Saturday morning. Coffee in hand. Mind wandering.
This is where I process the week, explore ideas that don't fit neatly into frameworks, and share what's been rattling around in my head.
No agenda. No clean conclusions. Just thoughts worth thinking.
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ON MOTION VS. MOMENTUM
I've been thinking a lot about the difference between motion and momentum this week.
Motion looks productive. Planning. Researching. Strategizing. Building decks. Attending networking events.
Momentum is different. It's an action that compounds. Work that moves the needle. Decisions that create leverage.
The trap is that motion feels safer than momentum.
Motion lets you stay busy without risking failure. You can plan forever. Research indefinitely. Prepare for every scenario.
Momentum requires you to commit. To choose. To act before you feel ready.
And most of us—myself included—prefer the illusion of progress over the reality of risk.
The question I'm sitting with:
How much of my week is motion disguised as work?
How much of my "productivity" is just elaborate procrastination?
I don't have a clean answer yet. But I'm watching for it.
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ON SUBTRACTION AS A SKILL
We're trained to add.
More clients. More offers. More content. More partnerships. More tools. More systems.
The culture rewards accumulation. Growth equals more. Success equals expansion.
But this week reminded me: Subtraction is the hardest and most valuable skill.
Saying no to opportunities that sound good but don't serve your 20%.
Eliminating offers that generate revenue but drain your soul.
Cutting commitments that make you look busy but don't move you forward.
Subtraction is an act of courage.
Because when you eliminate something, you're admitting:
- I was wrong to add it in the first place
- I wasted time on something that didn't matter
- I chose poorly and now I'm correcting course
That's uncomfortable. And most people will do anything to avoid that discomfort—including staying stuck.
The pattern I'm noticing:
The people I admire most aren't the ones doing the most. They're the ones who've eliminated the most.
They've said no so many times that their yes is clear, focused, and powerful.
I want that clarity. I'm working toward it. One elimination at a time.
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ON IDENTITY DEBT
I've been thinking about this concept: Identity Debt
It's like technical debt, but for who you are.
Every time you outgrow a version of yourself but refuse to let go, you accumulate identity debt.
You keep acting like the person you used to be because that person was successful. That person was liked. That person felt safe.
But that person can't take you where you need to go.
Examples from my own life:
- I was "the consultant who does everything" - I accumulated identity debt by refusing to specialize
- I was "the guy who's always available" - I accumulated identity debt by not setting boundaries
- I was "the person who has all the answers" - I accumulated identity debt by not empowering my team
Each of those identities worked at one stage. And each became a liability at the next.
The debt compounds. You become trapped by who you used to be.
The work:
Paying down identity debt requires mourning.
You have to grieve the version of you that worked. The version people loved. The version that felt like "you."
And then you have to become someone new.
That's transformation. And it's painful.
But the alternative—staying stuck as someone you've outgrown—is worse.
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ON PEACE AS INFRASTRUCTURE
I used to think peace was something you earned after success.
Work hard. Build the business. Hit the numbers. Then—maybe—you get to rest.
But this year taught me: Peace isn't the reward. It's the foundation.
You can't build something sustainable on a foundation of chaos, anxiety, and burnout.
You can't make good decisions when you're exhausted.
You can't lead effectively when you're running on fumes.
You can't scale what's already breaking you.
The shift:
I stopped treating peace as a luxury and started treating it as infrastructure.
I eliminated clients who created chaos.
I set boundaries that protected my energy.
I designed my calendar for focus, not firefighting.
I built systems that work without my constant intervention.
The result:
I'm not working harder. I'm working better.
The business isn't just growing. It's sustainable.
And I'm not just surviving. I'm actually present.
The belief I'm testing:
What if the most profitable thing you can do is protect your peace?
What if calm isn't the absence of ambition—it's the foundation for it?
I don't know yet. But I'm willing to find out.
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ON WHAT MICHAEL JORDAN TAUGHT ME THIS WEEK
I finally watched "The Last Dance" this week. (Yes, I'm years late. But Whatever.)
