The Art of the Chill

If you listen to the self-help gurus and those who claim to have all the answers to a happy and fulfilling life, we would all be crawling out of bed at 4 am, hitting the gym, chugging a protein drink, and being showered and ready to “crush it” by 6 am. F#ck you, man.           

Let me share a little something with you: There ain’t no way in hell I’m getting out of bed at 4 am to crush anything.           

Here in the great US of A, we’re led to believe that if we want to achieve any kind of success we have to cram as much into a day as humanly possible, sleep as little as possible, and always be hustling our asses off towards some level of greatness. 

I’m officially calling bullshit on this whole concept. You CAN have a happy and fulfilling life and be financially successful without running yourself into the ground. Look around you and you’ll see examples a plenty.           

I rise and shine at 7:30 am, ease into my day, workout at lunch, and I’m in bed around 10 pm, at least during the work week. I have a great job that pays well, and I usually work no more than 40 hours a week. I save. I invest. I spend. I achieve my own definition of greatness, as you should.           

And let me also add this…40 hours of work a week is a lot of time, no matter what your hard driving, type A personality boss might tell you. I realize if you’re an entrepreneur, this might not apply, but I’m talking about those of us who work for someone else. In other words, the majority of Americans.           

My advice is simple: Work hard, get plenty of sleep, take care of yourself, use your vacation time, and grow and achieve at your own pace. And unless you absolutely have to, never, ever set your alarm for an ungodly hour like 4 am.  

Rick