Open Loops #116

👋 Welcome to the 116th issue of Open Loops, a weekly newsletter to help you think, grow, and build momentum.

My name is Reza, and every week, I sift through over 100 pieces of content —newsletters, articles, podcasts, books, and (way too many) tweets—to pull out the most interesting, actionable ideas.

When I was younger, I used to think that committing to something would feel oppressive, limiting, restrictive.

But I now realize that the opposite is true — that commitment is freeing. It lets you focus. It collapses the need for you to continue considering options endlessly and instead grounds you to where you are, and helps you enjoy the rewards of living out one of those options.

In other words: the value of commitment is that you get something tangible in exchange for it. By making a choice, you get something Real.

Whereas stewing in your potential and refusing to transform it into something Actual leaves you living more in your head—weighing and considering and thinking about all of the things you could be doing, but not actually doing any of them.

There are two types of financial independence: material and psychological.

Material independence is what most people chase. It’s "hitting your number" – having enough to never work again.

Many believe that reaching this milestone will bring peace, but as we've seen, they often find themselves grappling with new anxieties and insecurities.

Psychological independence is different and rarely talked about. It's when you are no longer a slave to money in your head. You stop obsessing over financial worries or chasing more wealth as a proxy for self-worth.

You don’t let money dictate your every decision. While financial concerns never disappear entirely, you develop a healthy, balanced relationship with them.

Do not let one more day go by without honoring the vocation your soul calls you to pursue.

And don't pretend you don't know what it is.

Of course you do. You can feel it in your stomach whenever you think about it; whenever you see another person doing it.

Life is so very short.

Do now what you yearn to do in your life.

You do not have to "quit your day job" in order to do this. You may do so if you choose to, but you do not have to.

Many people advance a vocation while holding down their "regular job." You can, too. Then ease into your vocation and turn it into your "regular job."

But you must give energy to your vocation starting today. I mean, today.

This newsletter is my creative outlet. When I’m not writing it, or working out, I help founders and their early teams bring clarity and structure to the chaos of building early-stage brands. If you’re a founder navigating GTM, you can lean more here.