Hey Reader,

Today, I want to talk about how problem-solving is the key to unlocking your potential.

Stop Covering Up Problems and Start Unlocking Your Potential

Every problem you avoid is a thief—stealing your time, your energy, and your future.

For years, I let mine rob me.

I felt unfulfilled as a chemical engineer—I wanted to be an entrepreneur.

Instead of building my dream, as soon as I got off work, I’d doomscroll for hours.

I told myself, “Things will eventually get better.”

But the truth was

• If I didn’t take action, things wouldn’t change.
• Even worse, the problem would compound into a giant ball of regret.

Every night I doomscrolled was time I stole from the future I wanted.

The Math That Shook Me

Let’s assume you spend 2.5 hours per day on social media, 5 days per week.

2.5 hours per day = 12.5 hours per week = 650 hours per year = 27 days per year

Over 10 years (21 - 31), you’ll throw away 270 days or 6500 hours

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says you need ~ 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to master a skill.

That wasted time could have made me almost an expert by now—maybe even bought my freedom.

But why was my natural reaction to doomscroll rather than taking action?

Let me tell you!

Why We Choose Bad Solutions

Naturally, the brain takes the path of least resistance, but that's not always the best path.

Doomscrolling or escapism is a quick fix to feeling overwhelmed or unfulfilled.

It feels good in the moment, but like a weed, the problem will grow back, stealing more of your time and energy in the long run.

For example, think about a nail in your tire:

• Filling it with air = fixing the symptom = short-term comfort, problem returns
• Removing the nail and patching it = fixing the root cause = short-term effort, problem solved for good

Most of us live in the "fill more air" mode—treating symptoms instead of root causes.

Here are some other common ADHD examples (I'll be releasing a more detailed list of my ADHD hacks next week)

Once I targeted root causes instead of chasing symptoms, my bad habits disappeared and I regained my time.

I stopped being the person with “so much potential.” And I became the person who was living their dreams.

Here's how to do it

Step 1: Build Awareness

Your brain runs on autopilot for most habits—good or bad.

For example, you've probably brushed your teeth on autopilot for years.

Now zoom out: most of your daily actions run on that same kind of autopilot, whether or not they serve you.

The problem is—you can’t fix what you don’t notice.

Each of these bad habits is stealing time & energy from us.

To identify the quick ones, do a time audit.

1. Review the last 2–3 days and map your time on a calendar. Here's
2. For the next few days, track everything you do with pen and paper.
3. Ask yourself, "Where does my time go?"

You’ll be shocked at what’s quietly eating your hours.

Step 2: Take Action

Once you’ve identified your biggest time-wasters, tackle the ones stealing the most hours first.

This isn’t about fixing everything at once—it’s about removing the largest “nails in your tire” so you can get moving.

Example:

• If you lose 3 hours a day to social media, delete the app from your phone or use this (my discount code is SCATTERMIND).
  • Shoutout Dani - He's doing great stuff as well with Blok​
• If late nights kill your mornings, move your phone out of the bedroom.
• If you miss deadlines, start timeboxing your calendar. Here's more detail.

Small, targeted changes have huge impacts.

Step 3: Create a Feedback Loop

Every night, I ask:

• What did I struggle with today?
• How can I ensure it never happens again?

Then I track my main goals:

• Post 5 videos
• Write for 1 hour
• Work on my program for 1 hour

If I keep missing something, I ask why, and then iterate my systems. Here's more detail.

For example, posting 5 videos per day is tough.

Now I batch content in advance and my VA handles scheduling and posting. This keeps me consistent without burning out.

The cycle is simple:

Notice → Fix → Iterate

I keep refining until a habit is either fully automated or so easy I can’t skip it.

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Great Problem-Solving Unlocks your Potential

• Every problem you avoid is a thief
• I wasted 6,500 hours in my 20s just doomscrolling
• Fix the root, not the symptom
• Notice → Fix → Iterate

​Playlist of the week - I'm at Splash House, so house

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