Today is "Free Friday," which can mean lots of things - getting something for free; free choice in topics, feelin' free... so anything goes. Today I created a "Thinking Environment Audit." This is a quick 12-question survey that checks to see if you're giving your brain all the help it can get. Are you only using your head? Or are you thinking outside of your head as well? Complete the audit. See where you think - and where you don't. Come back and share - what 1 action was recommended for you?

Use this post to register for the May 25th Challenge by typing "Challenge Accepted" in the comments below. Quick note for Standard and Premium Travelers: the $29 is part of registration itself, so you'll complete it on the way in. That will confirm your spot.

Happy Monday, Travelers! The big news today is that our first Apex Challenge is open for registration. This is Thinking Outside the Brain — a 7-day guided Apex Challenge starting Monday, May 25 and ending May 31. Here's how it works. The Apex Challenge💪 is the final step in Leveling Up at the end of your quest. This is where we put what we've learned from the Quest into practice. Who it is for❓: anyone who wants to think more clearly without trying harder. The Quest🚶‍♂️‍➡️: Thinking Outside the Brain🧠 based on Annie Murphy Paul's research Paul makes the case that our brain is not designed to do all your thinking by itself. The thinking we do best happens with our body, our space, and other people involved. The 👷‍♀️Challenge: Each day you'll receive an action to take to practice what you've learned in the Quest. Some you'll do on your own, some may happen as live events. You'll share your results every day by commenting on a linked post. What's in it for You? At the end of the seven days, we celebrate🥳, and you'll receive a Level Up Certificate🖼️ that you can print or share. You'll also have gained valuable skills to help you better tap into your brain power and will have put them into practice. The Transformation 🐦‍🔥 (Your New Stats) When you successfully apply the Extended Mind, you’ll stop trying to "think harder." Instead, you’ll experience a reduced cognitive load and a permanent shift in how you work and live: Sharper Intuition: Learn why "trusting your gut" is actually a high-level data skill. Dynamic Problem Solving: You’ll stop sitting still when your brain feels stuck. Cognitive Self-Regulation: Use micro-doses of nature to reset your attention span in minutes. Space Externalization: Modify your physical world to reduce distractions and unconscious mental "censorship." Collaborative Intelligence: Leverage structured debate and peer teaching to catch biases you can’t see alone. There will be a max registration cap of 25 Travelers because a guided challenge where I show up daily in the thread only works at a size where I can actually engage with everyone.

I've just dropped a new Quest in the Career Readiness Journey: Thinking Outside the Brain. The cognitive skills nobody teaches you. Annie Murphy Paul (the renowned science writer) makes a research-backed case that the smartest thinking doesn't happen inside your head. It happens when you use your body, your surroundings, and your relationships as extensions of your mind. You'll come away knowing how to: - Use your body as a thinking tool (interoception, gesture, movement) - Design your surroundings deliberately to support different kinds of cognitive work - Build "groupiness" in any team you lead or join - Tell the difference between cognition-draining and cognition-restoring breaks I'm really excited about this quest because it's more about how to replenish your brain's energy when it's exhausted, how to communicate in ways that will help people remember what you've said, and how to get the most out of a group. This Quest is going to be helpful whether you're working, in school, or just trying to get through you own day. This Quest officially opens the Career Readiness Journey. More career and workplace content will arrive every week or so from here on. Founders, you have full access through your lifetime VIP. Going forward, this Quest is Premium-tier for new members. Try a Waypoint or two, then come back and comment. What will you do differently?

💜The Full Cost of Adulting💜 is officially live on Level Up Life, and we're kicking it off with the Quest that starts it all. 💜Why Do We Have Minimum Wage?💜 digs into the real story behind worker protections and pay floors — where they came from, why they matter, and what they actually mean for anyone heading into the workforce today. This is the foundation. Everything we'll build from here — career readiness, financial literacy, paychecks, job hunting, growth, launch readiness, and more — starts with understanding this. Head over to the Classroom and check it out! Then come back and drop a comment to let me know what you learned! ✍️ Hurry up - go now!! Don't wait!!