From: alexhormozi
The concept of an “anti-routine” focuses on stopping activities rather than adding new ones to achieve significant productivity gains [02:02:02]. This approach helped Alex Hormozi go from near bankruptcy to earning over seven figures a month by age 28 [00:03:00].
Instead of asking what successful people do, the more impactful question is what they don’t do [01:18:00]. Often, champions achieve success not because they possess something others don’t, but because they lack something others have, such as an “off switch” that allows them to “just keep going” [01:39:00]. Therefore, the key to maximizing productivity is to eliminate actions that hinder progress [01:58:00].
Mindset Shift: The Season of No
The fundamental change required is shifting from a mindset of adding more tasks to a routine to actively stopping current activities [02:31:00]. This reveals “all that remains is the work to be done” [02:40:00].
Prioritization Means Saying No
The term “priorities” implies that two things cannot be equally important [02:45:00]. If time is split equally between two tasks, neither can truly be considered a priority [03:00:00]. Many people struggle with prioritization because they “cannot say no” [03:11:00].
[03:14:00] “The theme of this entire video is the word no.”
To truly prioritize something, it means saying “no” to everything else [03:49:00]. This “season of no” is not necessarily permanent, but a temporary strategy for outsized productivity returns [03:26:00].
Communication and Obligation
When people communicate, text, or email, there’s an implied request for a reply [04:17:00]. However, having the time to reply does not equate to an obligation to reply [04:47:00]. If faced with 500,000 texts, it becomes physically impossible to reply to all, making it clear that the obligation to reply never existed [04:54:00]. A significant part of the “anti-routine” involved intentionally stopping replying to people, which was personally challenging [05:12:00].
Socializing vs. Problem Solving
Many events, masterminds, and coaching programs primarily serve social needs rather than addressing specific problems [05:30:00]. Once necessary information is acquired, the focus must shift entirely to execution [05:52:00]. Continued attendance becomes counterproductive if the task is simply to “do” what needs to be done [05:55:00].
Tactics for Implementing “No”
The following tactics were implemented to eliminate distractions and focus solely on essential work:
- Changed Phone Number [06:12:00]: The old number was given to an assistant, and a new number was acquired. Communication was initiated only with those deemed necessary, rather than being reactive to everyone who had the old number [06:55:00]. This dramatically increased available time, creating “blank space” in the calendar [06:41:00].
- Stopped Attending Events [07:11:00]: Recognizing the need for execution over more information, attendance at masterminds and other events ceased [07:16:00].
- No Meetings 4 AM - Noon [07:35:00]: The first eight hours of each day were dedicated to completely uninterrupted work on the top priority [07:38:00]. This is critical for early-stage growth when there isn’t enough team leverage to delegate tasks [07:48:00]. Eliminating distractions during this time was paramount [07:39:00].
- Consistent Sleep Schedule [08:27:00]: Weekends were treated the same as weekdays, maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time [08:32:00]. This ensures the 4 AM to noon work block is consistently protected [08:37:00].
- Minimum Effective Dose for Health [08:52:00]: Workouts were reduced to twice a week, which was the minimum necessary for maintenance, rather than aiming for progress on multiple fronts [08:57:00]. This allocates “growth juju” to the highest priority [09:11:00].
- Strategic Fasting [09:24:00]: Fasting one or two days a week eliminated interruptions from meal preparation, eating, and cleaning, allowing for more uninterrupted work [09:27:00].
- Deleted Social Media from Phone [09:42:00]: Social media apps were removed from the phone, as most posting functions could be done from a computer [09:51:00]. This tackled the issue of “ghost thumb” addiction and recovered 3-5 hours daily typically spent consuming social media, which is considered the “new age of watching television” [10:05:00]. Reclaiming these hours significantly boosts productivity [10:17:00].
The importance of focus and saying no is about identifying and eliminating the things that people are already doing that prevent them from reaching their goals, rather than seeking a “secret magic routine” [10:20:00]. The “season of no” involves stopping these non-essential actions to achieve significant results [10:30:00].