Back to Home

Life Events: Your Reaction Shapes Their Impact

Life Events: Your Reaction Shapes Their Impact

Success and failure come in streaks – your response determines their length.

Stay Neutral During Success

Good things create positive momentum. People get over excited and lose focus during good times. Keep your normal habits during good times. The CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, kept the same work ethic and decision making process during Microsoft’s record breaking quarters and tough times.

Reduce Event Impact By Distance

The weight we give to things affects our emotional state. Studies show people who stay emotionally distant from negative events recover 60% faster from setbacks. Practice seeing things from a third person perspective – instead of “I failed” think “The project had some things to learn from”.

Turn Setbacks Into Growth

Tough times have hidden opportunities. Warren Buffett bought his first shares of Berkshire Hathaway during a market downturn. Break down tough situations into action items. List three specific things to do from each setback.

Stay Consistent

Your daily habits determine streak length. Use apps like Atomic Habits to track your habits. Wake up at the same time, do your exercise routine, work at the same time regardless of external circumstances.

Accept Cycles

Life is cycles of ups and downs. Detach from outcomes by seeing them as temporary states. Focus on your response not the situation itself. Take small steps not big leaps during good and tough times.

My Random Thoughts

Discipline vs Motivation: The Love-Fear Spectrum of Action

Discipline vs Motivation: The Love-Fear Spectrum of Action

When you’re working on a cool software project that solves a real world problem, you’re operating from love. This intrinsic motivation is exciting. Compare that to a 9-5 job done just to maintain a lifestyle – here fear of losing financial security is the main driver.

11/18/2024
Letting Go of Control: Trusting the Flow

Letting Go of Control: Trusting the Flow

Trying to control every aspect of life creates unnecessary friction. The more you push the more the universe pushes back. This isn’t about passive acceptance but strategic alignment and relaxed action.

12/9/2024
Freedom Comes From Having Options

Freedom Comes From Having Options

Sitting in my new home in London, I reflect on how long it took to get here—and why that delay mattered. This post is about the power of having options in life, why mastery alone isn’t enough, and how real freedom comes from building your next move before you need it.

9/29/2025