Catherine Tede

If you think wealth has to do with only money, read this:

There are four types of wealth

1. Financial wealth (money)
2. Social wealth (status)
3. Time wealth (freedom)
4. Physical wealth (health)

Be wary of jobs that lure you in with 1 & 2

But rob you of 3 & 4

Give me 2 minutes, and I’ll show you how to access your untapped potential:

The 40% Rule is often associated with David Goggins, retired Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner

The rule refers to the concept that when your mind believes you are reaching your limit, you're actually only at around 40% of your true capacity

The idea is that you can push through limiting beliefs and mental barriers to tap into the other 60% that lies beyond what you initially think is possible

Here are the 10 steps to tap in to the other 60%:

1. Awareness:
-Recognize when you're feeling tired, overwhelmed, or ready to give up

2. Mindset shift:
-Once you're aware of your fatigue/discomfort, remind yourself that you're likely capable of much more than what your mind is telling you

3. Self-talk:
-Positive affirmations are key
-Remind yourself why you started and what the end-goal is

4. Break it down:
-Break the large task into several small, manageable tasks

5. Incremental push:
-Push yourself a little harder/longer than you initially planned
-Incrementally extend your efforts beyond your comfort zone

6. Focus on the process:
-Stay present; shift your focus away from the discomfort and concentrate on the process itself

7. Embrace discomfort:
-Discomfort is part of growth, knowing this will help you embrace it to achieve your goals

8. Visualization:
-Envision yourself accomplishing your goals
-Visualization can be that tiny push you need to keep going

9. Consistency:
-Apply the 40% Rule consistently over time
-As you continue to push past your perceived limits, you'll notice an increase in your overall resiliency

10. Reflect and adjust:
-Remember that you just pushed past your limiting beliefs
-Use this reminder to adjust your perception of your capabilities

Obviously, you don’t want to push yourself to the point of injury or burnout

But if you’re feeling stagnant, this is a great rule to follow to get yourself out of your comfort zone

Have you tried the 40% Rule before? Let me know in the comments.

“Simple heuristic: If you're evenly split on a difficult decision, take the path that's more painful in the short term.” -Naval Ravikant

The one life hack that will catapult your personal and professional growth:

Overcoming Conflict Avoidance

We avoid conflict to reduce stress. However, avoiding conflict can prevent progress

By accepting short-term discomfort, we can create lasting benefits. Here’s how it works:

Our instinct to avoid conflict is deeply ingrained in us but may not always benefit our long-term goals

For example, working out every day may cause us discomfort in the short-term, but will get us to our long-term fitness goals

You may not look forward to learning a new skill for an hour a day, but that skill could make you lots of money long-term

We want to embrace short-term discomfort to gain personal and professional growth

Adopting a growth mindset helps you view challenges/conflicts as opportunities for learning and improvement

By dominating conflict avoidance, we can overcome our instinct to avoid stress and, instead, create opportunities with lasting benefits

What do you do that has short-term pain but long-term gain? Let me know in the comments!

5 skills to cultivate to get the most out of your personal development:

Jim Rohn, mentor to many, including Tony Robbins and Mark R. Hughes, has spoken all around the world about the Five Abilities

By following these principles, you can achieve personal growth and fulfillment while lifting the lives of those around you

Here are the five abilities:

1. The ability to absorb: 
-Be like a sponge. Don't miss anything - words, atmosphere, experiences
-Commit to learning
-Stay present in every moment and absorb the wisdom life has to offer

2. The ability to respond:
-Let life touch you - embrace your emotions 
-Allow both joy and sadness to have their impact
-Understand that emotions are as essential as intellect in your personal growth

3. The ability to reflect: 
-Regularly review and reflect on your experiences, thoughts, and ideas
-Take time at the end of the day, week, month, year to reflect on the highs, lows, and complexities of life
-Reflect in solitude to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your life

4. The ability to take action:
-Don't lose time. Seize the moment when inspiration strikes and emotions are strong
-Discipline matters. Understand that every discipline affects the rest, and intention diminishes when you don't act

5. The ability to share:
-Share your knowledge and experiences with others
-When you share, you not only help them grow but also grow yourself
-Like a glass of water, you can hold more knowledge when you pour some out
-Sharing creates consciousness growth. The more you share, the more you grow, allowing you to hold more experiences and knowledge

Which skill resonates the most? Let me know in the comments!

We’re all said to have addictive behaviors, even if we don’t realize it

High-dopamine activities, referred to as “false fixes,” like,

-eating junk food
-watching junk TV
-and any junk consumption in general

desensitize dopamine and impair cognitive functions, particularly in the prefrontal cortex

Addictive behaviors, like these “false fixes,” can actually harm the brain

This affects our decision-making and impulse control

Other things like stress, poor sleep, and sitting for too long amplify these effects

Dr. Pam Peeke, doctor, author, and speaker, talks about the solution in her TEDx: our knowledge of epigenetics

Epigenetic mechanisms show that our lifestyle choices can influence gene expression and health outcomes thereafter

Every thought we have, every bite we eat, and every behavior we engage in has the potential to shape our genetic destiny

Fortunately, you have the power to write your future, even if you fall off the wagon (or were never on the wagon to begin with ;)) by:

-Eating better
-Moving your body
-Sleeping well
-Monitoring your intake of junk (both mental and in terms of food)

This not only changes our mental well-being, but can actually change our genes, which will change our lives

Let me know about a time you fell off the wagon and came back in the comments!

10 sentences for a clearer mindset in 2025:

-If it still bothers you after 24 hours, speak up within 48 hours
-Treat yourself like someone that you’re responsible for taking care of 
-A bad day doesn’t mean a bad life; a bad hour doesn’t mean a bad day
-Imposter syndrome isn’t fact, it’s proof you’re growing
-You can’t feel anxious and grateful at the same time--choose gratitude
-Your past does not define your future
-Change begins with radical truth, then self-acceptance
-You’re not responsible for other people’s happiness
-Fear is a mile wide and an inch deep
-Fear diminishes when confronted with intentional action

What would you add?

Give me 2 minutes, and I’ll show you how to get into flow-state:

Flow-state is described as “effortless effort”; It’s when you’re so focused at the task at hand, everything else seems to disappear

Steven Kotler, author of The Art of Impossible, summarizes how to get into the state of peak performance

He says the golden rule of flow-state is the challenge/skills balance

Our focus intensifies when the challenge presented slightly surpasses our skillset

The goal is to be good at being uncomfortable

Here are 4 simple steps to prepare for flow-state:

1. Complete concentration:
-set it up to your ideal physiology
-do you concentrate better in the morning right when you wake up or after the day is done?
-Make time for 90-120 minutes of uninterrupted concentration

2. Turn off distractions:
-turn off your phone, notifications
-work in a quiet space, free of distracting noises or interruptions
-flow only shows up when we’re present

3. Dopamine triggers:
-motivation is said to stem from dopamine
-some triggers for dopamine are novelty, unpredictability, complexity, awe, risk-taking

4. After you’ve found motivation, motivation works in a sequence, leading to mastery: 
-curiosity keeps motivation going
-curiosity builds into passion
-passion builds into purpose
-purpose demands autonomy
-one you’ve automated a task, you’ll naturally want to master it

How do you tap into your flow-state? Let me know in the comments!