"The 'work as a linear function' is where all the religion of 'Bro, you’ve just gotta hustle' comes from."

If you’re exercising your brain by doing any sort of problem-solving, or important decision-making, then you’re limited in how much you can effectively accomplish in a day.

Your brain tires out

Leisure time makes your brain far more effective upon returning to work. Weekends and vacations really do exist for a reason.

Importance of free time

We all have different brains and, therefore, different preferences, perspectives, and situations where we feel most effective. In order to find what works, you have to understand your own psychology.

Productivity is a deeply personal thing

We assume that the amount of productive output we create is directly proportional to the number of hours we input. But the truth is that most thoughtful, brain-intensive work does not unfold like this. The only work that is linear is really basic, repetitive stuff.

Work as a linear function

Accomplishing some aspects of your job well can make everything else that much easier or that much harder. Every job has a leverage point that makes everything else you do more effective.

Finding the leverage point

So developing personal rituals to get your own snowball rolling downhill is far more important than what yerba mate supplements to take, or what yoga mat to sit on in the morning.

Action has momentum

Now, is that because I was on a deadline and worked like an insane person? Did I shove Adderall up my ass and work in 36-hour spurts or something? No, in fact, those last three months, I worked less each day than I did the first 12, yet I still accomplished far more.

MARK MANSON

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