Uncage Yourself

Several years of being in corporate will teach you certain beliefs and worldviews about what a "successful" life looks like. We can't fall victim to these dangerous ideas. So, in this episode, we shed light on 7 brutal lies you're told about work. Enjoy. Want to create Time Freedom at work? Here's your guide. Show website: UncageYourself.FM *** TIMESTAMPS 02:26 We've all been conditioned 02:45 Shaping your role like an executive 04:43 How to handle nosy bosses 05:56 Dangers of single-source income 07:24 Paralyzed by corporate overlords 09:10 Monetizing your skills outside the 9-5 10:42 There is no "company time" 12:03 Sorry, you aren't special *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Essential life skill: identifying and unlearning your fixed beliefs. 2. You must exert your agency at work. Set your terms and you'll learn what's possible. 3. Mange up by learning the values, incentives, and pains of those people senior to you. 4. Diversify and stack your income streams. Not only is it financially smart, but you'll grow by leaps and bounds.  5. You have a personal brand, whether you like it or not. Will you keep it small (caged)? Or go big? 6. Make yourself recession-proof by embracing and going all-in on your unique ability. *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

I joined mental health expert Tim Perreira as a guest on his show, Tuesdays With Tim. This is a recast of that session. We cover why modern work makes us feel caged, plus some psychological and physical health strategies for taking control of your work situation (and life). Want to create Time Freedom at work? Here's your guide. Show website: UncageYourself.FM *** TIMESTAMPS 02:55 Thumbnail of Matt's life 04:55 Experiments with entrepreneurship 06:07 Should you leave corporate? 07:36 "Corporate Cage" defined 09:02 Root issue: externalizing control 11:03 4 phases to the Uncaged transformation 14:23 Step one: stop the bleeding 16:30 Unraveling destructive conditioning 19:45 Typical crappy answer to "what do you want?" 20:29 Indicators that you're caged 22:44 Inside-Out approach to life 24:25 Breaking free of "work = identity" 25:25 Your desires are not your own 27:36 Self-Realization Theory (to feel content) 28:39 Tearing down "authenticity" 31:00 Harsh awakening from autopilot *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Leaving the 9-5 isn't for most people. Choose to create freedom right where you are. 2. Shape your day based on what energizes you. This action compounds into the life you want. 3. Work-life balance isn't a thing. Treat your existence as one harmonized life. Strive for alignment. 4. Most of our pain at work stems from optional stories in our heads that we subscribe to. 5. Imagine your 10X bigger life to leapfrog commonplace (2X) tactics to an incrementally better life. 6. "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." — Viktor Frankl 7. Continually externalize your life vision through writing and speaking. This action programs your subconscious. Your mind is always listening, so make sure it's firing and wiring together per your design. 8. Obsessed with external motivation? You're just a shell of your potential. Instead, live Inside-Out.  9. Control the inputs to direct your outputs. 10. You have all sorts of control you don't believe you have. Design forward, take aligned action. *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Tim on LinkedIn PER Wellness Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

Kason Morris is a master of reinvention. He's already redesigned his career six times across five sectors, strategically leveling up his skills in the process. Kason has decades of experience as a learning and development executive in big tech while also serving as a career and lifestyle coach. Here, we talk about design thinking as a principle, the importance of self-reliance, and specific strategies for operating within corporate on your terms.  Want to create Time Freedom at work? Here's your guide.  Show website: UncageYourself.FM *** TIMESTAMPS 02:57 Career is a design problem 04:50 Kason's life phases & childhood influences 06:39 Building your experimental mindset 09:55 The most underrated life skill 12:03 Applying design thinking to pivot in life 15:07 Exerting your agency at work 20:55 Entrepreneurship while in your 9-5 24:50 Timely vs. timeless skills 29:21 Best & worst advice 33:46 One law for everyone to follow 34:44 If Kason was starting his career now 37:48 Closing message *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Money, meaning, and expression are three levers for harmonizing work and life. 2. Take control of your work environment: influence with and without authority. 3. Build a portfolio career by diversifying your interests and experiences over time. 4. We must take agency in how we approach work and lifestyle. 5. Balance internal and external drivers to maximize your growth in the world. 6. Decipher your "work" and "life" views; strive to harmonize them as much as possible. 7. Approach work like a playground, not a ladder. 8. "Dream careers are not landed, they're created." 9. A single-lane road creates no life options. 10. Most (timely) skills employers are for will be half as impactful within 4 years. Get off the skill-building "treadmill" with timeless (power) skills. 11. "Learning how to learn" is life's meta-skill. Spend time finding your method for this.  12. Relationships are the greatest career (and life) accelerator. Go wide, stay curious. *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Kason on LinkedIn Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Explore transformational coaching w/ Matt Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube

