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 prod…

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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, …

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“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 ask…

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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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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?

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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

So, I made something special for you.

Say hello to The Unstuck Podcast!

It’s a subscribe-only audio space where I:

• Go deeper into the concepts from my books

• Answer your questions directly in monthly Q&As

• Share insights that don’t fit into a written format

In this 5-minute episode, I walk you through how to reframe stuckness as data, use it to guide personal development, and take practical steps to turn stuckness into success.

I’m excited to hear what you think.

Evolve Together,
Aaron