Explore why transforming ambition into mindful experiments can lead to sustainable growth and well-being

What you'll learn:

• How the crushing weight of relentless ambition can lead to physical and emotional burnout

• The liberating mindset shift from rigid goal-setting to curiosity-driven experiments

• A simple framework to transform your ambitious drives into sustainable growth loops without sacrificing your health

The Story: When Ambition Becomes Both Fuel and Fire

At sixteen, I hit the floor in a seizure.

I was in three bands chasing rock stardom, captain of the tennis team (though a mediocre player), president of the student body, and a state student representative. My schedule was packed minute-by-minute, my ambition consuming everything in its path.

As paramedics hovered over me, the realization struck: I had dramatically overshot my limits.

Weeks later, a renowned neurologist delivered his verdict: "Avoid stress, loud noises, flashing lights, substance abuse including alcohol, and lack of sleep." To my teenage Type-A brain, this translated as: "Quit dreaming and sit in a dark, quiet room for the rest of your life."

That early brush with burnout sparked two contradictory impulses that have shaped my life ever since: an unquenchable thirst to live fully, and a deep fear of hitting my physical limits again.

Today, I find myself caught in this familiar pattern—the father, husband, songwriter, coach, entrepreneur, community member. My schedule remains so dense I can hardly breathe. I operate just under my limit, adding "just-a-tiny-bit-more" while avoiding the really big swings that might push me over the edge.

This ambition is both blessing and curse. While it has helped me build businesses and impact others' lives, it has stolen opportunities for an "easy life"—to mess around in college, to party, to occasionally get lost without purpose. I wonder whether my unrelenting drive has made me one-dimensional rather than the well-rounded person I aspired to be.

My relationship with goals mirrors this complexity. I meticulously set them, track them, celebrate achievements—only to immediately replace them with loftier targets. The ladder never ends; reaching one rung only reveals ten more above it.

The horror of mediocrity drives me forward. I don't want an average life or to make compromises. But the "you can have it all" mindset is perhaps the most dangerous lie our generation has been told. And social media's highlight reels only reinforce the illusion.

The Insight: From Rigid Goals to Tiny Experiments

Recently, I got to read the advanced read copy of Anne-Laure Le Cunff's book "Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World," and it completely reframed my approach to ambition and achievement.

Anne-Laure, a neuroscientist and founder of Ness Labs, offers a mental reframe of ‘traditional’ goal-setting. Rather than fixating on rigid outcomes that trigger stress when unmet, she proposes we embrace an experimental mindset—one that values curiosity, learning, and process over predetermined results.

The approach centers on what she calls a "pact"—a simple commitment to engage in a specific activity for a set period. Unlike traditional goals that create all-or-nothing scenarios, pacts focus on showing up consistently and learning from the experience.

This framework resonated deeply with my personal struggle. What if, instead of setting punishing goals that feed my fear of mediocrity, I could design small experiments that honor my ambitious nature while protecting my wellbeing?

For example, rather than "become a renowned recording artist" (a goal that triggers my competitive "earning my place" drive), I could create a pact: "I will write one song per week for eight weeks, focusing on enjoying the creative process." This approach allows me to pursue excellence without the crushing pressure that once landed me in the hospital.

Le Cunff explains that when we shift from outcome-based success to process-based exploration, we create space for discovery while still providing structure. We replace the self-critical "I should be achieving more" with the curious "I wonder what I'll learn from this."

This mindset also addresses what David Spinks calls "dirty fuel"—the fear, insecurity, and feeling of "not enough" that often powers ambitious people. Instead of being driven by fear of mediocrity or the need to belong, experiments allow us to tap into cleaner motivations: curiosity, growth, and genuine enjoyment.

Your Quick Win: Transform Ambition into Mindful Experimentation

Ready to try this approach? Here's how to transform your ambitious drives into sustainable experiments:

1. Identify your ambition patterns: Reflect on where your ambition manifests strongest (for me, it's in creative pursuits and business, less so in fitness and family life). Notice the emotional drivers behind each—are you seeking belonging, avoiding mediocrity, or maximizing experiences?

2. Choose one area where ambition causes stress or has led to overextension. Select a goal in this domain that feels particularly heavy or anxiety-producing.

3. Transform it into a pact using Le Cunff's formula: "I will [action] for [duration]." For example, "I will write for 30 minutes each morning for the next 21 days" instead of "I will complete my book by June."

4. Remove outcome expectations. Focus solely on showing up for the process and observing what emerges. As Le Cunff writes, success becomes about consistency rather than results.

5. Document your experience. After each session, briefly note what you observed about the process and yourself. Pay attention to energy levels, enjoyment, and unexpected learning.

When your experimental period ends, review your notes to inform your next experiment. Perhaps you'll adjust the frequency, duration, or approach based on what you learned.

This approach feels liberating because it balances ambition with self-protection. It honors your drive while creating guardrails against burnout. Most importantly, it transforms achievement from a win-or-lose proposition into an ongoing conversation with yourself.

I've started applying this approach to my own life, turning my "become a recognized thought leader" goal into "I will write one reflective newsletter every two weeks for three months." The shift has been remarkable—I still feel motivated, but without the crushing pressure of perfection.

The beauty of tiny experiments is that they create forward momentum without the weight of expectation. They turn ambition from a taskmaster into a curious companion, inviting you to explore your potential while respecting your limits.

What ambitious goal has been causing you stress that might benefit from being transformed into an experiment? I'd love to hear what tiny experiment you might design to approach it differently.

Strangers In This Land: When Your Baby Becomes Your Producer

Hey friend, one more thing.

On Friday, I released my new single "Strangers In This Land."

This one has a special origin story. The melody? It was born while changing my son Theo's diapers.

I'm not kidding.

Whenever he'd start crying, I'd sing this little tune and watch his tears transform into a smile. In those moments, I could almost hear him saying, "Go ahead with that one, dad, and make it a song for me!" How could I refuse?

What began as a lullaby evolved into something more profound - an imagined conversation with future Theo, looking back at the mess we (read: my generation) created and allowed to happen. "So suddenly 100 years were taken by surprise..." I found myself writing about how we've become estranged from our own planet, strangers in a land we should intimately know — and care for.

This is the magic of creativity. How something can begin in such an intimate, ordinary moment and grow into a conversation across time. Every time I perform "Strangers In This Land," I'm simultaneously singing to baby Theo and to the man he'll become.

The final lines, "You may be forgiven / You might be forgotten / And I bow to you," are my humble acknowledgment that his generation may need to forgive ours, and that perhaps the wisest thing I can do is recognize the wisdom he and his peers will bring to heal what we couldn't fix.

This song is my letter to him, to you, to all of us navigating this beautiful, broken world together.

I hope it touches something in you as it has in me.

With hope, Julius