avatarNitin Sharma

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This (One) Simple Hack Will Completely Change Your Life Within 28 Days

“This isn’t living, it’s merely existing,” I thought bitterly to myself.

Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

I stared blearily at my computer screen, struggling to string sentences together in Google Docs — my 8th soulless deliverable of the week.

The words blurred before my sleep-deprived eyes as another notification pinged on my phone, demanding yet another client call to be squeezed between the endless parade of deadlines.

‘This isn’t living; it’s merely existing,’ I thought bitterly to myself.

Years of chasing career success had led me down a vicious cycle of overwork, stress, and burnout until I resembled a ghost of the passionate, purposeful person I once was.

The breaking point came when I realized how I’d neglected everything that mattered — my relationships, my well-being, any spark of joy or creativity — upon the altar of productivity and hustle culture.

Honestly, I was so tired of trying to prove my worth by achieving an endless series of arbitrary successes outlined by others, yet I didn’t know how to escape the hamster wheel I’d allowed myself to run on for so long.

Little did I know that in 1 month, a life-changing transformation would begin after one radical decision: to spend 28 days in ‘monk mode’.

The problem

By my early 20s, I was the poster child for hustle culture. I lived and breathed the nonstop grind, chasing milestone after milestone in the name of success.

From the outside, it seemed I was crushing it — running a startup, selling digital products, writing content, starting a newsletter, and growing social media followers.

But in reality, I was careening towards disaster.

In my obsessive drive for the next achievement high, I lost all balance. Days blended together into endless frantic work cycles plagued by brain fog and exhaustion.

The high stress literally changed my brain chemistry; I was irritable, anxious and completely detached from the present moment.

My physical health eroded as I ran myself ragged without proper sleep, nutrition, movement or recovery. Mentally I was distracted, reactive and incapable of complex creative thought.

I hit rock bottom when I stared in the mirror and no longer recognised the gaunt, hardened face staring back. I had bought into the hustle hard and sacrificed everything to the myth that burnout was the price of success.

But ultimately, no achievement could be worth losing myself.

I was utterly depleted, my passions extinguished. I had nothing left to give — to my work, my loved ones, or any cause bigger than myself.

Something had to change before it was too late.

I was desperate for radical intervention that’s when I stumbled onto the idea of “monk mode.”

The turning point

The moment of truth came late one sleepless night when I stared dully at a blank document on my computer screen.

I knew I needed to write, that budgets and reputations were counting on me, but not a single word would come. A deafening silence echoed in my mind.

After 3 years of mastering my craft, how could I call myself a writer anymore if putting words down felt like blood from a stone?

I forced myself to take a hard look in the mirror at what my endless hustle had turned me into — a hollowed-out shell going through the motions without authentic drive or inspiration behind my work.

Where was that wide-eyed young man who once wrote to awaken, to empower, to illuminate unseen perspectives?

A crushing realization dawned that making my work purely about productivity — about chasing arbitrary metrics of social media influence or recognition from others — had completely strangled the creativity I once treasured.

With tears streaming down my face, I knew something radical had to change if I had any hope of rediscovering my passion and purpose.

It was then I stumbled onto an obscure concept called “monk mode” — the idea of completely isolating oneself from digital distractions and outside stimuli for 28 days to go inward through intense focus, self-examination and ironclad routine.

By stripping away superficial external validation and comforts, monk mode forced me to sit with boredom, reconnect with my values and rebuild myself through purposeful habits and skill development.

At first, I balked at the extremity of severing myself from civilization for 28 days. Could I actually endure no social media, work emails or mindless web surfing in this age of endless connectivity and stimulation?

But I was desperate enough to try anything.

With no safety net of digital diversion, I hoped monk mode would force me to heal parts of myself I’d long ignored.

Through journaling, nutrition, movement and meditations, I trusted the silence would reveal how to resurrect my creativity from its comatose state.

