Not all tasks are essential to survival, Burkeman writes, and it isn’t universally “compulsory to earn more money, achieve more goals, realize our potential on every dimension, or fit more in.” The hustle means different things to different people. But if you are truly an achievement-subject who is only wearing yourself down, then I suggest an adjustment of discretion: experimenting with what looks like mediocrity in some parts of your life. Then you might have a moment to wonder why and to whom it seems mediocre.
