Most people are mentally fat. Most people are mentally fat. You consume 10 hours of content for every 1 hour you create. You scroll through 47 "productivity tips" but implement zero systems. You watch 23 YouTube videos about building a business but never actually build one. You are binge-eating information and wondering why you're not growing. You are binge-eating information and wondering why you're not growing. Just like your body can become obese from consuming more calories than you burn, your brain becomes sluggish, unfocused, and unproductive when you consume more information than you create with. The Mental Obesity Epidemic The Mental Obesity Epidemic Walk into any gym and you'll see two types of people: Type 1: Scrolling Instagram between sets, taking 10-minute rest breaks, checking their phone constantly. They've been "working out" for years but look exactly the same. Type 1: Type 2: Focused, intense, progressive. Every rep has purpose. No distractions. They transform their bodies in months while Type 1 stays stuck forever. Type 2: Your brain works the exact same way. Your brain works the exact same way. Mentally Fat Creators: Mentally Fat Creators: • Consume endless "how-to" content but never implement • Subscribe to 947 newsletters but create zero original ideas • Attend webinars, workshops, and courses but produce nothing • Know everything about success but achieve nothing successful • Are experts on what others are doing but beginners at what they're doing Mentally Jacked Creators: Mentally Jacked Creators: • Consume strategically and create relentlessly • Turn every input into multiple outputs • Build while others research • Ship while others plan • Create systems while others consume systems The difference isn't intelligence. It's mental metabolism. The difference isn't intelligence. It's mental metabolism. Mental Athletics Mental Athletics Your brain is just like your body. And most people waste it partying, consuming junk, and doing whatever feels good in the moment. Which is totally fine—just don't complain when you can't lift the weight your goals require. But you're here because you want to create something big. You want mental strength. You want to become the kind of person who gets what they want. And that requires carrying the weight. And that requires carrying the weight. Here's the framework that will transform you from mentally soft to mentally unstoppable: Mental Fitness Matrix Mental Fitness Matrix Just like physical fitness, mental fitness has two variables: Quality and Quantity Quality Quantity What Your Mind Consumes (Input) × What Your Mind Creates (Output) What Your Mind Consumes (Input) What Your Mind Creates (Output) If you consume too much quantity compared to what you create → Mental Obesity too much quantity Mental Obesity You become bloated with information, slow to act, overwhelmed by options. If you create too much quantity compared to what you consume → Mental Malnutrition too much quantity Mental Malnutrition You run out of raw materials, repeat the same ideas, stagnate creatively. If you balance quantity but use low-quality inputs/outputs → Mental Weakness low-quality inputs/outputs Mental Weakness You're active but not productive, busy but not effective. If you want to be like Naval Ravikant, or me, you need to: If you want to be like Naval Ravikant, or me, you need to: • Balance the rate at which you consume information and create knowledge • Maintain ruthlessly high quality in both consumption and creation • Filter everything through your specific goals and vision The Brutal Truth About Information Addiction The Brutal Truth About Information Addiction Most people are information addicts disguised as learners. Most people are information addicts disguised as learners. They binge-consume content the same way others binge-consume Netflix. It feels productive, but it's just sophisticated procrastination. Here's how to spot mental obesity in yourself: ❌ You know the names of 50+ business gurus but can't name your own systems ❌ You've watched 100+ hours of "educational" content but created 0 hours of valuable output ❌ You can explain everyone else's frameworks but haven't built your own ❌ You get excited by new ideas but never execute on them ❌ You consume content to feel smart instead of creating content to become valuable ❌ You know more about other people's success than your own progress If any of these hit home, you're mentally fat. And it's killing your potential. If any of these hit home, you're mentally fat. And it's killing your potential. Becoming Mentally Jacked: The Athletic Approach Becoming Mentally Jacked: The Athletic Approach Physical athletics are zero-sum games. For someone to win, someone else has to lose. There's only one first place. Mental Athletics is positive-sum. Everyone can be number 1 because they're playing games unique to them—games built from their specific knowledge, perspective, and creative obsessions. Mental Athletics is positive-sum. But just like physical athletics, Mental Athletics requires training specific muscles. But just like physical athletics, Mental Athletics requires training specific muscles. Your Mental Muscle Groups Your Mental Muscle Groups The Math Muscle: Someone who runs compound calculations in their head finds it easier to break down complex problems because they've built the neural networks responsible for quantitative thinking. The Math Muscle: The Comedy Muscle: Someone who creates jokes rapidly has built the neurons responsible for pattern recognition, timing, and contextual humor. The Comedy Muscle: The Systems Muscle: Someone who builds processes automatically has developed the cognitive pathways for optimization and automation. The Systems Muscle: The Writing Muscle: Someone who articulates ideas clearly has strengthened the networks connecting thought to language. The Writing Muscle: You can be mentally jacked at different things. And IQ scores are pointless because they measure general intelligence instead of specific cognitive athleticism. You can be mentally jacked at different things. How