me.I AM saying, it will only take you 2 minutes to ask a mentor or a friend or a boss "Hey, I'm getting serious about my development and I'd like to know: What do you think my strengths and weaknesses are?"If you're serious about improvement, you'll set aside the defensiveness and practice being open to criticism.