Week 2 log - 2026 - Hagen Growth

Between states

After a week that felt almost boring, this one introduced a different kind of friction. Nothing in my routines had broken, and the work still got done. But I found myself stuck between two mental states – unable to fully relax, and just as unable to properly focus.

Week 2 metrics

Training
Workouts: 4 | Cycling: 4 hrs

Recovery
Avg sleep: 8:01 hrs | Sleep score: 79

Work
HG work: 30 hrs | Other work: 5 hrs

This log reflects how I’ve worked with the Hagen Growth philosophy in practice over the past week

What I worked on

Before this week, I hadn’t given much thought to what each area of my apartment was meant for. I moved between different spots during the day, but over time I defaulted to the most comfortable one – the couch. By the time this week started, it had quietly become my primary place to work.

Around the same time, I began struggling to enter the right state of mind for either relaxation or work. When it was time to rest, I felt restless and had trouble shutting down. My computer was usually within reach, and I found myself checking emails, looking at analytics, or doing small reactive tasks without any clear intention.

Work wasn’t much better. I had a hard time getting into flow. Tasks took longer than usual, and the enjoyment I normally find in the work was missing. By the end of the day I felt drained, but without the clarity that usually comes from having focused properly. Most of the week carried that tired-but-wired feeling – not from doing too much, but from never fully being in either mode.

What went well

I spent the first part of the week trying to understand what was off. I wondered if I was getting sick or just run down, because the fatigue didn’t feel proportional to what I was doing. By Wednesday evening, it became clear that the problem wasn’t workload, but how my days were set up.

What went well wasn’t the realization itself, but how quickly I responded once it became obvious that something wasn’t working. That same evening, I made changes to my environment. I moved the couch into a more closed-off corner so it was clearly associated with rest, and less available during the day. I also set up a designated workspace at the dining table, with a specific chair that only serves that purpose.

The shift wasn’t dramatic, but it was noticeable. When I was done working, it became easier to disengage. And when it was time to work, entering a focused state required less effort. The friction didn’t disappear entirely, but the constant pull between modes eased enough for each to exist on its own again.

What could have been better

I’m glad I addressed the friction once it became clear, but I also noticed how long I tolerated it before acting. There were signals early on – restlessness, mental fatigue, a lack of separation between work and rest – that I recognized but didn’t immediately respond to.

I chose comfort over clarity. Working from the couch felt easy and harmless at first, and for a while it worked well enough to justify itself. It wasn’t until the cost accumulated that the compromise became obvious.

Looking back, nothing dramatic was wrong. But if I had stayed in that middle state longer, the erosion would likely have continued quietly as a gradual loss of consistency and direction.

Reflection of the week – Stuck between focus and rest

This week, I found myself stuck between two states. I was never fully relaxed, and never properly focused either. When it was time to work, I struggled to settle in. When it was time to rest, I couldn’t shut down. I hovered somewhere in between, without fully entering either.

Over time, that middle space became exhausting. Not because anything was particularly demanding, but because nothing ever fully resolved. I was always half-on, half-off. Even when the day was over, my mind didn’t seem to register the transition.

What surprised me most was how much I had relied on the idea that I could simply decide how to be. That focus or relaxation was something I could switch on through intention alone. This week showed me how little that held up in practice.

The state I was in wasn’t something I chose in the moment. It emerged from the setup I had put myself in, and once I was there, it was hard to exit. I didn’t feel broken or overwhelmed – just continuously unsettled.

What stays with me is how quietly that kind of in-between state builds. Nothing feels urgent enough to force change, but over time it drains more than either effort or rest on their own.

Week 2 summarized

This week showed me the cost of letting a small compromise accumulate. Without clearly defined functions in my home, I struggled to fully relax or focus. It wasn’t until I adjusted my environment that either state became accessible again.

Next week’s focus

Next week will focus on continuing my core routines – training and Hagen Growth – under clearer conditions now that my environment supports them better. If friction appears, I’ll address it early rather than letting it accumulate.

Training – Four gym sessions and six hours on the bike. Maintain high intensity and quality, but adjust if needed.
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