No shows. No regrets.
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Ambition isn’t the enemy. Unclear ambition is. Read time: 4 mins Hi Reader, This past week was full of networking events, business openings, and social mixers. Not long ago, I'd have felt obliged to show up. Not this time. Not out of rebellion, tiredness, or indifference. I just needed to set clear boundaries for myself. From the experts “...our culture glorifies burnout as a measure of success and self-worth… Burnout is not a badge of honour.” — Greg McKeown “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — Seth Godin “If you’re not saying ‘HELL YEAH!’ about something, say no.” — Derek Sivers “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants.” — Henry David Thoreau “No.” is a complete sentence. — Anne Lamott Four games A simple idea from entrepreneur Jodie Cook has stuck with me. She says entrepreneurs typically play one of four "games", and each has its own motivations and ideal peer groups. Lifestyle Game
Artist Game
Performance Game
Build to Sell Game
Jodie suggests that understanding your own game makes life simpler. I think knowing which game you’re playing protects your energy and your peace. In my case... When deciding whether to attend these events, I asked myself:
What became clear is that a version of "enough" is about supporting impact, not being tagged on social media to appear "connected" and play status games. I'm realising my games sit somewhere between "lifestyle" and "artist" (although I hate that label). I value my quality time with the important people in my life, and I want to spend most of my working hours on creating value for my clients and readers, like you. I care less than ever about rankings, follower counts, or low-stakes status games. (Admittedly, once upon a time - that was the case) Even though last week's events promised many connections, I politely opted out. They all went ahead and it all looked like it all went well, so everyone's happy. Escape the algorithm - A few things I’ve been exploring lately Article: Why ambitious people need each other by David Perell. He's a good writer. Podcast: Jodie Cook's Four Entrepreneurial Games Her summary of the four business games lives in my mind rent-free. Major tool update: Midjourney video has officially launched. Those subscription fees are piling up...
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AI prompt: For a bit of fun. Works best if you have history on and it knows EVERYTHING about you. If my life was a movie and people were watching up until the point, what would the audience be screaming at the screen telling me to do. Mine said: "Go all in!" – You’ve tested enough. You’ve helped others build their visions. Now build yours. If you got this far, you're part of 71% of subscribers, so thank you, Reader. If you’ve ever said yes to something out of status, guilt, or FOMO, you're not alone. I’m still learning where to draw the line, too. I have the next two newsletters drafted. What do you want to read first?
You become what you scroll. Choose accordingly. If a section has particularly interested you, click the link of the corresponding section. It helps me prepare future newsletters. If this email was forwarded to you, please consider subscribing. See you in two weeks. Peace, Has
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