53: Paul Millerd - Awakening From the Default Path
Paul Millerd, author of The Pathless Path, joins me to talk about "default path" addiction and what it's like to awaken. As former management consultants, we dig hard into this arena too. Enjoy!
Access the newsletter: Uncaged Secrets
Cohort course: Uncaged Academy
Show website: UncageYourself.FM
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TIMESTAMPS
03:12 The Great Contemplation
06:21 How Paul's book affected Matt
08:25 The process of Awakening
09:51 Pre-awakening (most people trapped here)
15:58 Addiction to Default Paths
19:03 Value of an early-career foothold
21:56 "There's a pebble in my shoe"
23:51 Higher stakes if you're a parent
27:10 Understanding life tradeoffs
28:28 The Pathless Path
31:21 Uncertainty as a feature
33:10 Testing boundaries at work
38:31 The great work of your life
41:15 Minimal risk in betting on yourself
44:21 Thoughtful re-entry into corporate life
51:20 Rapid-fire
57:53 What's your "work" story?
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TAKEAWAYS
1. Great Resignation might actually be the Great Contemplation: a rejection of scripted life, healthier conversation about our identification as "workers," and a desire to take control of your life.
2. Rule of thumb: most people you'll meet are asleep (80%), some are groggy (15%), and a few are truly awake (5%).
3. The Protestant Reformation triggered an "obsession" with work, which has taken global hold.
4. Aim of life for people came to find work and then hold on tight to that path.
5. The Default Path feels addictive because the start is so thrilling. Eventually, we stop growing and become sleepy.
6. Instead of doing the work, you eventually find yourself doing performative work (pretending to be valuable).
7. Tough for parents to fake it at work while simultaneously encouraging your kids to blaze their own path.
8. We can't let sunk costs weigh us down. Your life season hugely impacts what you should say "yes" to next.
9. Not knowing what comes next might actually be a feature, not a bug.
10. "If there are clear boundaries [at work], there is also great freedom to adapt and imagine within those lines. These boundaries, however, should always be tested to see if they are actually still real. It takes conscious acts by individuals to test these edges." —David Whyte
11. Great work of your life: continually find the great work of your life (Stephen Cope).
12. Know yourself: deliver targeted value inside your 9-5; push yourself for exponential growth in the outside world.
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RESOURCES
Paul's newsletter, site, & podcast
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