My passive life had died the night I stared brokenly at a blinking cursor for hours unable to produce. Now was the time for calculated isolation and revival.

28 days to find myself again. 28 days to rewrite old narratives about my worth and potential.

28 days in monk mode not merely to survive, but to thrive as the person I wished to become.

My radical change began with a single step…within.

The monk mode lifestyle

I crafted an exacting monk mode schedule to optimize every hour towards self-renewal, while also training delayed gratification.

This extreme makeover represented the polar opposite of my previous disconnected and chaotic lifestyle.

My days in isolation adhered to an militant routine starting at 7 AM sharp. What began as sheer discipline slowly transformed into positive addiction as I witnessed my energy and focus compound.

I committed fully to the following pillars:

  • Fitness & Nutrition: I began each day with an hour of yoga to loosen stiff muscles and centre my mind, followed by a 2 km walk outdoors to boost creativity. Wholesome superfood-packed meals gave me steady energy devoid of caffeine and sugar crashes.
  • Writing & Content Creation: I spent 5 hours per day writing in Google Docs, completely disconnected from social media apps like Instagram and YouTube. Without arbitrary productivity quotas, I wrote purely the following inspiration. I produced 25,000 words on creating content on Medium and completed another book.
  • Mindset & Meditation: Silencing my inner critic through journaling stream-of-consciousness. Regular meditation enhanced my self-awareness exponentially. I confronted subconscious stories holding me back while getting clarity on aligning my actions with my values.
  • Limited Leisure: Just 1 hour nightly for pleasure reading, free from digital screens. Embracing boredom’s gifts led my mind toward creativity rather than quick-fix distraction. Being fully present without external stimulation felt frivolously revolutionary.
  • Relationships: Scheduled offline check-ins with family and friends provided meaningful doses of social connection free from past harness of digital tethers. Less frequent communication ironically led to more authentic and insightful bonding.

And here are some strict restrictions that I followed.

  • No media allowed — TV, movies, and YouTube explored inner world instead
  • Zero online presence —Deactivating social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, and limiting the use of Twitter and LinkedIn to only 2 hours per week.
  • No input from outsiders influencing my thought ecosystem

100% of my limited free time was spent connecting with family or quiet nature walks. By severing old ties, I forged a new relationship with ME.

The life-changing transformations

While monk mode demanded extremes upfront, the dividends revealed themselves through profound and lasting breakthroughs across all areas of my life.

On the fitness front, I became more healthy while gaining strength and energy. After years of abusing my body through stress, monk mode reset my baseline for nourishment, movement and rest.

Now I spring out of bed before 7 excited to seize the day. I consistently choose whole foods and look forward to outdoor time rather than seeing nature as an obstacle.

Creatively, I pumped out over 25,000 words and completed my book proposal. The sheer joy of crafting with focus unlocked my long-dormant muse.

Without arbitrary measures of online influence, I wrote simply for the love of storytelling again. My vocabulary expanded exponentially while the authenticity in my voice returned through honesty in my journaling.

Even on frustrating days lacking visible progress, I persisted thanks to a growth mindset.

By temporarily eliminating work ties, I invested fully in neglected relationships.

Memorable visits with family and friends centered around meaningful connection without digital distraction. I discovered abundance through simplicity.

Being, not doing, reminded me of my enoughness. Patience became second nature after I stopped judging myself for perceived failures.

Through structure, I broke the shackles of chaotic urgency that once imprisoned me.

Other than that, my monk mode routine built confidence that I can master difficult but fulfilling changes. I transformed not through brute effort but by incrementally training my mindset.

What began in monk mode in isolation continues to ripple outward in constructive waves.

My life’s foundation feels firm after renewing my sense of self.

Onwards now, anchored yet agile. My eyes see clearer. Possibilities feel limitless yet peacefully within reach.

Hope you like it.

That’s it — thanks.

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Productivity
Personal Development
Life Lessons
Motivation
Self Improvement
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