leading yourself first, a book on doing less better, Jon Bellion live, an ultrarunner on relentless positivity, a connection challenge, a strength flow, & sweet pot
I’m convinced most leadership problems are actually self-leadership problems. We want to lead our families, our teams, our friends but we haven’t taken responsibility for our own attention, our own habits, our own inner life. This piece is a really clear-eyed reminder that the leadership you offer the world is always downstream of the leadership you offer yourself.
McKeown's argument is deceptively simple: most of us are stretched thin not because life is overwhelming, but because we've never decided what actually matters. Essentialism isn't about doing less for the sake of doing less — it's about doing only what's essential, and doing it well.
Key Learnings:
1. The Paradox of Success. Success often kills the very focus that created it. The cure is to keep choosing the vital few over the trivial many.
2. If It’s Not a Hell Yes, It’s a No. McKeown’s filter for opportunities, commitments, even relationships. A polite “yes” to everything is a slow “no” to the things that would have mattered most.
3. Design Your Defaults. Willpower is a lousy long-term strategy. The essentialist builds routines, environments, and rules so the right choice is the easy one.
4. Subtract Before You Add. Before adding another habit, project, or commitment, ask: what comes out? Most of us only ever stack. Real progress usually starts by removing.
Why It Resonates: I feel the pull of “more” almost every day. This book is a steady hand on the shoulder telling me that less, chosen well, is not laziness…it’s stewardship.
🎬 JUST GOOD CONTENT
had to share it.
🎙️ PODCAST OF THE WEEK
The Rich Roll Podcast — "Smile, Or You're Doing It Wrong: Andy Glaze On Relentless Positivity, PTSD, & The Healing Power Of Movement"
Andy Glaze is a firefighter paramedic, an ultrarunner, and the author of Smile, or You’re Doing It Wrong. This is a conversation about the space between falling down and getting back up. Addiction, the inflection point that rerouted his life, the limits of running as a coping mechanism, and what real transformation actually looks like underneath all of it.
It’s really raw, challenging, enjoyable, and very human.
🚀 5 FACTOR CHALLENGE
(Factors of Health | Eat, Sleep, Train, Think, Connect)
Factor: Connect
The Challenge: Reach out to three people this week in person, by phone, or by voice memo, or text, and tell each of them, specifically, something you appreciate about them. Not “love ya bro.” Specific. “The way you handled X last month was really cool to see.” / “I think about that thing you told me about Y all the time.”
Bonus: make one of the three someone you’ve drifted from. A college friend, an old coach, a former coworker, a family member you haven’t really talked to in a year.
Why you benefit: Connection is a practice, and the practice is going first. Most of us are walking around with kind, true, specific words for the people in our lives that we’ve never said out loud. Saying them does three things at once: it strengthens the other person, it strengthens the relationship, and almost as a side effect, it pulls you out of your own head. There is no faster antidote to a heavy week than going first with gratitude.
💪🏻 WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
“The 20-Minute Strength Flow”
Five rounds. Rest 60 seconds between rounds.
10 Push-Ups(modification: drop to knees, or elevate hands on a bench/counter)
15 Bodyweight Squats(modification: hold a chair or doorframe for balance; reduce to 10 reps if needed)
10 Reverse Lunges per leg(modification: hold a wall for balance, or shorten to 6 per leg)
30-Second Plank(modification: drop to forearms or knees; or do 15s on / 15s off)
10 Glute Bridges(modification: pause 2 seconds at the top for added challenge)
20 Mountain Climbers(modification: slow them down and focus on bracing the core; or substitute marching in place)
Finish with 2 minutes of slow walking and 5 deep nasal breaths. That’s the workout.
🥑 RECIPE OF THE WEEK
A healthy, nutrient dense, minimally processed meal or snack.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
8 small corn or almond-flour tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
For the lime crema:
½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or cashew cream for dairy-free)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
Toss the diced sweet potato with the avocado oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the sheet pan.
Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until edges are caramelized and the centers are tender.
While the potatoes roast, warm the black beans in a small saucepan with the chili powder and a splash of water. Season with salt to taste.
Whisk together the lime crema ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust salt and lime to taste.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat, 20–30 seconds per side.
Assemble: a spoonful of black beans, a generous scoop of roasted sweet potato, avocado slices, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of lime crema.
