Hello and welcome to the many new subscribers since last week. You’re stepping into a new way of living, working, and being in a world addicted to doing. This letter is short because I woke up early to write it while trying to pack and head out the door. More below. But first: Book update.
I received my book back from the editor with these words: “It’s a provocative, insightful, well-argued, and transformational book. There’s a lot to be proud of. You’re saying something important and valuable. You’re saying it with a lot of heart and passion. And you’re adding to existing conversations on the topic, rather than rehashing them.”
This sentence almost made me cry. I have worked on the book for five years, on and off, and have been doing research and experiments for ten. I’m starting to see the end of it, and it feels both good and like I’ll really miss something from my days.
I’m still deciding on the title, and you can help. I use the metaphor of the desire path throughout the book (urban planners call it the shortcut through the grass in a public park that people take when the default path doesn’t take them where they want to go in the best way). The default path is not designed with humans in mind.)
Comment below or hit reply and let me know.
Unhustle: A new way of living, working, and being in a world addicted to doing
Unhustle: Find your desire path in a default world
Unhustle: Life by Design, Not by Default
And, of course, there will be changes, questions, and pushbacks that I will be going through over the next few days. But before I do, I’m disconnecting from Claudia (that’s how I call my Claude), screens, work, the news, and social media and heading to some remote islands somewhere in the Sea of Cortez, boat camping with 10 other people - it’s my happy place where life gets simpler, slower, and truer.
This summer, if you can’t afford to take a vacation (because of time or money), research from Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that treating your weekend as a vacation will increase your happiness and satisfaction when you return to work. Even a few days of unhustling count. Tested by me, more times than I can count.
Yesterday, The Guardian wrote about a new trend: “job-dropping.” Seventy percent of people are willing not to take a high-paying promotion that will negatively affect their mental health and lifestyle.
Seventy percent.
Let that sink in.
The New York Times wrote about how America is a Wealthy and Unhappy Nation. While we’re rushing around our days, we are left wondering what all the rushing is really about.
This week’s Summer of Unhustling challenge is to set aside 37 minutes to watch the video “You Don’t Need To Be Productive,” produced by influencer Mina Le. I want to thank one of my readers and also another writer on Substack, Pilar, for sending.
A few things I have tried and stopped doing to listen to my body and nervous system:
Cold plunges and ice baths—even though they can be a powerful tool for your nervous system, I prefer to do things that don’t stress out my nervous system.
5 am workouts - I used to wake up, hit the gym, and do hardcore workouts, which only left me depleted. These days, I still work out, but I also do yoga and movements that align with the time of day when I’m most alert. This is also why I created the Unhustle Morning rituals. (More on this in another letter.)
Following strict diets—I try to eat a simple, nutritious diet and listen to what my body needs. No tracking, no overwhelm with the latest trends.
What can you give yourself permission to stop doing or start doing differently?
That’s it for this week. The boat is waiting, and I have to go.
See you next week.
Milena
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