Q. Are you working like a lion? Or are you working like a cow?
Read on… maybe you’ll become a roaring success 🤣
A few years ago I pondered about this concept from Naval Ravikant, and it makes you think about how we wrestle with our work lives.
Here’s the gist:
• Cows plod along, grazing all day (a bit like the 9-to-5 grind!).
• Lions go all out in short bursts, then they rest.
Imagine sprinting through your work, then taking a proper break.
Naval put it this way: “The way people tend to work most effectively, especially in knowledge work, is to sprint as hard as they can while they feel inspired to work, and then rest.
They take long breaks.
It’s more like a lion hunting and less like marathon running.”
It’s like saying that it’s not about working more, it’s about working smarter.
In other words… You should give it your all when you’re feeling inspired, then take time off to recharge your batteries.
And a lot of people are now applying this ~ working three weeks flat out, one week off. Maybe it sounds mad, but it might just work brilliantly for you!
The benefits sound pretty cool:
• Increased productivity during those focused sprints.
• Better work-life balance (actual downtime!).
• Reduced burnout (because who needs that?).
• Enhanced creativity (turns out, good ideas rarely happen at your desk!).
He says, “People who say they work 80-hour weeks, or even 120-hour weeks, often are just status signaling. It’s showing off. Nobody really works 80 to 120 hours a week at high output, with mental clarity.”
So, here’s our question: How do we embrace this lion-like approach?
• Identify your most productive hours and schedule intense work sessions.
• Use techniques like the Pomodoro method to structure your work sprints
• Take proper breaks (and I mean proper) – no guilt allowed!
• Remember, you’re still kind of working even when you’re not “working” – reading, walking, chatting with friends. It all feeds into your creativity.
Give it some serious thought. As we shift from measuring inputs (time spent) to outputs (actual results), this lion-like approach makes more and more sense. It’s about adding leverage to your life and focusing on real impact.
What do you reckon? Productive – or Plodder?
Could this lion-style of working help you avoid burnout and boost your productivity? Or are you happy just grazing away? 😉
Share your thoughts in the comments!
