🚫THE CORE PROBLEM: “Hustle” is a Bug
Why hustle fails:
Prioritizes being busy over impact
Prevents strategic thinking
Finite resource that leads to burnout
The fix: Build systems, don’t just work harder
Daily: Define ONE priority for tomorrow before finishing work
Weekly: Schedule 30min thinking time to ask: “Is what I’m doing working?”
Always: Ask “Busy or productive?” for every task
🐛 DEBUG YOUR FOCUS: The 3 Killer Bugs
Bug #1: Vague To-Do Lists
Problem: “Work on project” → Brain stalls, procrastination begins
Debug: Be specific about the next physical actions
Fix: “Draft 3 potential headlines” instead of “Write blog post”
Bug #2: Mismatched Environment
Problem: Notifications + open tabs = constant context switching
Debug: Test your environment like a variable
Fix: Design environment for the task (for example, writing = close all tabs except editor)
Bug #3: Energy Crashes
Problem: Fighting against natural energy rhythms
Debug: Track patterns, test routine changes
Fix: Match demanding tasks to high-energy times, save things like email for slumps
🔍 Debugging Process: Isolate → Hypothesis → Test → Analyze
❓ CURE PERFECTIONISM: Ship Questions, Not Products
Reframe: MVP = Minimum Viable Question, not Product
Goal: Answer “Does anyone actually care?” with least effort possible
Examples:
Course ideas → Landing page with “Pre-order Now” button
SaaS tool → 1-page site with “Enter email for early access”
Community → Private Slack/Discord with 20 people
Action: Identify biggest assumption → Define core question → Create simplest test
🔄 REFACTOR YOUR WEEK: Simplify for Impact
Before (Tangled):
No boundaries
Reactive mornings
Constant context-switching
Always busy, rarely effective
After (Refactored):
Proactive mornings
Deep work blocks
Batched tasks
Hard stops
Weekly Refactoring Process:
30-min weekly review: What worked? What felt messy? Next week’s #1 priority?
Time-block priority: First 90min Monday = unbreakable appointment with most important work
Automate one thing: Find one repetitive task and systematize it
Daily: START with your priorities, not email. Block deep work time.
📈 HARNESS COMPOUNDING: Play the Long Game
Truth: Growth isn’t linear. It compounds. Early efforts build the foundation for exponential returns.
Survive the flat curve:
Fall in love with process: Focus on controllable outcomes instead of uncontrollable ones
Track leading indicators: Posts written, conversations had, skills learned
Celebrate small wins: Sticking to a schedule, shipping despite fear
Your scoreboard (Leading indicators):
✅ My #1 daily action (e.g., write 500 words/day)
✅ My #2 daily action (e.g., 1 new connection/day)
✅ My weekly action (e.g., publish 3 posts/week)
⚡️ QUICK REFERENCE: The Developer Mindset
Daily Question: "Is this task busy work or does it move me toward my goal?"
Weekly Question: "What can I simplify or automate to save time?"
Monthly Question: "Am I building systems or just hustling?"
Remember: Clarity + Focus + Systems > Hustle. You're building for the marathon, not the sprint.