Yo work fun nation,

Hope you're having an awesome start to your week.

Last week during an online webinar I did for some freelancers I mentor, I was teaching my usual mantra: "work less, earn more while working FUN home."

Then one participant asked me a really good question: "Shoden, if you believe in working less, why does your calendar look like THAT?"

He'd seen my shared screen. My schedule for that week.

Welp, may point naman sya hehe. It does look a bit intense.

But here's what most people miss:

Working less doesn't mean being less obsessed with success.

I'm extremely obsessed with making money. And I'm no longer ashamed to admit it. Gusto ko kasi dumating yung time na when I'm old na and can no longer work, I'm not thinking about bills and expenses anymore.

I don't want to wake up one day at 65, still hustling just to survive. Ayoko non.

I still want to be able to travel to other countries and go to places on a whim and live life on my own terms.

And I don't want to make my son a retirement plan.

I guess it's because I've made a lot of poor investments in the past, got stolen from and got scammed, and had several failed businesses na (even before I became a freelancer).

It could be me making up for lost time, and sa tingin ko, if I get this right, may chansuu pa.

You see, I spent years feeling guilty about wanting to make real life-changing money.

I kept hearing these voices (and limiting beliefs):

- "money isn't everything, shoden"

- "money is the root of all evil"

- "a rich man actually framed your dad and look what happened"

- "rich people are evil"

- "don't be too materialistic"

- "success isn't measured by your bank account"

These voices.. They kept me broke for YEARS.

You know what happened besides the victim mentality and the self-pity? I was also usually broke AND miserable, even if I knew how to earn money.

Naging hypocrite pa ako.

I was saying one thing but doing another. My mouth screamed "I want to make money" while my actions and mindset was still saying "money doesn't matter."

I was still working as hard back then, mind you. Pagod na pagod pero walang results.

Then some years back, I had this aha moment during an inuman session with my friend John, who asked me: "bro, bat ka ba nag-tratrabaho?"

I gave him the usual BS answers:

- "I'm passionate about helping clients and other freelancers"

- "I love what I do"

- "I'm building something meaningful"

He just laughed. "E bakit nga?"

Silence.

Then I admitted it: "Gusto ko yumaman. Gusto ko comfortable ang family ko. Gusto ko wala akong iniisip na bills."

That honesty changed everything.

The moment I said it out loud, parang may nabunot na malalim na tinik sa dibdib ko.

Here's what I realized:

If you want to get rich, your whole life should reflect that goal.

Your schedule. Your youtube history. Your reading list. Your sleep pattern. Your social media feed.

Lahat.

Look, I'm still all about working less and earning more.

Pero there's a catch:

When you're building something big, when you're genuinely obsessed with success, you WILL put in intense time.

Picture a successful person in any field, and it's almost impossible to find anyone who DIDN'T put in the work and time and WASN'T fully obsessed with their goal.

We should do what they did.

Every hour should be strategic. Every action should align with your bigger vision.

Looking back to my calendar, I actually am working less. Compared to what I did before. Each time block serves my goal to build systems that will eventually work without me. Plus, everything stops at 8pm.

I'm not working 18/7 anymore. I'm working strategically on things that multiply my time.

Pero here's the catch:

This only works if it's YOUR authentic obsession.

Don't copy my schedule if deep down you don't care about making money as a freelancer. No shame in that.

Maybe your obsession is:

- spending time with family

- traveling the world

- mastering a craft

- building something meaningful

Whatever that is, stop feeling ashamed .

Look at your calendar right now. Open it.

Does it match what you claim to want?

If you say you want to be rich but your schedule shows:

- 4 hours daily on social media

- weekends full of parties

- zero time for learning or automating your repetitive tasks

- no systems to work while you rest or you're sick

Then you're lying to yourself.

Or if you say you want work-life balance but:

- you're still manually doing tasks that can be automated

- you're working 24/7 without boundaries

- you're not using tools to multiply your time

- you feel guilty every time you disconnect

Same lie. Different flavor.

And that's the most expensive lie you'll ever tell.

This is where deep anxiety and depression comes from, kasi we're not aligned with what we want by what we actually do. I know, because this is WHERE I CAME FROM. I lived like this for years.

Here's my challenge to you:

1. Admit your real obsession (no judgment here)

2. Check if your daily actions align with it

3. If not, change your actions or change your goals

Simple lang.

The resentment I felt back then? It wasn't because I was obsessed with money.

It was because I was ashamed of that obsession. I had deep limiting beliefs around it because of a very traumatic event that happened to our family when I was in my teens.

Once I owned it, everything clicked.

It's time to be honest with yourself, .

What are you really obsessed with?

And more importantly, does your life reflect that obsession?

Reply and tell me. I read every response. And I mean EVERY single one.

Shoden "hindi na nahihiya mag make money" San

PS. If you're already aligned but still not seeing results, maybe you need better systems and automation strategies. I'm opening 5 coaching slots next month where I'll show you exactly how to build a business that works while you rest. Reply with "systems please" if interested. I also do paid consulting on automations for your business or your clients' business.

Thanks J3 and Vanene for personally emailing and messaging me to bring this up!

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends. This REALLY REALLY helps me a lot, thanks! Or if you're done referring and you just want to buy me some coffee, I won't stop you.