1-2-3 Inner Game

Welcome to 1-2-3 Inner Game, your weekly hit of actionable strategies to achieve a high-performing, healthy, and thriving life.

Today's Highlights

• From My Journal to Your Inbox

• 1-2-3 Inner-Game

• The Dirty Secret of Entrepreneurship

• Can You Keep Going When It's Not Fun?

• Brain Candy

• Rundown of Cool Stuff This Week

Listen to the audio format of this issue

Was this newsletter forwarded to you?

Hi,

Lately, a bunch of people have told me this newsletter actually matters to them. One friend even said her husband prints it out for her every week. That blew me away.

It made me realize—I need to double down. So I’m switching things up.

As you know, I’m a big believer in journaling. It’s how I get the spaghetti in my head organized and turn noise into self-awareness.

For years, I’ve ended my journal entries with one simple question: “What did I learn today—about life or about myself?” It forces me to take the lesson and lock it in.

Now, I’m bringing that same habit into this newsletter. New format. More signal, less noise. I’m even pulling snippets straight from my personal journal to spice things up. Hope it hits even harder for you.

If you're thinking about becoming a coach yourself, I'm hosting a Bloom introductory event for you on July 5th. It will outline the path to becoming a Bloom Coach, helping businesses grow and scaling your expertise. Entry's free and seats are limited, so please ​register​ asap.

Here's some Inner Game wisdom to chew on this week

1 question (and POV) to punch your brain this week

Q: How do you know you're playing too small? A: When your calendar looks like a to-do list, not a vision board. If everything feels safe and manageable, you’re under-indexing on ambition. (​Click to Tweet​)

2 things I learned about myself this week (and yep, one of them hurt a little)

1. I kept thinking I needed more discipline. Nah. What I actually need is fewer distractions. My phone’s basically a casino—every scroll is a spin, and I’m losing the jackpot: my focus. New rule: If I wouldn’t walk into a casino every 30 minutes, I shouldn’t unlock my phone every 30 minutes either. (​Click to Tweet​)

   
   

2. Thought I was tired. I wasn’t. I was just bored—going through the motions, not chasing the mission. Turns out, burnout isn’t always from working too hard… Sometimes it’s from working on the wrong stuff. Energy came back the second I realigned with my “why.” (​Click to Tweet​)​

3 insights for the Inner Game Junkies

1. Self-doubt’s loudest when you’re closest to a breakthrough. That voice in your head? It’s just resistance dressed in logic. Keep pushing. (​Click to Tweet​)

   
   

2. You don’t rise to your goals—you fall to your systems. Motivation is mood-dependent. Systems are mood-proof. (​Click to Tweet​)

   
   

3. Confidence isn’t built by thinking—it’s built by doing. You earn self-trust by keeping tiny promises to yourself. Every rep counts. (​Click to Tweet​)

What's new with the Pod - Emergence Now

The Dirty Secret of Entrepreneurship

Listen Now

Can You Keep Going When It's Not Fun

If small habits lead to big results… Why is success still so damn hard?

Answer: Consistency is boring. And most people quit when boring shows up.

Anyone can eat one clean meal. Few can do it 21 times in a row. Anyone can hit the gym once. Few make it part of their identity.

The truth? Success is just doing simple stuff for an unreasonably long time. Even when it’s not sexy. Even when no one’s clapping.

That’s what “loving the process” really means. It’s not some romantic Instagram quote. It’s showing up when it sucks. Sticking to the plan when no one’s watching. Grinding when you’d rather Netflix.

The question isn’t “Are you capable?” It’s: Can you keep going when it’s not fun?

When it’s slow? When nobody cares but you?

Because that’s the test. And the people who pass it? They look “disciplined”… But really—they just didn’t quit.

Brain Candy Tweets That Made Me Think, Laugh, or Go ‘Huh, Interesting!

Great analogy - decisions are like hats, haircuts, and tattoos.

Picture a Formula 1 driver trying to run a marathon. Sure, both are about endurance, but the skillsets? Totally different.

That’s what it’s like when an entrepreneur, used to the daily hustle, tries to transition into being an investor. The very instincts that got you to move fast and break things in your startup can backfire when it’s time to slow down and make calculated bets.

It’s like Warren Buffett says, "The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient." And in entrepreneurship, we’re trained to be anything but patient. Founders thrive on action—investment requires restraint. If you don’t adjust, you’re playing a different game with the wrong playbook.

Here’s a rundown of some cool stuff I’ve been diving into this week.

📖 ​The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler​

📖 ​The AI Driven Leader​

I'm rooting for you to continue crushing it! 💪🏼

Dhiren