^{Read Time: 2 min}

^Hey,

^{What if you didn’t have to try so hard?}

^{Many high-performing founders, execs, and investors increase internal pressure to achieve.}

^{But sometimes, this pressure leads to feeling stuck.}

^{Here are a few thoughts to help you increase productivity with less effort.}

^{You Are Unworthy}

^{Jumping straight into the heart of the matter, you struggle with a deep sense of unworthiness.}

^{I know! I know! It’s a bold start. Push through the discomfort and keep reading} 👀

^{You’re not alone in this struggle. Most people do not feel worthy of love, success, and happiness.}

^{Most people cover up these wounds using camouflage. That camouflage comes in many forms, including financial success, political power, social status, or other forms of identity-related pride.}

^{This wound is the root cause of pressure—you do not trust yourself.}

^{Scale Back Effort, Amplify Presence}

^{Your wound of unworthiness prompts compensation.}

^{By pushing yourself to take action, whether it’s through calling yourself names or creating a false sense of urgency, you continue working even when exhausted. The problem is not that this mechanism exists—you are right in thinking it is required for successful outcomes.}

^{The problem is using your ego’s willpower as a default setting instead of a strategic tool.}

^{When you leverage negative fuel like your sense of unworthiness, it works against you during difficult moments requiring simplicity.}

^{Situations in life—deaths, births, recovering from a significant mental or physical injury—demand unique responses, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Using your default setting in these contexts leads to diminishing returns and burnout, if you are unable to scale back.}

^{As a high-performing individual, sustainable performance is the ultimate hack.}

^{To increase your ability to execute no matter what life throws at you, focus on the quality of your presence.}

^{Here are six signs to focus on presence:}

• ^{High effort, diminishing results}

• ^{Decreasing energy and focus}

• ^{Consistent lack of flow state}

• ^{Increased agitation}

• ^{Complex life situations outside of work}

• ^{Recurring unhelpful thoughts about your situation}

^{There’s an old saying, “Simplicity is velocity,” and it’s true in many respects.}

^{Often, these six symptoms are signs to simplify. Instead of continuing your default setting of adding pressure in a situation clearly demanding a different state of being, shift into amplifying your presence.}

^{Deprioritize all low urgency tasks. Increase meditation, exercise, and sleep. Silence your phone. Go for walks, create a bit more space in your daily routine. You will be surprised how quickly these adjustments help you reset, find your flow, and 10x your productivity.}

^{Finding the deeper current in life will re-contextualize your problems and help you re-connect with gratitude for the unique opportunities at your fingertips.}

^{Trust is the antidote to unworthiness.}

^Cheers,

^{Dr. Matt}