Becoming Unobstructed

I can't pinpoint exactly when, but something in me snapped. It just kind of... broke. And then it be...

At first, my writing might look like self-righteous navel-gazing. I can see why, but that term has n...

I was in line for coffee today when the guy behind the counter got everyone's attention without rais...

I've found one thing consistently changes a shitty situation to a less shitty one. Often, it even sn...

Being okay with restarting your streak at zero is one of the best “growth hacks” of all time. And if...

When I think of endurance, three things come to mind.

Actually doing what you don't want to depends on how you punish and reward yourself. Best-selling au...

I've found that hyper-focusing on the distance between you and your goal only brews resentment and f...

Men don’t know when to quit because they’re told not to.

Sitting by the window, morning rain splattering the glass, I'm thinking a lot about self-doubt. This...

I was thinking back on the week while sitting at my desk this morning. It was still dark out and I w...

I was at my favorite coffee shop today. Sitting at a table by the back wall, I let my mind race. It'...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 30 For as much mental clarity as running gives me, I hadn’t felt d...

Today's an off day for me. I know that's probably not what I'm supposed to say on Day 2 of The MAP Y...

Today's the day! We're officially kicking off The MAP Year Project. Today's post is slightly differe...

Daydreaming about a new life helps make our real one bearable, until it doesn’t. We dream of freedom...

On a walk this morning, I was reminded of the difference between decay and diminishing returns.

I hadn't expected to get hit with such a good reminder this morning. I was catching up on emails whi...

We dream about having more creative freedom. So we keep saying we’ll get to that passion project, bu...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 29 Social media went from shooting the shit online to framing it a...

I was sitting in a local cafe near the window, minding my own business. It was mid-afternoon. Scribb...

Lately I’ve been thinking about how writing online has changed. Not just what gets shared, but how e...

I don’t care how easy social media makes it to keep in touch. A few years ago, I wanted to delete it...

The second arrow theory is a Buddhist concept that describes how we often suffer twice from the same...

Let me see if I have this right— All things analog are on the rise. But AI is making roles redundant...

Lately I’ve felt like my writing is getting better. It's been about a year and a half since I made t...

Landing pages are finicky. I was fine-tuning one for MAP Year Project signups today and hit a snag.

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 28 In this episode of The Unobstructed Podcast, Rachael and I have...

Puzzle pieces complete a picture but legos create one. I like to solve puzzles, but build with legos...

Some days I wonder if it'd be easier to quit the internet and just sell physical products in a local...

Six years ago, a traumatic brain injury from a snowboard accident forced me to completely reevaluate...

Instead of “so… what’s new?” or “what’ve you been up to?”, lately I’ve been asking “what are you mos...

If you’re constantly recalibrating, when are you creating? Living a life beyond productivity hacks s...

"Please welcome our next storyteller to the stage—Derek MacDonald!"

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 27 Taking Up Space Without Apologizing For Existing by Derek MacDo...

Adding the final touches before kicking off a new chapter.

Perfectionism is poison to your dreams.

Don't Forget To Pick Your Head Up by Derek MacDonald You'll miss the view you worked so hard for.Rea...

There's a hummingbird that stops by in the mornings to check on the flowers.

I slowed to a stop before turning right, driving along the riverside toward the highway. It was mid-...

Some days unfold, others unravel. I wasn't sure which this one would be.

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 26 When You're Having An Off Day, Take The Day Off by Derek MacDon...

I was sitting at a table by the window.

I was sitting at my kitchen counter this morning. Like most Mondays, I’d scanned my inbox with a cup...

Stop Sitting Alone At The Digital Table by Derek MacDonald When your invitation never shows up, show...

6 months ago, I started a podcast. Today it crossed 5k downloads.

Over the last year and a half, I've settled into the rhythm of creating, editing, and publishing my ...

Sometimes I wish I was one of those people who didn’t give a shit. Life would be easier. But nope, I...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 25 The Alpha Male Antidote by Derek MacDonald Visible vulnerabilit...

Curiosity helps you think about where you might be right or wrong about people.

It's always worth asking “what is this instead of?” or “ what is this in addition to?”

Becoming Who You Want To Be By Pretending To Be Someone Else by Derek MacDonald The mental magic tri...

