Optimal Agency

What we're talking about: Strategies for balancing personal health, family responsibilities, and work obligations, focusing on developing sustainable habits and routines. Why it matters: Pursuing agency requires finding ways to effectively manage our time, energy, and priorities to ensure we are taking care of our physical and mental well-being while fulfilling our commitments to others. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: We discuss personal agency, self-improvement, and overall well-being with Dr. Sean Pastuch, founder of Active Life, a brand that combines education, exercise, and mentorship to empower a life of freedom without compromise. Why it matters: Understanding and pursuing agency is crucial for living a life free from unnecessary compromises and limitations, enabling individuals to make choices aligned with their values, goals, and authentic selves. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: How to maintain healthy habits and a balanced lifestyle on the weekends, avoiding the tendency to overindulge after being strict during the week. Why it matters: Maintaining consistent healthy habits and avoiding cycles of overindulgence is crucial for Agency, as it allows individuals to remain in control, build sustainable progress, and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors that undermine their values and goals. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of choosing more time over more income as an organizing principle for achieving greater agency and life satisfaction. Why it matters: Prioritizing time freedom over wealth accumulation allows individuals to diversify their identities, reduce stress, and align their actions with their values, enabling them to exercise greater control over their lives. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The financial challenges and opportunities faced by teachers, emphasizing the importance of leveraging free time and alternative sources of income to optimize wealth. Why it matters: It highlights how understanding and leveraging the underlying benefits and sureties of your profession, like a pension or schedule flexibility, can enable you to take calculated risks and pursue financial growth and independence. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The journey of Jonathan and Blakely, founders of Digital Barbell, in pursuing agency and helping others overcome the victim mindset to take control of their health and fitness. Why it matters: Mindset and taking ownership of one's health and well-being are key aspects of personal autonomy and empowerment. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of diversification and liquidity in maintaining wealth, using the example of a Texan realtor couple aiming to double their net worth in five years. Why it matters: Understanding the principles of diversification and liquidity is crucial in managing wealth and achieving financial stability, which, in turn, empowers you with the agency to live life on your own terms. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of conscious spending, understanding the trap of the hedonic treadmill and the pitfalls of consumer debt, and strategies for avoiding unnecessary acquisitions to increase personal wealth and agency Why it matters: Understanding and implementing these concepts is key to gaining financial freedom and enhancing personal agency, as it allows individuals to make conscious decisions about their spending habits, ultimately leading to increased savings and wealth. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: Practical strategies for managing time and balancing priorities in a busy life, focusing on two key frameworks: one is to articulate, communicate, and defend your priorities; the other is to turn intentions into plans and routines. Why it matters: The ability to effectively manage time and establish clear priorities is crucial to achieving agency. It allows individuals to align their actions with their values, live their desired life, and reduce feelings of overwhelm or dissatisfaction. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The “Cult of Done” manifesto and how its principles can be applied to the pursuit of personal agency, emphasizing the importance of action, viewing life as a series of drafts, and learning from failures. Why it matters: Gaining personal agency is fundamentally about taking meaningful action and learning from the outcomes, a philosophy embodied in the “Cult of Done” manifesto. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The complex question of whether or not to have children, focusing on how this decision can impact individuals' sense of agency, particularly in relation to aspects of health, wealth, and time. Why it matters: This topic is essential in pursuing agency as it involves a life-changing decision that requires careful consideration of personal circumstances, societal constructs, and potential future regrets. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The concept of 'Optimal Agency', emphasizing the importance of balancing health, wealth, and time, and how these three metrics contribute to our overall personal freedom and ability to impact the world. Why it matters: Understanding and properly balancing health, wealth, and time is crucial in pursuing agency as they collectively enhance our capacity to achieve personal freedom and maximize our positive impact on the world. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of prioritizing exercise, particularly doing it first thing in the morning, and how it is a keystone habit that sets off a cascade of beneficial behaviors throughout the day. Why it matters: It emphasizes the essential role of physical health and wellness in enhancing cognitive ability, mood regulation, and overall performance in various areas of life. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of diet and nutrition, focusing on sustainable, health-focused, and imperfect guidelines, and how to manage these aspects amidst a busy lifestyle. Why it matters: Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet directly impacts one's overall health, energy levels, and cognitive function, which in turn affects one's ability to act on the world with impact. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of self-development as permanent wealth and the need to diversify and amplify skills in various areas of life. Why it matters: Self-development is important in pursuing agency because it allows individuals to future-proof themselves, maintain their sense of identity, and have a wider range of skills to rely on in different situations. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: Strategies for a listener named Nicole, who is a music teacher struggling with finances and seeking ways to earn extra income while balancing her responsibilities. Why it matters: Finding creative ways to generate income is important in pursuing agency because it enables individuals to have more control over their financial situation and create opportunities for personal and professional growth. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: Living as though the world is clay, emphasizing the importance of having a clear vision, understanding the role of people and resources, and taking action to deliver value. Why it matters: Recognizing the world is clay allows us to shape our lives according to our vision and goals, empowering us to take control of our actions and create meaningful impact. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The significance of responding slowly and thoughtfully to communications, avoiding hasty emotional reactions, and prioritizing progress to foster agency and retain control in professional relationships. Why it matters: Responding slowly and carefully enables us to maintain control over our communications, avoid emotional triggers, and ensure our responses contribute to progress. Ultimately, this empowers us to make decisions in alignment with our priorities and goals. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The importance of exercising agency in a work environment where priorities are unclear, distractions are constant, and control feels limited. Why it matters: Exercising agency is crucial in pursuing autonomy and personal impact in a work environment, allowing individuals to prioritize tasks, establish boundaries, and maintain focus amidst distractions and competing priorities. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: The practice of avoiding unnecessary purchases by creating pause, asking questions, and prioritizing agency. Why it matters: Because it allows us to take control of our choices, prioritize our health, wealth, and time, and avoid being influenced by external factors. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: We're answering a listener question about finding alternative avenues to make a positive impact when work is leading to burnout. Why it matters: Addressing burnout and exploring alternative career paths is essential in pursuing agency and personal freedom as it allows individuals to align their passions with a sustainable and fulfilling career, enabling them to make a positive impact on the world while prioritizing their own well-being. What actions to take: ✅ Make a list of the precise reasons causing burnout and identify the negative freedoms that need to be addressed. ❤️‍

