by Tim Parkins | Jan 25, 2026
The Art of Strategic Ignorance Why your competence is a trap (and how to escape it). Ignore the noise. Protect the mission. You are exhausted. But not because you are failing. You are exhausted because you are succeeding at the wrong things. There is a dirty secret in the corporate world that nobody says out loud: The reward for being efficient is more work. If you are the person who always fixes the slide deck, you will always be the person fixing the slide deck. If you are the one who knows…
by Tim Parkins | Jan 18, 2026
I followed a signal I couldn’t explain. You don’t get to skip the dark and discomfort if you wish to move forward. Back in the fall, I rebranded myself to Soulwork Strategist. I didn’t fully understand what that meant when I chose it. And that, I’m realizing, was exactly the point. “Career Coach” was the safe label. Clean. Marketable. “Here’s your next move.” That’s a Job title, which is what many people are chasing. “Work Architect” was closer. It recognized that you can’t just chase the…
by Tim Parkins | Jan 11, 2026
The Practice of Uncertainty Faith doesn’t make it comfortable. It just makes it survivable. I’m doing something different this week, partly because I’ve decided that I’m going to consistently do different things this year. I’m revisiting something I wrote about last week, with the intention of building on it. Not just because it’s distinct from my usual rhythm, but because I think it’s important. (At least, it seems important to me; which means that it might be to you too.) One recent…
by Tim Parkins | Jan 4, 2026
Why I’m Done Setting Goals (For Now) Goal-setting revealed what I wasn’t willing to risk. Now I can’t un-see it. A mask, a list, and the truth between them. I’ve set goals every single year for as long as I can remember. This year, I’m done. Not because goals are inherently bad, but because mine were keeping me stuck in places I didn’t want to stay stuck. If you’re into “productivity porn” like me, your inbox is currently overflowing. “Set SMART goals!” “This is YOUR year!” “Here’s my…
by Tim Parkins | Dec 21, 2025
The Sunday Night Cheat Sheet: Contract vs. Calling Contracts get signed. Callings get answered. Stop negotiating what wants to live. Sunday night. And you’ve got that familiar knot in your stomach. You’re staring down another week, wondering why success feels so crappy. Here’s why: You’re confusing your Job with your Work. You’re dreading tomorrow because you’ve outsourced your sense of purpose to an employer who literally cannot provide it. Let’s fix that before you log in. The Sunday Night…
