EP 3593 The parable of the Mexican fisherman

In this episode, I unpack the parable of the Mexican fisherman and why it punches so hard if you're ambitious, driven, and chasing the next milestone. A tourist watches a fisherman bring in a catch, then suggests "improving" his life: buy a bigger boat, hire staff, scale the operation, build a fleet, sell to a distributor, then one day cash out and retire to a quiet coastal village where he can fish a little, nap with his kids, spend time with his wife, and play guitar with friends at night.

Here's the twist: that "dream retirement" is already the fisherman's current life.

We use that story to stress test a question most people never ask honestly: what are you actually working for, and is your ladder leaning against the right wall? Growth isn't the enemy. Blind growth is. If you can't articulate what "enough" looks like, you'll keep upgrading problems and calling it progress.

I break down three practical takeaways. First, design your days before you design your goals. If your calendar doesn't reflect your values, your values are a lie. Second, build ambition with a brake pedal: margins, recovery, relationships, and health are not rewards for success, they are requirements for it. Third, make your future vision specific: what time do you wake, who do you spend evenings with, what does success feel like in your body, and what are you willing to stop doing to protect it?

This episode is a reminder to chase outcomes that make you proud, not just numbers that make you busy. If you're grinding right now, ask: is this season a deliberate investment or a default addiction? Pick one. Then set a standard for what you will not sacrifice while you build, and revisit it every week with brutal honesty and zero excuses.