What I’m Consuming Right Now—And Why It Matters for Your Table 🍽️

In times like these, you know what I love to do — consume. (No, not all the great Austin BBQ possible, though that’s on the agenda.)

But here’s what’s actually running through my head: Force multiplication isn’t about being the strongest person in the room; it’s about creating an environment where everyone becomes stronger.

That’s the operating principle behind everything I’m paying attention to right now. And I think you should too.

THE CONVERGENCE

Peter Diamandis just had me thinking different about scale.

If you haven’t caught the latest Moonshots episode featuring Peter’s deep dive into AI and exponential tech, you’re missing a crucial signal about what’s possible when we stop thinking linearly. Clawdbots, AI leverage, the velocity of change—it’s not dystopian sci-fi anymore. It’s the landscape we’re actually operating in.

Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moonshots-with-peter-diamandis/id1648228034?i=1000748406258

Then Cal Newport asked the question that stopped me cold.

He’s making the case for something radical: ditching your smartphone entirely. Not reducing screen time. Not “being intentional.” Actually stepping away.

I’m doing it. Here’s why—in a world optimized for distraction, control over your attention becomes your most strategic asset. It’s force multiplication in reverse: removing what weakens your table so you can strengthen what matters.

Worth your time: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-questions-with-cal-newport/id1515786216?i=1000747685905

THE REDISCOVERY

I’m revisiting Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow for the manuscript work, and I just learned he was a Claremont professor. A loss we didn’t meet while I was figuring out my own transitions.

But his insight haunts me: flow isn’t about motivation. It’s about the conditions you build. That’s the entire thesis of Set Your Table; you don’t grind harder through willpower. You design your environment so success becomes the path of least resistance.

That’s force multiplication operating at the foundational level.

Dive in here: blinkist.com/books/flow-en?utm_source=bk_ios&utm_medium=bk_referral&utm_campaign=contentItem%253Acover&utm_content=532839fc36353800084c0000&referral_token=67a75b536fee

THE FUEL

And because strategy without rhythm is just grinding; Sevendust dropped a new album.

Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is remember what feeds your soul. This one’s on repeat.

First track, right here: music.amazon.com/albums/B0GH24NZCK?ref=dm_sh_Ia1ulyx9bzkvLbHicMokCOH5y

WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING

We’re living in a moment where information moves faster than wisdom, where AI scales faster than ethics, where chaos demands systematic preparation; not reactive scrambling.

The people who win aren’t the loudest or the busiest.

They’re the ones who:

• Eliminate distraction (Cal’s play)

  Build environments that elevate everyone (Peter’s thinking)

  Design conditions for their best work (Mihaly’s framework)

That’s force multiplication. That’s strategy.

Your table isn’t set by accident. It’s set by intention. By consumption of ideas that matter. By removal of what drains you. By deliberate choice about who and what you surround yourself with.

The question isn’t “How do I work harder?”

The question is “What conditions do I need to create so success becomes inevitable?”

That’s what I’m consuming. That’s what I’m building.

Keep running. You are the Authentic.🚀

SET YOUR TABLE!🍽️

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P.S.—We’re 50 days out from the book launch. The manuscript is sharpening. The community is growing. If you’re ready to move from reaction to strategy, from surviving to thriving, from external validation to authentic alignment—the Table awaits.

Join us for the next Set Your Table Live event. It’s time.