It’s easy to show up to a new role or company and wait for them to hand you work. It’s hard to walk into an environment and shape your experience. But it’s the latter approach that’s going to generate the most rewarding outcomes — for you and the organization. This episode lays out a strategy for creating your own Rules of Engagement, including my "top 5" battle-tested rules. Weekly newsletter for Uncaging yourself: Wednesday Wisdom Show website: UncageYourself.FM *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Know yourself 2. Shape your role 3. Fixate on incentives and outcomes 4. Control high-energy zones 5. Establish bright lines *** RESOURCES Set up a discovery call for coaching with Matt Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube

Work-Life Balance is BS. It's a misguided concept that leaves people with regret and untapped potential. Friend and fellow coach Paul Conley joins me to dive into this "balance" myth and other strategies that keep people from living their fullest lives. Weekly newsletter for Uncaging yourself: Wednesday Wisdom Show website: UncageYourself.FM *** TIMESTAMPS 02:34 Paul's focus 05:22 The myth of Work-Life Balance 08:51 Should we seek meaning (purpose) at work? 12:17 The (anti?) benefits of fitting in 16:14 Choosing Our Work vs. Corporate Work 20:25 Implementing "life-first" tactics 31:14 Maximizing your time on Earth  *** TAKEAWAYS 1. When you put life ahead of work, everyone else improves. 2. Seek abundance, not balance. 3. Someone else's Plan A is inevitably your Plan B. 4. Authenticity strategy: emulate, don't imitate. 5. Life hack: have fun every day. 6. You have immense control over your 9-5 experience, but people rarely implement their own designs. 7. You can feel (be) free wherever you are. The choice is yours. 8. Be (the right type of) Selfish so that you may be Selfless. 9. Stop saying, "I don't have time."  We all have the same 24 hours. Make better choices. 10. You deserve your dream life. It's not only possible; it's probable (with the right designs). *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Paul on LinkedIn Paul's Life-Work Balance Podcast Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube

Creativity isn't just some abstract topic for artists. Think beyond the "in-demand skills" of today and learn how to build creative muscles that unlock a better life for you. William Willis (aka The Prolific Creator) joins us to share his transformative story (flowing between big tech and a "creator" entrepreneur), plus enlightening tips for cultivating meaning and tangible rewards inside and outside of corporate. Weekly newsletter for Uncaging yourself: try Wednesday Wisdom Show website: UncageYourself.FM  *** TIMESTAMPS 03:04 Impact of science fiction 07:22 Wrestling with a "successful" tech career 10:56 Personal learnings from experimentation 15:37 The anti-niche approach 19:42 Identifying your golden thread (EPIC) 23:45 Cultivating your scenius 32:56 Practical creativity for those feeling "caged" 37:10 How you're capping your potential 41:01 How William is methodically designing corporate re-entry 48:44 Rapid-fire questions 56:27 Every second counts *** TAKEAWAYS 1. There's immense power in unbounded experimentation (with no fixation on outcomes). 2. Be EPIC: [E]xplore interests, observe [P]atterns, [I]dentify common threads, and [C]urate creations. 3. We’re all born to create. The question is, "what are we supposed to create?" 4. Curate your environment (including people) to level up to where you want to be. 5. We become conditioned to value professional effectiveness and efficiency. 6. You're capping your potential if you're not flexing your creative "play" muscles. 7. You are an autonomous being in your world. Don't let others have you believe otherwise. 8. Don't spend your entire life building someone else's dreams (the graveyard is the wealthiest place in the world). 9. All you have is this moment. Don't settle. What can you do right now? 10. "A small, caged life is no way for a human being to live." *** RESOURCES Check out William's site: The Prolific Creator William's Substack newsletter Connect w/ William on LinkedIn Follow William on Twitter Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube

