Question: What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Framework: The Red Team

The 2 pillars of strong relationships: High expectations and high support.

High expectations are the belief that the other person is capable of excellence, that their potential is only limited by their own views. High support is the ability and willingness to provide the love, support, and engagement to help the person meet those high expectations. Both are necessary to achieve a strong relationship.

Question: What are three examples of times you've accomplished something you didn't think was possible?

Framework: Circles of Success

Last week, I went on a whirlwind event tour of India. 2,000+ attendees at 6 events in 6 days across 3 different cities.

I met and spent time with hundreds of people, doing my best to provide perspectives and guidance on the questions they asked. I believe that the questions are universal, so in today’s piece, I’d like to share the insights and perspectives that I offered in response to them.

6 insights from 6 days: (1) Discipline is the ultimate act of service to your future self, (2) Lifelong learners will always find a way to thrive, (3) Information is abundant, action is scarce, (4) Celebrate every win (no matter how tiny), (5) You have to fight back against the Centipede’s Dilemma, and (6) Dive through the cracks.

Question: If someone observed your actions for a week, what would they say your priorities are?

Framework: The Power Down Ritual

I'm not a morning person (at least not naturally). For most of my childhood, I'd hit snooze a million times and my mom would have to drag me out of bed to make it to school on time. In my college years, the morning hours were forced upon me by pre-class baseball practices and lifts.

At first, I struggled mightily with the adjustment. I knew that if I wanted to perform, I had to figure out a system: I had to become a morning person. Somewhere along the way, it clicked, and for the last 10 years, I've started most mornings with a 4am alarm.

This piece shares 5 actionable strategies that I have used to turn myself from a night owl into a morning person.

Question: How can I build my recovery into my days?

Framework: The Sinatra Test

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet up for a drink with Gary Vaynerchuk, the entrepreneur, creator, and investor perhaps best known as Gary V.

We were chatting about what enables this longevity, when he casually dropped a single, incredibly powerful line: "You've gotta love the dirt."

The dirt is where you start. It's where you're built. It's where you find your initial success. We all start in the dirt on the journey to success, but few are willing to remain there. Few fall in love with the dirt. The day you leave the dirt is the day the clock starts ticking down on your run.

Question: What is the tiny first step that will move you closer to your big, scary goal?

Framework: Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that involves the repair of broken pottery with a special lacquer mixed with powdered precious metals (like gold, silver, or platinum).

I just co-hosted a retreat for a small group of very successful entrepreneurs in Cabo, Mexico. The explicit goal of the retreat was to help work through a big challenge facing each attendee.

My goal is to “bring you into the room” so that you can feel the impact of the experience in your own careers and lives.

With that in mind, this piece shares my 9 non-obvious learnings from the retreat.