Unobstructed Resource Roundup
45. More isn’t the answer (I had to learn the hard way).
Back in 2021, a colleague and I joked that we should start a podcast.
So in 2025, we did.
While I publish it here in your inbox, you can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
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Here’s something I wish I’d understood a lot sooner: knowing what to do less of is the key to doing “more”.
Because the first podcast I recorded was in 2013.
And opportunities to co-host a few others followed.
So why not keep going? “I’m so busy”, I told myself. I’ll do it later. I just have to [insert non-important, important thing here].
THEN, I’ll get to it.
Adding more stuff doesn’t solve most problems—what we need is less friction.
If our pile of stuff isn’t aligned, doing “more” only creates more noise.
And I was the kind of person who wore busy as a badge of honor. “Doing more is how to get ahead” I’d tell myself.
I wanted to learn more skills so I could get a new job that paid more.
So I could get a promotion, then a few more. At which point, I’d planned to magically have more time to spend on the creative pursuits I’d chosen to neglect.
“Work harder” used to sound like “move faster” in order to get more done.
Intentional velocity is what actually wins.
It took me a long time to learn that.
In my quest for more, I also watered myself down for years. I thought looking like I’d fit would help make it so. Maybe, I’d thought, it’d even lead to standing out—to getting ahead.
Turns out, stuff that’s watered down is, well, bland.
Trying to fit in by looking like other stuff makes you stand out, but in the wrong ways.
Like AI trying to sound super humanly casual, bro.
But if you do succeed in watering yourself down to move yourself up, it’ll cost ya.
Congrats you blend in!
You blend in so well, you’re easily missed and hardly remembered.
So, no more watering down.
It’s time to create a buzz instead of trying not to make a splash.
The latest | From me.
I publish twice weekly—one podcast & one email—alternating between essays and resource roundups like this one.
Listen to the latest episode of The Unobstructed Podcast.
You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
Need to catch up? Want to explore some more?
Here you go:
The latest | From my rotation.
watch.
Watch Me Fix a Stranger's Business in 42 Mins with Alex Hormozi.
Nathaniel Rateliff & Gregory Alan Isakov – Flowers on Jimmy Kimmel.
SNL50 Weekend Update ft. Bobby Moynihan, Cecily Strong, Fred Armisen, Vanessa Bayer, Bill Murray.
listen.
The wrong way to think about culture fit with Adam Grant.
Going all in when you have nothing left with Idris Elba and Trevor Noah.
The future of leadership with Deb Cupp, President of Microsoft Americas, and Michael Gervais.
read.
Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly.
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport.
If we're going to do this we need to get one thing clear by Janelle Hanchett.
Spotlight.
Brandon Sanderson accidentally rewrote the rules of publishing.
But that’s not why I loved this video episode of The Tim Ferriss Show. It’s the way he approaches productivity and creativity. At the same time.
It’s absolutely fascinating.
Brandon’s one of the most iconic fantasy authors alive. He’s recognized as the authority on both intricate world-building AND storytelling. But his ability to produce his writing at scale is just…absurd.
In 2022, he launched a surprise Kickstarter for four secret novels and raised $40 million. It changed everything. He proved that an author could completely go around the traditional publishing industry.
This conversation with Tim Ferriss digs into how he pulled it off.
They cover his approach to writing, why he doesn’t believe in writer’s block, and how he avoids burnout.
If you’re someone who creates anything—art, writing, businesses—I can’t recommend this one enough.
Talk soon.
Thank for being here. See you next time.
onward.
-dmac
P.S. Click here for ways to grow your business AND reduce the upkeep.