Podcast Summary: Build with Leila Hormozi – "Do What You Want Without Sabotaging Your Life | Ep 305"

Episode Details:

• Title: Do What You Want Without Sabotaging Your Life | Ep 305
• Host: Leila Hormozi
• Release Date: August 6, 2025
• Podcast Description: "How can you create an unshakeable business? My name is Leila Hormozi, and I crossed $100M by the age of 28. Now I’m growing acquisition.com into a billion-dollar portfolio. In this podcast, I share the lessons I’ve learned in scaling big businesses and helping our portfolio companies do the same. Buckle up, Let's BUILD."

Introduction

In Episode 305, titled "Do What You Want Without Sabotaging Your Life," Leila Hormozi delves into the delicate balance between discipline and personal freedom. Recognizing herself as a high achiever, Leila shares her struggles with maintaining structure without losing sight of personal happiness and fulfillment. The episode emphasizes the importance of intentional flexibility to prevent self-sabotage stemming from rigid routines or complete lack of structure.

Understanding the Balance: Discipline vs. Freedom

Leila begins by addressing the common dichotomy many high achievers face:

• Over-Structure: Living life with excessive rules and discipline can lead to feeling imprisoned by one's own systems, resulting in a sense of emptiness. Leila states, "When you live your life so tightly wound around rules, expectations, plans, discipline, eventually you're so engulfed in those things that you actually lose the point why you're doing all of it" (00:02).

• Under-Structure: Conversely, having no structure leads to chaos, constant crises, and a lack of direction. Leila notes, "They're constantly putting out fires, apologizing, trying to patch up stuff. They're all over the place." (00:02).

She proposes a third way—a balanced approach that incorporates both discipline and freedom.

Personal Reflections and Revelations

Leila shares a personal anecdote reflecting her journey toward this balance:

• Health Challenges: After seven months dealing with health issues, Leila gained a new perspective on life. She realized the importance of doing what truly makes her happy without being constrained by others' expectations. "I need to spend more time just doing whatever the fuck I want." (00:02).

• Birthday Experience: On her birthday, instead of adhering to traditional celebrations, Leila chose to spend quality time with her husband, engaging in spontaneous activities like going to the pool. This deviation from her usual routine brought her immense joy: "It was the most fun I've had in, like, at least a year." (00:02).

Frameworks for Balancing Discipline and Freedom

To maintain this balance, Leila introduces several frameworks:

1. The 90/10 Rule

Leila adheres to a 90/10 rule, wherein:

• 90% Discipline: She maintains strict routines and standards in areas like diet, sleep, work, and meetings. "I live by a 9010 rule for sure. Like 90% of the time I am disciplined as hell." (00:02)

• 10% Freedom: This reserved portion allows her to act spontaneously and do things that bring her joy without guilt. "The 10% is there, and that's the 10% that I've leaned into." (00:02)

Key Points:

• Constraints as Guidelines: Constraints are not punishments but choices made to uphold values. "Constraints aren't punishments, okay? They're guidelines that we choose because we value something more than the short-term cost." (00:02)

• Intentional Enjoyment: The 10% should be used purposefully for activities that rejuvenate rather than for impulsive productivity. "I'm not going to fill it up with being productive with my fun. I'm just going to leave it there." (00:02)

2. Energy ROI Framework

Leila elaborates on an "Energy ROI Framework" to evaluate decisions about breaking routines:

• Earned Relaxation: After consistent hard work, she allows herself rewards, ensuring they contribute positively to her energy levels. "I've been keeping my promises, moving my life forward... I'm going to take a night out. I've earned relaxing on the couch." (00:02)

• Evaluating Returns: Each decision to relax or indulge is assessed based on whether it provides more energy than it consumes. "Does this give me back more energy than it costs me?" (00:02)

Application Example:

• Social Invitations: Leila assesses social outings by their energy return. For instance, she might attend dinner but skip a subsequent show to maintain her well-being. "I do think the dinner, which goes a little later than my bedtime, is worth it to me." (00:02)

3. The No Consequences Test: Identity-Driven Decisions

This test ensures that spontaneous decisions align with one's identity and long-term goals:

• Consequence Assessment: "If I did this today and then again tomorrow, would it destroy something important to me?" (00:02)

• Identity Alignment: "What would the person I want to be do in this situation?" (00:02)

Purpose:

• Prevent minor slips from escalating into significant deviations.
• Ensure that actions reflect the individual's core values and desired self-image.

Strategic Flexibility Without Self-Sabotage

Leila emphasizes that strategic flexibility allows individuals to maintain high standards and achieve significant goals while still enjoying life:

• Intentional Rule-Breaking: By consciously choosing when to deviate from routine, individuals can prevent the rigidity that leads to burnout and the chaos that results from lack of discipline.

• Life Alignment: Aligning actions with personal values and long-term objectives ensures that flexibility contributes to, rather than detracts from, overall life satisfaction.

Notable Quote: "You can be disciplined and you can have crazy high standards and you can build huge things and you can still have fun. You can break your own rules strategically and give yourself flexibility without self-sabotage." (00:02)

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Leila concludes by reiterating the importance of balancing discipline with personal freedom. She encourages listeners to:

• Identify Personal Constraints: Understand which rules and routines truly serve their long-term goals and which ones hinder personal happiness.

• Implement Frameworks: Utilize the 90/10 rule, Energy ROI, and the No Consequences Test to make informed decisions about when to maintain discipline and when to embrace spontaneity.

• Embrace Flexibility: Recognize that a flexible approach leads to a more fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle.

Final Encouragement: "Go do something today that makes absolutely no sense except it makes you happy for 10% of your day." (00:02)

Key Takeaways:

• Balanced Approach: Strive for a harmonious balance between structure and spontaneity to prevent burnout and ensure sustained productivity.

• Intentional Choices: Make conscious decisions about when to adhere to routines and when to indulge in personal desires.

• Self-Alignment: Ensure that all actions align with one's identity and long-term aspirations to build a life that is both successful and fulfilling.

Timestamp References: All notable quotes and references correspond to the initial timestamp provided at [00:02]. For precise minute and second placements, a full transcript review would be required.