Your best work happens outside the office

Hey there,

You can't have a happy life without a passionate pursuit that isn't your vocation, even if you love your job.

I came across this lesson in a Twitter thread by Kevin Dahlstrom, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Looking back at my career, the times I performed best were when I had an outside passion I was actively pursuing.

Right now, that's sketching every morning. Before that, it was writing, and before that it was various fitness pursuits.

The pattern is clear: mastery in one area fuels performance everywhere else.

Here's what we're covering today:

• Why your brain needs a passion project separate from work

• The morning ritual that compounds your growth daily

• How to choose something sustainable (without burning out)

Let's break down how to do this right.

3 Steps To Reclaim Your Energy With Outside Mastery Even If You're Already Maxed Out

To break the cycle of burnout and perform at your peak, you need more than work-life balance; you need a third pursuit.

Here's exactly how to build it:

1. Pick Something That Makes You Want to Jump Out of Bed

Choose a hobby that creates genuine excitement, not obligation. The test is simple: would you wake up early to do this before anyone else is awake?

Right now, for me, that’s drawing; something I did as a kid that I've recently rediscovered.

There’s something about seeing incremental progress over time that keeps me coming back.

It doesn't matter if it's:

• playing guitar

• woodworking

• training for a race

• learning a language, etc., etc.

What matters is that it lights you up inside, that work alone can't touch.

Click the image to see a few of my favorite morning sketches:

2. Claim Your Morning Before The World Claims You

Schedule your passion first thing in the morning.

• Before email

• Before Slack

• Before the chaos begins

I roll out of bed around 5:45am, grab coffee, and draw for 90 minutes before my workout.

When you're passionate about something, you won't need willpower to do it; you'll want to.

The morning slot ensures it actually happens instead of getting pushed aside by "urgent" work that isn't really urgent at all.

3. Let Yourself Get Obsessed (In a Healthy Way)

Give yourself permission to go deep.

I'm naturally someone who hyper-fixates on interests, and I've learned to embrace that instead of fighting it.

I'm now doing commissioned sketches for friends and family, something that would've seemed impossible a few months ago. (email if you have any interest)

The most creative people I know are always learning something new. That continuous learning mindset carries directly into your sales work.

When you're actively mastering something outside of work, you show up sharper, more creative, and more energized in your actual job.

Here's what you learned today:

• Peak performance requires a passionate pursuit outside your primary work

• Morning hours are the sacred space where hobbies become mastery

• Obsessive learning in one area creates energy and creativity everywhere else

Your action step: Identify one thing you used to love doing (or always wanted to try) and schedule 30 minutes tomorrow morning to start. Just 30 minutes. See how it feels.

What's your current obsession? Hit reply and let me know, I'd love to hear what you're pursuing outside of work.