Suneel Gupta // Finding Purpose, Dealing With Burnout, 85% Rule & The Music Mindset
Aug 24, 2023
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Suneel Gupta, a writer and entrepreneur, shares insights on finding purpose, dealing with burnout, the 85% rule, and the music mindset. They discuss the concept of Dharma, the importance of recovery, and tools for finding purpose. They also explore the music mindset and staying connected to your essence.
Aligning your work with your true essence leads to deeper meaning, increased impact, and attracts greater success.
Inner success driven by personal meaning increases the likelihood of outer success.
Pursuing something that matters to you can bring fulfillment and purpose beyond financial success.
Balancing focused work with rest and recovery enhances productivity and overall well-being.
Approaching hard tasks at 85% intensity can free up creative energy and enhance performance.
Deep dives
Dharma: Essence plus expression
Dharma is defined as essence plus expression. When you express your essence and share it with others, you come alive and experience a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment. This concept is crucial in entrepreneurship, as it involves taking something that truly matters to you and creatively sharing it with others, resulting in increased energy, creativity, and impact.
Finding your Dharma: Inner success and outer success
Finding your Dharma involves starting with something that genuinely matters to you. By focusing on inner success, which is driven by personal meaning and fulfillment, you increase your likelihood of achieving outer success as well. When your work aligns with your true essence, you not only find deeper meaning but also attract greater success and fulfillment in the long run.
The importance of purpose and ambition
Ambition and purpose are no longer mutually exclusive. While ambition is often linked to financial success, purpose is becoming increasingly important in determining personal fulfillment and meaningful work. Pursuing something that truly matters to you can lead to a sense of fulfillment even if financial success is not immediate. Working on something aligned with your essence provides a sense of purpose that goes beyond monetary achievements.
Managing energy and balance
In order to sustain ambition and joy, it is crucial to manage your energy effectively. Balancing periods of focused work with times for rest and recovery can fuel productivity and generate creativity and inspiration. Just like how an athlete recovers to perform at their best, incorporating rest and recovery into daily life can enhance overall performance, well-being, and the ability to pursue meaningful work.
The 85% Rule and Finding Balance
The podcast discusses the concept of the 85% rule, which suggests that instead of approaching hard tasks with a grip of intensity at 100%, dialing it back to about 85% can actually free up creative energy and enhance performance. By relaxing the grip on the metaphorical steering wheel of life, individuals can experience a greater sense of flow and achieve success. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding balance and avoiding an all-or-nothing mindset. They offer examples such as an MMA trainer's approach to training and the importance of long-term consistency and sustainability in achieving goals.
Discovering Your Dharma and Blurring the Lines between Work and Play
The podcast delves into the concept of dharma, which refers to an individual's innate purpose or calling. Rather than searching externally for purpose, the podcast suggests that dharma is something already inside each person, often shaped by childhood memories and genuine interests. The speaker draws parallels with artist Michelangelo, who saw sculpting as a process of freeing the artwork already present in the marble. They encourage listeners to chisel away layers of goals, expectations, and judgments to uncover their buried dharma. Additionally, the podcast explores the idea of blurring the lines between work and play, making work feel like play and incorporating the essence of one's passion into other areas of life.
Rhythmic Renewal and the Power of Intermittent Recovery
The podcast highlights the importance of rhythmic renewal for top performers. While traditional models of recovery such as vacations are not always effective, incorporating deliberate recovery breaks into the daily routine can significantly boost energy levels and performance. The speaker introduces the 55-5 model, where for every 55 minutes of work, individuals take 5 minutes of focused deliberate recovery. These breaks can be utilized for various activities, such as dance parties, walks, meditation, or listening to music. By prioritizing intermittent recovery throughout the day, individuals experience increased energy, creativity, and productivity.
Embracing the Music Mindset and Embodying Your Essence
The podcast explores the concept of the music mindset, which involves finding joy and fulfillment in the process rather than solely focusing on the end goal. This mindset encourages individuals to appreciate and enjoy every moment in between, similar to the way one listens to every note in a piece of music. It emphasizes the importance of blurring the lines between work and play, bringing one's essence into their daily tasks. The speaker suggests writing down the essence of oneself and carrying it as a reminder, allowing one to infuse their passion into their work, even if it doesn't align perfectly with their current occupation.
Navigating the Fear of Pursuing Meaningful Work
The podcast addresses the fear of pursuing meaningful work when faced with uncertainty about making a living from it. The speaker encourages individuals to stay connected to their essence, even if they can't dedicate extensive time to it each day. They emphasize the power of consistent small moments spent on one's passion and rediscovering aspects of oneself that were present in childhood. Additionally, the podcast explores ways to integrate one's essence into other areas of life, allowing the expression of true self in various contexts. It suggests shifting the mindset from mere success to engaging with what deeply matters, even if failure is a possibility.
Closing Thoughts and Appreciating the Journey
The podcast concludes with reflections on the challenges of living authentically in a society that often prioritizes external accomplishments and profiles. The speaker highlights the importance of character and inner growth, emphasizing that true success comes from a genuine connection with oneself. They share personal experiences and insights, emphasizing that pursuing work that truly matters leads to both personal fulfillment and higher chances of success. The episode concludes with a reminder to appreciate the journey and find joy in pursuing one's true passion, regardless of external factors.
Suneel Gupta is a writer and entrepreneur. He studies leaders from around the world to discover and share simple, actionable habits that enhance performance and deepen ones state of well-being.
