What Kerala Taught Me About True Reset

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In this issue:

• Why I'm writing this from a houseboat in Kerala's backwaters

• The question every high-performer needs to ask themselves

• What happens when you stop driving and start drifting

• New Year Reset AMA

Why I'm writing this from a houseboat in Kerala's backwaters

For the first time in months, I'm not planning the next move. And it's unsettling as hell.

I'm sitting on a houseboat in the Alleppey backwaters of Kerala. Palm trees drift past. Flowers float by. The only sound is water lapping against the boat and Josie asking when we'll see another kingfisher.

I'm not checking my phone every 30 minutes. I'm not thinking about the next quarter. I'm just... here.

And leaders like us? We don't know how to just be. We drive. We push. We conquer. Being still feels like falling behind.

The question every high-performer needs to ask themselves

Here's the question I've been sitting with all week: Do you have to go halfway across the world to get a deep reset?

Part of me wants to say no. You can reset anywhere. Take a weekend off. Do a digital detox. Book a cabin.

But here's what I'm learning: It's not about the distance. It's about the disruption.

When you change your routine, your space, your habits—when you disconnect from all your preferences and patterns—you create the conditions for a different point of view.

Then Day 4 happened

We were floating through the backwaters. Josie pointed at a kingfisher. I reached for my phone to take a photo.

And she said: "Mom, can you just LOOK at it?"

Four words. And I put the phone down.

I realized I've been so busy capturing moments, I stopped experiencing them. So busy optimizing life, I stopped living it. So busy swimming toward something, I never noticed the current was already carrying me.

That's when I understood: I don't have a rest problem. I have a surre

nder problem.

What happens when you stop driving and start drifting

Here's what most leadership advice gets wrong about "reset": It treats it like another line item on your productivity checklist.

I caught myself doing it yesterday. Lying on the deck of this houseboat, watching egrets glide over the water, and my brain whispered: "You should journal about this. Capture the insight. Make it useful."

Even here — floating through one of the most peaceful places on earth — I was trying to optimize the experience.

That's when it hit me: A real reset isn't something you optimize. It's something you surrender to.

• It's learning to float instead of constantly swimming.

• It's trusting the current will carry you instead of driving yourself to exhaustion.

The backwaters don't care about my Q1 goals. The kingfishers aren't impressed by my revenue targets. And somehow, that's exactly what I needed.

The question I'm sitting with (and inviting you to consider):

When was the last time you stopped driving long enough to just drift? When did you last trust that you could let go—even for a day—and still end up where you need to be?

Here's what I want you to do this week:

Pick one day—just one—where you don't plan, push, or produce. No agenda. No optimization. No "making the most of it." Just see what happens when you float.

Then ask yourself:

• What did I notice when I stopped controlling everything?

• What thoughts showed up when I gave them space?

• What would change if I trusted myself to drift more often?

New Year Reset AMA

Last time we did an AMA, you showed up with incredible questions. (Well, your note-takers did anyway. 😊) So this time: No live session. No scheduling conflicts. Just you, your question, and my answer in next week's newsletter.

Submit ONE question about:

• The transition or stuck point you're facing in 2026

• How to create a real reset (without flying to India)

• Navigating the gap between who you've been and who you're becoming

Deadline: Saturday, January 3rd

I'll publish answers in a special New Year Reset newsletter next Tuesday, January 6th.

That's all for this week.

Happy New Year! Thank you for your support this year—it means more than you know.

See you next Tuesday.

Ways I Can Support You or Your Team:

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P.S. If you're reading this and thinking "I can't just take a day to drift—I have too much to do," that's exactly why you need to. The leaders who feel they can't afford to stop are usually the ones paying the highest price for never stopping. Let's talk about what a real reset could look like for you →

P.P.S. Know a leader who's been running on fumes? Forward this email. When 3 people subscribe using your link, I'll send you my complete "Sunday Night Survival Toolkit" for free.