NEWSLETTER

How Your Life Got Optimized For The Wrong Outcomes You didn’t write the rules you’re living by, but they’re still running the show. Last week, I made the case that a new job won’t fix what’s broken inside you because what really needs upgrading isn’t your boss, your org chart, or your coffee budget. It’s your operating system. The beliefs. The habits. The mindset. The stories. All that invisible architecture quietly determining how you respond to the world. And this week, I want to take that…

A New Job Won’t Fix What’s Broken Inside You Most people think they need a new job. What they really need… is a new OS. For a long time, I told myself the story that the problem was them. My boss. My department. The bureaucratic bullshit. The endless meetings that could’ve been emails. So I jumped ship. New job. New org. New title. At first, it felt like I made the right call; new faces, unfamiliar obstacles, a different vibe. But eventually, the same old patterns crept back in: Frustration…

The 4 Types of Change (And Why You’re Focused on the Wrong One) The 4 Types of Change (And Why You’re Focused on the Wrong One) You’re not imagining it. The old world is dissolving; quietly, slowly, and then sometimes with a bang and quicker than you expect. Political systems are cracking, institutions are bleeding credibility, macroeconomic stability is wobbling, and AI is rewriting the rules of work and what it even means to be human. A lot of us are sinking into noise overload; scrolling…

Maybe More Willpower Isn’t The Answer After All When working harder isn’t working for you, it’s time to try a different approach. This past week, I noticed the plants in my wife’s garden suddenly burst into life after weeks of what seemed like slow or even stalled progress. Everything seemed to shoot up almost overnight, exploding in vibrant greens. Seeing how quickly this growth happened reminded me of how impatient I can often be with myself, frustrated by the sense that I should be further…

You’re Hitting All Your Goals – and Still Losing You’re so busy chasing success, you don’t realize it’s dragging you further from the life you actually want. If you’re a high-achiever, chances are you’re setting goals, and busting your ass to hit them. Get the promotion. Run the marathon. Save for the house. Launch the business. You know the drill. Setting goals and driving towards them is important. But here’s the problem: Very few people have a mission. Fewer still have a clear vision of…

You’re Probably Ignoring the Most Important Investment of Your Life No, it’s not your index fund. It’s not crypto. It’s not your RRSP or IRA. It’s your ability to do meaningful, high-value work. Most people with a modicum of success spend countless hours researching financial investments, analyzing strategies, chasing returns, and optimizing for growth. But they’re missing the big one, the most important investment of all: investing in themselves to ensure they’re doing the right work. That’s…

How Your Growth Might Be Holding You Back I forgot to hit play, and accidentally had a breakthrough. Have you noticed it’s harder to think clearly these days? You’re always learning. Always listening. Always absorbing. Another podcast on your commute. Another newsletter in your inbox. Another book queued up. You tell yourself you’re being productive. That this is what growth looks like. But lately? It feels like none of it’s sinking in. You feel mentally full, yet somehow… unsatisfied. Like…

Your Brain Fails You When You Need It Most. Here’s The Fix. The Backstory I’ve mentioned this before, but years ago, I learned the hard way that my “just grind it out” approach to dealing with stress had detonated every circuit in my mind and left me hospitalized. Recovery forced me to design and implement guardrails I’d never needed before. Out of that hot mess came my first Trigger Action Plans (TAPs for short). They were simple checklists that let me pivot from “spiralling” to “steady”…

Trying Reindeer, Scoring Goals, and Rediscovering Myself A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering hand in hand with my wife along a cobblestone harbour in Copenhagen. No phone in hand. No tasks pinging. No running checklist in the back of my mind. enjoying time with my beautiful wife Janique Just walking. Exploring. Laughing. Watching people ride bikes in suits and heels like it was the most normal thing in the world. It felt… light. Not because the schedule was slow (it wasn’t). We were on a…

Why Top Performers “Fake It Til They Make It” ‘Fake it until you make it’ gets a bad rap. But it’s one of the key tools top performers use; not to pretend, but to become. People treat it like a con, like you’re trying to trick the world. But it’s not about pretending to be someone you’re not; it’s about practicing the version of you that you’re becoming. Let’s say you want to be a writer. You don’t feel like one yet. You’re waiting for inspiration, or clarity, or… whatever magic lightning…

The Promotion That Blew Up My Life I got everything I thought I wanted, and it almost broke me. Years ago, I was chasing a promotion. I was sure I wanted it. It looked great on paper; more responsibility, the opportunity to have even more influence, a fancy title that sounded cool, and, of course, more money. The classic next step. What everyone wants, right? I got the promotion. I was so proud of myself, feeling like “I’d arrived”. Now things would be great! Finally! But the shine quickly…

Why Grit Fails (and How To Get Stuff Done Without It) Discipline is where most people stall out. They think it’s the destination. It’s not even close….. 🤔 High-performers aren’t relying on discipline and neither should you. You start a new project. You’re hyped. Energized. Maybe even a little obsessed. For a few days, you’re on fire. Then the feeling fades. You get distracted. Life throws something at you. Your plan gets shelved with all the others, and another project joins the pile of…

