I Think We’re All Trying to Optimise Our Lives Too Much

When did simply existing become a full time self improvement project? It feels like there is ALWAYS something we’re supposed to be optimising. Our morning routine, 10k steps, protein intake, gut health, cortisol, supplements, sleep, screen time, cycle, productivity, finances, relationships… even our downtime somehow needs to be productive. In this episode of Doing It Anyway, I’m talking about our obsession with wellness, self-improvement and becoming the “best version” of ourselves, and whether constantly trying to optimise our lives is actually making us feel any better. We get into why the boring basics of health and fitness have been replaced by obsessing over the tiny 2%, why we’re constantly searching for stimulation through TikTok, podcasts, music and our phones, and why I’ve noticed I can barely go for a walk, cook dinner or drive somewhere anymore without feeling like I need something playing in the background. I also unpack the pressure to make every second productive. Your walk needs a podcast. Your book needs to teach you something. Your hobby needs to make you better at something. Your rest becomes “recovery” so you can perform better tomorrow. At what point are we allowed to do something simply because we enjoy it? This isn’t about giving up on your health, fitness goals, personal development or ambition. It’s about figuring out what actually makes a difference, getting back to the basics and giving yourself permission to stop turning every part of your life into another project to improve. And because the last thing you need after this episode is another habit to add to your morning routine, I’m giving you a very different challenge for the week: remove something, stop trying to optimise the thing that probably doesn’t matter anyway, and spend 20 minutes consuming absolutely nothing. No TikTok. No podcast. No music. Maybe we all need to get a little better at being bored again. ⁠Work with me⁠ / https://msha.ke/successwithjess?utm_s... ⁠Instagram /   / itsjesshugo