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THE UNHUSTLE LETTER

Issue #127 | January 14, 2025

Today is about something we all suffer from - lack of focus. (Continuing our monthly theme. Also, my podcast system refuses to work today, so no audio file today.)

McKinsey recently reported that executives spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings, with an additional 5-8 hours managing email.

That’s 31 hours of reactive work.

Time spent responding to others’ priorities.

Mental bandwidth consumed by constant context-switching.

Here’s what most people miss:

Cognitive capacity, not time, is the true currency of modern creativity and productivity.

We are all suffering from digital debt - emails, data, meetings, notifications outpace our ability to process it all. And the pace of work and information is only increasing daily. When everything feels important, we always feel in fight or flight, which leaves no space and energy for deep work and creativity.

According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, nearly 2 in 3 people (64%) say they struggle with having the time and energy to do their job—and those people are 3.5x more likely to also struggle with innovation and strategic thinking. And nearly 2 in 3 leaders (60%) are already feeling the effects, saying that a lack of innovation or breakthrough ideas on their teams is a concern.

Let me break this down:

1. Research from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index shows:
   • 68% of people say they don’t have enough uninterrupted focus time
   • 64% struggle with having time and energy to do their job
   • The average employee spends 57% of their time communicating (in meetings, email, and chat) and 43% creating (in documents, spreadsheets, and presentations)
   • Those who struggle with time and energy are more likely to also struggle with innovation and strategic thinking
2. The Hidden Opportunity
   • Stop the meeting madness. 65% of senior managers said meetings keep them from completing their own work. 71% said meetings are unproductive and inefficient. 64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking. 62% said meetings miss opportunities to bring the team closer together.
   • Close your email app and stop the barrage of new information to protect your focus and performance
   • Reserve two hours daily of uninterrupted thinking time.

But what if we can no longer cope with the speed?

The pace of work is outpacing our ability to keep up.

A client of mine working for a Fortune 500 tech company, implemented what she calls “Strategic Silence” - two hours daily of uninterrupted thinking time.

Result?

Her team’s strategic initiatives increased by 40%, while execution time decreased by 27%.

“I realized,” she shared, “that my most valuable contribution isn’t in more meetings. It’s in having the mental clarity to see opportunities I can’t see while being busy.”

Your drive got you here. But that same drive, left unchecked, will keep you stuck in reactive mode - responding to everyone else’s priorities instead of making space to think, to create, to zoom out and see the big priorities, to focus on creating what matters.

Cognitive space isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategic imperative.

Your Next Move:

• Block 90 minutes tomorrow morning. No phones. No emails. Just strategic thinking space.
• Shut down your email.
• Notice what emerges when your mind has room to work at its highest level.

This isn’t about productivity hacks.

This isn’t about time management.

This is about leveraging your highest-value asset: your cognitive capacity.

To peace and clarity,

Milena

P.S. Join the free Focus and Flow Workshop on Thursday, Jan 16th, 8am MT, where we’ll explore how today’s most successful high achievers are creating strategic advantage through mental clarity to deal with the weight of the workday. Limited to 15 participants.

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-Milena

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Ready to Go Deeper?

I'm Milena Regos, a counter-culture catalyst and brand architect helping leaders and organizations rewrite the rules of success. With 30 years of marketing and business expertise and a decade of research into the Unhustle philosophy, I guide rebels and pioneers like you on the path of deliberate pursui of less in a world addicted to more.

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Almost daily, I share "The Unhustle Letter - Slow Thoughts for Fast Living" — insights that challenge the status quo and inspire unhustling in a world addicted to hustling. If these ideas resonate, ​let's start a conversation​. It will mean the world to me if you share this newsletter with someone who needs fast acting relief in a culture addicted to busyness.

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