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Hustle harder! No, wait—prioritize self-care! But also... optimize! Somewhere between these dueling messages, we’re left exhausted, guilty, and wondering: Can the pendulum just *chill* in the middle?

Anthony McLean, author of *All Fired Up: Optimize Mental Wellness to Ignite Joy and Fuel Peak Performance*, has sprinted through the hustle, dabbled in every self-care trend, and finally landed on something that doesn’t make him want to throw his planner out the window.

Two things are just too much. First, being too offended—secondhand outrage is the new pandemic. Must we be this upset all the time? Second, too much advice—wear this, buy that, meditate, journal, cold plunge, optimize every second of your existence. Enough.

Go easy. Self-compassion isn’t lazy—it’s the difference between burning out and actually having a life.

Anthony walks us through an important ritual—finding routine at the end of the day. And guess what? Rewiring your brain in 30 seconds is possible!! The workday is over, but your brain didn’t get the memo. A simple breathing exercise can help shut things down, and 30 seconds is something you can't talk yourself out of.

Don’t feel like breathing? Fine. Try a sauna, a dance party, or rage-cleaning your kitchen. Whatever works. Everyone needs something different. Some need to *calm down*, others need to *wake up*. Figure out which one you are before signing up for a 5 AM ice bath.

Anthony opens up about Happy Place—the interruption of his rap career, a super exciting…flop.But here’s what he learned: failure isn’t personal, taking breaks matters (goodbye, social media comparison), and the real win is celebrating the thing itself—not just the result.

The fastest way to disaster? Abandoning yourself. Don’t do it.

As we close, we walk through an impactful exercise—What is your perfect day? You might be surprised by what's on your list.

Allow yourself to be fulfilled by what is in reach today, not tomorrow, not in a year, TODAY.

What’s Inside:

• Riding the pendulum of self-care and hustle culture.
• How to handle failure and learn from it.
• Surviving the Recipe for Disaster.
• A simple exercise to affirm you’re just where you’re supposed to be!

Wow! I loved Anthony’s Perfect Day example. We are constantly striving for more, moving the bar, and comparing. Are we ever allowed to just be happy? What’s a part of your perfect day? I’m willing to bet it’s in your reach! Let me know on Insta!

Mentioned In This Episode:
All Fired Up: Optimize Mental Wellness to Ignite Joy and Fuel Peak Performance: McLean, Anthony: 9781774583975
Anthony McLean
Anthony McLean (@anthonymcleantv) on Instagram
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