why being 1% isn’t all that glamorous

I just got back from diving deep into what it’s like to chase that elusive 1% mindset. You know, like the way Elon Musk supposedly does. Suddenly, I’m questioning everything I thought I knew. It’s the kind of thing that’ll make you think twice about how you view success. Because, let’s be honest, are we all ready to live half our lives in the office or on Mars, even?

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So, we’re told if we want to join this top tier, we need to breathe and sleep innovation. That sounds exhausting, right? Imagine red-eyed late nights because you’re too busy sketching rockets (figuratively, unless you’re literally into aeronautics). There’s something about this hustle culture that’s both fascinating and frightening. I can’t decide which it is more.

Sometimes it seems like every social media post pushing this grinder mentality gets more likes than my brother’s attempts at cooking (those poor, burnt edges). And yet, we’re marching along, chasing this ideal that smells faintly of burnt toast if you catch my drift.

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The whole ‘work smarter, not harder’ thing is contradictory when ‘working smarter’ still looks like eleven meetings a day plus emails. But the fantasy of curling up on a laptop at a beachside cabana probably drives this perpetual rat race. What would I give for a glimmer of that life, even if just until reality nudges back in?

So basically, here we go, grappling with this mindset. Does it work for everyone? Probably not. But it’s enticing to think there’s a secret sauce. Alas, maybe it’s not a sauce but just plain grit, like trying to find the kernel of insight in that pile of motivational advice. I don’t know about you, but my eyes still hurt from trying to read between the lines. Ugh.