I don’t know of any groups that do this in a sustainable way. The mindset for optimization seems to be unaccepting of limitations. Trying to get the most out of something requires trade offs elsewhere.
It’s also been an observation of mine that most people have too much reserve capacity to notice they are running down until it is too late.
For myself, I’m bipolar. I have no reserve capacity. Every day requires finding the balance between being productive and not burning out. As a result, I am keenly aware I need significantly more downtime than I want to allocate.
I suspect this is the also the case for neurotypical people. Downtime feels like a waste to a person trying to maximize their life.
The way I’ve chosen to optimize my productive is to not focus on optimizing it. Instead, I try to enjoy life and stay conscious of small changes I can make. I know every decision is a choice that changes who I will become. But know I don’t need to make the right decision every time. The trend just needs to be in the right direction. :)
Thanks for your comment! Indeed, I often wrestle with something similar as you describe, and I wonder if your last paragraph is really the solution. To elaborate:
I have done a lot of self-reflection in the past and a while back I realized that the thing that brings me the most joy in life is to improve at something that I work hard at. However, after looking into Stoicism, I find myself asking if I'm not being honest with myself, and that in reality I focus less on chasing "more" and more on mindfulness and enjoying life's moments. I'm very fortunate in that I've never been depressed or struggled with mental illness, but I feel that this tension between "I want to be the best" and "I should focus on being grateful and present with what I have" is a core question I have yet to really answer. For now, I'm very happy with my life being around the former, but a future me may look back at this and laugh :)
It certainly doesn’t hurt to do some self-relfection.
What I would do is ask who you would be without the thing you’re doing now. For me, no matter what I do, I like to build things, learn things, and reach people. To inspire creativity, to teach, to bring joy. These are the things I need to do to be happy and fulfilled.
But these are not the things that give me energy. They use it. They can consume me until I look around and wonder what all this is worth.
As humans, we have more needs than what we strive for. I need to hang out with friends and do nothing meaningful. I need to touch and be touched. I need solitude when everything becomes too much.
Maybe it’s because I’m bipolar, but trying to optimize for one thing results in the others being neglected.
It’s also been an observation of mine that most people have too much reserve capacity to notice they are running down until it is too late.
For myself, I’m bipolar. I have no reserve capacity. Every day requires finding the balance between being productive and not burning out. As a result, I am keenly aware I need significantly more downtime than I want to allocate.
I suspect this is the also the case for neurotypical people. Downtime feels like a waste to a person trying to maximize their life.
The way I’ve chosen to optimize my productive is to not focus on optimizing it. Instead, I try to enjoy life and stay conscious of small changes I can make. I know every decision is a choice that changes who I will become. But know I don’t need to make the right decision every time. The trend just needs to be in the right direction. :)