Blog Post #122: How to Use Wise Effort to Align Your Life With What Really Matters
We recently had Dr. Diana Hill back on our podcast to talk about her book Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most. Our conversation centered on how Type Cs can move from burnout and people-pleasing toward a life of balance, authenticity, and purpose. Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation.
Dr. Hill explains that wise effort is all about how you use your energy—and how often we misuse it. Many of us are constantly doing more yet feeling like we’re not doing enough. We’re stuck in a cycle of hustle, productivity, and striving that can leave us burned out and disconnected from what actually matters.
Wise effort offers a way out. Drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Buddhist psychology, and the latest research in mental health, Dr. Hill’s method helps you:
Get curious about where your energy goes
Break free from unhelpful habits and people-pleasing
Align your actions with your deepest values
Live and work in a way that feels meaningful and sustainable
Dr. Hill describes three common traps that lead us to use our energy in ways that leave us drained rather than fulfilled:
Getting stuck in a story – Old beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “I have to be perfect” can take over and keep us from living fully.
Avoiding discomfort – We often run away from hard conversations or challenges that actually point toward what we care about most.
Holding on too tight – Resisting change, clinging to old identities, or chasing control leads to frustration and burnout.
Simply noticing these patterns—asking yourself Am I stuck in a story? Am I avoiding discomfort? Am I holding on too tight?—can be the first step toward change.
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was Dr. Hill’s discussion about striving. Many of us chase success, recognition, or perfection, believing the next promotion, project, or goal will finally make us feel fulfilled. But neuroscience shows this endless pursuit often leads to wanting more and liking life less.
Wise effort, on the other hand, is about using your “genius energy”—the strengths and talents that come naturally to you—in ways that align with your values and bring genuine satisfaction, not just achievement for achievement’s sake.
Dr. Hill shared a beautiful teaching from her meditation practice: living from the back of your heart. Instead of reacting to every stressor, criticism, or worry at the “front” of your heart, this approach invites you to step back, observe, and act from a place of calm wisdom and compassion.
This mindset shift helps you connect with what truly matters so you can respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively—whether with your partner, your kids, or yourself.
In Wise Effort, Dr. Hill offers practical exercises, journaling prompts, and real-life examples to help readers:
Identify their values and strengths
Break free from people-pleasing and perfectionism
Focus their energy on what really matters
Build a life of purpose and presence
She emphasizes that this work isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less, but better—and with more alignment, compassion, and intention.
You can find Dr. Diana Hill at DrDianaHill.com or on Instagram at @DrDianaHill. Her book Wise Effort and her retreats, workshops, and meditations offer practical ways to bring these ideas to life.
As Dr. Hill reminds us, “You don’t have to end your day depleted. You can share your gifts with the world in a way that’s both meaningful and sustainable.”