And one scene keeps replaying in my mind:
Jordan, in the locker room, after a devastating loss, was talking about what it takes to be great.
He's not inspirational. He's not motivational. He's honest.
He says, "Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. And I paid it."
Then he talks about the relationships he lost. The reputation he damaged. The moments he sacrificed.
And you realize: Greatness isn't clean. It's not balanced. It's not "have it all."
It's a choice. And the choice has a cost.
👉Here's what I'm thinking about:
I'm not trying to be Michael Jordan (although there was a time I wanted to be - lol). And I'm definitely not trying to be that intense.
But the principle applies:
You can't build something exceptional while optimizing for everyone's approval.
You can't 10x your business while keeping everyone comfortable.
You can't transform while protecting the feelings of people who prefer the old version of you.
The question:
What are you willing to sacrifice to build something that matters?
And are you honest about the cost?
Because if you're not willing to pay the price, you won't get the result.
And that's okay. Just be honest about it.
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ON READING AS THINKING
I've been thinking about why I read so much.
It's not to collect ideas. It's not to sound smart. It's not even to learn tactics.
I read to think.
Books like Hardy's "The Science of Scaling" don't give me answers. They give me frameworks for asking better questions.
They reorganize how I see the world. They challenge assumptions I didn't know I had.
They make me uncomfortable. And discomfort is where growth happens.
The pattern:
The best books don't confirm what I already believe. They disrupt it.
They force me to reconsider what I thought was true.
They create cognitive dissonance—and I sit with it until something shifts.
The practice:
I read slowly. I take notes. I argue with the author in the margins.
I let ideas marinate. I test them in real life. I discard the ones that don't hold up.
And occasionally—maybe once or twice a year—I read something that fundamentally changes how I operate.
This week it was Hardy's chapter on identity debt and transformation.
Next week it will be something else.
But I'm reading. And thinking. And building.
One book, one insight, one shift at a time.
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ON WHAT I'M PONDERING THIS WEEKEND
A few questions I'm sitting with:
1. What am I optimizing that I should be eliminating?
Where am I trying to perfect something that doesn't deserve my energy?
2. What identity am I clinging to that I've outgrown?
Who was I at the last stage that's holding me back at this stage?
3. What would this look like if it were easy?
Where am I creating unnecessary complexity because I'm attached to struggle?
4. What's one thing I can subtract next week that would create 10x the space?
Not add. Subtract.
5. Am I protecting my peace, or am I just avoiding discomfort?
There's a difference. And I need to know which one I'm doing.
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WHAT I'M LISTENING TO
Album: "For Emma, Forever Ago" by Bon Iver
There's something about this album that creates space for thinking.
It's quiet. It's reflective. It doesn't demand attention—it invites it.
Perfect for a Saturday morning when you're processing the week and setting intentions for the next one.
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WHAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR
This week really challenged me.
The content on 10x thinking and scaling forced me to confront where I am vs. where I want to be.
It surfaced uncomfortable truths about the work I'm still doing that I should have eliminated months ago.
It reminded me that transformation is painful and necessary.
And I'm grateful for that discomfort. Because comfort is where progress goes to die.
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ONE THING TO TRY THIS WEEKEND
Sit with one uncomfortable question.
Not a planning session. Not a strategy audit. Just one question.
For me, it's:
"What identity am I clinging to that I've outgrown?"
For you, it might be:
"What am I optimizing that I should be eliminating?"
"What would this look like if it were easy?"
"What's one thing I can subtract that would create 10x the space?"
Pick one. Sit with it. Don't rush to an answer.
Let it marinate. Let it disrupt. Let it challenge you.
Then, when you're ready, act on it.
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These are the things I'm thinking about.
What are you thinking about?
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One question, one insight, one shift at a time.
Grace over guilt.
Always.
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See you tomorrow for "The 3 Things I Have Learned" where I'll break down the lessons, wins, and losses from this week.