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Daily Practice

What are the most valuable habits you can fall into?

Intention​

Read the play to out think then out work to maximize returns from critical opportunities.

  1. Ask Better Questions
  2. Sell Engaging Stories
  3. Engineer Better Systems
  4. Make Meaningful Progress
Mantra

Thoughts Become Things, Dreams Engineer Reality

Evolve better systems for taking better decisions faster.

Bookmarks​

Planning, Priorities, and Routine Practices:

Writing​

Write to clarify understanding and align ideas on how to make progress.

  1. Use Time Blocking to combat the dis-ease of indecision.
  2. Hold Accountability Meetings to Realign Intent with Purpose.
  3. Drive Meaningful Progress by Building Networks of Trusted Connections.
  4. Use Project Debriefs to improve Decision Making by asking Better Questions

We become the outcome of the stories we repeat and the company we keep.

Workbooks​

Mindfulness​

Recognise dis-ease then evolve mental models and engineer better systems to break out of destructive loops into growth-oriented cycles.

  • Reinforcement mechanisms: Habits and feedback loops that lock in behaviors.
  • Cognitive patterns: Overthinking or emotional reactivity that traps decision-making.
  • Intervention strategies: Awareness, habit substitution, and reframing core beliefs.

Cognitive-Emotive Loops​

This model describes a cyclical pattern where thoughts and emotions fuel each other, often leading to stuck behaviors. For example:

  • Cognitive trigger: A belief like "I'm underpaid and undervalued".
  • Emotive response: Anger or resentment, which reinforces the initial thought.
  • Behavioural outcome: Avoidance or entitlement, perpetuating the loop.

Breaking this loop requires self-awareness to recognize the pattern, acceptance to reduce self-judgment, and interruption through body-focused attention or cognitive restructuring.

Habit Loops​

Popularized by Charles Duhigg and others, this framework explains how habits form through a three-step cycle:

  1. Cue: A trigger (e.g., a notification on your phone) prompts action.
  2. Routine: The habitual behavior (e.g., scrolling social media).
  3. Reward: A dopamine-driven reinforcement (e.g., momentary distraction) ().

To modify habits, interventions target the cue (e.g., removing triggers) or reward (e.g., substituting healthier alternatives).

OODA Loops​

These loops describe how behavior is shaped by responses to actions:

  • Balancing loops: Stabilize behavior (e.g., slowing down when a car speed monitor shows you're over the limit).
  • Reinforcing loops: Amplify behavior (e.g., social media "likes" encouraging more posts).

Effective feedback loops rely on timely measurement and actionable comparisons (e.g., tracking progress toward a goal).

Overthinking and Decision Paralysis​

Constant questioning of life choices can create a "loop" of indecision. Key features include:

  • Overanalysis: Repeatedly weighing options without resolution ().
  • Fear of regret: Avoiding decisions to prevent potential mistakes.
  • Emotional exhaustion: The loop drains mental energy, worsening self-doubt.

Strategies to escape this cycle include setting decision deadlines and embracing "good enough" choices.

Double-Loop Learning​

This meta-cognitive process involves questioning underlying assumptions:

  • Single-loop learning: Adjusting actions to fix errors (e.g., working harder after a failure).
  • Double-loop learning: Re-examining core beliefs (e.g., "Is this goal still meaningful?").