Exceptional work requires sacrifice.

For a long time, I thought the blueprint to a successful life was a clean, hyper-optimized routine. That meant waking up at 6:00 AM, cutting out distractions like doomscrolling, and finding an optimal balance in work, health, and social life.

This ideal routine would reward me with great friends whom I meet often, many published research papers, and a strong, healthy physique. But I’ve come to learn that, for this to be reality, I would need to lose a part of me. The part that makes me human, emotional, irrational, and imperfect. I do believe that if I “acted like a robot,” a perfect balance is possible; however, to achieve a consistency like that, I would need to be inhuman.

This realization hit me while reading M.L. Wang’s “Blood over Bright Haven.” It’s a dark academia fantasy novel about an exceptional Mage named Sciona Freynan, an intellectually brilliant and headstrong character who becomes the first woman to climb to the rank of “highmage.”

Her success in spell mapping and sourcing came from a messy, unhealthy, and obsessive path. She spent many nights burning the midnight oil, reading research papers, memorizing books, and typing on her “spellograph” (a keyboard used to cast spells). As a result, her keen intellect and success were bought with social alienation, terrible coping mechanisms, and physical neglect.

While there are other societal influences and themes in the novel like sexism, misogyny, and nepotism that made her life an uphill battle, M.L. Wang brilliantly demonstrates the internal cost of greatness, as reflected in her poor interpersonal skills and inability to remember names.

Just like Sciona Freynan’s path to glory, to be exceptional and break boundaries, I’ve realized I have to give something up.

I know friends who can’t start until they believe the conditions are perfect. I write this as a reminder to them and to myself. Even if the conditions start perfectly, the journey will always be messy, and that’s okay. It means we are moving toward where we want to be.

References

Wang, M.L. (2025) Blood over bright haven. London, England: Cornerstone.