For years, hustle has been marketed as the gold standard of success. Work harder. Work longer. Sleep less. If you’re not burning out, you’re not doing enough.
But here’s the truth: hustle culture doesn’t make you high-performing. It makes you exhausted. And exhausted brains don’t create, innovate, or lead well.
There’s a better way.
Enter Flow State
Psychologists call it “flow state,” those moments when you’re completely absorbed in what you’re doing, time disappears, and work feels almost effortless. You’re not grinding. You’re creating at your highest level.
Studies by researchers like Steven Kotler show that flow state can increase productivity by up to 500%. That means in one focused hour, you can accomplish what might normally take you five.
For entrepreneurs with ADHD, this isn’t a foreign concept. Many already know the feeling of hyperfocus and the ability to get more done in an hour than most people do all day. But flow takes that to another level. It’s not just about focus. It’s about aligning focus, energy, and creativity so that your best work happens naturally.
The Hidden Key: Recovery
Here’s what hustle culture gets dangerously wrong: you cannot live in flow all the time. Flow is part of a cycle, and one of the most important stages is recovery. Without recovery, you burn out. Without recovery, your brain never resets enough to hit peak flow again.
That’s why chasing hustle leaves you drained, while chasing flow leaves you fulfilled. One tears you down, the other builds you up.
From Hustle to Flow
So how do you start shifting out of hustle mode and into flow? Here are three steps Acey Holmes teaches:
- Value quality over quantity. Flow isn’t about cramming more hours into your week but about maximizing the hours that matter.
- Protect recovery time. Sleep, rest, play…these aren’t luxuries. They’re essential stages of the cycle that make peak performance possible.
- Design for focus. Flow happens when challenge and skill meet. Create work environments and tasks that stretch your abilities without overwhelming you.
When you learn to work with these cycles, you stop fighting your brain and start unlocking its full potential.
From Hustle to High-Performance
If hustle is about working harder, flow is about working smarter and better. The entrepreneurs who thrive in the next decade won’t be the ones who can grind the longest. They’ll be the ones who know how to access flow.
At The Reflect, Acey Holmes will break down the full flow cycle: what it is, why it matters, and how to intentionally build it into your life and business. If you’re ready to trade burnout for breakthroughs, this is where it starts.