Recently, a lot of you have written to ask me how to discover, master your superpower at work and in relationships.

I have developed a simple quiz called EARS Superpower Profile® based on my latest Penguin book.

16 questions, takes 5 minutes to complete. This is the same assessment that I am using to teach in companies and coach others.

After taking the short quiz, you will be able to find out which superpower profile you are (E/A/R/S) and your energy spectrum.

You can also unlock the full insights by purchasing the detailed report.

If you are curious about your superpower, want to know how to double down what you are great at, try it now:

EARS Superpower Profile Test

The theme for the Purpose Club this month is ‘productivity as a superpower’.

If you want to find out what your superpower is, you can answer ten questions to find out here.

I used to confuse productivity with busyness.

For years, I envied the people who bragged about surviving on four hours of sleep. I glorified the burnout, thinking that if I wasn’t exhausted by Friday, I hadn’t worked hard enough. I wore my constant connectivity like a badge of honor.

But I’ve come to realize that digital addiction is one of the biggest challenges to doing meaningful work. We pay for it in the “cost of distraction.”

Consider this: Research suggests it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus on a task after a single interruption. Every buzz, every glance at our phone isn’t just a second lost—it’s half an hour of deep thinking stolen from our future selves.

🚀 1% Idea

This is how I deal with noises.

I’ve started fighting back in small ways. When I write now, I hide my phone. Physically. In another room. It sounds simple, but removing that friction has been transformative. It’s taught me that real productivity isn’t about doing more things at once; it’s about being fully present for one thing at a time.

The quality of our habits determines the quality of our outputs.

🚀 Upcoming Events

We have two exciting opportunities to connect coming up:

• March 17 | Purpose Club Dinner: This event is now officially full! If you were hoping to join us, please join the waitlist to secure early access to the next one.

• March 27 | Purpose on Tap: We’re trying something new! Designed specifically for young professionals and university students, “Purpose on Tap” is a more casual evening to explore big questions in a relaxed setting. We’d love to see you there.

👉 Join the Waitlist

👥 Founding Member Spotlight

This week, we’re highlighting Philippe Degrange

Philippe leads ACT - Asia Corporate Training Ltd., an organization that partners with forward-thinking leaders who understand the importance of their greatest asset: their people.

The acronym “ACT” simply and powerfully represents their philosophy of taking ACTion: to learn about oneself and others; to understand how one’s beliefs lead to specific behaviors, which result in specific outcomes. ACT believes that self-awareness of how we think and act is critical for personal growth to translate into company effectiveness.

Philippe’s superpowers?

His humility and his ability to empower those around him. He embodies the idea that true leadership is about lifting others up.

🤔 A Question for You

As I continue to navigate the difference between being busy and being effective, I keep coming back to this thought:

The quality of our habits determines the quality of our outputs.

So, I’ll leave you with this: How productive, busy, or effective are you really? And more importantly, what’s one small habit you can change today to reclaim your focus?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Here’s to doing less, but better.

Evolving Together,

Aaron Pang

If this resonates, save it and repost it to grow with your network.

Join Purpose Club Dinner here

Hello Friend!

As we welcome the Lunar New Year, we aren’t just changing a date on the calendar—we are changing our energy. We are entering the Year of the Horse.

In a world that often demands we rush, the horse offers a paradox: it teaches us about power and stillness. As we step into this new cycle, I want to leave you with three gifts inspired by this magnificent animal.

1. The Gift of Force
This is the quiet strength inside you. The force to say “no” to distractions and “yes” to your purpose. This year, don’t wait for permission to be powerful. Harness your conviction and carry your dreams forward, no matter how heavy they feel.

2. The Gift of Momentum
A horse at a standstill is beautiful; a horse at full gallop is unstoppable. Momentum is built by consistent action. Find your direction, commit fully, and let your successes build upon each other. If you stumble, remember: a horse always rises with even more power.

3. The Gift of Peace
Here is the secret: the most powerful force is stillness. You cannot run a marathon with a frantic heart. In the noise of the year ahead, find your quiet center. It is from this place of calm that your most powerful strides will come.

May this Year of the Horse bring you the strength to carry your burdens, the speed to outrun your fears, and the wisdom to find peace in the race.

Wishing you and your family a prosperous and powerful New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai,

Aaron - The Purpose Club

Upcoming Purpose Club Dinner

Register your details on the waitlist to join our next Purpose Club dinner.

