Joe Hudson challenges the deeply ingrained belief that more work equals more results. A basketball player who trains 24 hours a day won’t become the best — they’ll die. There’s a curve with a peak, and the goal is to find it. Jeff Bezos found his: 10 AM to 5 PM for making great decisions, with two hours of “wandering” beforehand. Beyond that window, decision fatigue led to costly mistakes.
An author Joe knows experimented with 10-hour days versus 3-hour days and discovered that shorter focused sessions with two 15-minute embodiment breaks (dancing, walking) produced more good pages. Even factories can’t run 24/7 at optimal production — maintenance and rest are required.
“There is a maximum amount of effort that you can put in that’s going to get the best results. And to find out what that is is the first step of making sure you get the rest that you need.”
The practical step: pick one thing that matters to you and experiment to find the optimal time investment. One good decision can save years of your life — so the quality of your decisions matters more than the quantity of hours worked.
Related Concepts
- Enjoyment is more efficient than pushing through
- Self-attack during rest prolongs recovery
- Extend rest beyond readiness