to Transform Your Mind How to Transform Your Mind Step 1: The Consumption Audit Step 1: The Consumption Audit Track everything you consume for one week: • Articles read • Videos watched • Podcasts listened to • Social media scrolling • "Educational" content consumed Now track everything you create: Now track everything you create: • Original thoughts written down • Content published • Problems solved • Systems built • Value delivered to others Calculate your Creation-to-Consumption Ratio. Calculate your Creation-to-Consumption Ratio. Most people discover they consume 10:1. Mentally jacked creators maintain 1:3 (for every hour consumed, three hours created). Step 2: The Quality Filter System Step 2: The Quality Filter System Not all information is created equal. Just like not all calories are created equal. Junk Information (Mental Fast Food): Junk Information (Mental Fast Food): • Random social media content • Clickbait articles • Gossip and drama • Surface-level "life hacks" • Recycled advice from non-practitioners Premium Information (Mental Nutrition): Premium Information (Mental Nutrition): • First-principles books by original thinkers • Case studies from actual practitioners • Raw data and primary sources • Deep research on your specific interests • Content that challenges your existing beliefs The 80/20 Rule: 80% of the information you consume should directly serve your current goals. 20% can be exploration and curiosity. The 80/20 Rule: Step 3: The Creation Compound System Step 3: The Creation Compound System Every piece of information you consume should produce at least 3 pieces of creative output: Input: Read an article about productivity Input: Outputs: Outputs: • Your unique take on the topic (social media post) • How it applies to your specific situation (journal entry) • A system or template based on the concept (practical tool) This transforms you from a consumer into a creator-multiplier. This transforms you from a consumer into a creator-multiplier. Step 4: The Mental Workout Routine Step 4: The Mental Workout Routine Just like physical fitness requires consistent training, mental fitness requires daily practice: Morning (Mental Nutrition): Morning (Mental Nutrition): • 30 minutes of high-quality input (books, research, data) • No random scrolling or reactive consumption Midday (Mental Creation): Midday (Mental Creation): • 60 minutes of pure creation (writing, building, solving) • No input during this time—only output Evening (Mental Synthesis): Evening (Mental Synthesis): • 15 minutes connecting what you learned to what you created • Planning tomorrow's mental workout Step 5: The Progressive Overload Principle Step 5: The Progressive Overload Principle Physical muscle grows through progressive overload—gradually increasing weight, reps, or intensity. Mental muscle grows the same way: Mental muscle grows the same way: • Write longer pieces than last week • Solve more complex problems than last month • Build more sophisticated systems than last quarter • Create more valuable content than last year Track your mental PRs (Personal Records) just like you would track physical ones. Track your mental PRs (Personal Records) just like you would track physical ones. The Uncomfortable Reality The Uncomfortable Reality Becoming mentally jacked is like a sport. And most people aren't willing to train like athletes. Becoming mentally jacked is like a sport. They want the results without the discipline. The strength without the strain. The victory without the suffering. But here's the beautiful truth: Mental Athletics has unlimited leverage and unlimited abundance. Mental Athletics has unlimited leverage and unlimited abundance. You can literally create your own sport. Build your own game. Become the undisputed champion of a field that didn't exist before you created it. While others stay mentally soft, you'll become mentally unstoppable. While others stay mentally soft, you'll become mentally unstoppable. Your Mental Fitness Challenge Your Mental Fitness Challenge For the next 24 hours: • Track your ratio: Log every minute of consumption vs. creation Track your ratio: • Quality audit: Rate each piece of consumed content as "junk" or "premium" Quality audit: • 3x creation rule: For every input, force yourself to create 3 outputs 3x creation rule: • No zero days: Create something valuable every single day, even if it's small No zero days: Remember: Your brain is the most powerful tool you own. Most people let it get fat, lazy, and weak. Remember: You're going to make yours unstoppable. You're going to make yours unstoppable. Cheers, Praise J.J. Praise J.J. P.S. If you're feeling attacked by this essay, good. That means you're starting to see how much potential you've been wasting. The only way out is through—and 'through' means creating more than you consume, starting today. If you want to learn and apply more insightful thing like this early, consider subscribing to my newsletter subscribing to my newsletter Or hit the Subscribe button on Hackernoon.

Quant

Mind

Progressive

Hard Work Is Dead: Why Leverage (Not Hustle) Rules the Creator Economy

Mental Obesity Is Killing Your Potential—Here’s How to Get Jacked

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

AI Army: How to Outsource Your Business to a Fleet of Digital Robots

How to Get so Exponentially Smart it Feels Illegal

A Day In The Life of an Obsessive Note Taker

Building an Information Diet: Lessons From Sherlock Holmes

Cerebral Seduction: How To Stop Flirting With New Ideas

Farewell email overload: a 7-step methodology to prioritize incoming emails

AI Army: How to Outsource Your Business to a Fleet of Digital Robots

How to Get so Exponentially Smart it Feels Illegal

A Day In The Life of an Obsessive Note Taker

Building an Information Diet: Lessons From Sherlock Holmes

Cerebral Seduction: How To Stop Flirting With New Ideas

Farewell email overload: a 7-step methodology to prioritize incoming emails

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Minty

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps