The Barn of a Thousand Decisions
Where is your energy really going?
I’ve been spending a lot of time in and around the skeleton of our new barn.
Construction started a month ago, and for a long time we seemed to be going down into the earth without a lot to show for progress.
It was a necessary step to build the solid foundation on top of what they told me were “expansive soils”. As an engineer I appreciate the absolute need for a solid foundation.
Now at last the framing has begun and the walls are rising up, the concrete slab on the ground floor is still raw, and I reflect back on the thousands of decisions that have brought us to this point. Window trim or plain? Composite siding or wood? Stain or paint? None of these choices are monumental, yet each one chipped away at my attention and my energy because they were usually presented with incomplete information, and an uncertain connection to future consequences.
By the end of each week, I felt worn down not from lifting lumber but from lifting decisions.
That small taste of fatigue mirrors what many leaders experience daily. A steady stream of meetings, emails, requests, situations gone sideways and baffling messages quietly drains your reserves. It’s not always the weight of one decision but the accumulation of hundreds.
Energy is Your True Currency
Strategy often fails when we run out of energy, not ideas. Every choice, conversation, and environment either fuels or depletes. The real cost isn’t measured in hours but in the energy spent keeping up.
This is such a key point that I learned years ago. We all talk of not having enough time, myself included!
But what if it’s not a time problem, but an energy problem all along?
What keeps me going with the barn is that it is ultimately an energizing process for me: to find our way through the County Planning Department’s constant use of the word: “No”. Other people just can’t marshal the strength to persevere against capricious bureaucracy, for me it’s a puzzle I’m motivated to solve.
Back when I was designing racing yachts that would go on to win Round the World yacht races, finding our way through the rules to design an amazing creation was our unique ability. We positioned our clients to win when we kept our energy up and found a way that no one else could. I still carry this fundamental and unique skill with me today.
The Energy Leakage Audit
Back to the barn: to make sense of my own current day fatigue, I mapped where my energy was going. That exercise became the energy leakage audit, a tool that reveals the hidden drains many of us overlook.
It highlights common leaks: decision overload from repeated small choices, meetings without clear agendas, and mental loops of second-guessing past moves. When you see them clearly, you can start plugging the holes.
Quick Shifts You Can Try Now
One simple shift is to decide once and turn repeated choices into rules. No more debating the same thing week after week.
Another is to block ninety minutes of protected deep work time. I do this every 2-3 days when I’m not on the road serving my clients.
These moves may look small on paper, but they free surprising amounts of energy.
Your Next Step
If your own calendar feels like a barn of a thousand decisions, the audit can help you reclaim clarity.
Start with the free download here: Energy Leakage Audit
And if you want to go further, I offer a 90-minute From Vision to Land Strategy Call where we apply the audit together and reset your course for the season ahead. (See booking link below 👇)
On the Podcast: Yachts, Sales, and the Art of Connection
I recently sat down with Mark Gambale, on his Close with One Podcast. The title is:
SE01E02 - Balancing Tech with Genuine Human-to-Human Interaction
Our discussion begins with yacht design, but the real story is about people. Designing boats and building relationships share common elements: trust, balance, and curiosity. Those same qualities sustain leadership and sales far beyond a single transaction.
One idea that resonated is that balance is always moving. A sailboat adjusts its sails as the wind shifts, and leaders do the same as their weeks tilt between work, family, and recovery. Balance isn’t a final state to reach but an ongoing practice of adjusting.
The conversation also touched on the value of hearing “no.” Instead of treating it as failure, treat it as clarity. Each no clears space for a better-fit yes and saves energy for both sides.
And while technology is changing the way we work, human connection remains irreplaceable. Trust and empathy are not features you can automate. They come from being present, listening carefully, and caring enough to engage fully.
You can listen to the full episode here: Balancing Tech with Genuine Human-to-Human Interaction
The Magic Window
It’s September, everyone’s back from summer vacations, the dust has settled, and this is that rare window: the moment before the next wave hits.
What would it look like to step into 2026 with a team aligned around your vision and mastery of the systems, tools and tactics that will help you bring that vision to life in place?
Imagine this:
Your leadership team is finally aligned: clear on the vision, grounded in the numbers, and fully owning their roles. Meetings are focused, issues are solved, and execution is consistent. Everyone knows what matters most, and they’re delivering on it.
The chaos is gone.
No more putting out fires, chasing people, or second-guessing decisions.
You’re no longer the bottleneck. You’re the leader your business needs.
You’ve got:
✅ A self-managing team that takes initiative
✅ A clear, shared vision driving real results
✅ A culture of accountability without micromanagement
✅ Predictable, profitable growth you can trust
✅ Space to think, lead, and live again
But even more than that: you feel calm. Confident. In control.
You’ve stopped reacting to the business. Now, the business runs with rhythm and without you having to hold it all together.
You will have built something strong. Something sustainable. Something you’re proud of.
You’re back in the captain’s seat, navigating your company with clarity, traction, and peace of mind.
If you are new to EOS: there is still time to make this happen this year. All we need is 60 days to get on the same page, and in position to knock 2026 out of the ballpark.
That 60 day window doesn’t stay open forever, so let’s get into a conversation if you’ve decided to stop tolerating and start taking action.
Stay focused,
Steve