Join Dinner Waitlist

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
— Aristotle

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

How many people have you asked about their New Year’s resolutions—or been asked yourself? It’s a familiar January question we ask.

But research from Forbes shows that only about 1% of people actually manage to stick to them by the end of year. Some studies even suggest 80% don’t get past February.

So, why do so many good intentions fall apart?
Traditional resolutions are often built to fail because they:

• Focus on overwhelming goals

• Require radical overnight transformation

• Lack a practical system to support behavioral change

The Solution? Build Micro-Habits
Instead of chasing a huge, intimidating goal, focus on the smallest sustainable version of the change you want to see.

The goal isn’t to achieve something big in one leap—it’s to build a habit you can sustain for 365 days, without fail.

A micro-habit follows one rule:

1. It’s small – so small it’s almost impossible to skip.

The magic happens when you define:
✅ WHAT you’ll do
✅ WHEN you’ll do it
✅ HOW you’ll do it

Here’s how this looks in practice:

Personal Growth
Instead of: “I’ll read 10 books this year.”
Try: “I’ll read 5 minutes before bed every night.”

Health
Instead of: “I’ll lose 10kg this year.”
Try: “I’ll run for 5 minutes at the gym first thing each morning.”

Relationship
Instead of: “I’ll improve my relationship.”
Try: “I’ll clock off every Tuesday at 5pm, and have a date night with my partner.”

Small steps create consistent momentum—and consistency beats intensity.

1.01 multiplied by itself 365 times equals 37.78.

As we move into this new year, I’d love to know:

What’s one micro-habit you’re committing to in 2026?

Hit reply and let me know.

(Saying it out loud is the last step toward making your habit stick because someone can hold you accountable. And you have skin in the game to keep your promise.)

If you wish to learn more about how I coach others on building lasting habits for better mental clarity, health, relationships, wealth, and work, you can watch the deep-dive series here by upgrading your subscription.

Learn How to Make Lasting Habits

Here’s to a year of small steps and lasting change together,

Aaron Pang

Step 1: Manage Your Distractions
Smartphones and constant not…

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Stage 1: The Cue
Imagine a hot, sunny day. You are walking through the park when you see an ice cream truck. The familiar jingle, the bright visuals, and your recent h…

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We typically face five common blockers when trying to build new habits. Do any of these sound familiar?

Blocker 1: The Discomfort of Change
Starting somet…

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What comes to mind when you think of habits?

Here are five mindset principles I’ve found essential for building sustainable habits. I emphasize “sustainable” because while habits are easy to start, th…

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Read more

Happy New Year! I hope 2026 is unfolding with clarity and purpose for you.

I’m writing with deep gratitude for the journey so far—and with a heart full of excitement for what we are building, together.

To our founding members: you gave this community its first heartbeat. Thank you for your trust, presence, and belief before the path was fully lit.

To every leader reading this for the first time: welcome. I’m grateful our paths are crossing at a moment of meaningful growth.

Why We Exist — And Where We’re Rooted

In a world that can feel loud, distracted, and impatient, the Purpose Club was created for growth-minded executives, corporate professionals and educators for a different kind of growth—personal, professional and collective growth.

I often reflect on our closest parallels: the timeless craft of Patek Philippe (“You never actually own it, you merely look after it for the next generation”) and the sustaining fellowship of a church community. Like both, we are building something meant to outlast us—rooted in meaning, nurtured in community, and passed forward with intention.

Our foundation is Transformative Purpose: the belief that we never simply “find” our purpose, because it is always evolving.

Here, we are redefining leadership through a shared belief: Leaders Evolve Together. This means we commit to evolving from within, for our teams, and for the world.

Our Vision:

To build a world full of fulfilled leaders across generations - bridging potential and legacy.

Our Mission:

To inspire, connect, and empower people through growth moments: books, podcast, and community.

Our Values:

We are active, positive, curious, and kind.

Our 2026 Calendar is now live, with most of the events open for registration. (see link under signature)

In a loud, distracted world, we are building a growth platform nurturing a legacy of leadership—rooted in purpose, connected in growth, and dedicated to what lasts.

Thank you for being part of this, from wherever you stand.

Wishing you a year full of clarity and purpose,

Together,

Aaron

Founder, Purpose Club

PS. Feel free to share this letter with someone who embodies our belief - building a world full of fulfilled leaders across generations.

___

2026 Purpose Club Calendar

Executive Dinner

Membership

A curious question hit me this week: If you measured your life in weeks, not years, how would you spend the next one?