What are you optimizing for? In other words, what are you trying to generate more of in your life? Most people have superficial answers. But dig deep, and you'll find what they want: some version of freedom. This episode introduces a framework for creating freedom, professionally and personally. Learn strategies and tactics for Uncaging yourself: try Wednesday Wisdom. *** TIMESTAMPS 02:41 Freedom is a feeling 04:46 Intro to Freedom Framework 05:04 Time Freedom 06:52 Financial Freedom 08:25 Relationship Freedom 10:09 Purpose Freedom 11:00 Health Freedom 11:30 Putting it all together *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Time Freedom: Conserve hours (and energy). Consciously direct those gains toward your chosen high-value activities (work and otherwise). 2. Financial Freedom: Maximize corporate utility for least effort. Diversify income streams. Systematically funnel gains toward wealth-generating assets. 3. Relationship Freedom: Graduate from “old you” relationships. Surround yourself with people and ideas that inspire, uplift, and scare you (shocking you out of your comfort zone). 4. Purpose Freedom: Cultivate “meaning” in your life in areas that resonate with you. It doesn’t have to be professional (e.g., might be parenting). Note: don’t expect corporate to deliver this for you. 5. Health Freedom: Ensure a healthy mind and body that keeps you high-functioning and energized for decades. *** RESOURCES Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Related episodes: Creating Time Freedom at Work (#38), Mastering the Bookends of Your Day (#40)

Do you believe in self-destiny? Well, then you'd better master your days. This is a practical and actionable episode focused on controlling the bookends of your day: morning and night. This is where you unlock freedom. Learn strategies and tactics for Uncaging yourself. Try Wednesday Wisdom. *** TIMESTAMPS 02:58 Why your bookends matter 04:18 Strategies for managing energy (not time) 10:51 Prioritize mornings or nights? 12:58 Morning rituals + deep work 15:03 Keeping corporate at bay 15:32 Graceful evenings 18:01 Closing your day 19:31 You can’t afford to push back *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Your bookends (AM and PM) are when you typically have the most control. 2. Early morning is the most critical time for anyone, whether you wake up at 5am or 9am. You must design your mornings with intention.  3. Outside of your 9-5, learn to do two forms of work: rituals and project-focused deep work (efforts that "move the needle" on your freedom). 4. Shutdown routines and related strategies help you compartmentalize how you spend time and ensure presence (e.g., when around family).  5. Optimize your evenings for calm, time with loved ones, next-day clarity, and excellent sleep. *** RESOURCES Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Related episodes: Creating Time Freedom at Work (#38) Suggested books (summaries): Deep Work (Cal Newport), Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker)

The universe is speaking: start your side hustle. Everyone's doing it, right? Actually, let's pause and rethink that. Not everyone should ignite this "parallel path" outside of their corporate career. Listen to this episode to help you understand if side-hustling is right for you. *** TAKEAWAYS 1. Know the difference between "investments" and "side hustles." 2. Side-hustling requires you to adopt a business owner mindset. 3. Following your passion isn't what makes a side hustle effective. 4. You'd better make sure it gives you energy. 5. Shifts in the global economy make side-hustling a "high upside, low downside" bet if you play the long game.  *** RESOURCES Live Uncaged: try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube

Default thinking says, "I just need to suck it up at work." That's nonsense. You can take control of your corporate job and create Time Freedom — right where you are.   Learn the biological reasons why we feel overrun at work, plus 3 strategies (plus tactics) for creating Time Freedom. Break free of the Corporate Cage: join the Uncaged Academy. *** TIMESTAMPS 03:03 The Time Freedom mindset 03:53 That caged feeling 04:45 Why work overtakes us 07:00 How Henry Ford screwed us 09:30 Freedom framework (5 types) 10:19 Intro: 3 strategies for Time Freedom 10:36 ONE: Know thyself 12:19 TWO: Learn their game 14:57 THREE: Design your game 18:36 Recap *** TAKEAWAYS 1. You don't "find" time; you must create it. 2. Freedom is what you're born with. It's also a choice. Choose it, and then begin to manifest it. 3. Within corporate, must adopt an "outcomes over hours" mindset. 4. Understand your personal Point of Diminishing Returns at work. 5. Much of the upfront work involves identifying and confronting your limiting beliefs. *** RESOURCES Join the Uncaged Academy (cohort-based course) Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Related episodes: Outcomes Over Hours (#35)