Extremely Honest Q&A | The Diary Of A CEO | E70

Bartlett argues that while the first ‘L’ (loss) in events like a pandemic, job loss, or a breakup is involuntary, the second loss is choosing denial, pessimism, and inaction. His framework is: accept reality (including your emotions and what can’t be changed), deliberately cultivate optimism and hope that “this too shall pass,” then translate that optimism into concrete action. This reduces the duration and depth of hard times instead of compounding them.

He critiques the common advice to “protect your time” as incomplete. Simply freeing up hours often leads to spending more time on the wrong things or just more work. Instead, he recommends clarifying your long‑term priorities (meaningful work, relationships, health, learning, freedom) and reallocating time from low‑priority activities toward those. Ask: “Saving time to do what?” and review your calendar through the lens of what actually makes life meaningful.

Using examples of a friend’s company being worth 4x more on the New York Stock Exchange than on a small German exchange, his own jump in pay between call centers, and his ex-girlfriend earning 10x more as a private jet flight attendant vs. Emirates, he shows that the same skillset can be valued wildly differently in different contexts. Beyond self‑improvement, you should ask, “Where are my existing skills most highly valued, rare, and in demand?” and actively move yourself to those ‘stock exchanges’—industries, roles, geographies, or client segments.

He frames imposter syndrome as the normal sensation of being outside your comfort zone, not a pathology. The key is how you *label* and respond to the feeling: some see it as an exciting challenge, others as a reason to retreat. Bartlett says that in every two‑year period of his life he has felt out of his depth, but he chose to attack the challenge—putting in more hours and focus. Avoiding those situations virtually guarantees you won’t reach your potential.

When he doesn’t want to go to the gym or do difficult tasks, Bartlett reminds himself that comfort now (skipping workouts, procrastinating) often becomes pain later (poor health, missed goals). He treats seductive ‘easy’ options with suspicion—seeing them as long‑term enemies of his ambitions. A practical tool he uses: in moments of resistance, ask, “How would the person I want to become behave right now?” and make decisions aligned with that future self.