The case for caring less (but achieving more)

It’s time to breakup with your work.

Not like a dramatic, throw-your-stuff-on-the-garden kind of breakup.

More like a "let's still see each other but maybe not text 47 times a day" kind of breakup.

You see, the more we sink emotionally into our work, the more exhausting it becomes.

We've all been sold this idea that passion means bleeding for your business.

That if you're not doom-scrolling at 3am worried about that cold pitch you sent, you're just not committed enough.

It's complete nonsense.

And it's probably ruining your decision-making, your health, and ironically - your business itself.

Quick interval while I momentarily break my own rule and get a bit emotional — because WOW, the Sidemen Charity Match was incredible!

The numbers are mind-blowing:

• £4.7 million raised for charity

• 90,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium

• 2.5 million+ concurrent viewers

• 14 million views and counting

• 7.2 million watch time hours

• 5.1 million chat messages and reactions

These numbers are a testament to what happens when creators build with purpose and passion (albeit with healthy emotional boundaries).

A bunch of kids who started uploading YouTube videos during their GCSEs have now sold out Wembley, raised millions for charity, and created an unbelievable spectacle.

It's a powerful reminder of why we're all in this space.

But I guarantee you this: None of it would have happened if the Sidemen had burned themselves out by taking every setback as a personal failure.

Their ability to overcome obstacles, iterate, and keep building year after year is exactly what I'm talking about — passion with perspective.

That's the balance I want for you too.

See, when you become too emotionally fused with your work, a few dangerous things can happen:

1. Every setback feels like a personal failure

2. You start making emotional decisions instead of strategic ones

3. You can't turn your brain off at night

4. You miss obvious solutions because you're too close to see clearly

5. Your identity becomes tied to outcomes you can't control

I experienced this firsthand during the early Arcade days.

Every client call felt like a referendum on my worth.

Every slide deck I prepped at 2am felt like proof of my commitment.

Every decision carried the weight of "what if I'm not good enough?"

I was exhausted. But worse — I was making bad decisions.

When I finally started creating emotional distance between myself and my work, I started seeing my business as a system to be optimised rather than a reflection of my personal value.

I began making decisions based on data and strategy rather than fear or ego.

And perhaps most importantly, I could enjoy my life again without checking Slack every 7 minutes at dinner.

Now, emotional detachment doesn’t mean you care less.

It honestly just means you suffer less.

You're still invested in winning, you're just not tying your self-worth to each move.

So how do you create a healthy detachment?

A practice that has helped me:

Ask "Would I advise a friend to do this?":

This creates an immediate perspective shift.

(Would I tell a friend to reply to that passive-aggressive email at midnight? Probably not.)

It’s simple, but hey - it works for me and it might just help you out too :)

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

P.S. If you're feeling emotionally fused with your work and can't seem to break the cycle, you're not alone. It's one of the most common topics that comes up in our Think Like A Creator community. Hearing how others navigate these challenges has been eye-opening for many members. If you're curious, you can try the community risk-free for 14 days.

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