Creative journeys are a slog. When people say following your dreams can be hard, they’re actually sa...

When I was coaching competitive snowboarding, I used to say: “if you’re not having fun, you’re doing...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 24

I was sitting with my partner, Isobel, this afternoon in the screened-in porch of the fenced-in back...

If you only ever try to fix what you’re bad at, you might get better over time… but when you focus o...

For When Your Spark Burns Out by Derek MacDonald The poem that reminds me to accept wayward progress...

Friendly reminder, the people who say that learning is another way to procrastinate have already rea...

Since I run a weekly newsletter where I publish essays and podcast episodes, I wanted to find a way ...

Daily Emails From The Journey Writing full-time, sharing how I use tech to make space for creativity...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 23 Changing What You Accept For Yourself With A New Type Of Storyt...

The Mask That Kidnapped My Happiness by Derek MacDonald Recovering the kid I lost by learning to emb...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 22 How Childhood Dreams Predict The Person You Become by Derek Mac...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 21 On Letting Things Break by Derek MacDonald Making a hard choice...

Saying Goodbye To The Little Engine That Should by Derek MacDonald And other things you thought you ...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 20 The Most Important Skill For Becoming A Better Collaborator by ...

What We Get Wrong About The Soft Boy Scam by Derek MacDonald Why vulnerability isn't the same as emo...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 19 The Overlooked Half Of 'The Let Them Theory' by Derek MacDonald...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 18 Learning How To Be Yourself Instead Of Staying Quiet by Derek M...

Forever Alone With Your Thoughts by Derek MacDonald Why trying to be understood doesn't create conne...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 17 Digging Out Of Content Fatigue With A Different Approach To Pos...

The Dream Life You're Almost Ready For by Derek MacDonald Why pretending to go for it is more damagi...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 16 The Invisible Tech Tax On Solopreneurs by Derek MacDonald Makin...

Please Proceed To The Edge Of The Map by Derek MacDonald Calm can be taught but confidence is someth...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 15 The Art and Science of Becoming Happier by Derek MacDonald How ...

Why "Working Harder" Keeps You Stuck by Derek MacDonald What I've learned about building a life beyo...

Depending On The Mending Wall by Derek MacDonald The boundaries we bump, and the ones we build.Read ...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 14 Part 3 - What They Don't Tell You About Sobriety In The Workpla...

LOOK AT THIS SUBJECT LINE... Every Time You Do Nickelback Comes To Mind (Here's Why) by Derek MacDon...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 13 Part 2 - What They Don't Tell You About Sobriety In The Workpla...

An Alternative To Fighting For Control by Derek MacDonald Mapping your fears is how you build mental...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 12 Part 1 - What They Don't Tell You About Sobriety In The Workpla...

Anchoring Yourself To Avoid Getting Swept Up In Impostor Syndrome by Derek MacDonald Planting your f...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 11 The Reason You Don't Listen To Your Gut (and what to do about i...

Please Stop Padding Acceptance With Praise by Derek MacDonald Sometimes people just want to be heard...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 10 From Tolerating Bad Conditions To Navigating Better Circumstanc...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 09 Neurodiverse Confidence And How To Destroy It by Derek MacDonal...

Problems That Solve Themselves When You're Not Looking by Derek MacDonald Sometimes focusing on some...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 08 Your Mental Wealth Is Your Best Investment by Derek MacDonald U...

You're Not Getting Ahead If You're Just Getting By by Derek MacDonald What really happens when you'r...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 07 If Your Data's A Mess, Your Results Will Be Too—Even With AI by...

Your Most Competitive Advantage Doesn't Seem Competitive—To YOU by Derek MacDonald Don't dim your li...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 06 Why Some People Shape Their Future While Others Wait For It by ...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 05 Your Workload Is A Mess—And What To Do About It by Derek MacDon...

More Isn't The Answer (I had to learn the hard way) by Derek MacDonald Intentional velocity is what ...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 04 Solopreneurs and The End Of Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 03 Time Management Isn't Your Problem by Derek MacDonald Fitting m...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 02 Use This Skill For More Work-Life Balance by Derek MacDonald Re...

Products Fail, But Technology Prevails (just look at BlackBerry) by Derek MacDonald Resisting innova...

