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…
by Tim Parkins | Dec 14, 2025
The Permission Slip Is Never Coming How to uninstall the Compliance OS and authorize your own life. The gate was never locked. Your Permission Slip Is Never Coming You think your problem is time. You tell yourself (and anyone who will listen) that you’d love to pivot. You’d love to start the podcast, write the book, or finally take your health seriously. But you simply can’t right now. You’re swamped with work. You’ve got a mortgage. Kids. A boss whose favourite word is “URGENT”. And what…
by Tim Parkins | Dec 7, 2025
The Shadow Career: Why You’re Succeeding at the Wrong Thing Stop optimizing a life that was never meant to be yours. The fortress you built to protect you is now the shadow that owns you. You’re damn good at your job. And that might be the problem. That professional life you’ve built? The one that pays well, looks impressive on LinkedIn, and uses about 60% of your actual horsepower? That’s your Shadow Career. It’s not a mistake. It’s a defence mechanism. You didn’t stumble into it. You…
by Tim Parkins | Nov 30, 2025
When You Stop Trusting the Path When the work still matters – but the way you’re chasing it doesn’t. When the destination is clear, but the path is uncertain. I spent at least four hours this week optimizing my home network. It wasn’t broken. It wasn’t even slow. But there I was, buying new mesh nodes, running speed tests, rearranging cables, and screwing with network settings like it was mission-critical work. I also browsed Black Friday sales for things I don’t need and don’t even really…
