Unpopular opinion…The secret to working is work less.

You’re tired of feeling like a near-dead battery. You chug coffee, grind through 12-hour days, and still end the week with a to-do list longer than your Netflix queue. 

The “hustle harder” strategy is killing your energy, creativity, and profits.

Generative rest isn’t about napping your life away, it’s about working with your biology to:

• Reset your energy using your body’s 90-minute biological rhythms.

• Spark genius ideas in the half-awake haze before you fall asleep.

• Grow your business on a 4-day workweek while competitors drown in 80-hour grindfests.

This letter won’t be about more productivity “hacks”. It’ll be about creating a sustainable personal paradigm.

By the end of this letter, you’ll have:

1. A step-by-step plan to sync your workday with your body’s natural energy peaks.
2. A proven system for getting rest leading to your most creatively innovative ideas yet.
3. A blueprint to automate busywork so you can implement a 4-day work week.

Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of being a lazy genius. 

HEALTH – Why You’re Always Running on Empty (And How to Fix It)

Are you constantly chugging coffee or energy drinks but still feel like a drained phone battery running on 10% by noon?

You may be thinking to yourself, “I get about 6-7 hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep a night but I’m still just so tired every day.”

As someone who was caught in this vicious cycle for too long, I’m guessing you’re probably like me and have never heard of ultradian rhythms.

Ultra-what?!

Yes, ultradian rhythms. If you want to boost and sustain your energy throughout the day without constantly feeding a caffeine addiction only to crash a few hours later, you need to know: 

1. What ultradian rhythms are, 

2. Why adhering to them can potentially spare you from serious health issues, and

3. How they can be used to boost energy and productivity. 

What Are Ultradian Rhythms and are They Really a “Thing”?

Your body isn’t built to hustle nonstop. It runs on 90-120 minute cycles called ultradian rhythms. 

Ultradian means “many times a day”. 

Ultradian rhythms are like mini-versions of circadian rhythms (our 24-hour cycles of sleep and waking), except that they are much shorter and occur many times over a single day.

These rhythms are nature’s productivity timer. Forcing yourself to work through energy dips is like slamming a laptop shut mid-update. Things WILL crash. 

Over time, this could lead to emotional and physical health issues.

The High Price of Ignoring Your Body’s Battery

Skipping breaks and powering through? Because, you know, that project or deadline can’t possibly wait an hour while you recharge.  

Here’s the “reward” for all of that hustle:

• Burnout: Your cortisol (stress hormone) spikes, leaving you wired but exhausted.

• Sleep sabotage: Nighttime sleep gets choppy because your brain can’t reset.

• Brain fog: Missed breaks = slower problem-solving and forgetfulness.

So, it tracks when science shows that people who ignore ultradian rhythms are 47% more likely to feel chronically tired.

Knowing all of this won’t boost energy or make you more productive. You have to actually do something. 

So, how do you actually use ultradian rhythms to fix your energy levels? 

Let’s break it down.

Your Energy Revival Plan: Sync with Your Body’s Natural Flow

Step 1: Time Your Tasks

• 90-minute work sprints: Tackle big projects, writing, or deep thinking.

• 20-minute recovery breaks: Walk, hydrate, or stare at a wall (no screens!).

Step 2: Eat for Steady Energy

• Snack smart: Pair protein + carbs (e.g., apple + almond butter).

• Skip sugar crashes: Ditch the 3 PM latte…it’ll nuke your focus.

Step 3: Nap Like a Kindergartener

• 10-20 minute power nap: Restores alertness without grogginess.

• Can’t nap? Meditate or daydream.

Step 4: Sync With Your Sleep Cycles

• Wind down ritual: 30 minutes of reading (no blue light) before bed.

• Wake up naturally: Use sunlight or a sunrise alarm clock.

Your body isn’t a machine, it’s a rhythm-driven organism.

Is your body begging you for a rhythm reset?

PSYCHOLOGY – Why Your Best Ideas Come When You’re Trying Not to Think

Ever wonder why your brain seems to solve problems better when you’re not trying? 

You know those nights you lie awake, thoughts racing like a TikTok feed. You’re trying your best to shut your brain down, but it’s stuck in overdrive. 

I’d like to think of generative rest as the art of strategic zoning out. 

Cultivating the ability to create a “bird’s eye view” is the key to the creative breakthroughs needed to solve any problem. 

Here’s why (and how to do it).

Why Your Brain Loves Downtime (and So Should You)

You’re not intellectually challenged. Your mind just needs the right environment to be primed and ready for problem-solving. 

Studies show that during light sleep (that fuzzy half-awake state), your mind often connects ideas better than when you’re fully awake.

• REM sleep helps you link unrelated concepts (and this is why dreams are so weird).

• N1 sleep (right when you nod off) is a creativity “sweet spot”. MIT researchers found it boosts idea generation by 33%.

