When Did We Stop Working Like Humans?

Not long ago, I caught myself doing something so absurd I had to laugh.

Except… it wasn’t funny.

It was deeply familiar.

It was a slow workday. Everything on my list was checked off. No emails waiting, no fires to put out.

And yet?

There I was, still at my desk, creating busy work out of thin air.

Tapping through tabs. Tinkering with tasks that didn’t matter.

Basically playing productivity cosplay for an audience that didn’t exist.

And I thought: What am I doing this for?

That’s when it hit me. I might have left the corporate world…

But I brought the rules with me.

👉 Rules like:

• If it’s a weekday and you’re not working, you’re slacking
• Sitting at your desk = being valuable
• Rest is a reward you earn after the work is done (even if the work is fake)

Whether you’re running your own business or still clocking into a job that quietly drains you, this kind of performance-based productivity has likely followed you, too.

It’s sneaky.

It shows up as guilt when you take a long lunch.

As anxiety when your afternoon is open.

As that weird voice in your head that whispers, “You should be doing more.”

For me? The hardest habit to unlearn was inflexibility.

Even after I was fully in charge of my schedule, I still acted like I had to follow some invisible company policy.

Doctor appointment at 10 AM? Stress.

Want to go to the gym early? Guilt.

Heaven forbid I shut my laptop at 4:30.

And for what?

Now?

I build my schedule around my life.

If I’ve got energy in the morning, I work early.

If it’s a slow day? I go grab my iced decaf from Aroma Joe’s and run an errand. No shame. No justification.

Because I finally remembered: I’m human.

Not a machine. Not a productivity avatar. Not a cog in some outdated system.

So here’s the question I want to leave you with today — whether you’re a solopreneur, a side hustler, or stuck in a job that no longer fits:

Is this how I want to work — or just how I learned to survive?

If your body is asking for ease…

If your brain is tired of pretending…

If your heart is craving something softer, slower, more aligned…

That’s not you failing.

That’s you waking up.

And honestly? It’s about time.

Let’s stop performing and start living, yeah?

P.S.

If you're not sure what your skills are actually worth, especially after years of being paid for your time instead of your brilliance, my course Setting Your Rates Based on Value might just be the tool you need.

It’s self-paced and designed to help you stop undercharging and start owning the value you bring no matter where your career path is taking you, or not taking you.

Pass It On

If this hit a little too close to home in the best possible way, forward it to that friend who’s still stuck at their desk waiting for “permission” to live their life.

We’re done pretending to be productive just because it’s Tuesday. Let’s help each other remember: real work doesn’t have to mean performance.

Send this their way, it might be the exact nudge they didn’t know they needed.

Why You’re Getting This Little Work-Truth Bomb

Somewhere along the way, you either grabbed one of my resources, joined a workshop, or said “yes please” to tips that make work feel more human again, and I’m so glad you did.

These emails are for folks tired of the hustle charade and ready for something more honest, more flexible, and a whole lot more you.

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