Not a vacation. Still working. But I needed to break the loop. There is actual science behind this. When you live within the same 2 mile radius, your brain stops generating new input. Same commute, same desk, same four walls, same coffee shop. Your nervous system reads it as safe and familiar and it stops paying attention. Neurologically, you go on autopilot. And autopilot is the enemy of clarity. Studies on creativity and cognition consistently show that novel environments force your brain to wake back up. New sights, sounds, and stimuli activate parts of your mind that routine quietly shuts off. It is why your best ideas rarely come at your desk. For people trying to escape corporate and build something new, this is especially dangerous. You are trying to think differently while living exactly the same life that built the old thinking. The environment is working against you. I am heading out to recalibrate. Still building Escape Corporate. Still in it. But I need fresh air in my brain, not just my lungs. Can anyone relate? Have you ever noticed that your thinking gets sharper the moment you change your surroundings, even just for a day or two? Drop it below.

Happy Easter! 🐣 If you celebrate, I hope it’s a great one. Take some time today to actually be with the people you love. Something hit me recently. Over the last 6+ years of grinding, I let a lot of relationships slip. Friends. Extended family. I told myself I had reasons. Things they posted. Life moving in different directions. Whatever. But after 3+ months removed from the daily grind, the truth got clear: most of those people weren’t drifting because of something they did. They were just fighting their own battles. Sobriety. Career stuff. Divorce. The same weight we all carry. Life is short. The last thing I want is to look back at 40 years of work and realize I traded the people that mattered most for a calendar full of meetings. So here’s what I’m asking of you today. Think of the person who just came to mind. Call them. Not to say “happy Easter” but to say “hey, I’ve been thinking about you and I want to stay in better touch.” That’s it. You’ll be surprised how much lighter you feel after. The work will be there tomorrow. Today just go be a human.

What stage of escaping are you at?