What we're talking about: The concept of compounding and its importance in wealth accumulation and financial independence. Why it matters: Understanding and leveraging the power of compounding is crucial in pursuing agency because it allows individuals to grow their wealth over time and gain financial freedom. What actions to take:

What we're talking about: Achieving Optimal Agency through making hard choices in various aspects of life, including health, wealth, and time. Why it matters: We can take the slow road to Agency or the fast road. If we want the latter, having a clear roadmap is essential. What actions to take: ✦ Focus on nurturing social connections and building strong relationships as they underpin overall health and well-being. ✦ Consider alternative housing arrangements, such as multi-generational living or house hacking, to save money and increase financial flexibility. ✦ Evaluate transportation choices and explore options to reduce commuting costs and increase efficiency, contributing to overall wealth and time optimization. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email ✦ Follow us on Instagram ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes.

What we're talking about: Health Rule #6, which states that we should sleep at least 7.5 hours every night. Why it matters: Good sleep has a myriad of knock-on, positive effects on our physical and mental health. As such, it demands as much respect and attention as we give our nutrition, our relationships, and the gym. What actions to take: 1. Admit that we are slightly worse people when we are sleep-deprived. 2. Recognize that what we do in the hours before sleep affects the quality and quantity of sleep we get. 3. Control everything we can control to ensure deep, high-quality rest every single night. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email ✦ Follow us on Instagram ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes.

What we're talking about: The concept of burnout, its symptoms and causes, and how to overcome it by focusing on achieving impact in one's work. Why it matters: Understanding and addressing burnout is crucial to personal freedom. It enables us to stay engaged, effective, and fulfilled at work, significantly contributing to our overall well-being and autonomy. What actions to take: 1. Identify any limiting beliefs contributing to feelings of burnout and challenge them with practical solutions. 2. Understand the financial and business model of your job to ensure you're keeping the full picture in mind. 3. Practice job crafting to stay proactive in your current job and look for opportunities to make a positive impact. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email ✦ Follow us on Instagram

We're talking about the importance of setting boundaries and eliminating interruptions to maximize productivity and time freedom. We discuss the need to prioritize personal well-being, decompression, and creative pursuits, rather than simply filling time with more work. ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

We're discussing the concept of a low, low-quality information diet, emphasizing the need to focus on high-quality, actionable information while filtering out low-quality, distracting noise. We're also answering a listener question about transitioning out of corporate work, and Patrick talks about the Rules he's working on these days. About the Show Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Read our weekly email

This week, we're talking about Wealth Rule #5 (Purchase passive income and appreciating assets with your savings), breaking down the specific strategies and accounts you need to make it happen. Some specific advice we're giving: · Allocate dedicated time for exploring personal interests and curiosity. · Automate contributions to savings and investment accounts. · Set dividends to reinvest for long-term growth. · Build emergency savings in a high-yield savings account. · Contribute to retirement accounts and aim for financial freedom at an earlier age. ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

This week, we're giving advice to 20-year-olds who want to achieve health, wealth, and time freedom. We emphasize the importance of recognizing both present and future selves, making good decisions that benefit future well-being, and acquiring hard and soft skills to maximize earnings. ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show to avoid missing any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

We're exploring the negative impact of spending too much time in front of screens this week, offering strategies for achieving a state of flow in tasks, emphasizing the significance of intrinsic motivation, defining success in one's role, minimizing distractions, and using visual timers. ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you can impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show to avoid missing any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

