If I was writing more than certainly more than three hours a day,

I was definitely approaching diminishing returns.

If I go four, five, six, seven hours,

it's negative returns. What does that mean?

It means the manuscript is now worse than if I hadn't touched it that day.

So it's not just that,

as soon as you're at negative returns,

you have to stop. You should stop no matter what you're doing.

But even getting and it takes self-awareness,

and maybe it does take a coach as well to be able to come in and go,

OK, you're reaching diminishing returns.

This is not actually helpful or healthy.

Even if that's the dominant culture,

even if that's what you see other people around you doing,

and saying and pushing beyond those limits.

These are actually damaging you,

damaging your overall performance.

And so it's a subtle message in a way that I'm trying to make,

in a case I'm trying to make.

But there is a path that I think is necessary for mastery in any field.

And it is this sort of effortless path.

We are here because we know the outcomes in our lives are within our control.

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