We get reminders for everything—project deadlines, birthdays, subscription renewals.
But the one thing we don’t get a reminder for is the end of life.
We have roughly 4,000 weeks.
That number isn’t meant to paralyze you with fear. It’s meant to clarify with urgency.

I learned this the hard way. After my second episode of Bell’s palsy, I was determined to be the “tough” leader, powering through the office with half my face paralyzed. I thought I was setting an example. I was actually setting a time bomb.

My boss saw through it. “No one is going to look after you,” he said. “You gotta look after yourself.”

It felt like a betrayal. It was a liberation.
I had confused running fast with running far.

A tool for you this week: The 3-Way Health Audit.
Ask yourself these questions about any major commitment (job, project, habit):

1. Does it make me a better or worse person? (Does it leave me drained, cynical, and impatient, or energized, kind, and clear?)

2. Is it sustainable for my current life stage? (Can I do this while protecting my sleep, my relationships, my sanity?)

3. Does it serve my purpose? (Does it align with my core “why,” or am I just chasing someone else’s definition of success?)

If you answer “no” to any, it’s a warning sign. Your body and mind are giving you data. Listen to it.

Protecting your health isn’t selfish. It’s the most responsible thing you can do for everyone who needs the best version of you.

With purpose,
Aaron

Read the Books

Join The Purpose Club Executive Dinner

Apply to become a The Purpose Club member

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Unstuck Chapter 6 - Four Narratives

You’re keeping all the balls in the air. But at what cost? What if the relentless hustle is costing you the very things that make success meaningful?

Success and fulfillment are not the same thing. You can be “successful” by external standards and feel utterly empty. Fulfillment is an internal scorecard measured across the holistic health of your HOLO narratives.

We’ve been taught to glorify the grind. To wear burnout as a badge of honor. We treat our health, relationships, and inner peace as negotiable—things we’ll get to “after the launch,” “after the promotion.” We treat these glass balls like they’re rubber, assuming they’ll bounce back. Until one day, they don’t.

Last week, we talked about building your purpose. This week, let’s talk about the four-part blueprint for that construction.

I call it the HOLO Framework. It stands for the four non-negotiable narratives you must actively write for a fulfilled life: Health, Opportunistic mindset, Learning, and Others.

It’s the antidote to one-dimensional “success.” When you audit your life through this lens, you immediately see what’s being neglected.

A quote for you today

“No health, no wealth.” - Dr. Allan Zeman. A simple, profound truth from one of Asia’s most influential leaders. He prioritizes his gym time so fiercely he almost missed a meeting with a former U.S. President. That’s prioritizing a glass ball.

A question for you today

Look at your past month. Which of the four HOLO narratives (Health, Mindset, Learning, Service) received the least amount of intentional “authoring” from you?

Read more

Unstuck Chapter 5: Discover Your Transformative Purpose

Your purpose isn’t something you find; it’s something you build and practice daily through your choices, mindset, and actions.

Does the question “What’s my purpose?” make your stomach clench? What if you’ve been asking the wrong question? The real source of fulfillment isn’t a what... it’s a how.

We’re conditioned to believe purpose is a giant, glittering trophy at the end of a linear path. So we look at our messy, non-linear lives—with their detours, failures, and mundane Tuesday afternoons—and feel lost. “This can’t be it,” we whisper. That disconnect is where anxiety lives.

In my latest work, I make a distinction that changed everything for me: Purpose vs. Transformative Purpose. Purpose is often static and self-oriented.

Transformative Purpose is progressive and others-oriented. It’s the how. It’s the daily commitment to becoming better through a framework I call HOLO (Health, Opportunistic, Learning, Others). Your purpose isn’t a hidden treasure; it’s the person you choose to become while digging.

A Quote for You Today

“Transformative purpose is about waking up every morning doing the thing you love, which motivates you to become a better you each and every day. And by focusing on becoming a better self, you should also commit to making positive impacts for the betterment of others.”

A Question for You Today

Look back at a defining challenge in your life. If you view it not as an obstacle, but as essential “data,” what is it trying to teach you about the person you’re meant to become?

Evolve Together,

Aaron

Read time: 5 minutes

Topics covered: Transformative Purpose

Hello!

For years, I thought purpose was a finish line. Something I would eventually cross after enough soul-searching, and then—poof—I’d be fulfilled. I looked at successful people and assumed they had found their one big thing, and I was behind.

