I leave for Liberia this morning for a 12-day medical & benevolence mission.

If you don’t know much about Liberia, it’s a country with a complex history. Founded by freed slaves from America. Ravaged by civil war. Struggling with corruption, poverty, and systems that don’t work the way they should.

And yet it’s full of people who carry light.

• Hospitality that humbles me.

• Joy that doesn’t make sense.

• A kind of strength you don’t read about in leadership books.

This will be my fourth trip back. And every time I go, I come back changed.

Of course I’m challenged physically: heat, long days, strange foods, and sleeping far from home.

I’m challenged spiritually by the kind of faith that doesn’t rely on convenience or comfort.

But honestly, what gets challenged most are my ideas of success.

What I think “winning” looks like.

What I call progress.

What I measure as growth.

So before I board my flight, I want to offer you (and let’s be real, myself) a bit of reflection. This isn’t polished advice. It’s not trending on Instagram.

And I’m pretty sure Alex Hormozi would roll his eyes at it.

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VERY GOOD REST

They told me success came from hustle.

• Waking up at 4:30am.

• Posting online every single day.

• Reading 52 books a year.

Generally, just grind harder than the guy next to me.

And I did those things.

Some of them, I still do. I’m not totally anti-hustle. I actually believe there are seasons that demand focused, intense work.

But I don’t think hustle is a lifestyle, and I certainly don’t think it’s the golden ticket so many people sell it to be.

And when I tried to make it one, it started breaking parts of me I didn’t expect.

For one, I’m tired.

Like, not “I need a nap” tired. More like “I’m running on fumes and don’t remember the last time I felt deeply rested,” tired.

Somewhere along the way, I started believing the lie that one more energy drink, one more late night, one more early morning would finally get me there.

But it hasn’t.

I don’t really know where there is any more.

What it’s actually gotten me are some impressive but hollow metrics.

It’s not even worth talking about what I’ve “gained,” though I don’t want to be unappreciative of how God has worked through my hustle.

But I can’t ignore the fact that the hustle has also distracted me from the things that matter most.

• I’ve gotten out of shape. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually.

• My health has taken a backseat to productivity.

• My mind often feels like it’s carrying too many tabs open, buzzing constantly, unable to rest.

• And if I’m honest, my faith has felt like a checklist at times, something to get through, instead of Someone to walk with.

This is what the hustle culture promised me: success, momentum, growth. And to some degree, it delivered. But it also came with costs I didn’t fully count.

And if I keep living like this, I won’t be able to keep doing the work I actually care about long-term.

Here’s the truth I’m holding onto: Sometimes the best wisdom isn’t found in productivity podcasts or growth hacks. Sometimes it’s not found in the loudest voices at all.

Sometimes it is found in a word that’s been quietly calling out to me for years.

Stillness.

Not laziness.

Not apathy.

The kind of stillness that allows me to breathe. To notice. To pray.

So if you're tired too (if the hustle is wearing you thin) I just want to say:

• You're not lazy.

• You're not failing.

You might just need to be still for a while.

Maybe you’re like me and need to leave the country for a couple of weeks to jumpstart your heart and focus. Or maybe you’re like most others and need to take a break from social media and go for a walk.

Whatever it looks like for you, give yourself permission to slow down.

The world will keep telling you to speed up. To do more. To keep grinding.

But Jesus never measured fruitfulness by frantic pace.

He said, “Abide in me.”
Not “Accelerate with me.”

A rooted, rested kind of faith that isn’t fueled by hustle, but by Him.

Stillness isn’t a step backward.

MY BEST FINDS

Here are Payton’s Picks for the week. If you find something worth sharing with the rest of the Lab, reply to this email!

🧙‍♂️ Story

• Everything Nathan Baugh does is worth every penny. Now he’s doing story workshops, and I’m here for it! (LinkedIn)

📧 Email

• Alex Hormozi released his email marketing secret, and Matt McGarry covered it. Heavenly. (LinkedIn)

✝️ Faith

• I'm super pumped to be a backer on this Lego-related project and happy to help push it over the finish line with Sean. If you missed the campaign, be sure to join the mailing list to stay updated on future projects.

👀 ICYMI

• Three levels of conflict drive every story, and you need to use them in your next story, social post, or sermon.

Before you go, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. Very Good Email Playbook: If you’re tired of writing “meh” emails that get ignored, I’ll show you how to write ones people actually want to read. It’s free, and it’s packed with everything I’ve learned the hard way.

2. VeryGoodGhost Agency: I handle every aspect of content creation, from research and writing to editing and optimization, so you get scary good results.

3. Reply to Book a Free Call: Want to chat about your story, email strategy, or how to do this whole thing without losing your soul? Reply to this email, tell me what you’re working on, and I’ll send over a calendar link.

Keep writing what matters,

— Payton