We're discussing the importance of having a clear vision and aligning it with health, wealth, and time to achieve the life you want. We're also talking about the significance of capital and people in achieving success and the importance of asking for what you want. Expect to learn: • The value of having a clear vision and how to bounce it off health, wealth, and time • The importance of recognizing the role of people in achieving success and how to overcome barriers to collaboration • How to deliver value first and ask for what you want to achieve your goals ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you can impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show to avoid missing any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

We are discussing the concept of volunteerism and how to approach it intentionally, talking about why it's important to understand our purpose and only say “yes” to opportunities that align with it. Here are the four strategies we discuss to consider when figuring out how to volunteer smarter: · Beware of projects that aren't yours · Remember that time is zero-sum · Maintain clarity of purpose · Say no to good opportunities ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you can impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show to avoid missing any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

In pursuit of closing the gap between our aspirational and our practiced values, we're talking about reducing starting friction, building a rule-based identity, discarding false values, and more. ========== ABOUT THE SHOW ========== Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

This week, we're talking about (wait for it) taxes. Specifically, we're breaking down Wealth Rule #4: Pay as Few Taxes as possible. Topics include strategies for paying less, who the tax code is designed to benefit, entrepreneurship, and why hiring a tax professional is almost always worth the money. ABOUT THE SHOW Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you can impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show to avoid missing any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

What do you do when everything feels important? That's the question this week as we pull from a conversation that Jon and Patrick had recently on the Chasing Excellence podcast. ========== ABOUT THE SHOW ========== Optimal Agency aims to help you own your life so you have the freedom to impact the world, pursue work you love, and spend your hours how you want. Be sure to subscribe or follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes. ✦ Read the Rules: Health | Wealth | Time ✦ Get your HWT Score ✦ Get our weekly email

The link between overall health and strong relationships is well-known, but it remains a challenge for many to prioritize friendships. We're talking about why that is and what we can do about it this week. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: =========

We have 18 Rules across Health, Wealth, and Time. This week, we're doing a speed round through each one with an eye toward whether we should consider them offense or defense in this game of Agency we're playing. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

Returning to our Rules of Time this week, we're discussing the importance of keeping slack in our calendars. We're talking about where our fears and resistance to “free time” comes from, how to start creating it, and much more. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN ==========

Parkinson's Law states that work will expand to the time and space it's given. This week we're looking at how we can use Parkinson's Law to our advantage and talking about the 80/20 Rule, why voluntary deprivation isn't a bad thing, and much more. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN ==========

We're talking about another one of our Wealth Rules this week, discussing savings rates, how to stack rank where to try to spend less, how savings is related to your serenity, and more. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

We recently joined Jonathan Fletcher of Digital Barbell for a wide-ranging conversation about the Rules and Behaviors of Time, as well as why we started Optimal Agency, how to know what the “most important” element of Agency is, and much more. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

It's not that money can't buy happiness, it's that we don't know HOW to use money to buy happiness. That's the argument the authors of “If Money Doesn't Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right” argue. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

The only two foods that our Rules push back against are alcohol and sugar. We talk about why that is in this episode, touching on the similarities between the two substances, the cost of both across our Health, Wealth, and Time, and they're hard to say no to - but only to a point. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

Do you need a new car, or do you want freedom? Do you need more money, or do you want security? So often, we don't do the hard work of recognizing the abundance we have, living with gratitude, and examining why we want the things we want - often times to the detriment of our Agency. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

We know what it's like to have a calendar filled with recurring meetings. But even outside the office, our Agency can be limited by time given away to things that don't line up with our priorities. We're talking this week about some of the ways to fight back against recurring commitments. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

We're talking about the second Rule of Wealth this week, breaking down the primary strategies for how you can begin making more money soon (and some of the ways to avoid trying). We're also talking about skills, networking, and work diversification. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

Why isn't this project called “Maximum Agency”? That's the question this week, and to answer we're talking about defining “enough”, why aiming for “maximal” gets us into trouble, and much more. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

Eating unprocessed foods and cooking our own meals is a powerful, simple way to ensure we are getting the nutrients we need, all while avoiding the problems that cheap and convenient foods often create. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

In order to make things better, we've got to first be willing to see things as they are. That's what confronting the dragon is all about - whether we're talking about our health, wealth, or free time. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========

We're continuing our exploration of the Rules this week, diving into the first rule of Time: defaulting to “no.” We talk about why it's so easy to default to “yes,” how you can use HWT as a filter for making better decisions, and much more. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ===========

Patrick gets into the hot seat this week to discuss his HWT Score, which is a diagnostic tool we've created to help you assess where you're at with your Health, Wealth, and Time-Freedom. We invite you to get your own score here. EXPECT TO LEARN: