How to become so focused it feels illegal

On deep work and brain altering technology

You haven't experienced anything near what you are capable of.

And if you learn how to unlock that power, you can do what most people consider impossible.

A deep work routine (backed by psychology, performance science, and philosophy) is the first step, and that will take you a long way. But if you want to take it to the next level, we live in an incredible time where you can leverage nootropics and peptides with high safety profiles (that actually work, unlike in the past, where fat burners would make you feel a little warm and tingly) to gain that competitive edge.

What I'm about to share is what allows me to stop feeling resistance toward doing what most people call difficult.

I can nearly control how many great ideas I have and how long I work.

What many of you don't know, because I rarely talk about it here (but plan to more), is that I love fitness and biochemistry. Over the past 15 years, it's been my guilty pleasure to study the science and protocols of any form of technology that is on the cutting edge, be it AI for productivity, crypto for finance, or peptides for health. Peptides are the Bitcoin of the health sector, and they are here to stay.

I love to experiment with my body because it teaches me how the body works through experience rather than theory. Yes, there is some risk, as there is risk with all things required to do great things (like grinding 12 hours a day staring at a screen, investing in stocks or crypto, eating McDonalds every night with a beer thus raising blood pressure to the point of an early death similar to a bodybuilder on steroids due to LVH, or even just driving in a car), but we'll discuss that soon.

If you're a founder in the sport of business, a gym goer in the sport of bodybuilding, or even someone who simply wants to tap into deeper states of focus to gain a slight edge that compounds into a massive edge, this is for you.

The Psychology & Philosophy Of Deep Work

A quote from Sam Altman to start:

I do not care about the latest deep work hack.

I do not care about putting on a hat while you work to narrow your vision.

I do not care about changing your phone color to black and white so you can restore your dopamine levels.

I care about what works.

And if you need bandaid hacks to sit down and do work, you're missing the 3 things that determine 99% of your ability to sit down and knock out as much work as you need to.

To get into the deepest work you've ever been in, first, you must understand what compels a person to work even if they don't feel like it. Then, you need to optimize how your brain digests and manages information. Last, you need to structure your day in a way that simulates a hunt, allowing you to leverage your hunter-gatherer-wired brain.

1) The greatest focus hack is to know what you're working on, why you're working on it, when it needs to be done, and how exactly to get it done.

Clarity, importance, and urgency.

Those are the critical ingredients that prevent distractions from penetrating your frame of reference.

To gain clarity, you need to choose a task that is challenging enough to be novel.
If that task overwhelms you, you need to break the task down into sub-goals that you do have clarity on. Then, you execute and acquire the skill that allows you to continue moving to the main task.
For you to find something important, you need to fully understand (1) where your life will end up without achieving the goal and (2) what your potential could be if you achieved the goal.

Urgency is what gets you to sit down and work right now rather than later, but we'll discuss that in a few paragraphs from now.

Most people fall into a rut because they seek extrinsic motivators.

But when you're obsessed with an important goal, you are fueled by intrinsic motivators.

Each of which stacks onto and strengthens the others in a way that sustains some degree of flow (optimal experience, or one of the most enjoyable states of mind):

Curiosity – The desire to explore the unknown, learn how to change, and fill knowledge gaps. Results in good dopamine from novelty and norepinephrine, which heightens attention, preparing you to learn.
Passion – An intense enthusiasm is built for the path that allows you to change your life. Results in more good dopamine and norepinephrine.
Purpose – The feeling that your actions contribute to something larger than yourself. Achieving goals results in more dopamine, which reinforces behavior. Serotonin stems from significance and belonging. Oxytocin stems from connection.
Autonomy – The desire to direct your own life and work. To control your choices, actions, and environment. This results in more dopamine and a reduction in cortisol (the stress from feeling put in a box), allowing for creative decision making.
Mastery – The process of learning and growing is its own reward. Results in sustainable good dopamine that keeps you in the game.

You start with curiosity and experimentation until you find one thing that pulls you deeper.

You become passionate once enough effort is invested.

You attach that passion to something greater than yourself – a purpose.

You break off the default path and acquire the skill to be autonomous and do that full time.

You shift from shallow reasoning to a philosophical sense of mastery, allowing you to stay in the game.

2) You need productivity and creativity time-blocks. They are two separate states of mind that complement each other.

Fill your brain in the afternoons with books, learning, and socialization

Empty your brain before bed with journaling, planning, and meditation

Use your brain in the morning with creation, output, and focus

Most people wear overwork as a badge of honor.

The truth is, if you focus on the small quantity of lever-moving tasks that actually move you closer to your goal, you can do 8 hours of work in 4 hours or less. Most aren't honest with themselves about what work they can simply stop doing.

Most of the time, these "lever-moving tasks" demand creativity.

