Are You Sabotaging Your Success? The Counterintuitive Approach To Breaking Through

Hey there, Smh

It’s Saturday morning, and I am—finally sitting down to write this letter. Honestly? I don’t have a "perfect" reason for being late. Life got messy this week: medical stuff, family stuff, and truth be told, a heavy dose of low motivation. My biggest battles right now are consistency and discipline. But here's the thing—I'm still here. I'm still showing up. It’s not about being flawless. It's about being a little better than yesterday, and today, that’s enough.

Ever noticed how the busiest guys often make the worst decisions? There's a reason for that. When we're constantly running from one thing to the next—work deadlines, kid's soccer practice, fixing that leaky faucet—we never hit pause to ask: "Is this even working for me?"

That's what we're diving into today: the lost art of self-reflection and why it might be the most underrated skill in your toolbox.

QUOTES

MINDSET SHIFT: Stop Confusing Motion With Progress

Many of us were raised to believe that constant action equals productivity. We fill our calendars, check boxes, and collapse exhausted at day's end feeling like we've accomplished something.

But here's the truth: Motion isn't always progress.

The most successful men I know aren't necessarily the busiest—they're the most intentional. They take time to step back, evaluate what's working, what isn't, and adjust course before wasting energy on dead-end paths.

Next time you feel the urge to add another task to your plate, ask yourself: "Is this moving me toward my actual goals, or am I just staying busy to avoid the discomfort of thinking deeply?"

JOURNAL PROMPT

What pattern or behavior has repeated itself in your life at least three times, and what might it be trying to teach you that you haven't been ready to learn?

(Don't rush this one. Sit with it for at least five uninterrupted minutes.)

ACTIONABLE STRATEGY: The 10-Minute Evening Review

Tonight, set a timer for 10 minutes before you'd normally wind down. Grab a notebook (not your phone) and answer these three questions:

1. What went well today, and why?

2. What situation triggered a negative reaction in me, and what might that reveal?

3. What's one thing I could approach differently tomorrow?

Do this three times this week. You'll be surprised how quickly patterns emerge that weren't visible when you were in the thick of things.

The key is consistency, not perfection. Even sloppy reflection beats no reflection every time.

Until next Friday, Marc

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