Build a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From [WRAP 139]

Hey Reader, it's time to be honest that this summer is going to be an every-other-week schedule for the WRAP. I'm an experienced over-committer (had that kindly called out by a friend today) and am taking my own advice on a summer slowdown this year.

So you can expect newsletters on July 13th and 27th and the weekly cadence starting again on August 10th. Thanks for understanding, now to the WRAP!

💡 One Big Idea: The Summer Slow Down

For the first 7 years of my career, summer was BIG. I worked in sports, tourism, and summer camps. Summer was time for 400 boys to descend on 500 acres for 10 weeks. Summer was time for driving up and down the east coast for lacrosse tournaments. There was no break in summer.

Then I started working at startups. More normal work environments than tourism and hospitality. Summers were slower. Sales slowed down, people are taking vacations, breaks from their own work.

Then I had kids. Summers became full again, but I started experiencing my own work slow down. Kids are out of school, day care is closed, and they need a-tendin' to (as my grandma says).

I fought the summer slows for years. I would get frustrated. Annoyed that life felt fast but work felt slow. That I couldn't get everything done I wanted and other people weren't on the same timeline as me. Sometimes I still do. This summer we added our 4th child, and so while family life is busy, it's important to take breaks where I can and not burn out.

Because people need breaks. I need breaks. A natural rhythm of refreshment that allows energy to build for the next push when life opens up and I can go 110% on a project. I talked about this last year with the productivity benefits that come from a season of rest and the 5 types of rest.

This summer, I hope you'll join me in embracing the natural rhythm of the summer slows. Take a break, refresh your energy, and spend time with the people you care most about. With work, try and take a week or span of time and try a new hobby or project, or pick up an old one again.

Enjoy the summer 😎

👀 One Video to Watch: Build a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From

I'll be honest with you — if you're on YouTube I would really appreciate a subscribe to my new channel, HeyCreator. Even though I'm going to an every-other-week schedule on the WRAP next month, HeyCreator is still shipping weekly shows and shorts. Check it out and subscribe!

It's where I'm posting a lot of cool interviews with creators, leaders, writers, YouTubers, and more. It's also what I have the most resources behind, i.e. the editor and creative director, Tim Forkin (here's his channel).

In the video below, I talked with my friend and former productivity guru, Khe Hy. I've shared Khe's work before and hosted trainings with him (mostly about Notion. We discussed the courage it takes to walk away from big success:

He left Wall Street at 35 and a 1.5 million dollar creator business. What gives him that courage to leave TWO different million dollar careers behind?

🔎 Focusing on what can go right vs. just the risks
😃 Optimizing for feeling alive in the present vs. money
🧪 Doing experiments to test ideas before diving in

Khe shares how he’s made hard trade-offs, like giving up surf trips to be a more present dad. But by following aliveness, he’s created a life he loves.

This is a must-listen for anyone facing big decisions about what’s next. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts, and please subscribe!

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Have a great weekend,

Matt Ragland

p.s. if you have a (literal) minute to share feedback, click here.