Mastering Vacuum
A curated collection of articles, stories, and exercises to deepen your understanding of Guidepost Five: The Vacuum
What’s New?
Next Sunday? The girl thinks she’s ready to level up—until she skips a crucial step, the system breaks down, and Process throws a fit. In Guidepost Seven: The Power of Process and Growth, she learns that skipping steps might save time now, but it always costs more later. Whether you're building a business, baking a cake, or trying to outgrow your bad habits, Process is always watching—and he has receipts. Growth isn't just possible, it's inevitable… but what direction it snowballs? That’s up to you. If don’t want to miss it—be sure you’re subscribed.
The Journey so Far
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode Six
Why do our calendars keep filling up with sand? In this smart, funny, and sneakily profound episode on Guidepost Six: The Power of Vacuum, our student wrestles with a classic time-management metaphor—and discovers it’s not just about rocks, gravel, and water. It’s about choosing what matters, measuring what counts, and setting goals that actually light you up. From scheduling hacks to MASTERed goals to a surprising birthday wish on ice, this conversation turns productivity into something deeper: a promise you make to yourself… and a promise you keep.
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode 20, or Have You Discovered Your Talents?
So you want to be an influencer? In this sharp and soul-searching installment, our student comes armed with her freshly written personal commission—ready to set sail toward impact, attention, and maybe a little fame. But as she charts her course, she runs headfirst into the hard question: influence toward what? With a nod to Covey’s time matrix, a dive into talent as action, and a brutally honest look at what makes a goal truly MASTERed, this conversation peels back the polish of ambition and challenges us all to ask what kind of difference we really want to make—and whether we’re ready to make it.
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode 35, or There comes a day when the student teaches the teacher.
Time keeps on slippin’… into the Facebook comment section. In this wry and revealing exchange, the tutor gets caught in the digital weeds—fact-checking Camus and debunking Einstein quotes—while the girl calls time out on her time-wasting. As they wrestle with Guidepost Six: The Power of Vacuum, the conversation shifts from internet pedantry to philosophical essentials: What truly matters? What’s just sand? With a nod to Covey’s time matrix and a sharp reminder to start budgeting time for a worthwhile life, this episode brings both humor and urgency to a guidepost that quietly governs so much of our lives.
Guidepost Six: The Power of Vacuum (Aka Episode 49)
Is your life full of what you chose—or just what showed up? When the tutor asks the girl if she ever did the Time Audit, she’s met with dodges, backpack zipping, and a healthy dose of snark. But a story about a nice lad with no time for worthwhileness—plus a perfectly pointed Covey quadrant breakdown—brings it all back to Guidepost Six: The Power of Vacuum. If you don’t fill your life with what you want, it will fill with everything else. This episode pairs real-world budgeting lessons with river wisdom and a downloadable tool to help you figure out where your time is actually going. Spoiler: it's probably not where you think.
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode 63, The Power of Vacuum, or Your Sister Eats How Many Plants a Week?
It’s Week Six—The Power of Vacuum—and my student’s time audit was solid. Her goals? Not so much. This week we dive into how time, unlike money, can’t be saved, borrowed, or earned—only spent. We talk about the trap of vague intentions, why “getting straight A’s” isn’t a real goal, and how to set objectives that actually have a shot at success. (Spoiler: Her goal to “eat healthier” turned into a game of seeing how many different plants she could eat every week—including coffee, chocolate, and purple potatoes. Motivation achieved.)