Episode 2: Stop Forcing Progress. Get Curious Instead. (with Gary Ware)

When you feel stuck, do you push harder—or get curious?

In this episode

In this Expert Topic episode of The Accomplishment Project, I’m joined by my friend and business partner Gary Ware (founder of Breakthrough Play and author of Playful Rebellion). We dig into how curiosity helps you overcome obstacles, reframe anxiety and overwhelm, and find momentum in your accomplishment journey.

• Our origin story: the "sliding into" DMs that kicked off a 10-year friendship and collaboration

• Curiosity vs. anxiety: openness, possibilities, and getting the prefrontal cortex back online

• Gary’s health/running story: shifting from all-or-nothing to small experiments

• A team exercise that exposes the multitasking myth and helps leaders delegate

• Simple curiosity prompts you can use today: What else could be true? What am I not seeing yet? What’s surprising me?

• A playful “curious questions” game that reveals insights from Filipino culture to musicals

• The closing reflection: Is the juice worth the squeeze?

  
  

• Episode Timestamps

  00:00 The Story of Our Connection

• 05:42 Why Curiosity Matters

• 12:12 Curiosity vs. Anxiety

• 16:20 A Real-Life Curiosity Reframe

• 20:36 How to Practice Curiosity

• 22:10 Curiosity in Teams and Leadership

• 25:52 Creativity and Flow at Work

• 30:56 Improv as a Curiosity Gym

• 34:46 Curious Questions Game

• 40:56 Final Takeaway: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

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  About Gary

Gary Ware is a facilitator, keynote speaker, and the founder of Breakthrough Play. He helps teams boost creativity, connection, and collaboration through play and improv. He’s also the author of Playful Rebellion.

Connect with Gary:

• Breakthrough Play

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• Book: Playful Rebellion

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  Resources & Links

  The Accomplishment Project Website (Substack)

• Accountability Success Circle

• Bonus: Curious about the workshop that first connected Gary and me? Watch the webinar version here.