The Adventures of Mr. Over Do It Man

We're all born with and cultivate different temperaments and tolerances. I happen to possess and employ more than my share of vitality. I can, and do, get a lot of sh*t done.

But that's very different than getting sh*t worth doing done...

I've spent most of my life conflating productivity with progress. My friends called me a productivity machine, and my family dubbed me "Mr. Over Do It Man."

I don't think either describer was intended to hurt my feelings, but it was clear that neither identity was held up as a model worth emulating.

In some ways, I simply approached my life and work the way institutional education and occupation had programmed me. Workaholism is an epidemic for a reason.

But once I finally saw my addiction to over-working, I couldn't unsee it. Overachieving was really just a clever way of hiding.

Now, instead of overdoing it, I'm overcommitted to a new way of being—less is more.

Some people call this approach essentialism. Whatever you call it, the punchline to the joke comes when you answer the question, "What's the smallest step I can take right now to get a better result in the difference only I can make?"

Grinding and hustling may play well on social media, but is it really the best way to make a change worth making? Don't meaningful endeavors promote human flourishing, not impede it?

How might a more essential and effortless approach actually be more efficient and effective if you're a recovering overachiever or overdoer like me?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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