Being

You push so hard for so long, and at some point you look up and wonder why you've been expending your energy.

When this happens, you can decide to keep pushing for diminishing returns or pause, step back, and reconsider.

This is an area I struggle with. I'll run full speed, headlong into an idea, push myself at work, give everything I have—and at some point realize that I'm spent.

Part of learning and growing is understanding our weaknesses and doubling down on our strengths. For me, one of my strengths is an ability to just go, to ideate, to push beyond what's reasonable. But in the midst of that, I can at times just plod forward with blinders, not realizing that the extended effort in a specific direction is no longer valuable in the moment.

And this is where—and something I've written about extensively—the importance of rest comes in. Take naps, take walks, get a good night's sleep, go on runs, step away from the computer, spend time with loved ones. And for me, on Saturday, that means stopping work entirely and focusing on time with family.

It's not a perfect balance. Full breakneck speed mixed with full-on stops. A more cadenced, balanced method of living would be ideal, but I haven't found it yet.

If this sounds like you too, just know that you're not alone. We're just each working to figure it out on an ongoing basis.

The other part of this—and something I've talked to my wife and therapist about extensively—is understanding where burnout comes in. In my experience, you don't burn out from too much effort expended, but rather from effort that's expended without proper return.

Years ago, I worked on a large project, pushed myself hard for a long time, gave everything I had, and didn't see anything close to the level of return I expected—in fact, the return was given to someone else, perhaps deservedly so, but in my tired mind—having pushed for so long and so hard it was a step too far. And part of the unraveling of that, of stepping back after working so hard, was full-on burnout.

Since then, I've made a promise to myself. No matter how hard I'm trying, no matter how much I'm working to get a job done (and I love to work hard and push and learn and be part of a team), it's critical, for the long-term health and benefit of my soul and for my value as a member of society, to hold a tiny part back each week, to reserve the smallest bit for me.

Years ago, this meant forcing myself to spend 30 minutes in the evening, before going to bed, playing a video game. I needed a time in my day when I was doing something not wholly related to creating, building, or business.

My success in this area has been up and down over the years, but, the principle holds.

So for you, try to do the thing you're dreaming of. Push hard, be creative, be weird, bring your whole self to it. But in the midst of that, reserve something for you. Because this body, this you, this being that you are, has a long beautiful road ahead. You deserve to be cared for, to be preserved, to be in a shape that can operate beyond the next hill, past the next horizon.

There was a time when I was so myopically focused on the now (that's still a reality from time to time) that I struggled with seeing the purpose of thinking ahead, of planning for later, of holding back a little for the next journey.

If you're young, you might think this all foolish. Grind, work hard, push hard, and success will come. Maybe. Maybe it will. But the stories you've heard of such colossal success are from the survivors, the ones who blew up and whose stars shone brightly. What if yours doesn't (not even to mention the challenge of being a "star" to begin with)? I'm not saying you'll fail, but you might land somewhere in the middle. If that happens (and statistically, that's most likely), you want to wake up one day and know who you are.

For me, that's a discovery I'm unraveling. But I know there are things I love outside of work, and I cling to those. I hold them dear.

So yes, keep trying hard, keep doing cool stuff, and share it with the world. But know that your intrinsic value as a being matters more than the output you can prove over a limited time horizon.