Stop Glorifying Elon Musk
Burnout ≠ Productivity
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Read time - Less than 5 minutes
If you’re someone following “motivational” content on social media, you probably aren’t new to seeing this:
In today’s newsletter, I will share why “Elon Musk Productivity” is overrated and what we could practically do instead.
First and foremost, I am a fan of Musk’s companies, like Tesla and SpaceX.
Oddly enough, I also loved how he rebranded Twitter to X (he merely asked people for a logo on Twitter without ever needing to engage a branding agency).
What I do have a problem with here is how social media has over-glorified his working style, as if it’s a prerequisite to success.
Musk is known to work 80-120 hours per week and he openly shares in his interviews.
But his working hours are not the sole factor in his business success.
According to the biography written by Ashlee Vance, Elon is strong on hiring smart people.
He has the best engineers, scientists, physicists, and other talented people who made his company’s success possible.
Also, he is proactive in using automation and AI, which accelerated the speed of his manufacturing.
So to those “hustle bros” on social media, understand this:
Burnout is NOT a prerequisite to success.
I used to push myself to the brink, thinking it was "productivity" and that all success requires it.
What I experienced later was burnout, causing a severe drag on my work.
(If you’re looking for work that doesn’t burn you out, I’ve prepared The Job Hunting Toolbox to show you how).
Counter-intuitively, many famous individuals aren't always constantly working.
Let’s explore 3 of them:
1) Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin, renowned for his work "On the Origin of Species", worked only 4.5 hours daily and authored 19 influential books.
His approach emphasised quality over quantity, with ample time for reflection, leading to groundbreaking insights into evolution and the natural world.
If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.
― Charles Darwin
2) Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey, known for her diverse accomplishments, maintains a balanced life despite her busy schedule.
She prioritizes moments of introspection through meditation and finding clarity.
Additionally, she enjoys leisurely walks with her dogs and finding solace in nature through gardening.
Dogs are my favourite role models. I want to work like a dog, doing what I was born to do with joy and purpose. I want to play like a dog, with total, jolly abandon.
― Oprah Winfrey
3) Marc Randolph
Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix had “hard cut-off Tuesdays”, where he left exactly at 5 p.m. and spent the evening with his loved ones going for movies, dinners, and window shopping.
These breaks from the relentless pace of the startup world were essential for Marc to recharge his creativity and maintain his well-being.
Those Tuesday nights kept me sane. And they put the rest of my work in perspective. I resolved a long time ago to not be one of those entrepreneurs on their 7th startup and their 7th wife.
― Marc Randolph
On Rest and Productivity
For myself, much of my writing ideas came from my long walks in nature where I wasn’t in front of the computer stressing out.
My trainer, Vizi Andrei, wrote this passage that clearly explained the value of rest and not working to the brink:
My best thoughts came to me through revelation―while taking long walks in the countryside; sipping red wine & watching the sun go down, or doing nothing on my balcony other than admiring the view.
Almost nothing of value ever came to me sitting at my desk, through the instrument of reason.
My office helps me be productive―that's where the work gets done―but seldom creative and never entertaining.
Most of the ideas produced in my office are inevitably flawed, corrupted, and easy to dismantle.
See you next week.
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