Hey,
I was listening to Chris Williamson with Dave Ramsey today, and the guest said something that stopped me mid-workout:
"Dude, you're not burned out... you were never on fire."
Most people you meet claim they're burned out, tired, exhausted, unmotivated.
You assume they're burned out from hard work.
But in reality? Most of them are burned out from doing nothing.
Or from doing so little it doesn't even count as work.
That's not what we're talking about today.
Today is about real burnout from real work over a long period of time.
How to avoid it. How to push further for longer.
Because here's the thing: sometimes you're struggling, the business isn't going well, school is crushing you, your job is demanding, and you know deep down you should keep pushing.
But you're burned out.
You're running on fumes.
Before we talk about how to avoid burnout, let's understand what causes it in the first place.
"I'd rather work 5-6 hours every day for 10 months with a few days off than 16 hours for 30 days straight."
I heard this quote 5 months ago, and it changed everything for me.
At the time, I was pushing too hard every single day until my body, my eyes, my mind couldn't go any further.
No matter how hard I tried to push, I just couldn't anymore.
I needed rest.
Which is fine, of course.
But what if we could flip the equation?
Instead of working 14-16 hours a day, why not work less with more efficiency, focus, and deep work?
Because here's the thing: 4 hours of deep work concentrating on that client project or your business website is better than 16 hours juggling between tasks, going back and forth, and not finishing anything.
Why not fewer hours, but for a longer period of time?
And not only that, but enjoying every single day?
That's what prevents burnout.
Now, I'm talking from the perspective of a solopreneur, so this might be harder for people with fixed schedules, 9-5 jobs, or university students with mandatory classes.
But if you have a job where you can leave once you finish your daily tasks?
Great. Don't waste time there.
Finish what you need to do, focus, and leave.
If you don't have to attend classes and can study on your own at home or a library, focus for a straight 4-hour block at minimum, then move on with your day.
Of course, there will be days where you work 16 hours straight for a week or 10 days.
There are deadlines, projects that need finishing, moments when you have to push hard.
But when things are in flow mode, when there's nothing urgent to rush for?
5 hours of true deep work a day.
Enjoy the rest of your time.
Especially if you wake up early, because that saves you tons of time.
I once heard someone say "I don't have to wake up early, I'm a millionaire", and he wakes up at 8 AM, not 5 AM.
Most people will listen to him because he's successful.
I completely disagree.
You can do from 5-8 AM what you can't do from 8 AM to 2 PM.
Waking up early is truly a habit you should consider.
It's not a guru habit. It's genuinely life-changing.
The world is quiet. Your mind is fresh. Distractions are minimal.
Those 3 hours before everyone else wakes up are worth 6 hours later in the day.
Six months ago, I was pushing hard, too much, every single day.
After just 15 days, I found myself unable to push anymore.
Now I do the same amount of work, with more focus, for almost 3 months non-stop without any burnout.
Yes, it's still a relatively short period of time.
But I still have fuel for more.
That's the difference between sprinting and marathon running.
Sprinting gets you burned out in 2 weeks.
Marathon running keeps you consistent for months, even years.
The secret?
Consistent deep work over long periods beats intense unsustainable bursts every single time.
Focus for 4-6 hours daily.
Protect your energy.
Enjoy your life outside of work.
That's how you avoid burnout while still achieving more than 99% of people.
BTW
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Thanks for reading.
Work smarter and harder but not until you break.
Osama (OLS)
P.S. - If you're truly burned out right now, this is your sign to slow down, focus deeper, and extend your timeline. You'll accomplish more in 6 focused months than 6 exhausting weeks.