This thinking kept me stuck. It made my ordinary, daily life feel insignificant compared to the grand destiny I was supposedly missing.

Then I discovered the power of a single shift: from looking for a Purpose to living a Transformative Purpose.

The difference is everything.

Purpose is a noun. It’s static. It can be self-oriented.

Transformative Purpose is a process. It’s progressive. It’s your daily engine.

It’s the powerful intersection of three things: doing something you love, getting better at it each day, and using that growth to add value to someone else’s life. It’s not about one radical moment, but a thousand small, incremental improvements.

Reflective Question:

What is one small thing you love to do that, if you got 1% better at it each day, would positively impact your life and the lives of others?

Evolve Together,

Aaron

Read time: 5 minutes

Topics covered: Your Dormant Kid

Hello!

Think about the last time you felt truly, effortlessly creative. Not for a work project, but just for the joy of it.

For many of us, that memory is from childhood. A time when our primary job was to ask “why,” to imagine, and to explore without a fear of being wrong.

Somewhere on the path to becoming capable adults, we were told to “grow up.” We started believing that competence meant having all the answers and that professionalism meant shielding our curiosity and vulnerability.

But what if the most innovative leaders and fulfilled people are those who have done the opposite? What if they’ve intentionally reawakened what I call their Dormant Kid?

This isn’t about being immature. It’s about reclaiming the innate human superpowers of curiosity, creativity, and courage that we’ve let go dormant. It’s the difference between managing what is and creating what could be.

A book excerpt from Chapter 3 of Unstuck

Here are five reminders for you today:

1. Your Greatest Teacher is Your Younger Self: The qualities you naturally possessed as a child are the foundational skills for modern leadership and fulfillment.

2. “Growing Up” Often Means “Giving Up”: We trade curiosity for certainty, creativity for conformity, and vulnerability for a protective ego.

3. Vulnerability is a Strategic Advantage: Showing you don’t have all the answers builds trust, fosters psychological safety, and invites collaborative problem-solving.

4. Innovation Lives in “Why?”: The most transformative ideas come from questioning assumptions everyone else takes for granted, just as a child would.

5. Parenting is a Leadership Laboratory: The way we communicate with children (e.g., rewarding effort over outcome) is a masterclass in managing and motivating adults.

A question to reflect on today:

What is one thing you loved to do as a child that you’ve forgotten how to enjoy?

See you in the next letter!

Your positivity alchemist,

Aaron

PS. For deep-dive, you can consider upgrading to be a paid subscriber to access the new episode on the Unstuck Podcast

Upgrade

Episode Summary:
What if the best advice for your career, leadership, and personal life is the exact opposite of “grow up”…

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The answer lies in protection strategies designed by your younger self.

In this episode, we will look at the 3-Step Narrative …

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Read time: 5 minutes

Topics covered: Asking Questions, Third Thought

Hi,

How often do you find yourself reacting defensively to a problem or immediately looking for someone to blame? If you’re human, the answer is probably “often.” Our brains are wired for efficiency, which means they love shortcuts and autopilot responses.

But what if the key to a clearer, more positive mindset wasn’t about finding better answers, but about asking better questions?

In my book Unstuck, I explore the concept of “unwiring” our autopilot brain. When faced with a negative stimulus, our first two thoughts are usually unproductive:

• First Thought (Defensive): “It’s not my fault.”

• Second Thought (Accusatory): “It’s your fault.”

The real magic happens when we pause and consciously begin with our Third Thought. This is where we shift from being reactive to being reflective and curious.

Here’s a simple framework to intercept your autopilot brain:

Scenario

• A colleague gets a promotion.

First Thought (Defensive)

“I’m just unlucky.”

Second Thought (Accusatory)

“They must be related to the boss.”

Third Thought (Empowering)

“In which areas did I fall short? What can I improve?”

Scenario

• Your partner says you’re selfish.

First Thought (Defensive)

“No, I’m not! Remember when I...”

Second Thought (Accusatory)

“You are selfish too!”

Third Thought (Empowering)

“What did I do to make them feel this way? How can I give more?”

My challenge for you this week: The next time you feel a surge of negativity—frustration, jealousy, anger—catch yourself. Acknowledge the first two thoughts, and then consciously ask a better, third-thought question.

• Instead of “Why is this happening to me?” try “What can I learn from this?”

• Instead of “Who’s to blame?” try “What am I responsible for here?”

This small shift can create a powerful positive feedback loop in your mind.

Together, Aaron