Did someone say midlife crisis?

Hi Reader

You find me on the cusp of my 50th birthday. 8 days and counting. Let's get some cliches out of the way. I did buy an Italian sports car, (an Alfa Romeo Spider) I did run a half marathon on Sunday (1h40m). Age is just a number after all but why let the passing of a decade not be a time for reflection? So rather than a midlife crisis, why not answer a simple question. A question that's come up lately both with my clients but also in parts of my life is, "What are you optimising for?"

Let me share my answer and some others I've heard...

• "The relationship with my wife, working harder on it now than I ever have and we are the happiest we've ever been."
• "Time, I work 20 hours a week, never Fridays."
• "We're going for IPO in two years, valuation, revenue and the story. I want to get this right."
• "Spending time with my kids, they're in the their 30s so it takes effort. Did you know you spend something like 80% of the time with your kids in their first 12 years?" [EDIT it's 74% up to 12, rising to 90% at 18]
• "I'm simplifying everything about my business, I'm doing so much that I just don't enjoy or get value from. I'm optimising for an easier life. I'm actively descaling"
• "Pre-tirement. In my early fifties, 4 days of work per week, at 55, 3 days and so on until I retire."
• "My monthly cycle, I'm a CEO so why can't I adjust the business to my rhythm? No more board meetings on hard weeks, the exec meet every two weeks."
• "Deep work, we all need more time for that. (see down there for a video on how to do this across an organisation 👇)

Once you have the answer to the question, decisions become much easier as you know what you are optimising for. Communication to those around you becomes simpler. North Star metrics for a business but for you. Try and let me know how you get on.

On a related topic of time, It is mid-March. The new year momentum has likely faded, replaced by the pull of the day-to-day. If you’re like most leaders I work with, you’re probably feeling the squeeze right now.

Consider this a gentle mid-month reminder: You are the architect of your time, not its tenant. If you don't design your rhythm, your inherited habits will design it for you.

Here is what we’ve been exploring lately to help you reclaim that space.

​Beyond the To-Do List​

Most CEOs don’t have a discipline problem; they have a leadership toolset problem. Relying on one style of leadership, your "default" is exactly what creates friction as your company grows.

Read why your leadership superpower might be your biggest bottleneck here.

​The To-Don't List ​

You don’t win by doing more. You win by choosing what not to do. I worked with a CEO named Alfie who thought he had a productivity problem. He didn't. He had a "to-don't" problem.

Read how to identify the habits that are quietly killing your progress here.

​Designing Cadence​

Now this is a big one.

​

Are you drowning in meetings? Is your calendar full, but the real work keeps slipping?

Most leaders try to fix the symptoms. They try shorter meetings, tighter agendas, or 15-minute slots. It rarely works. This isn't a meeting problem, it's a cadence problem.

Cadence is the invisible operating system of your business . It determines when people think, when they decide, and when they recover.

I want to show you a shift that works: Hot and Cool Weeks.

• Hot Weeks: Meeting-heavy, social, and intense. This is where you align and decide.
• Cool Weeks: Protected and quiet. No standing meetings. The default shifts from talking about the work to actually doing it .

When you give the organization a breathing pattern, you stop being the bottleneck.

Read how to restore your organization's pulse here.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing more on:

• How to design your week with intention.
• How to stop "collecting monkeys" (other people's problems).
• Practical frameworks for executive focus.

If we aren’t connected yet, let’s connect on LinkedIn, so you don't miss these updates.

Something to ponder

As you head into the second half of March, ask yourself:

Is my calendar reflecting my priorities, or is it just reflecting my inability to say no?

I wish you a productive and, more importantly, a spacious month ahead. I’ll talk to you again soon.

If you have questions or a specific challenge you're chewing on, just hit reply to this email. I read them all.

Talk soon,