The productivity Hack I Use Everyday (part 2) | E63

Bartlett attributes his Instagram growth (from 10,000 to over 1 million followers) and his podcast’s tripled listenership to years of posting and showing up regularly, not one-off big moves. He emphasizes that the most important moments are when you least feel like following through—finishing the last set at the gym at 1:00 AM or recording a podcast on two hours’ sleep. Treat those resistance points as the rare opportunities most people quit at; doing the small thing anyway is what compounds over time.

Using his ‘burning room’ analogy, Bartlett contrasts people who simply repeat that the room is on fire with those who focus entirely on finding and executing an escape plan. When his business lost about 50% of revenue in March 2020, the team could have fixated on the damage, but instead chose optimistic action, ultimately bouncing back stronger. He recommends deliberately surrounding yourself with people who lean toward solutions rather than catastrophizing, especially in business and close relationships.

Bartlett distinguishes between people struggling with mental illness and those who habitually default to what can’t be done and why everything will fail. He calls the latter ‘burdens’ whose pessimism and inaction you inevitably end up carrying. Because you become like the five people closest to you, he urges listeners to reduce exposure to such personalities in 2021—even if it hurts feelings—so their outlook and energy don’t dilute your own ambitions and resilience.

Bartlett admits he still gets triggered by romantic conflicts or anonymous online comments, but now uses each reaction as a diagnostic: “Why did that offend me?” If a random account can shift your mood, that points to a deeper unresolved insecurity. His strategy for 2021 is to reduce emotional reactivity by directly addressing those insecurities, turning composure into a ‘superpower’ that keeps your decisions from being steered by other people’s buttons and bait.

In both business and personal life, Bartlett has seen that people mirror the level of respect you demonstrate for yourself. Early in his career, ‘faking’ being a tough, boundary-protecting person helped older, more experienced businesspeople take him seriously. Whether with partners, bosses, or clients, he argues that your standards for what you allow and how you respond to disrespect quietly teach others what they can get away with. Tightening your boundaries is often the fastest way to remove disrespect from your environment.