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Hi Reader, Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with: If your biggest business challenges are actually people challenges, you’re in the right place. 1 Real Story If you know me, you know I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions. Mostly because I think they tend to become elaborate forms of self-disappointment by about January 19th. But I do usually pick a theme for the year. This year’s theme was simple: More. More movement. Not more pressure. Just… more of the good things. Over the holidays, Bruce and I talked a lot about what we wanted more of this year. Not goals exactly. More like direction. And now that we’re about halfway through the year, I realized it was probably time for a check-in. Honestly? I think “more” has been quietly reshaping my life in ways I didn’t fully expect. I’ve definitely been investing more in my relationship. The year started with more visits and more intentional time together, and the next four months will mostly be spent in the same city instead of navigating long distance. That feels significant. Not performatively significant. Just deeply, quietly important. I’ve also focused more on my health. More exercise. I’ve read 11 books so far this year and trying to decide on my twelfth, which feels like reconnecting with a part of myself I genuinely missed and a bit indulgent. And there has definitely been more dancing. More social dancing. Dance continues to be one of the few places in my life where my brain quiets down and I simply follow. That still feels like freedom to me. There’s also been more time with Reed, who turns seven this year. More agility classes. More experiences vs just more tasks. I’ve also been paying more attention to healthy relationships and less attention to unhealthy dynamics, both personally and professionally. More mutuality. Highly recommend. And maybe most importantly, I’ve been focusing more on doing work that brings me energy and meaning and less on work that drains me simply because I “should” do it. That one is still a work in progress. But I’m getting better at noticing the difference. What strikes me most is this: “More” has not actually been about just adding more things. It’s been about creating more alignment. More intentionality. And maybe equally important: Less guilt about wanting those things in the first place. 1 Leadership Insight Leaders hear “more” and often think workload. More meetings. But sustainable growth usually comes from discernment, not accumulation. The best leaders I know become increasingly selective over time:
“More” only works when it’s connected to what genuinely matters. Otherwise, it’s just overload wearing a productivity costume. 1 Practical Takeaway Halfway through the year, ask yourself: What deserves more of me right now? And equally important: What deserves less? Because “more” doesn’t come from force. It comes from clarity, intention, and the willingness to remove what gets in the way. 1 Dose of Art A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.
Doodle by Gary Schechner, 5/16/26 Even though this is a “mass email” I mean it when I say—let me know what you are up to. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up. If people issues are slowing down your business, let’s fix that. Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox. More joy. Less friction. Always. |