In this episode, Carl expands the idea of planning beyond money to include the four forms of capital we’re always spending: money, energy, time, and attention. He explains why plans that only optimize for dollars can look great on paper and still fail in real life, especially when invisible costs like exhaustion, distraction, or resentment go unexamined. Through simple, human examples, Carl argues that attention is the true currency of meaning and relationships, and that real planning is about aligning how we use all of our capital with what actually matters to us.

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In this episode, Carl reframes optionality as one of the most important forms of safety in planning. Pushing back on the romantic idea of “burning the boats,” he explains why removing all alternatives doesn’t create commitment; it creates fragility. In an uncertain world, optionality is the ability to respond to new information, not a sign of fear or indecision. Through ideas like micro-actions, Slack, and margin of safety, Carl shows how small, reversible steps create learning, resilience, and real momentum. This is a conversation about designing plans that can bend instead of break, and why flexibility, not drama, is what actually carries us forward.

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In this episode, Carl introduces the idea of the “next local optimum” and challenges the fantasy that meaningful change comes from one big, heroic leap. In complex, real-world systems like money, careers, and relationships, clarity doesn’t arrive before action. It emerges because of action. Carl explains why small, reversible steps matter more than bold plans, how micro-actions create learning and reduce risk, and why navigation beats ambition every time. This is an episode about trading certainty for orientation, letting go of the myth of the big move, and learning to trust the quiet power of the next small step.

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In this episode, Carl pauses his planning series to explore the idea behind one of his favorite sketches from his new book: The Four Sources of Capital. Prompted by a thoughtful LinkedIn question, he unpacks why money, energy, time, and attention deserve to be treated as distinct—and why attention may be the most valuable of all. Using a simple skiing example, Carl shows how we can spend money, time, and energy without ever really being present, and how attention is what turns activity into meaning. At its core, this episode is a reflection on why attention is the true currency of meaningful experiences and lasting relationships.

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In this episode, Carl turns the planning conversation toward current reality and asks a deceptively simple question: Where are you, really? After starting with purpose, values, and goals, he explains why honest planning can only begin once we locate ourselves clearly. Carl reframes balance sheets and net worth as stories, not just numbers, and shows why naming what you own and what you owe is an act of kindness, not judgment. This episode explores how radical honesty, done slowly and without shame, can turn vague anxiety into something workable and gives planning a real place to start.

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In this episode, Carl introduces the idea of “crunchy bits” and emotional resonance—those subtle moments in a conversation when something important is trying to surface. He explains how to notice the signals: changes in tone, pauses, defensiveness, laughter, body language, or even a shift you feel within yourself. Most importantly, Carl talks about the courage to slow down and hold space, rather than rushing past discomfort. This episode serves as a practical guide to the fine-brush work of real financial planning, where presence, patience, and trust create the conditions for meaning to emerge.

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In this episode, Carl explores how real financial planning conversations actually deepen. While initial questions matter, they’re only the doorway. The real work begins after the first answer. Carl introduces the idea of “go-deeper transitions”: simple, human moves like saying “tell me more,” noticing emotionally charged words, or gently naming what feels important in the room. He explains why these moments matter more than perfectly scripted questions, and how curiosity, presence, and permission allow deeper meaning to surface over time. This is a practical look at how listening turns a surface conversation into one that actually changes how people understand money and their lives.

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In this episode, Carl names the core skill at the heart of real financial planning: listening. Not just hearing words, but practicing presence, intuition, and sensing what’s actually happening in the room. He explains why this kind of listening isn’t taught in traditional financial planning and why it can feel uncomfortable, vague, and hard to measure. Through simple, everyday examples, Carl shows how listening and trusting intuition are skills you can practice, and why letting go of false certainty is essential. This episode is about reclaiming listening as the real craft of planning, and why it matters more than any spreadsheet ever could.

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In this episode, Carl reframes the role of the planner in what he calls real financial planning. The job isn’t to calculate or construct meaning, but to facilitate its discovery. Using the metaphors of archaeology and non-destinational hiking, Carl explains why meaning already exists within the client, and why the planner’s work is to uncover it with presence, care, and skill. Spreadsheets and models still matter, but only as tools that create space for deeper exploration. At its core, this kind of planning is about guidance, facilitation, and learning how to get out of the way so something more meaningful can emerge.

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