I read this story the other day about a guy who went to a fancy restaurant.
(Let’s call him Bro)
Before his food even arrived, the waiter leaned in with a rehearsed smile.
“Would you like to record a video?”
Bro blinked. “Uh… of what?”
“Of your meal being prepared. It’s quite the experience.”
“I mean… no. I’m here to eat, not direct a food documentary.”
The waiter nodded, clearly used to this type of customer—the kind that didn’t understand art.
But then… the show began.
A chef wheeled out a cart like he was unveiling the Mona Lisa of steaks.
Bro sat up a little straighter. Alright, let’s see what this is about.
The chef locked eyes with him. The room went silent.
Then, WHOOSH—out came the blowtorch.
Flames roared. Sparks flew. Somewhere, a woman gasped. A waiter whispered, “Magnifique.”
The chef, still staring directly into the guy’s soul, slowly ran the fire over the steak—his face glowing orange from the heat—before giving a solemn nod.
“This,” he said, “is how we make it perfect.”
Bro took a bite.
And all he could think was…
Man. I kinda just want a cheeseburger.
Because at the end of the day, all that effort—the fire, the performance, the theatrical flair—sure, it made the steak feel more valuable…
…but it didn’t make it taste better than a cheeseburger.
And that’s when I thought… hmmm, that’s just the Labour Illusion in action.
(Yes, I’m a geek. No, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.)
Basically, your brain assumes that the harder something is, the more valuable it must be.
If a restaurant puts on an elaborate show to make your food, you think it must be better.
If a hotel booking site shows you a “Searching for the best deals…” loading screen before displaying the exact same prices it had all along, you assume it worked harder to find you a better deal.
And if you’re working yourself to the bone, obviously your business must be growing, right?
Except… no.
Because at a certain point, you reach the land of diminishing returns—where your brain starts eyeing the exit, filing for early retirement, and leaving you a Post-it note that just says “Good luck, idio—”
But look, you already know that.
What I didn’t realise is how the Labour Illusion makes us lonelier.
Because when you convince yourself that every spare moment should be spent working so you can have a more valuable business, you start cutting yourself off from friends, relationships, anything that isn’t “productive.”
You start cancelling plans. You stop texting back.
You say “something came up” when really, you were just glued to your laptop for the 12th straight hour.
And before you know it, you’re typing a post on Reddit asking:
“Wait… does success have to be this lonely and depressing?”
Truth is…
Your business will take as much of you as you let it.
If you don’t set boundaries, it won’t set them for you.
If you don’t carve out space for a life outside of work, it won’t magically appear.
And if you don’t actively connect with people who get this crazy, entrepreneurial life…
Well.
Hello, loneliness and burnout.
So if you’re building a business that’s supposed to give you freedom, but you feel like a prisoner in your own life…
You might wanna do something about that.
Here’s where I’d start: https://yosianderson.com/
Tp. Tp.
There’s more where that came from!
See, I’ve been writing daily productivity emails for online business owners since November 2024.
And what you just read is barely a scratch on the surface.
The real gems… The fun, insightful, and occasionally absurd behind-the-scenes stories… My best offers… The kind of stuff that makes you go:
“Wait… did that REALLY happen?”
I don’t blast those out to the whole internet.
(Some things… should be kept private.)
But if you want to snoop around… if you want to see what really happens in AYAPYLand…
There’s a door.
And it’s open.
For now.