Curiosity Chronicle

Question: Are you aware of the finite, impermanent nature of your time?Framework: The Donkey Mindset

I just turned 34. Every year, I use my birthday as a moment for reflection, an opportunity to zoom out and consider what I've learned along the way.I hope you see yourself in one or more of these lessons, that they connect and spark a positive ripple in your life.This piece shares 34 life lessons from my 34 years.We're less than a month away from the launch of my first book, The 5 Types of Wealth.Order today to Unlock Exclusive BonusesThe 5 Types of Wealth provides the actionable tools to define, measure, and design your life around the pillars that truly create lasting happiness and fulfillment.Order now and you'll unlock several exclusive bonuses, like a ticket to our virtual launch event, a companion video series, and more.Order your copy today! 

Question: Are you afraid of your own light?Framework: The Starfish RuleWe're just over a month away from the launch of my first book, The 5 Types of Wealth.Order today to Unlock Exclusive BonusesThe 5 Types of Wealth provides the actionable tools to define, measure, and design your life around the pillars that truly create lasting happiness and fulfillment.Order now and you'll unlock several exclusive bonuses, like a ticket to our virtual launch event, a companion video series, and more.Order your copy today! 

I've never been a fan of New Year's resolutions: They're too rigid and require a belief that you can choose the perfect set of resolutions that will be relevant throughout the entire year.I prefer to set New Year's intentions: Big picture, open-ended ideas and mindsets that I want to focus on for the year ahead.The 5 intentions I'm setting for 2025: (1) Recognize time as the most valuable asset, (2) Control the controllable, (3) Find joy in the small, (4) Let go of the things that no longer serve me, and (5) Go All In.We're just over a month away from the launch of my first book, The 5 Types of Wealth.Order today to Unlock Exclusive BonusesThe 5 Types of Wealth provides the actionable tools to define, measure, and design your life around the pillars that truly create lasting happiness and fulfillment.Order now and you'll unlock several exclusive bonuses, like a ticket to our virtual launch event, a companion video series, and more.Order your copy today! 

Question: Are you allowing your head to outsmart your gut?Framework: The 4-7-8 Breathing Method

Welcome to the final Wednesday issue of 2024. For the third year in a row, I sent out over 100 newsletters to my subscribers—two per week, every single week. In fact, I haven't missed an issue since I started this newsletter in May 2021.This newsletter is all about ideas—actionable ideas to help you build a high-performing, healthy, wealthy life.I shared thousands of ideas here this year. Here were my 9 favorites: (1) The Main Character Question, (2) Taxes of Life, (3) 2 Pillars of Strong Relationships, (4) Winner's Game vs. Loser's Game, (5) The Stories You Tell Yourself, (6) Solomon's Paradox, (7) Seasons of Loneliness, (8) Make the Coffee, and (9) The Wealth Score.

Framework: The Grow30 ChallengeQuestion: What answers are hidden in the actions you avoid?

The Annual Planning Guide includes: (1) my simple goal-setting framework, (2) three system-building mental models, and (3) a strategy for tracking and adjusting throughout the year.This annual planning process has been an immensely helpful exercise to which I would credit many of my greatest achievements. I hope that it will spark you to conduct your own annual planning process for 2025.You can download a beautiful (and free!) printable PDF template ​​here​​.

Question: What are you doing to reveal the invisible opportunities?Framework: The Four Quarters Technique

The end of the calendar year presents us with a unique and valuable opportunity: To reflect on the year that was and plan for the year that will be.I started conducting a Personal Annual Review over ten years ago. It has been a transformative exercise—one that has had an outsized impact on my personal progress and growth.The Personal Annual Review is 7 simple questions that may change your life.ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm hosting a Personal Annual Review workshop on December 16. Attendees will also receive the 2024 Personal Annual Review E-Book. To register, preorder one copy of my book and submit your information and order number here.

Question: Who are your Darkest Hour Friends?Framework: The Nova Effect

I see a lot of bad advice out there when it comes to how to do that—most of it trying to sell you on the easy way to make money.This piece is my attempt to offer some good in a sea of bad: My honest advice to someone who wants to make a lot of money.A sampling of the advice: The only way to make a lot of money is to create a lot of value, there's no such thing as making it, "doing your own thing" isn't for everyone, and salesmanship is more valuable than intelligence. Read the full piece for more!

Every month, I receive hundreds of messages, emails, and questions from people all around the world. The single most common question that comes up: "I feel lost. What should I do?"Here's an open letter to my lost younger self—with the five things I'd like to tell that version of me that would have accelerated his path to the other side.(1) Reclaim your power; (2) Remember that the answer is found in the action; (3) Trust in the trend, not the position; (4) Create value for everyone you come across; and (5) Find your challenge-seekers.

Question: Do you want to be liked or loved?Framework: Amor Fati

One year ago, my family came together to mourn the loss of my grandmother. Reflecting on the experience later, I was struck by one thing: The card for the memorial had her date of birth and date of death, with a simple dash in between.That dash holds everything. Every ounce of a person's life captured in that single, small, insignificant line.The experience sparked one idea I can't stop thinking about: Make the dash count.This piece is derived from concepts explored in depth in my upcoming book, The 5 Types of Wealth. Preorder and unlock exclusive bonuses here.

One of the greatest joys of my life is that I often get to spend time in rooms surrounded by big thinkers. Rooms with an extraordinary idea density.There are certain times when, even long after leaving the room, the ideas linger in my mind. I wrestle with them to develop my only lens for each.This piece shares 24 short ideas I can't stop thinking about.

Question: Are you embracing your Pattern Interrupts?Framework: Zeigarnik Effect

Success isn't what you think. You're sold a glossy, filtered version of success. The reality looks different.In today's piece, I want to share the harsh truths about success—the reality that no one sells you (because it wouldn't sell very well).13 harsh truths about success nobody told you: (1) You will have to endure long seasons of loneliness; (2) Your anxiety will scale proportionally to your ambition; (3) To shine in the light you have to embrace boredom in the dark; (4) The climb is always better than the view from the summit; (5) You have to pay your rent daily; (6) Adaptability will always beat planning; (7) Your imposter syndrome and self-doubt never go away; (8) It will always take longer than you expect; (9) The good and the bad get amplified; (10) The money only solves money problems; (11) There's no such thing as later; (12) You never really figure it out; (13) You'll never feel successful unless you create your own definition of success.

Question: Does your situation need to change, or just your outlook on it?Framework: The Cobra Effect

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” - G. Michael HopfWe live in an ease-obsessed world. To build the life you want, to earn the things you want, your resistance is the cost of entry.Remember: Nothing worth having in life should be easy. The things that matter in life are hard to build.