Default No
Saying "yes" opens doors—but saying "no" creates space. Why "no" should be your default.
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Inter Alia
Books
The spatial and tactile sense of a physical book—knowing where it lives, feeling its weight, seeing it on the shelf—creates a different relationship with what you're reading.
While You Panic, We Draft a Kill List
A Saturday phone call about world threats leads to a conversation about the Disposition Matrix—and why worrying about what you can't control is a waste of energy.
Professionals Dry Fire
If you carry a firearm for self-defense, you have an obligation to be professional—competent, skillful, assured. That means being both fast and accurate. Here's what that requires.
Intuition Beats Data
Many executives assume "numbers first" makes you a strong decision-maker. But what about intuition, experience, and creativity? Sometimes the numbers need to be understood, then set aside, so we can make bold decisions that push past the plateau.
The Dictator's Hoodie
A Venezuelan dictator on U.S. soil wearing a 100% American-made hoodie—the irony of freedom's uniform on a man accused of crushing it.
It Pays to Be a Quiet Professional, Not a Busy Bragger
In special operations, "busy braggers" are rejected. Corporate America should learn: quiet professionals optimize for output while busy braggers optimize for appearances. In the long run, quiet professionals win.
When Discipline Becomes Stubbornness
Refusing to adapt when life changes doesn't make you disciplined—it makes you stubborn. Here's what happened when I finally acknowledged I was in a new season.
This Given Sunday
From flower stands to Stephen King, physical books to Nerf warfare—observations from a Sunday well spent.
At the Park
Whenever I'm at the park with my kids, I don't take out my phone. This has several benefits. I give my undivided attention to my children the entire time we're there.
On the 1st: One Hard Thing
What if your new year feels like any other day? Do one hard thing and keep it to yourself. For those who started in a difficult place: it's just another day. You control how you feel about today.
A Simple Way to Change Your Year
Year's end brings predictable advice from business gurus and productivity experts. Most assumes everyone faces identical challenges. My approach: change one habit at a time.