Are you making the most of yourself?

Hi, friend!

I hope the new year is meeting you gently.

I can’t believe we’re already - and only - 11 days in… 😮‍💨

I’m writing this from a little corner of Singapore airport. Tomorrow I’ll land in my third country of 2026, but after this trip, my travels will be slowing down. Not because I’m done exploring, but because I’m making space for different kinds of adventures, ones that allow me to unpack my suitcase and enjoy a little more routine (it’s funny the things you miss).

One of these adventures involves the subject of today’s email: making the most of yourself.

I first encountered this idea in 2023. I was out on a run when the book or podcast I was listening to referenced a Wallace Wattles quote (shared below). It stopped me dead in my tracks (literally). Mid-stride, I yanked my phone out of its holder, opened my notes and frantically wrote it down. I didn’t know why it mattered, only that it did.

It ended up becoming the first slide of my very first SELFHOOD workshop. If you’re an OG, you might remember it.

Then, like all the other quotes and billion-dollar ideas residing in my notes app, it faded into the background. It didn’t disappear completely; it showed up occasionally in my writing or hovered at the edges of decisions. But it wasn’t front of mind, until a few months ago in Japan, when the existential questions I’d be wrestling with started getting louder…

Is this still what I want to do?
What would people think if I quit?
If I didn’t do this, what would I do?

It’s funny what the mind finds in the dark - what resurfaces when you’re tired, uncertain, or quietly outgrowing something.

This quote came back as my torch. Whenever the inner questions got too overwhelming, I stopped trying to see the entire path and came back to this:

What would it look like if I made the most of myself today?

Some days, that meant dragging myself out of bed and sitting in a coffee shop for hours. Other days, it meant going to networking events, sharing my honest thoughts online, or investing in experiences I knew my future self would thank me for.

Always, it asked for one intentional step.

This question has given me both comfort and direction over the last few months, and it’s something I’ll be talking about more as the year unfolds, so I’m excited to start digging into it here.

It’s a big one, so this is less about finding an answer today and instead just starting to contemplate it. Afterall, this is your Sunday self-exploration time.

So, for the first time this year, I have three questions, a lesson and a dare for you!

[3 QUESTIONS]

1. How would you define “making the most of yourself”?

2. What is one gift, skill, or perspective you have that others genuinely benefit from, even if you tend to downplay it?

3. When was the last time you felt like you were “making the most of yourself”? What did it look like? Sound like? Feel like? Describe the moment in detail.

[LESSON]

Have you heard of eudaimonia?

In psychology, it’s used to describe a form of well-being that goes beyond happiness or pleasure. Eudaimonia is about living in a way that expresses your capacities, using your talents and strengths in service of something beyond yourself.

It’s the feeling that your life is being well-used.

That is what “making the most of yourself” means to me.

Using what you have - your skills, your perspective, your energy, in ways that feel aligned and meaningful. And the good news is it doesn’t require extraordinary talent or public recognition; it just requires attention.

Attention to what you do well.
Attention to what the world needs.
And attention to the quiet overlap between those two things.

I’m convinced that many of us feel restless not because we lack ability, but because we’re underusing it. We’re capable of more contribution, more honesty, more generosity, and that unused capacity doesn’t disappear; it shows up as friction, dissatisfaction, or a vague sense that something is being left on the table.

I’ve been contemplating this question/idea for a while now, so here are a few things that come up for me when I think about making the most of myself :

First, it’s about alignment, not perfection.
You’re making the most of yourself when your actions roughly match your values, your work uses your strengths, and your choices feel internally coherent, even if they’re a little messy at times.

Second, it’s deeply connected to meaning.
Research on well-being consistently shows that people feel most fulfilled when they use their gifts in service of something beyond themselves. It might be for other people, a cause, a craft, a community. It’s about contribution.

Third, it’s a practice, not a destination.
What making the most of yourself looks like at 25, 35, or 55 will be different. It isn’t a fixed identity you arrive at. It’s a question you return to as you change and evolve.

Fourth, it often shows up as quiet satisfaction, not excitement.
Less “I’m winning,” more “this feels meaningful.”
Less adrenaline, more groundedness. Less performance, more participation.

And finally, it’s not about doing more.
It’s about wasting less of what matters to you - your energy, your insight, your care, your creativity.

If you know the usual flow of these emails, you may have picked up on the fact I shared the questions before the lesson. I wanted to give you space to define this for yourself before sharing what has been coming up for me. But now I’m curious:

Is there overlap?
Or is there something else you’d add?

That willingness to keep refining what a well-used life looks like is part of the practice too.

[A DARE]

For the next 24 hours, make one small choice that uses a real part of you in service of something beyond yourself.

And to be clear, you don’t have to solve world peace.

It could be as simple as:

• Leaving a thoughtful comment on a creator’s post instead of just scrolling past.

• Letting a colleague know you noticed something they do really well.

• Making the dinner you know your partner loves, even on a tired night.

• Sending a “thinking of you” text to the friend who’s been a little quiet lately.

• Intentionally smiling at people on your commute and actually meaning it.

Be intentional in your choice, and notice how it feels in your body afterward.

That feeling? That’s the direction.

[A QUICK FAVOUR]

Since we’re talking about “making the most,” I’m curious: how can I make the most of your time on a Sunday morning? Is there anything you’d like more or less of in these emails?

As I lean into this question in my own life, my work and focus will naturally shift and evolve. I already have some ideas in the works, but I’d love to hear yours too.

And I get it, it is SO easy not to reply to emails like this: “Someone else will do it.” Maybe. But maybe not. You have a unique perspective, and the time and thought you give to this response is so deeply appreciated. I’ll read and respond to every single one! Thank you :)

See you on a Sunday,
L