Highs Comes With Lows

I got sick after 90 days of perfect health.

And I realized something that changed everything:

Most ambitious people have their success formula completely backwards. They obsess over morning routines, productivity systems, and work schedules...

Yet completely neglect the one thing that would make all of those systems actually work.

After getting some traction with a few new newsletter subscribers and a couple of thousand impressions, I am more than happy that the work I put in the last 1 1/2 years finally has an outcome I can build on.

But as I said, with the highs come the lows, and today, I woke up with a sore throat—feeling like a bag of potatoes.

I think it's not only me who thinks about how good the days were when you were healthy and fit like it was ages ago when you once felt like this. That's why I am happy that I went 3 months without catching a cold, but sometimes, it just hits you right in the face.

And here is the catch.

Most ambitious people I know have the same problem:

We push and push until our bodies force us to stop.

We see rest as weakness.

We think grinding through sickness is somehow heroic.

But what if the opposite is true?

What if strategic rest is actually the missing piece in your performance system?

Think about it.

You spend months optimizing your morning routine, your workout plan, your diet, your productivity system.

But how much time have you spent designing your rest protocol?

For 99% of high-performers, the answer is ZERO.

This is why you hit walls. This is why you burn out. This is why you get sick right when momentum is building.

The only way to handle it is to get some deep rest:

- Good sleep 8+ hours

- A lot of fresh air

- Walks in nature

- No heavy work, junk food, mindless scrolling

This deep rest might have been the one thing I needed all along, but I ignored it to push through the barriers in front of me.

You must sometimes keep pushing instead of pulling the breaks to reach the next level. Otherwise, you might stay stuck forever.

But there's a critical balance most miss.

The Strategic Rest Paradox: Why High-Performers Crash

The greatest minds and bodies throughout history understood something most modern hustlers don't:

Rest is not the opposite of productivity. It's a critical component of it.

Look at elite athletes. They don't just train harder than everyone else. They recover harder too.

They have dedicated sleep coaches, recovery protocols, and restoration rituals that are as rigorous as their training programs.

Yet when it comes to mental performance, we throw this wisdom out the window.

We believe we can outwork our biological limits. We can't.

I don't wake up at 4:30 every morning for months to watch my progress get destroyed in two days. That's not the game I am playing.

We all know the long game is what counts, but you have to be willing to sacrifice more than one thing in the first few years to qualify to play it.

Most people think they're playing the long game, but they're actually playing a series of unsustainable short games.

They go all-in for three weeks, burn out, take a forced break, then do it all again.

That's not the long game. That's just a bunch of failed short games strung together.

The true long game players understand the rhythm of achievement. They know when to push and when to rest. Not because they're weak, but because they're strategic.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Multiple times.

I'd make progress for weeks, then get sick or burnt out, lose all momentum, and have to start again.

It wasn't until I started tracking my energy and implementing strategic rest that my results became consistent.

That being said, a nice balance between obsession, pulling through and pushing you to your limits, and taking time to rest, recharge, and clear the mind is essential if you:

1. Want to reach your goals/vision

2. Want to get there without doing the same level 3000 times in a row

3. Don't want to burn out on your way to the top

4. Have more obligations like being present for your family

Because at the end of the day, we want to keep doing what we love to get the most out of life for ourselves and the ones we love. Otherwise, we all could stay in the warm bed, eat junk food all day long and watch our dreams die within us as we stay in the same spot for all our lives.

The Strategic Rest Protocol: How to Rest Like a High-Performer

Most people rest wrong.

They scroll social media. They binge Netflix. They drink alcohol to "unwind."

These activities don't restore energy. They drain it differently.

True strategic rest requires intention, just like productive work does.

Here's how to implement it:

1. Design your rest before you need it

The worst time to figure out how to rest is when you're already exhausted or sick.

By then, your decision-making is compromised, and you'll default to the easiest options (usually screen time or other passive consumption).

Instead, design your rest protocol when you're at peak mental capacity:

• Create a list of restorative activities that actually energize you

• Schedule them into your week BEFORE you fill in work tasks

• Treat them as non-negotiable appointments with yourself

Most people put rest in the "if I have time" category. High performers put it in the "this makes everything else possible" category.

2. Monitor your energy, not just your time

We're obsessed with time management, but energy management is far more important.

Start tracking your energy levels throughout the day (1-10 scale) for two weeks.

You'll notice patterns:

• Times of day when you naturally perform better

• Activities that drain you more than they should

• Early warning signs of burnout

  
  

Once you have this data, you can design work and rest periods that align with your natural rhythms instead of fighting against them.

This single shift can double your effective output while cutting your perceived effort in half.

3. Build a recovery toolkit for different scenarios

Different types of fatigue require different recovery methods.

For mental exhaustion:

• Nature walks without technology

• Reading fiction

• Meditation or breathwork

• Deep conversations with energizing people

For physical fatigue:

• Quality sleep (8+ hours)

• Contrast therapy (hot/cold exposure)

• Gentle movement

• Proper nutrition

For emotional burnout:

• Journaling

• Time with loved ones

• Creative expression

• Reflection and gratitude practices

The key is matching the recovery method to the specific type of depletion you're experiencing.

4. Implement strategic "mini-rests" throughout the day

You don't have to wait until complete exhaustion to implement recovery.

The most effective performers use "work-rest cycling" throughout their day:

• 90-minute deep work blocks followed by 15-30 minute recovery periods

• 5-minute breathing breaks between meetings

• Midday walks or power naps

• Technology-free meals

  
  

These mini-recovery periods prevent the accumulation of fatigue that leads to major crashes and illness.

Think of them as regular maintenance rather than emergency repairs.

We push ourselves to the edge of breakdown, then wonder why we break down.

Instead, operate at 85% capacity consistently. You'll accomplish more over time while staying healthier and more energized.

Remember this when you feel the urge to push through: sustainable progress beats unsustainable sprints every time.

Because at the end of the day, we want to keep doing what we love to get the most out of life for ourselves and the ones we love.

The highest performers don't just work differently. They rest differently too.

Which part of the Strategic Rest Protocol will you implement first?

- Chris​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​