How to Bounce Back Faster Read time: 4 minutes Welcome back. Last week we got into the literal Science Of Success. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today, I'm going to remind you of a certainty we'll all face: Something's going to go wrong for you this year. Guaranteed. You'll get a polite no on a pitch. You'll make a call that costs you money. You'll say something weird in a meeting and replay it the whole drive home. Cool. Welcome to doing anything worth doing. I'm 40 and I've...
8 days ago • 4 min read
The Science Of Success (Really). Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, we talked about why you need to increase your surface area to capture luck. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today, I'm going to dive deep into The Science Of Success. I've been writing this newsletter for years. It's called The Science of Success. And I realised the other day that I've never actually written about the science of success. The literal, researched, studied, peer-reviewed science of...
15 days ago • 7 min read
Luck Needs Somewhere To Land. Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, we talked about why failure beats daydreaming, and why you should seek it asap. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today I want to talk about luck. And why some people seem to have so much of it. Luck Has A Routing Problem Everyone wants more opportunities. More interesting people. More "right place, right time" moments. But when you look at how most people move through the world, there's almost...
22 days ago • 5 min read
Failure Beats Daydreaming. Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, we talked about what I never asked my dad. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today I want to talk about the most comfortable place a business idea can live and why it's killing your chances of ever building it. Your Head Is A Dangerous Place For An Idea There's a stage where thinking about an idea becomes a hobby. You imagine people buying it. You picture the freedom the money could give you. You start...
29 days ago • 5 min read
What I never asked my dad Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, we talked about fulfilling small promises to yourself. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today, I want to talk about advising my younger self: I'd probably have plenty to say about work, money and the decisions I was about to make. I'd have questions too, especially about whether any of it worked out. But I'd want to pick up the phone while I could still ask the people closest to me about their lives. My...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Read This And Get Pissed At yourself Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, we talked about why refusing to suffer actually leads to more suffering. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Today, I want to weigh on your mind about one thing: You already know the thing Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this. And you've probably read some version of it four times this month already, somewhere between a LinkedIn carousel and an infographic with a nice gradient on it. But...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Refusing To Suffer Is What Makes You Sick. Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, I talked about how to know if your business idea Is worth pursuing. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Before we dive into the letter. Today I want to talk about a quote that’s been following me around for months and a pattern I keep seeing in myself and in almost every ambitious person I know. Carl Jung Said Something That Hurts To Read Read that again, slowly. "The foundation of all...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
How To Know If Your Business Idea Is Worth Pursuing. Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, I talked about why you already know the answer to most of the things you're sitting on, and why nobody is coming to give you permission. You can read that (and all past issues, here) Before we dive into the letter. Hi from week 2 of my potentially terrible idea of a driving staycation throughout the UK. Staying over at Chester Zoo was a win, Chester is stunning, Liverpool was awesome and...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
You Already Know. You're Just Waiting For Someone Else To Say It. Read time: 6 minutes Hey, welcome back. Last week, I talked about why the most important things in my life all came from chasing something else entirely, and the obliquity principle You can read that (and all past issues, here) Before we dive into the letter. I'm writing from week one of a two week staycation because with weather like this, why get on a plane with kids? Other than a few tantrums from the 5 year old and the...
2 months ago • 7 min read