They tell you to start by outlining your mission and vision. It makes you look noble, strategic, committed. But nobody tells you how easily that becomes a false sense of accomplishment before anything tangible happens.
Read full post “It rarely starts with a slogan”
Nodding at plans that aren’t yours. Following up on decisions you’ll never make. That’s easy. That’s alignment.
Purpose, on the other hand, shows up uninvited. It leaks into side projects, late-night writing, and fuels the frustration after another well-paid day that left you empty.
Read full post “2 a.m. don’t lie”
Truth is complicated not just in what it reveals but also in how it lands. The exact same words that feel liberating to someone can threaten another’s sense of safety.
Read full post “Resistance”
It’s funny how often the loudest voice preaching about standards is the same person who created the mess in the first place.
Yesterday’s owners of rushed-out projects and half-assed solutions become today’s self-appointed guardians of process, picking apart everyone else’s work while conveniently forgetting their shortcuts.
Read full post “Convenient amnesia”
Every day, someone comes up with an idea that could move things forward. A simple change. A small improvement. A step in the right direction that dies under the “bigger picture” mentality.
Simple becomes strategic. Quick becomes quarterly. Immediate morphs into initiative and nothing changes in the end.
Read full post “Simple dies here”
I’m often labeled an asshole because I question everything. People who don’t know me think I don’t give a fuck, but it’s the opposite. I care so deeply it kinda hurts.
It’s not about being right or proving a point; it’s about refusing to accept broken things as normal and settling for half-assed solutions. I can’t stay quiet.
Read full post “The invisible traits”
Nowadays, every piece of work needs a marketing sparkle as, if slapping buzzwords on everyday work would make it more meaningful.
“Strategic Excellence Month,” “Transformative Innovation Week,” “Enhanced Stability Sprint,” etc., are bullshit titles for work that already has value.
Read full post “Rebranding the obvious”
Artists don’t paint by numbers. Yet we keep pushing smart people to stay within the lines and stick to the template.
Connecting dots does not teach you anything, it makes you predictable and dull.
Read full post “Painting by numbers”
We’ve been told time must be “invested” or “spent wisely.” Even free moments get hijacked by the guilt of productivity – learning something, working on side projects, or “catching up” on errands.
Find time to do nothing. Not the fake nothing where you scroll through your phone while half-watching Netflix. Real nothing. Staring at something, watching people go by. Letting your mind wander. Sitting in silence.
Read full post “Do Nothing”
Killing yourself to become irreplaceable at work makes you a prisoner. You’re slowly trapping yourself in specialized knowledge that’s only useful where you are, and while that may give you a sense of security, it takes away your freedom.
Read full post “Focus on being free”