working smarter is dead

Christian Ray Flores here —

I write the XE (Xponential Edge) twice a week. Sunday is free, Wednesday is for paid subscribers. Choose the paid version and you’ll get deeper dives, private chats, VIP invites — and my gratitude for supporting the work.

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xe episodes you should watch

From Felon to Film - a republished interview with Mark Whitacre who went from whistleblower to VP of Coca Cola and had Ben Affleck play him in a movie.

From Undervalued to Undeniable - a breakdown of why the framework actually works.

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working smarter is dead

We hear “work smarter, not harder” all the time. It makes sense, but most of us still default to the time-tested, failed strategy of doubling down on what isn’t working. We grind, we push, and we ignore the one shift that actually makes working smarter possible.

Working Smarter isn’t dead because it’s bad advice, it’s dead because you don’t get there unless you do this: Go deeper to fly higher.

That’s what I’m doing this week in Colorado, surrounded by natural beauty that insists you slow down. Retreats, sabbaticals, writing breaks, strategic pauses, counseling sessions, coaching deep dives—these aren’t indulgences. They’re the precondition for working smarter instead of harder.

It’s counterintuitive to step back from producing and hustling. Yet Deb and I are spending three hours a day in counseling at a Quiet Waters retreat center. Meanwhile, my business is humming along, and we’re heading into our best month of the year. It almost feels unnatural—until you realize it’s supernatural.

Ancient wisdom points to this in poetic terms:

Isaiah 40:31

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.”

We’ve been handed a playbook that equates value with being busy, tired, depleted, relentless. Burn that playbook. Learn to tap into the fullest purpose, sharpen your competitive edge, grow into your unique giftedness. Add new skills. Rediscover joy, peace, creativity, and power. That’s the real path to working smarter.

For paid subscribers, I’m sharing a practical guide to help you go deeper so you can fly higher. If you haven’t made the switch yet, now is the time.