I thought I would add my current view here is less in line with my original comment and more in line with the OP. I think something like ‘9-5 EA’ is probably the best approach for long-term impact. I’ve noticed that even if you’re working really hard, it is usually difficult to squeeze that much more impact out of your work. This might in part depend on the type of person you are. Maybe some people can squeeze heroic amounts of effort out of themselves for long periods, but the vast majority of people cannot. One caveat might be if you have to push to finish an important project by some key deadline. But this would be a short-term situation, not a long-term approach
in free solo, alex honnold said “Nobody achieves anything great by being happy and cozy”. Warrior mindset seems very common in super-high achievers.
I thought I would add my current view here is less in line with my original comment and more in line with the OP. I think something like ‘9-5 EA’ is probably the best approach for long-term impact. I’ve noticed that even if you’re working really hard, it is usually difficult to squeeze that much more impact out of your work. This might in part depend on the type of person you are. Maybe some people can squeeze heroic amounts of effort out of themselves for long periods, but the vast majority of people cannot. One caveat might be if you have to push to finish an important project by some key deadline. But this would be a short-term situation, not a long-term approach