People who work with Joe often comment on how much he gets done and how quickly. He doesn’t experience himself as moving fast — he’s just not wasting energy on trying, managing his experience, or resisting what’s happening. When people stop managing and controlling their inner experience, they often have so much freed-up energy they can’t sleep for days.
“You get a lot more done in the not doing than in the trying.”
This is counterintuitive until you feel it directly. The energy spent on efforting, controlling, and resisting experience is enormous — and it all gets redirected into actual productive work when released. Brett notices this in his own life: when he catches himself trying (forcing things to be a certain way, juggling anxiously), his joy drops and his effectiveness suffers. When he allows things to be an authentic expression and an iteration rather than perfect, both joy and productivity return.
The principle “I’m already free” captures this — it’s a recognition, not an aspiration. Recognizing freedom happens in the receptive state, not the trying state. “I can be free” invites trying; “I am free” invites recognition.
Related Concepts
- Enjoyment is the true measure of efficiency
- Energy management over time management
- Busyness is not productivity
- Finding enjoyment in work is more efficient than pushing through