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Carl Jacobi, one of the greatest mathematicians of the 19th century, had one rule he applied to every problem he couldn’t solve:
Carl Jacobi, one of the greatest mathematicians of the 19th century, had one rule he applied to every problem he couldn’t solve: Invert. Always invert. Don’t ask how to succeed.Ask how to guarantee failure. Flip the question, and the answer becomes obvious. I first came across this idea in 2009,at a point in my life…
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When the email lands, when the deal collapses, when the fight starts, your body triggers a hijack. Your IQ literally drops.
When the email lands, when the deal collapses, when the fight starts, your body triggers a hijack. Your IQ literally drops. The amygdala (lizard brain) takes over.The prefrontal cortex (logic brain) goes offline. You become stupider. Faster. And in those 10 seconds,you make decisions that take 10 years to undo. You can’t think your way…
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The hardest part of homeschooling Leyla
The hardest part of homeschooling Leyla I never talked about. When Leyla was 8, she couldn’t really read.Other kids her age could. And for the first time, Manon and I looked at each other and genuinely asked, are we getting this wrong? Are we failing her? That doubt is a very specific kind of discomfort.Because…
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1 hour of training is 4% of your day.
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In a firefight, when you run out of ammo, you don’t stand there clicking an empty weapon.
In a firefight, when you run out of ammo, you don’t stand there clicking an empty weapon. That gets you killed. That gets your team killed. You shout one word at the top of your lungs: “RELOADING” It’s not a cry for help.It’s not weakness.It’s tactical communication. It tells your team:“I’m combat ineffective for 5…
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In 2005, we moved to Spain.
In 2005, we moved to Spain. We left everything behind in the Netherlands – the social circles– the expectations– the unspoken rules about what a responsible life is supposed to look like. And when we got to Spain,we didn’t plug into that culture either. We didn’t adapt to Spanish customs or social norms. We just…
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My daughter Leyla went to a book publishing conference in London recently, on her own
My daughter Leyla went to a book publishing conference in London recently, on her own, no school credentials to speak of, because she never went to school. At some point in the conversations with American publishers, that came up.They asked if it was for religious reasons. In the US, homeschooling is common,and the most common…
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Special Forces conditioned me for one thing above everything else: Force.
Special Forces conditioned me for one thing above everything else: Force. Assess. Plan. Execute. Push until it’s done. It works in combat. Then I tried to build a life that way.A marriage. A business. A relationship with my daughter. The harder I pushed, the more resistance I created. Then I found the research of David…
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Most men would rather spend another year optimising their business than one honest afternoon looking at their life.
Most men would rather spend another year optimising their business than one honest afternoon looking at their life. And then wonder why the wins feel hollow. I did the same thing until 2009.Then my body forced the redesign. Here’s the 8-part blueprint I walk every coaching client through. It’s the same one that built mine.…