Yep, you’re busy, I get it. Skip down to “The Blueprint” if your time is tight.

If not, take a breath. Get comfy. Let your mind wander a moment, with me.

Baseline

Imagine we’re characters in a role playing game (RPG). How are our stats looking? Start Power, Bravery, Focus, Balance…

Experience points. Leveling up. How do we build and sustain consistent, measurable habits — without collapsing?

Foundation

When I was a kid, I really enjoyed creating. Legos littering my floor. Violin case draped over my right shoulder from class to orchestra. Computer screen, cursor blinking. Winking. Like it knew me.

I was too shy to raise my hand in class, but I would yell loudly as YY, my stuffed squirrel, led the charge up the dark basement stairs to safety. He listened to me practice Suzuki songs; starred in my video games — RPGs, naturally.

Legos, violin, stuffed animals, computer — my quiet childhood friends.

Cornerstone

Eventually, college forced me to confront adult life. My most obvious paths were either music or Computer Science. I wasn’t sure, so I took classes in both for the first year. Shortly after, along with many classmates, I left for two years to serve a mission in Belgium. (YY came with me.) My mission president recognized my talent: we organized a small group, then went on a month-long tour across three nearby countries. We performed mostly at big stake centers during the day, then visited with the local community in the evening.

When I got home, I immediately set my major to Violin Performance and dove in. Worked up to concertmaster, which led to competitions, fundraisers, and recognition. Overwhelming, at times. I mastered one particular art: finding the nearest exit and slipping out quietly.

Violin grounded me, gave me a loud voice to hide behind. Computer Science stayed backstage, playing a supporting role.

Settlement Period

Two early startups failed, despite my best efforts. Partners blamed the product — my coding — both times. A third startup stalled on funding. By then, I had a wife, toddler, baby, new house. No tech degree, by choice. Some savings left, but…

I had worked so hard: early mornings, late evenings, baby on my lap while pushing new code. I enjoyed creating, but struggled to make my opinion heard.

Two jobs snapped under pressure; another unraveling fast. One string remains; should I play it? Will it hold its tension, produce the notes I desperately need? I could bail now, switch instruments. Use my violin degree; attach a fresh set of strings, literally.

No. I worked so hard to get here. Flexible hours, extra time with family; music would threaten this. Plus, I knew I could code pretty well, just not run a company around it yet.

Motivation locked, I made a profile on eLance.com and eventually clawed my way up, one five-star-review and referral at a time. A decade later, I run my own consulting business. Flexible enough to attend my kids’ concerts and still keep my clients happy. Balance maintained.

A little too balanced. I rarely spoke French. Left the electric piano untouched. Just did my time: at work, around the house, bedtime routines. No more stretching myself. No more experience points.

The Blueprint

I’m a busy adult; not much time for me. But I’m trying something new — short, simple, and self-motivating.

Read the full essay on Substack →

This essay continues with the full Blueprint system — a nightly log method for tracking real-world experience points — and how ninety days of data revealed patterns in focus, bravery, and balance. I publish complete essays on Substack, where I document experiments in skill transfer, habit systems, and building in public.

Subscribe there to follow the journey.

Originally published October 11, 2025 on Substack