The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 01 How to Manage Expectations Without Stifling Growth by Derek Mac...

Positive Psychology's Hidden Flaw by Derek MacDonald Why emotional endurance falls short of resilien...

The Masked Destruction Of "Male Loneliness" by Derek MacDonald What everyone's getting wrong about w...

Resting For Resourcefulness, Digging For Creativity by Derek MacDonald Self-efficacy requires practi...

Game-Changing Gifts for the Procrastinators in Your Life ($45 and Under) by Derek MacDonald Gifts th...

Dry Wit, Charismatic Charm, and...Unabashed Vulnerability? by Derek MacDonald Leaning into change in...

Why Jon Brosio is Using Lessons From Food Service to Build Digital Trust by Derek MacDonald How leve...

Your Ability To Make Progress Is Directly Tied To Your Relationship With Avoidance by Derek MacDonal...

Relatable Blind Spots, Limiting Beliefs, And Coaching Yourself by Derek MacDonald Finding the refram...

1 Goal, 2 Milestones, 3 Tasks To Do Today by Derek MacDonald A traumatic brain injury changed how I ...

Here's How Artificial Intelligence Will Wreck the Economy by Derek MacDonald What happens when produ...

The Overlap Between Therapy, Sobriety, Stoicism, And Mindfulness by Derek MacDonald Do we really "fi...

What Mass-Casualty Medicine Teaches You About Decision-Making by Derek MacDonald Plan for the worst ...

It's Not Always About Fighting For What You Want by Derek MacDonald The path of least resistance—fou...

Your Progress Depends On What You Document by Derek MacDonald How records help you spot patterns, tr...

What Overcoming Limiting Beliefs Really Looks Like by Derek MacDonald Tom Matousek didn't start "goi...

How To Keep Calm In The Middle Of Chaos by Derek MacDonald Wining the crowd, setting your standard, ...

Only Pain Will Change It by Derek MacDonald The hard truth about turning awareness into action.Read ...

Driving Sales with Functional File Sharing by Derek MacDonald Better operations are the key to unloc...

Finding Clarity With Fear And Transparency by Derek MacDonald When feeling small leads to going big....

Relatable Inner Critics For Reducing Stress by Derek MacDonald How Fredrik Backman makes the charact...

Lord of the Files: The Solvable Practice Creating Uncertainty in the Workforce. by Derek MacDonald A...

The Struggle For Happiness No One Will Talk About by Derek MacDonald Do emotional intelligence and h...

AI and the Biggest Workforce Threat That No One is Talking About by Derek MacDonald Transitioning fr...

Understanding Motivators, Strengths, And Blind Spots by Derek MacDonald Starting on Substack, focusi...

Escaping The Chaos While The World Sleeps by Derek MacDonald A story of connecting purpose with proc...

Embracing Structured Imperfection for Getting Work Done by Derek MacDonald When good is "good enough...

Goal Setting, Redefining Success, And Better Planning Resources by Derek MacDonald How will you know...

The Phases Of Lasting Change by Derek MacDonald Productivity gets mistaken for the goal, but account...

Making it to a Million by Derek MacDonald In a room of 100 people, 7 are likely to be millionaires—b...

Stories On Personal Growth, Leadership, And Building Mental Wealth by Derek MacDonald Introducing 'B...

If You Give a Moose a Mindset by Derek MacDonald Read on Substack

Go From Overwhelm to Organized with this Simple Task Triage System by Derek MacDonald Learn to prior...

5 Pillars of Performance that Every Leader Can Use. by Derek MacDonald Read on Substack

How to Coach Yourself Through the Worst Weeks (and what it really sounds like). by Derek MacDonald 5...

Paving A Path by Derek MacDonald Randy Strand builds community through snowboarding.Read on Substack

Powerful Community by Derek MacDonald Local nonprofits strive to provide outdoor opportunities for J...

10 Barrel Brewing Emerges in Snow Markets by Derek MacDonald Read on Substack

Does Your Work Shape Your Life or Does Your Life Shape Your Work? by Derek MacDonald The time you sp...

Meet The Digital Nomad Who Ditched His Dream To Find A New Life by Derek MacDonald A destination he ...

Wilderness First Responder: What It's Like To Use It by Derek MacDonald How a snowboard trip in July...