Derek MacDonald

Writer. Storyteller. Software simplifier. Get the newsletter👇

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Knowing what to do less of is the key to doing “more”.

- Impact is created through simple processes.
- Simplicity comes from subtraction.
- Not addition.

To do more, do less.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@TheJacobBear Glad it resonates!

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Enduring hardship and overcoming hardship are not the same thing. But each use discomfort to win.

Tolerators choose existing discomfort.
Navigators choose new discomfort.

The result?

Tolerators endure the longest.
Navigators go the farthest.

[Isabel @IsabelMgarcia45]

Clarity isn’t found in answers.
It’s found in questions.

Stop seeking certainty.
Ask better questions.

You’ll find the clarity you need to design a life that aligns with your true self.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@TheJacobBear This is well said!!

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Tolerating conditions is necessary for navigating beyond circumstance.

But if we only tolerate our conditions, we never change our circumstance.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@TheJacobBear Tolerators manage conditions.
Navigators manage circumstance.

To go from tolerating to navigating, start looking for small ways to:

Change your circumstance.
Learn about solutions.
Test the best options.
Adjust and repeat.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Products fail, but their technology persists. Just look at BlackBerry.

Their product crashed, but having a computer in our pocket lived on.

AI isn’t going anywhere.

Helping people adapt and adopt is the biggest market opportunity of our time.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

When a good band plays a wrong note, they don’t have equipment problems—they have timing problems.

Practicing and making small adjustments is what creates rhythm.

Same goes for sales & marketing.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

“If you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do”

-Warren Miller

The first steps the biggest, everything else happens in stride.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Impromptu and imperfect is better than thought of and forgotten.

Send the message.

Make the call.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@EBrognara80 “Look before you leap” as they say.

That doesn’t mean don’t leap—it means looking for what gives you the best results, simply.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Addition doesn’t give us the surplus with think it will.

More is never the solution we wish it to be.

The mechanism is the multiplier.

Adding fuel only helps if the ignition starts.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@TheJacobBear Exactly. I think of it like a pie chart—you can only change the size of one slice at the expense of the others.

The daily game is adjusting the ratios so they create the best outcome

[Mattias Acosta @mattias_acosta_]

AI is the new electricity.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

@callyInsights This is spot on!

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Where you direct your effort matters.

The direction more than the steps—small steps make big progress, as long as you watch where you’re going.

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

I write weekly essays that uncover clarity, alignment, and growth—without the overwhelm.

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[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Dr. Carol Dweck attributes this to neuroplasticity, explaining “growth mindset theory”:

"When we learn new things or face challenges, the cells in our brains form new connections. These connections strengthen with more practice and use."

[Derek MacDonald @derekbmacdonald]

Conclusion:

1. We teach people to fear rejection.
2. Limiting beliefs drive learned helplessness.
3. Inaction & avoidance destroy mental health.
4. Enduring hardship is not resilience.
5. Without action and failure we can’t build resilience.