The Pros and Cons of Monk Mode

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Welcome to another issue of Passionate Income.

Today we’ll be discussing the Pros and Cons of Monk Mode.

Let’s dive in.

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Over the last two years, social media entrepreneurs have been obsessed with the idea of Monk Mode.

If you’re not familiar with it, Monk Mode refers to cutting off all forms of distraction for a predetermined amount of time (normally six months) so you can work on building your business.

In particular, it involves cutting off dating, activities with friends and family, social media and porn usage, and most anything that could fall into the category of a dopamine addiction.

In extreme cases, some people will even move to a new area where they don’t know anybody to reduce distractions.

While this may seem extreme, there are a large number of people (especially on X) who report getting life-changing results from doing Monk Mode.

The question is: At what cost?

The Pros

As someone who did 45 days of MM in 2022, there’s no denying it can make you highly productive.

In my case, I didn’t do Monk Mode on purpose.

Instead, I had an unexpected travel detour that resulted in me spending two months in a city where I barely knew anyone. In addition, I was dealing with some injuries that prevented me from doing the one thing I love most: Surfing.

Between not being able to surf and not knowing anybody, this was arguably the most productive period I’ve ever had as an entrepreneur.

Admittedly, I wasn’t working 100-hour weeks or anything like that.

But by removing the things that normally distracted me - and committing to focusing on work - my productivity exploded.

In addition to that, because I wasn’t going out with friends or dating, I was able to save money. Mainly because my only expenses were rent, the co-working place, and food on a day-to-day basis.

No bar tabs, no dinner dates, nothing.

But like I said, I only lived this way for six or seven weeks. And as you’re about to see, it’s not a lifestyle I could have sustained long-term.

However, in terms of productivity gains, I’m a 100% believer.

The Cons

Sadly, those gains don’t come without their downsides.

The first and most obvious drawback is loneliness.

In my situation, it wasn’t that bad because I knew my situation was temporary. And in full transparency, I went on a tiny handful of coffee dates and some dinners with friends on the weekends.

With that said, I’ve heard of people doing six-month monk modes, and I’m not sure it’s healthy from a mental well-being perspective. Humans are social animals, and there’s a reason solitary confinement is the worst punishment they can give to a prisoner.

Second and more important, just because you’re working a lot of hours without distractions does not mean you’re being productive. There’s a massive difference between working on tasks that could move the needle in your business, and just working on random stuff.

While a lot of hustle culture bros brag about working 14 or 16-hour days, in many cases they’re spending most of that time on tasks that don’t matter.

In fact, a lot of the highly successful entrepreneurs I know only work 2 to 4 hours per day. But they can get away with it because the tasks they work on during those 2 to 4 hours move the needle (drive revenue).

And in many cases, those tasks involve doing things that could result in rejection or loss.

For better or worse, this is where most beginner entrepreneurs fall short.

Because they’re afraid of “failure,” they spend thousands of hours working inside their comfort zone. And because of that, their business struggles regardless of how many hours they work.

The third downside of monk mode is that it’s not practical.

Generally speaking, when you see people talk about doing this, they’re almost always young men in their 20s.

Meaning, they don’t have wives, kids, or a mortgage.

However, if you have a romantic partner or kids—or even a 9-to-5 job you’re working while building your side hustle—it’s not practical to disappear.

(Imagine having a newborn at home and telling your wife you’re moving to Wyoming for six months so you can “work on yourself” 🤣).

Last, Monk Mode is not remotely sustainable long-term (for all the reasons listed above).

As one of my previous coaches told me: “If you can’t do it every day, keep dialing the effort down until you can.”

What he meant by that is things like Monk Mode and Sprints are tempting because they trick you into believing you’re making up for lost time.

However, as we know from the world of weight loss, upwards of 90% of people who lose weight regain it once they go off their diet.

So, while business works a little different, the same principle still applies: If you can’t sustain it for more than 30 or 45 days, why do it at all?

Instead, what’s going to bring you long-term success is identifying the tasks that you can take action on every day Monday through Friday (or whichever days you work) for years and even decades on end.*

*Similar to how finding an eating plan you can follow year-round is more likely to help you achieve your weight goals.

As someone who’s friends with (and has worked for) a variety of deca-millionaires, I can tell you right now they didn’t get to where they’re at by doing Monk Mode or some kind of sprint.

In fact, some of them quit work at 5:30pm most days so they could be home with their families in the evenings.

What they did do, however, was identify one business model they could work on for years on end. And then they took action on it every single day.

No jumping from one business to another when things got hard. No pivoting when a new shiny object came around. None of that.

They just put their head down and worked on one business for years and years until they got rich.

So, while I have nothing against Monk Mode—and will be doing one myself starting in April—I don’t believe it’s some kind of “cure-all” for an inability to focus or be productive.

While there are times when sprinting is necessary, it should be looked at like an NO2 boost on a Fast Furious car. Meaning, it’s a bonus on top of an already strong foundation.

Either way, make no mistake about it:

If you can’t be productive and focused in your day-to-day life, disappearing to Nepal isn’t going to save you.

💡 Takeaway: While Monk Mode can help increase productivity in the short term, it’s not a long-term solution to building a successful business.

I'll leave you with this quote…

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