The Enormous Price You’re Paying (Without Even Realizing It) You’re paying a hidden tax, and you won’t see the bill until it’s too late. Every choice has a price, even the ones you don’t realize you’re making. (Especially those). In economics, they call this price “opportunity cost”. It’s essentially the price of the path not taken. When you choose one thing, you forgo everything else you could have done with that same time, energy, and attention. I know what you’re thinking: “Nice idea Tim,…

Why You Feel Unproductive (Even When You’re Drowning in Work) You’re not failing. Your system is. Here’s how to reclaim your time and meaning. I’m positive you can relate to the experience of closing your laptop after a long day of back-to-back Zoom calls, endless email threads, and urgent instant messages, only to wonder: “What did I actually accomplish today?” Most of us grapple with this frustrating paradox of modern work: despite being constantly busy, we often end the day unsure if we…

When life punches you in the face… This is how I got back up and in the game. I had a plan for this week’s newsletter. I blocked the time, outlined the theme, and even had a good quote lined up. But then – life. “Man plans, and God laughs,” as they say. My plans were dashed. My energy drained. Creativity evaporated. Some weeks, the outside world refuses to line up with the inner plans, completely ignoring my carefully time-blocked schedule. Work tasks stretched longer than I’d hoped….

Forced Freedom: How The Murder Of Your Old Identity Could Be The Best Thing To Ever Happen To You Sometimes it takes getting pushed to finally take the leap. Easter is a story of death and resurrection, which are two sides of the same coin; you can’t have one without the other. Whether you connect with this idea religiously, spiritually, or simply as a metaphor, it’s hard to deny the power of the theme. Something must end for something new to begin. Birth requires death. That’s as true in…

Career Alchemy: Why Ancient Wisdom Holds the Key to Thriving at Work Today The ancient stories we dismiss as “mere myths” aren’t fictional at all, but are hyper-real blueprints for thriving in uncertain times. Surprisingly, the lessons they contain apply in today as much as they ever have. Myths, legends, and philosophical texts aren’t just entertainment. These stories and ideas have endured precisely because they contain profound truths about human resilience, adaptability, and…

You’re In A War With Yourself. And You’re Losing You blame distractions, work, and a lack of time for not living the life you want, because it’s a hell of a lot easier than facing a harsh truth. You say you’re too busy. Too overwhelmed. Too tired. Bullshit. You’re just scared. Social media isn’t the problem. Neither is your inbox, your boss, the political situation, the economy, or whatever outrage is trending today. Those are shields, some convenient excuses to hide behind and help you avoid…

Spring Cleaning for Your Career: Make Space for Growth Spring is here, a season of renewal, growth, and transformation. After months of cold and stagnation, nature doesn’t hesitate. It bursts back to life, unapologetically shedding the old to make way for the new. What if we did the same with our careers and mindset? In the spring, we open the windows, let the fresh air in, and clear out what no longer serves us. But while we’re taking care of our “spring cleaning”, how often do we make time…

The One Success Hack You Haven’t Tried Yet Everywhere you look, someone is promising the “ultimate hack” to success. Cold plunges. Waking up at 4 AM. Daily journaling. Psychedelics. Fasting. Meditation. And if you were really committed, you’d do all the above before the sun even rises. Some billionaire swears by their routine, so it’s easy to assume it must be the key to an amazing life, right? It’s understandable. Success leaves clues, and we naturally look to those who have achieved what we…

How To Use The Chaos To Create Your Career Freedom Imagine waking up one morning to find out your industry has been upended overnight. The company you trusted, the skills you mastered, and the job you thought was secure—suddenly irrelevant. This isn’t some distant future; it’s happening right now. The rules of work are being rewritten, and those who cannot adapt will be left behind. Massive shifts in the working world (such as AI, trade disruptions, and the decentralization of work) are…

Ditch Autopilot: How to Rewire Your Work Life In 30 Days Does your work life feel like Groundhog Day, same thing day in and day out? You’re excelling at work, racking up successes, but quietly waiting for Friday to rescue you. I’ve been there! Many successful professionals hit this wall: the job looks great on paper, yet it’s lost its spark. You’re running on autopilot, bouncing from what feels like one useless meeting to another, and never feeling like you’re doing something that’s really…

The Hidden Forces Driving Your Life If someone followed you for a week, what would they say you value most? And – would they be right? For many people, there’s a gap between what they say they value and what their actions reflect. Not because they’re dishonest, but because they’ve never taken the time to consciously define their core values. They’re operating unconsciously. Without having clear values, it’s challenging to make decisions with confidence and clarity. This is dangerous! You can…

Burned Out or Just Bored? How to Tell the Difference (And What to Do About It) You wake up feeling drained. Work feels like a slog. Every task seems pointless. You wonder: Am I burned out? Do I need a break? Or do I need a whole new career? Burnout is real, and it can sneak up on you if you’re not careful. I’ve been there. I once pushed myself so hard that I ended up in the hospital. My toxic relationship with work nearly broke me, and I didn’t even realize it was happening at the time. So I…