Source

He’s breaking stereotypes around work culture and life

• Walking 5 miles every day,

• Eating 7 meals a week,

• Sleeping 8 hours a day,

• Cold showers and infrared saunas,

• Standing Desks,

• 7-minute workouts,

• Meditating for 2 hours.

This is Jack Dorsey’s daily routine. Part-sage, part-tech-guru. Pretty fascinating for the CEO of 2 public companies — Twitter and Square.

I came across his routine a few months ago. And it’s especially interesting since I’ve followed the same structure for a long time before I heard about it.

Even more fascinating is the media’s response to his daily habits. I hope someday our news channels can grow up instead of being fixed at what a CEO is eating, how he’s commuting, and where he vacations.

As I think more about this, it starts to make sense. Of course, the media and the public at large are amazed by what he’s doing — because he’s breaking stereotypes.

What stereotypes?

• CEO’s should work as much as possible to have a chance at success — especially the CEO of 2 public companies

• Due to this intensity, there shouldn’t be any time left to eat, exercise or take care of your health

• Be obsessed about the company to the point of burnout

To sum it up, it’s our famed hustle culture — the idea that working as much as possible increases the odds of success. Regardless of how much stress, pain, or difficulty you have to sustain this level of activity.

It’s amazing to see how workaholism has become a lifestyle. But it’s not really our fault — we’ve been preached by the successful people of this day and age.

The most extreme example is Elon Musk. He repeatedly puts in 80–100-hour workweeks and expects employees to do the same for any of his companies. Because “nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.” When Musk tweets, especially success tips, people pay a lot of attention.

And there you go — events like these combined with others — have glorified stress, burnout, and exhaustion as a sign of a dedicated person.

Dorsey comes out at the other end of the spectrum. By sleeping 8–9 hours, meditating for 2 hours, and walking for at least an hour, he throws everyone off track. Because it changes your world view.

We’ve been conditioned for a long time to believe what success looks like and what it takes to get there. And when someone successful does not fit in that definition, everyone goes crazy.

The Path To Success is Different For Everyone

I’m not on one side or the other. You can adopt Elon Musk’s ideas or Jack Dorsey’s. But realize that it has almost nothing to do with your success.

First, there are hundreds of factors that determine success in any field. Just copying the habits of others and trying to figure out the code for your life is a waste of time.

Secondly, the version of people you see now is not the version they were a few years back. Dorsey wasn’t always like this. He worked differently and now he understands better. Similarly, Musk may not have been like this all along, but starting 5 companies does take a toll on you.

We have to give up these false notions in order to truly achieve our potential. Even though our generation is working twice as hard, we’re more lost than ever.

Most millennials struggle to find meaning and purpose in their life — hoping their mind-numbing work habits would give them a sense of identity. This means we’ve attached our self-worth with the number of hours that we put in.

It has become a badge of honor to tell others how you’re sleeping 4 hours every day, or how you don’t have time for friends and family. You’re not here on this planet to do that. Think about it. Remember —

Whoever has not two-thirds of his time to himself, is a slave — Fredrich Nietzche

Whatever goals we’ve been told to follow are unrealistic and arbitrary at best. Unachievable goals often push you down instead of pulling you up.

Clarity Is Key

There are few things more powerful than a life lived with passionate clarity — Erwin McManus

Instead of following arbitrary standards, identify what gives meaning to your life. Don’t chase someone else’s purpose only to realize how much time you’ve wasted years later.

Just because Musk works 100 hours a week doesn’t mean you’ve to pursue it. But if it truly satisfies you, go ahead.

And just because Jack meditates for 2 hours a day and eats seven meals a week doesn’t mean you’ve to do the same. But again, if it truly satisfies you, go ahead.

Learn from others, but don’t copy blindly. Aligning your life with your inner purpose is what gives you happiness.

Work consciously and live fully.

---

Are you serious about becoming the best version of yourself? Get your free 5-day email course to Master The Art Of Personal Transformation