📚 Unhinged Habits, The Perfect Bookstore, and more.

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👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

• I found the perfect bookstore.

• 4 Amazing authors and friends released their books this week, check them out here.

• Based on data from 24,000 readers, here are the book genres you’re most likely to enjoy based on your personality.

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📚 Book Summary:

This week’s book is “Unhinged Habits” by Jonathan Goodman.

Consistency is great for maintaining progress, but you need a period of intensity for making progress.

If you want to get ahead in life, it’s best to pick a singular area (health, business, writing, etc), and develop an unhinged habit around it. Once you reach your goal, use consistency to sustain your progress.

Here are 3 lessons from the book:

📖

1) Build An Unhinged Habit

The hardest part of any project or habit is always the beginning.

But once you get it going, maintaining it is much easier.

For instance:

• It’s hard to get into shape. It’s easier to stay in shape.

• It’s hard to start a business. It’s easier to run a business.

• It’s hard to make new friends. It’s easier to maintain friendships.

True transformation comes from a period of intense, almost unhinged focus on a single priority rather than marginal improvements across many fronts.

So if there’s a habit or goal you want to achieve, make it your #1 priority for a season.

For example, Jonathan and I wanted to develop more relationships with authors, so we spent all of 2025 hosting author meetups. By the end of the year, we hosted 40 meetups and met 150+ authors.

Now, Jonathan is in a season of family and adventure, and is spending the next 7 months traveling through Asia.

Another unhinged habit I developed was working on my first book.

I’ve spent 3-8 hours writing every day for the past 12+ months. I cut down my time on social media, time with friends, and time spent on entertainment to focus solely on my book.

Once it’s out in the world, I can let my foot off the gas, but for now, my book is my #1 priority.

Find what matters to you and build an unhinged habit around it.

PS: Want to be an early reader of my book and give feedback on it? Apply to join my book team here.

📖

2) The 5 Stages of Yes

There’s a common piece of advice when it comes to making decisions: “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.”

But that framework only works for someone who has more opportunities than they can handle.

Here’s a better framework to follow.

It’s called the 5 stages of Yes:

Stage 1: When rare opportunities come along, everything is a yes.

You don’t have the luxury of saying yes or no because no one’s offering you anything. You need the reps in order to figure out what you like doing. You need to discover what you find rewarding versus what you think you’ll find rewarding.

Stage 2: Opportunities are starting to come to you.

Now, unless it’s a hell no, everything is a yes. As long as the person doesn’t suck, it’s not illegal, or it couldn’t hurt your reputation, go for it.

Stage 3: Opportunities are coming faster now.

Choose the ones that pay off financially or emotionally.

Stage 4: Too many opportunities.

Focus on your ambitious goals and value system. Be kind, but ruthlessly turn down almost everything.

Stage 5: Overwhelmed with requests.

You’re beyond saying no. Other people must do it on your behalf. Build a rubric and have people evaluate opportunities on your behalf.

Which stage are you currently in?

📖

3) How to Make Decisions Faster

When making a decision, people sometimes fall into Analysis Paralysis.

This occurs when you overthink something to the point of avoiding any action.

However, not all decisions are equal. The less impactful the decision, the less time you should spend thinking about it.

Here’s a helpful framework from James Clear that you can follow called Hats, Haircuts, and Tattoos:

Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don't like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.

• Ex: Trying a new food truck, going on a first date, or going for a job interview.

Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won't be quick and you might feel foolish for awhile. That said, don't be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn't work out, by this time next year, you will have moved on and so will everyone else.

• Ex: Moving to a new city, moving in with someone, or starting a new job.

A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you'll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you're dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully.

• Ex: Buying a house, marrying someone, or switching careers.

If the decision is easy to reverse, move quickly and try a lot of things. If the decision is hard to reverse, move more slowly and take time to think things through.

✅ Actionable Advice

1) Prioritize focused intensity over scattered consistency:

• Pick 1 habit and have a period of obsession over it.

2) Reflect on the 5 stages of Yes, find out where you are, and act accordingly.

3) Label your decisions into one of three buckets:

• Hat: Move quickly.

• Haircut: Usually worth taking.

• Tattoo: Consider carefully.

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Alex W.