The examined life - Thoughts from Self

We’ve made fitness complicated. Programmes, supplements, heart-rate zones and performance metrics have distracted us from one of the simplest foundations of a healthy life: walking. In this episode of The Examined Life , we explore the science behind daily movement, why your workout doesn’t erase a sedentary day, and how something as ordinary as a walk can benefit your physical health, mental well...

What can Serena Williams teach us about becoming great — and continuing to evolve? In this Athlete File, we look beyond the 23 Grand Slam titles and explore the athlete behind them: how Serena trained, why her game was so physically dominant, how she handled pressure, and how she continually adapted throughout a career spanning almost three decades. But this isn't just a story about tennis. I...

Every decision has a consequence. But what happens after that? In this episode, I explore second-order thinking — the idea that our decisions don't exist in isolation. A late night can become a pattern. A morning run can become an identity. A small decision today can quietly change the decisions you make months from now. We'll look at how to think beyond the immediate outcome, why fitnes...

Why do some people feel almost compelled to keep moving forward? Why does progress feel so rewarding — and when can the desire to become better become unhealthy? In this episode, I explore the psychology of striving , Self-Determination Theory, motivation, competence, autonomy and the difference between wanting to discover what you're capable of and feeling like you need to become someone els...

You sprint. You lift. You run. You recover. But what is actually powering all of it? Your body is constantly solving one problem: “I need ATP. How quickly can I get it?” In this episode, we explore the three energy systems that make movement possible — the ATP-PC system, anaerobic glycolysis and the aerobic system — and why understanding them can completely change the way you think about training....

I started running because I wanted to change my body. I stayed because running started changing my life. In this episode, I explore the unexpected ways running has shaped far more than my endurance—from building confidence and discipline to teaching me how to handle discomfort, adapt when things don't go to plan, spend time alone and trust myself. Because when you look at running from the out...

Novak Djokovic didn't have the easiest path to becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He grew up during war. He was an outsider among Federer and Nadal. He struggled with his body, his confidence and his place at the top of the sport. And even after reaching the highest level, he still had to reinvent himself, recover from setbacks and find new reasons to keep going. His sto...

Why do some people stay consistent for years while others start with huge amounts of motivation and give up a few weeks later? We often think consistency comes down to discipline, willpower or simply being the kind of person who “sticks to things.” But what if it has more to do with how you design your life? In this episode, I explore what actually makes behaviours last — from implementation inten...

What happens when you stop constantly seeing how everyone else is living? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore what changed when I decided not to use social media—and why the biggest benefit wasn't simply having more time. Without the constant stream of other people's lives, routines, bodies, opinions and achievements, I had to start asking a different question: What do I act...

Rest sounds easy—until you’re someone who loves to keep pushing.  In this episode, I explore why taking a day off can sometimes require more discipline than training, what burnout has taught me about changing direction, and why stopping isn’t the opposite of progress. Sometimes, the best way to keep moving forward is to be willing to stop. “The art of resting is part of the art of working.” — John...

What does it actually take to become the best in the world? Usain Bolt is one of the most recognisable athletes in history. The fastest man alive. Eight-time Olympic gold medallist. World record holder. But the records are only the beginning of the story. In the first episode of The Athlete Files , I go deep into the journey behind Usain Bolt—the kid from Jamaica, the early setbacks, the losses, t...

In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore why we often confuse novelty with progress , why social media has made us increasingly obsessed with the next big thing, and why some of the most effective things in life are also the least exciting. Walking. Running. Lifting. Sleeping. Eating real food. Spending time outside. None of these things are new. And maybe that’s exactly why we should pay...

What happens when the tools designed to improve your fitness start getting in the way of actually enjoying it? For almost my entire fitness journey, I wore a watch. At first, it simply told me how long I had been running. Eventually, it told me everything — my steps, sleep, HRV, calories, heart rate, recovery and training load. The more I measured, the more I tried to optimise. And somewhere along...

What if the best way to get what you want is to stop asking how to achieve it? In this episode, I explore inversion — a mental model that completely changes the way you approach problems, fitness, habits, decisions, and life. Instead of asking “How do I succeed?” , inversion asks: “What would guarantee that I fail?” Instead of obsessing over the perfect training program, you ask what would make yo...

What if the thing you're trying to avoid is actually the thing that makes you stronger? In this episode, I explore hormesis — the biological phenomenon where a small, manageable amount of stress creates an adaptation that makes you stronger and more resilient. We look at what this means for fitness, recovery, learning, confidence, evolution and everyday life. Because growth doesn't come...

What if staying consistent with fitness had nothing to do with motivation—and everything to do with how you think? In this episode, I share the four principles that completely transformed my relationship with training. After years of chasing quick results, overtraining, starting over, and rebuilding my approach, I realised that lasting fitness isn't built on the perfect workout plan. It'...

Your brain is changing every single day. The question is: What are you teaching it to become? This episode explores neuroplasticity through the lens of fitness and everyday life. We talk about why "neurons that fire together, wire together," how repetition becomes identity, why recovery matters just as much as effort, and why the smallest actions often have the biggest long-term impact....

Everything in life naturally drifts towards disorder. Your body. Your relationships. Your skills. Even your mindset. In this episode, I explore the idea of entropy —a law of physics that unexpectedly explains why consistency matters, why maintenance is one of life's greatest skills, and why the goal isn't to build something once, but to keep caring for it over time. If you've ever w...

Most people spend their lives trying to prove they're right. Bayesian thinking suggests something different: the people who improve the fastest are the ones willing to change their minds. In this episode, I explore one of the most useful mental models I've discovered and how it completely changed the way I think about fitness, learning, and life. We'll talk about why reality is alwa...

Why do some people consistently get results while others stay stuck repeating the same patterns? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore one of the most powerful mental models I've discovered: systems thinking . Instead of focusing on isolated events, systems thinking teaches us to look at the hidden systems producing our outcomes. From fitness and health to habits, burnout, motivati...

Why do so many people feel disconnected from meaning despite having more data, tools, and optimisation than ever before? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore an idea from Arthur Brooks that completely changed how I think about fitness, happiness, and modern life: the difference between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. We live in a world that rewards measurement, productivit...

Most people approach life as if success comes from making one big decision. The perfect workout program. The perfect career move. The perfect relationship. The perfect opportunity. But what if success isn't determined by a single move at all? What if it's determined by the thousands of small decisions that compound over time? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore one of the mo...

Most fitness advice is designed for people who struggle to exercise. But what if your problem is the opposite? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore a challenge that rarely gets discussed: what happens when you already love training. From social media's obsession with hustle and discipline to Chris Williamson's idea of the Advice Hyper Responder , I share how advice that was m...

Why do some people improve while others stay stuck defending the same beliefs? In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore one of the most powerful mental models I've encountered: falsifiability . While it sounds like a concept reserved for science, I've found it applies just as much to fitness, decision-making, and everyday life. We dive into why good ideas are willing to be tested...

Why does everything worthwhile seem to feel hardest at the beginning? Whether it's a run, a writing session, studying for an exam, learning a new skill, or pursuing a meaningful goal, the first few moments are often filled with resistance. Doubt. Discomfort. The temptation to quit before you've really begun. In this episode of The Examined Life , I explore a simple lesson that long-dista...