I once saw a business bro write:
“All the spiritual stuff is bs, going to the gym, meditating, meal prepping, all this stuff, will not make you more money. That time could have been spent doing something related to your business and over the span of 5 years the unhealthy guy will far surpass the fit and emotionally healthy guy.”
And honestly? He might be right… for about 5 years.
But what happens after that?
One of the most life-changing experiences I had as a doctor was working in palliative care—caring for people who were at the very end of their lives.
I saw a lot of things.
Wealthy people. Poor people. Older people. Younger people. People who lived wild, adventurous lives. People who played it safe. People who had all the success in the world. And people who spent their entire lives working toward it… only to realise, a little too late, that they had been climbing the wrong ladder all along.
And do you know what a lot of them had in common?
Regret.
Not for the success they chased. But for the life they put on hold to chase it.
For the memories they didn’t make.
For the people they neglected.
For the years they spent treating their bodies like vending machines that never needed restocking.
And here’s the thing—none of them thought they’d end up there so soon.
We all think we’re invincible… until we’re not.
And business owners? We fall for this trap all the time.
Even if making more money is your only goal in life, getting there isn’t just about doing more work.
It’s about having the mental clarity to make good decisions.
It’s about having the emotional resilience to handle setbacks.
It’s about having the physical energy to keep going.
And self-care is how you buy back your future.
Because sure, let’s say Business Bro is right.
Let’s say that if you push yourself to the absolute limit for 5 years, you’ll make more money than the guy who dares to go to the gym, eat a vegetable, and sleep more than 4 hours a night.
But what happens after those 5 years?
Do you magically undo the burnout?
Do you suddenly rebuild the relationships you neglected?
Do you just pray your body forgets all the terrible ways you treated it?
You’d better hope so.
Because if not? Well… great news: now you’ve got money. Bad news: you’re too exhausted to care.
And that’s why I say:
Going slower is actually faster.
Because when you take care of yourself while building your business, you may not get there as fast as Mr. Crash-and-Burn…
But when you do get there, you’ll actually have the health, energy, and relationships to enjoy it.
And maybe… just maybe… that’s what success is all about.
So… to self-care or not to self-care?
Your call.
But if you’d like to grow your business without wrecking your body and mind in the process—here’s something that might help: www.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.