Hi Reader,

Happy weekend! We just got back from the Jamie XX show at The Shrine Auditorium.

This month we also crossed a serious milestone.

I've been sending this newsletter for 10 years. Many of you have been on this ride for the entire decade.

And whether you're a veteran or reading this for the first time - thank you.

For nostalgia's sake, I pulled out the first issue:

To celebrate this milestone we're offering a $400 discount on our flagship course Supercharge Your Productivity with the code 10-YEARS.

This is the largest discount we've ever offered and expires on Monday 1/27 at 11:59 PM ET.

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Here are this week's top reads:

// one

They got everything they wanted professionally by 30. Then what?

13 minutes | Marie Claire

What happens when you peak professionally before age 30? Behind the Forbes “30 under 30” lists and media glamour lies a darker truth: early success often comes with imposter syndrome, burnout and the gnawing fear that your best days are behind you. Tying your identity to early achievements is a dangerous game – one that leaves you questioning whether you're truly talented or just caught a lucky break.

→ Read the article​

// two

The FIRE Movement (A Critique)

9 minutes | Jared Dillian

Everyone wants to FIRE (i.e. Financial Independence, Retire Early). You save aggressively, minimize consumption, invest in the S&P 500 and BOOM — no more working. Financial commentator (and provocateur) Jared Dillian thinks it’s a bunch of hogwash that misrepresents the value of free time, the joy of material goods and how happy people like their work.
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(FWIW, I appreciate many elements of the FIRE movement, yet don’t believe it brings you any closer to answering life’s thorny questions.)

→ Read the article​

// three

Minimum levels of stress

3 minutes | Collab Fund

Have our problems gotten too small for our own good? When real threats vanish, we magnify minor inconveniences into major crises - I'm guilty of this all the time. Perhaps the pettier our collective outrage becomes, the better life actually is.

→ Read the article​

This Week on The Examined Life Podcast

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This week's episode: Can money buy happiness?​

Below the Fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​Invisible habits are driving your life (The Atlantic, 680 clicks)
• ​On fleeing the inferno (MoreToThat, 654 clicks)

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And finally, a young girl with the perfect Kylie Minogue cover (while her brother dances like a madman).

With gratitude,

Khe

PS, here's how we can help you:

​Apply for our Coaching programs: Are you an executive or founder undergoing a career change? We’ll give you frameworks and accountability for this transition.

​The Life Operating System: Your home base for personal productivity. It combines tasks, notes, project management and a CRM in one place.

​Supercharge your Productivity: Learn how our $10K Work method can help you improve your mind, career and relationships.

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