Major Life Update... soon
Back next week...
Hey friends,
I’m taking a brief pause from the usual newsletter this week.
There are some big things happening behind the scenes—things I can’t quite talk about yet—but I promise: next week, I’ll have major announcements about some significant life changes and where we’re heading with the startup in the new year.
For now, I wanted to drop in with a quick personal update.
This newsletter is where I document and share what I learn in my journey to become my best self and chase my dreams in changing the world for the better.
So here are some updates on the best self front!
The Mind: 365 Daily 30 Minute Meditation Challenge Complete ✅
I’ve been challenging myself to meditate 30 minutes a day, for better emotional awareness and regulation, as well as concentration and focus.
I hit my 365 day mark this morning! I did an extra long session to commemorate the occasion.
When I started my overall meditation journey I just did 1 or 2 minutes at a time.
I gradually moved up, and now I’m here. I’ve now done a few 2 hour meditations. And the 30 minutes daily feels normal—like a habit. Because it is!
I’ll write out a future article about what I learned from a year of doing this. The takeaway is that I wish I did it sooner. I feel calmer, more focused, with a greater ability to get into flow.
If you’re reading this and wondering if you should start…
Yes. Do it. Your future self will thank you. AND, if you have 1 minute right now—do it right now. Just sit there and don’t look at devices. Focus on your breath if you want to.
Let your mind wander. Reel it back in if you wish.
That’s meditation. It counts.
Keep building the muscle.
The Body: Training for a 100 Mile Run
I ran my first ultramarathon (31 miles) a couple months back.
2 weeks after that, I decided to go for 50 miles. Didn’t quite make it because I went way slower than expected, and I had to bail to get home to my dog Kenji and walk him. (Dog dad problems)
Still, a good outing from my view though I was disappointed.
I only started running about 6 months ago.
So I’ve been happy with the rapid progress.
But progress doesn’t come without setbacks.
A few weeks after completing my second 33-mile ultra marathon, the cold weather arrived and I got sloppy.
I didn’t warm up properly before a run, strained my groin, and that’s been cascading into IT band issues ever since. I’ve had to take a break from running for a few weeks now because it’s been too painful.
For someone who processes life through movement—this has sucked.
But, this time has also served as a reminder actually, of when I have been more grievously injured and had to patiently recover from a shattered kidney and open compound fractured elbow.
From countless 1-2 hour sleepless nights with my destroyed body, I evolved one of my values:
Accept where the mind and body are in the current moment.
So really when I zoom out a bit, this injury is just a tiny roadbump in the grand scheme of things.
The irony isn’t lost on me: I can run 33 miles through tough terrain, but forget to warm up on a 40-degree morning on normal sidewalks and suddenly I’m humbled.
Gotta love it. 😂
Lesson learned.
It’s been a good opportunity to learn more about the kinetic chain of the body, as much as it sucks to be sidelined.
I try to stay on the glass half full side (:
Dog Dad: Kenji’s Home!!! 😊
The absolute biggest news: Kenji recently spent a few weeks at dog school to train some of his aggressive tendencies in the home. I thought of it like him going to Dog Hogwarts. 😂
NOW HE’S HOME!!!!
I’m a dog dad again!!
And he’s come back a different dog. More confident. More settled.
Not wanting to kill people coming over! 😂
Huge win!
And here’s the thing—I learned more than he did.
Because dog training is really just the owner maintaining discipline. Because it’s really up to me to maintain the training and discipline going forward, otherwise he’ll regress.
One of the biggest insights from the trainer was deceptively simple: make it really clear what right and wrong is.
Kenji has a “place” command to stay in his dog bed in the living room. Before, he’d creep his legs off the edge.
Or be half-laying off the bed.
Testing boundaries in that soft, incremental way dogs (and humans) do when the lines aren’t crisp.
The trainer’s fix?
Elevate the bed.
Now it’s obvious.
You’re either on the platform or you’re not.
There’s no ambiguity to negotiate, no gray zone to exploit.
He’s calmer for it.
It struck me how often we fail to create that same clarity for ourselves—in our habits, our boundaries, our identities.
Am I a good dog dad period or just when I feel like it? I want to believe the former, so I am studying all the notes from the trainer diligently.
I love the opportunity to learn and improve in any domain, so stepping into being a better dog dad has been genuinely joyful lately.
And honestly…
I just really missed him. I missed our quiet 3 AM dog dad sessions. Our training sessions. Hugging him after a long day. His silly quirks and habits.
Having him back home, calmer and more connected, has been wonderful.
I love my boy.
Goddamn I love being a dog dad.
In the Meantime
If you’re looking for something to read or reflect on in the mean time, here are a few of my favorite pieces from the archives:
The Story of Nibbler: This remains my most read post of all time, it’s a deeply personal piece about love, loss, and grief. Around this time a year ago I lost my dog Nibbler in a tragic incident. It’s the start of my Better Person Training series, and one of the most heartfelt things I’ve ever written. I find myself missing (and smiling) Nibbler as my Google Photos memories pops up.
How I Conquer Imposter Syndrome: Whether you’re stepping into a new role or just questioning if you’re “good enough,” this piece breaks down the steps I’ve taken to quiet that inner critic and own my achievements.
The Art of Saying Less (And Being Understood More): Communication is the hardest thing. In this article I break down the best framework I’ve found for consistently communicating well.
How Anthropic engineers culture: “Culture is a social property. A behavioral property. It’s an emergent property of human groups.”—Hannah Pritchett, Head of People @ Anthropic. I had the opportunity to catch a Future of Work panel, and detail my learnings from Anthropic and others.
How I suffer with a smile: I share some of my philosophy in life, around health and business, and the reason I’m training for a 100 mile run.
Someone is manifesting YOU: Gratitude is powerful, This piece dives into how real gratitude can coexist with struggle and why it’s essential to zoom out and appreciate what you have.
Looking Ahead
I’ll be back next week with a fresh newsletter and some major announcements. Stay tuned.
Thank you for your support, your kindness, and your patience.
Here’s to a season filled with love, presence, and reflection for all of us.
Happy holidays!
See you next week,
Robert
P.S. Want reminders on growth, empathy, and leadership? Follow me on YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and Twitter.