Six months later, I’m still thinking about this…
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Hello Friend!
Six months ago, something happened to me in Vermont.
I’ve been sitting with it ever since.
Not just what happened to me, but to the eleven other men who showed up carrying the weight of the world’s expectations.
Five days. No phone. Completely off the grid.
It was a retreat designed to help you reset your compass. And the group included someone like you.
Leaders. Executives. Entrepreneurs. Parents. People who’ve built their identity around being the person others can count on.
We were all grappling with Chapter 2 of our life and work. How to create meaning. Be present. Intentional.
Most importantly, how to stop sleepwalking through our own lives: connecting with the people you love, seeing things that are mostly unseen, and knowing you aren’t leaving anything on the table.
Our guide, Chris Robbins, was there every step of the way. Nudging us. Encouraging us. Supporting us.
Six months later, I keep coming back to four things I heard around the campfire, at the dinner table, and on hiking trails. These were hard-earned insights that emerged when successful people got honest about what’s really holding them back.
1. “Stop asking questions to things you already know the answer to.” You overthink and overanalyze. Instinctually, you know what needs to happen in your life, but something prevents you from moving forward.
As an example, you might feel “flat” in your career. Working on things that don’t inspire you and aren’t aligned to your passions. You know you need to make change happen… but you keep asking yourself, “Should I leave this job?” Over and over and over.
The truth? You're not seeking clarity. You're seeking permission. Stop asking. Start acting. Try following your heart for once.
2. "There are no closed doors we don't close ourselves." Even on the cusp of following your dreams, you stop. You worry about financial security. Or ruminate on what would happen if the world rejected your ideas and new venture. You might even suffer from imposter syndrome. “I want to write a book, but I’m not an author.”
Most of your worries aren’t real. They’re just stories you tell yourself. The book you want to write? You tell yourself you’re not a real author. The business you want to start? You convince yourself the market won’t get it.
All you need is the courage to take the next step. Not all the steps.
3. "I'm okay, and I'm going to be okay." There’s a place in your brain that harbors negative thoughts. You host shame and regret, and you can’t forgive yourself for the things you’ve done or not done. And because of that, you might be spending more time looking in the rearview mirror than discovering your future.
Just remember: we’re all broken in some way. We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all experienced setbacks.
But you are more than the sum of all your highs and lows. If you accept you’re okay and going to be okay, you’ll actually give yourself permission to move forward with resolve and clarity.
You deserve more. Even if your brain is telling you that you don’t.
4. "Wax on. Wax off. Chop wood. Carry water." Everything worth having requires work. Energy. Persistence. Even work aligned to your passions still demands attention to the routine and mundane. Embrace it. Your life won’t get easier. You’ll just get stronger.
Here’s what six months of perspective has confirmed for me: we can be our own biggest obstacle. Limiting beliefs. Unnecessary dramas. Stories we’ve told ourselves so many times we forgot we wrote them.
I spent the first day in Vermont with crippling self-doubt. Everyone else seemed to have “real” problems, while I felt like a whiner.
But that was my limiting belief talking. The story that I didn’t deserve support unless I was suffering enough. Sound familiar?
This is what “living fuller” actually means… not adding more to your plate, but finally having the courage to clear it of everything that isn’t truly yours.
Treat this newsletter as your wake up call. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Ask yourself: What do I want most in my life and work that I don’t have now?
That’s it. Just one question.
Because here’s what I learned watching those men in Vermont: we already know our answers. We’re just afraid to admit them out loud.
Send me your answer. I read every single response.
Your coach, Chris
P.S. If Vermont taught me anything, it’s that the right room changes everything. The Unignorable Business Studio is that room for coaches, consultants, and experts who are ready to build a business around their voice and their ideas. We start on March 26th with 12 people. If that’s you, join now and use the coupon code Newsletter for 10% off.