• Rest clears mental clutter: Like closing 47 browser tabs, downtime lets your brain organize thoughts and spot patterns.

Translation: Forcing yourself to “think harder” often backfires. 

Generative rest = faster solutions + less burnout.

So, how do you actually turn rest into your weapon of creativity? Here’s your blueprint.

Your Generative Rest Blueprint in 4 Simple Steps

Step 1: Dump Your Brain Before Bed

• Write down a problem in one sentence. Example: “How can I attract more clients without burning out?”

• Ask yourself a specific pre-sleep question: “What’s one way I can stand out?”

• Pro Tip: Use a notebook, not your phone. Blue light prevents the release of melatonin.

Step 2: Create a 20-Minute “Brain Off” Ritual

• Do: Listen to ambient music, sip caffeine-free tea, or stretch.

• Don’t: Scroll social media, work, or watch thrillers (sorry, Stranger Things fans).

• Calm activities spike alpha waves, priming your mind for generative rest.

Step 3: Nap Like Edison

• Set a 25-minute timer (enough to hit N1 sleep, not deep sleep).

• As soon as the timer goes off and wakes you up, write down whatever is on your mind. Thomas Edison would nap holding a metal ball. As soon as he dozed off, the ball would drop, waking him up. He immediately wrote down whatever idea was on his mind once awake.

• If napping isn’t possible, daydream while walking or showering.

Step 4: Capture Morning Insights

• First 5 minutes awake: Jot down dreams, random thoughts, or “Aha!” moments.

• Review your pre-sleep question: Solutions often surface as metaphors or gut feelings.

Generative rest isn’t about sleeping more, it’s about getting more from your sleep. 

By guiding your subconscious with a clear problem before rest, you activate your brain’s problem-solving mode.

Your next big idea isn’t going to come from another “hustle session”. It’ll come from the quiet space between awake and asleep. 

Tonight, give your brain a break and let your next big idea find you.

BUSINESS – Work Less, Earn More: The Solopreneur’s 4-Day Work Week Playbook

Grinding 80-hour weeks won’t scale your business. It’ll bury it (and you). 

But what if I told you working less could actually grow your business and keep you from hating your life by Thursday of every week?

As a solopreneur myself, grinding nonstop as an agency owner had me thinking, “Maybe a 9-5 job isn’t so bad after all?” I was so burned out, the rat race I wanted to escape started looking more like a long-term viable option (Yikes!).

What did I change? I transitioned to a 4-day work week.

The 4-day work week is the cheat code for solopreneurs who value their sanity as much as their bottom line.

Why Your Brain Would Love a 4-Day Week

Your prefrontal cortex (the CEO of your brain) taps out after 4-5 hours of deep work. 

Push longer, and you’re just busy but not productive.

The proof is in the pudding:

• Companies using 4-day weeks saw a 15% revenue growth and 69% reduction in employee burnout [4 Day Week Global].

• 78% of workers reported happier, less stressed lives without productivity loss [Henley Business School].

For solopreneurs, fewer days = sharper focus, fewer “zombie hours”, and space for creative breakthroughs.

So, how do you actually make a 4-day week work for you? Here’s your playbook.

Your No-Guilt 4-Day Blueprint

Step 1: Ruthlessly Cut the Fluff

• Audit your tasks: Ditch anything that doesn’t directly make you money or serve clients. Example: Automate invoicing, batch social media, kill low-value meetings.

• Pro Tip: Use Toggl Track for a week. You’ll gasp at how much time you waste on “busywork”.

Step 2: Time Block Like a Neurosurgeon

• Work in 90-minute sprints: Focus on ONE high-impact task (writing, client calls, product development).

• Schedule “admin hours”: Bulk reply to emails and/or DMs on Thursdays (your “off” day).

Step 3: Set Unbreakable Boundaries

• Auto-responder template:
  “Thanks for your message! I’m offline on Thursdays recharging. For urgent needs, reply with ‘URGENT’—I’ll prioritize it first thing on Friday.”

• Payment Policies: Charge 20% more for weekend/rush requests.

Step 4: Use Your “Off” Day Wisely

• Morning: Generative rest (walk, nap, hobby).

• Afternoon: Strategic thinking (big-picture goals, new offers).

Real-World Proof

Take Jen Glantz (Bridesmaid for Hire). She switched to 4-day weeks in 2019:

• Results: Higher client retention, 3x revenue, and actual weekends.

• Her secret: “I treat my time like a VIP bouncer…only the essentials get in.”

Your Homework

1. Pick ONE day next week to go “dark” (no client work).

2. Use that day to brainstorm ONE system to automate (e.g., onboarding emails).

Your business grows when you do…not when you’re burned out. 

Work smarter, rest deeper, and thrive as a solopreneur.

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Stay Masterful,
Caroline