For myself, my entire business is built on 2 hours of writing every day. That is the highest leverage thing I can do, because in today's world, media can be spread to millions of people and code can be used by millions of people with minimal increase in marginal cost. That is your superpower in today's world.

That said, the quality of your lever-moving work depends on how much time you set aside for rest.

Your mind needs a constant flow of information so you can catch the ideas that will change your life.

If you are stuck in "doing mode" all day, your mind is clogged. You do not have new ideas to use during your focused work. You unclog your mind by adding creativity blocks to your day.

Go on a 30-minute walk in between your 2-hour work blocks. Listen to an audiobook or podcast.

Dedicate time to idea generation and journaling to get the residue out of your headspace.

The stress relief is an added benefit.

3) You procrastinate because your survival isn't at stake.

As we discussed in the survival letter:

Animals survive and reproduce on the physical level. They attempt to reproduce the information in their genes. Humans do as well, but we live in such a world that physical threats are rare. We mostly survive on the psychological level and attempt to reproduce the information in our consciousness.

We attach to political ideologies, feel threatened, and lash out when the "other side" attacks our beliefs.
We adopt beliefs and worldviews as our identity, like being a "gamer," and when someone says that's bad, it's like you were slapped in the face (psychologically) and you want to fight back.
When you attempt to change your life, like being more productive, you threaten the relevant identity that doesn't want you to do that (like being a good student or employee).

If you learn to transcend and leverage your survival instincts, your productivity shoots through the roof.

You need to change your identity by changing the stubborn beliefs and normative prescriptions (what you're "supposed" to do from your parents, teachers, and authorities). You change your identity by changing your environment.

To be more productive, force yourself into physical and digital locations that make you feel like you don't yet belong.

Follow people with the goals you want to pursue, the beliefs that your future self could benefit from, and the knowledge that allows you to achieve clarity.

When you are a person who works toward their goals, discipline becomes seamless, and you feel threatened when you are not doing so, giving you an energy source to act toward something greater.

The Focus (& Fat Loss) Stack – Optimizing Your Mitochondria

These aren't your typical nootropics that don't do much after a week of using them.

(But if you enjoy this, let me know, because there are new supplements that may heal your brain, fix your dopamine signaling, and help with focus).

They're also not harsh medications like adderall that make you feel like you're on meth.

In fact, they're not even meant to be focus supplements.

They are meant to improve mitochondrial function and health, thus having an impact on longevity, anti-aging, and especially fat loss. Improved productivity and focus is second-order, but still far more powerful than any nootropic you can find on the market (in my experience and opinion).

The reason mitochondrial health is all the rage today is that the modern environment seems to destroy it.

We don't get much sunlight. We stare at blue light all day. We wake up red and puffy. We sit in cubicles under artificial lighting. We eat hyperpalatable foods. The Western population is having an obesity epidemic.

Yes, lifestyle changes are the first line of defense, but we're not here to talk about that. Maybe another time. In the meantime, just do what Andrew Huberman and the ancestral diet crew tell you to do. I don't mean to glance over this. It's important. But it's not the topic of this letter that continues to grow in length (like this post if you want me to go into non-dogmatic nutrition).

I'm a fan of technology.

Technology allows humans to do what used to be impossible.

And every time new technology comes into play, like AI or flying machines, people are skeptical and think the entire world is going to end if more people adopt this. Do not condemn curiosity. That is much more likely to put us in a 1984 scenario.

In reality, technology obviously has risk (and learning to mitigate risk through knowledge and skill is the path to greatness), but it is created to solve problems, and we have plenty of those in today's world.

You take on an incredible amount of risk simply by living. Most people love the idea of a new iPhone and unconsciously accept the great psychological and physiological risks of doing so. They'll drive in cars and risk their life. They'll play sports and get hit in the head one too many times. They'll live a sedentary lifestyle, casually drink alcohol, and decrease their lifespan... but when it comes to technology like pharmacology, they start to freak out.

I get it.

Pills and injections are a weird area (even though injections are often the most bioavailable way to take a supplement, also avoiding passing through the liver… I'm talking to you girlies who go and get an IV to cure your hangover).

That said, here's how we're going to structure this.

First, we'll talk about 2 capsules you can take orally that improve fat-loss, improve mitochondrial function, and thus increase focus.

Then, we'll talk about 2 injections for those who are a bit more adventurous.

None of these are necessary, of course. I know many of you are reading this because you're just curious.

Note: This stack has synergistic effects. You may feel some, you may not feel others, but when stacked together, they increase their overall effectiveness without taking too much from any one of them. This helps keep doses in a safe and sustainable range.

By the way, I created a "Superhuman Protocols" google doc with added science and education for those who want to explore this more.

[Body covers Methylene Blue, SLU-PP-332, MOTS-c, Retatrutide — risks, science, dosing, benefits — full text in source]

– Dan