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
Secret Connections
1-2-3 Inner-Game
Unleashed: 11 Big Lessons
What do Gen Zs Really Want?
Not All Effort is Created Equal
Adjust your Action and Restraint
Rundown of Cool Stuff This Week
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Hi,
So, my son hit me with a big secret recently. And here’s the thing—when someone shares something that personal, it’s not just about the secret. It’s about the connection. The trust. That feeling like, "Wow, they really felt safe enough to come to me with this."
As a parent, you dream about these moments. But when it actually happens, it’s not about what they told you. It’s about what it means: You’ve got that bond. They trust you. They know they can come to you without judgment, just pure support.
And honestly, that’s the real win. The secret? That’s just a detail. What matters is the connection. And if you’ve got that, you’ve got everything.
It’s a reminder: real connection isn’t about always having the answers. It’s about being the person they turn to when it matters most. And that’s something to be grateful for.
When someone shares a big secret, what matters most?
The secret itself—getting the details.
The trust—knowing they feel safe with you.
The reaction—how you respond in the moment.
Here's some Inner Game wisdom to chew on this week
1 quote
"Success isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing the right thing consistently until it compounds."
- Dhiren Harchandani
2 questions (and answers from me)
What's your favourite book of all time? Hands down it's Breaking The Habit of Being You by Joe Dispenza. I’ve read it over a dozen times and counting!
What’s the fastest way to kill a business idea? Keep it a secret. You’ve got to get feedback early, or you’ll build something nobody wants.
3 insights from me
A simple question you can ask yourself that often changes behavior: Is what I'm about to do a step toward or away from what's important?
- Dhiren Harchandani
Extraordinary results are determined by how narrow you can make your focus. - Garry Keller
Whenever you look back at your life, the things that might cause you the biggest regrets are the things that you did not do. Your actions may be stupid, but it is your inaction that will cause you the regret. - Jeff Bezos
Unleashed: 11 Big Lessons
Just got back from an EO leadership conference in Bahrain, and let me tell you—it hit different. Here’s a breakdown of the stuff that stuck:
Build Your Dream, or Work on Someone Else’s If you’re not chasing your own dream, you’re just a sidekick in someone else's story.
The Right Questions > Perfect Answers You’ve already got the answers. Unlocking them? That’s about asking the right questions.
Know Yourself, Win the Game Self-awareness is the ultimate cheat code. Get that right, and the rest falls into place.
You’re Not Just Your Job Title You are more than your business. What happens outside of work fuels what you do inside it.
Problems Are Basically Hidden Treasure Every problem is a wrapped-up opportunity. The tougher it looks, the bigger the reward.
Your Success Story Needs Some Struggle No one’s crushing it without a few bruises. The pain? It’s part of the process.
Solo Hustle? Nah, It’s a Team Sport Nobody makes it alone. Recognize your crew—they’re the silent MVPs.
Scars = Your Badge of Honor Each scar tells a story of survival and growth. Wear ‘em proudly.
When in Doubt, Follow Your Values In the chaos, your values are your compass. Stick to them, and you won’t get lost.
AI is Cool, But AI + Humans = 🔥 AI is nice. But AI with smart humans behind it? That’s where things get real.
You’re Never Fully Prepared, But Always Be Ready The truth is, you’ll never have it all figured out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take action. Be adaptable, stay on your toes, and be ready to move when opportunity knocks.
What's new with the Pod - Emergence Now
Lessons from the Philippines
Not All Effort is Created Equal
As entrepreneurs, we all know how to stay busy. There’s this unspoken rule that we need to be busy. Like, if you’re not grinding 24/7, are you even trying?
A lot of people preach the hustle—working insane hours like it’s a badge of honor. Some companies even design crazy long shifts to test new hires, just to see if they’ve got the stamina to handle 16+ hour days. I know because I did it—once pulled a 36-hour marathon as a consultant.
Now, back to entrepreneurship. Here’s the truth: I’ve never met a successful founder who hasn’t worked their ass off. But here’s the kicker—not all effort is created equal.
I look at productivity through the lens of the Pareto Principle. 20% of your effort leads to 80% of your results. So yeah, grind hard—but make sure you’re grinding on the right things.
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 some cool stuff I've been diving into this week, and oh, made a guest appearance on a podcast too.
I'm rooting for you to continue crushing it! 💪🏼
Dhiren
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