It’s January 7th.
You set goals for the year.
You have resolutions.
You had time off to think, reflect and plan over the holidays
You were on cloud nine, aligned, excited and ready to rip as the bell struck midnight to welcome in 2026…
And then the reality of life punched you in the face.
Replacing the calm, energized clarity around who you're becoming and what you're achieving with that familiar rushed, frantic feeling.
Pulled in a million directions again. Stressed out, tired, falling behind.
Which is why I'm bringing this post back (with a few edits).
Because every January, the same thing happens.
And every January, the same reminder matters.
Slow down.
Take a deep breath.
And remember that you’re playing a long-term game.
Big love,
James
What do you think it takes to publish 15 novels in 12 years?
If you’re infected with the same deep rooted hustle and grind culture that permeates America today, you likely envision someone slaving away at a desk with minimal life to speak of.
I mean 15 novels in 12 years is AVERAGING 1.25 novels per year for over a decade…
Yet that’s exactly what Ian Fleming, the famed British author behind James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, did while having one hell of a time:
When I look at that daily schedule words that come to mind are:
Fun
Slow
Calm
Patient
Unhurried
And wait for it…
Joy
A vision for where he was heading with a clear and simple focus on getting there 2000 words at a time.
Following a process and path that contradicts the extreme hustle culture that’s infected how so many men work today.
Rushing to get someplace with no joy, no fun, no love and no connection along the way.
Wearing stress and burnout like a badge of honor
Just to win the battle of business while losing the war of life.
I remember reading a bestselling book a few years ago that even glorified this type of, what the author called, “high impact CEO” day:
Alarm rips you out of bed at 4am, heart pounding before the day even starts
Slam pre-workout, race to the gym, earbuds blasting an audiobook you won’t even remember
45 minutes of frantic reps, sauna, sprint to the car
Commute in traffic, audiobook #2, mind already buzzing with to-dos
Two hours of “deep work” before shoveling down breakfast in 5 minutes flat
More work. Inbox zero. Slack pings. Fires to put out.
Power-lunch (aka wolfing down food while scrolling email)
Admin chaos. More work. More emails. More noise.
Drive home, audiobook #3, brain fried
Token two hours with family, but you’re half-present at best
Force yourself to read for 90 minutes because “growth”
Collapse into bed, already dreading tomorrow
Maybe there’s a tiny minority who find meaning in that grind.
But the graveyard is full of men who tried to outrun themselves and never made it back.
As I move through my 36th year, waiting for the arrival of our second child, I’m realizing something simple and unavoidable.
The more I trust myself and the pace of my life, the happier I become.
The more I think long-term, the more attainable my goals feel.
I don’t believe most goals are too big.
I believe most timelines are too short.
Big goals don’t require bigger days. They require better pacing.
When life tries to speed you up, these three questions will help you slow down so you can see the signal through the noise:
Where are you rushing right now?
Where could you slow down and still get the same (or better) result?
What is the equivalent of your 2000 words a day?
To your success,
James
