If you know me, you probably know that patience has never been my primary strength. I am someone who likes making things happen, right here and right now. If you know me, you probably also know that sitting still feels unnatural to me; historically, I couldn’t stand the “doing nothing” phase. And if you know me, you know that I can perform at a high level even when my battery is running on empty. For a long time, there was no such thing as being “too tired” to get the job done.

I am also an intensely accountable person. I stand by my word, my loyalty runs deep, and I will always show up for the people I care about. Relationships matter deeply to me, though I don’t need to be friends with everyone in the room. I understand that not all energies mix, and I am entirely at peace with that.

This is me, Version 1.0.

There is so much I respect about that 1.0 version. It is the drive that built my foundation, and I will always cultivate the grit and loyalty that got me here. But I realized there are things I want to do differently—and I want to give myself permission to actually feel good about doing them.

For over a year now, I have been working on the art of intentional deceleration. I am learning to experience more by doing less, focusing on quality over quantity across every arena of my life. This means lingering over slow meals and actually being present for them. It means noticing the quiet rhythm of nature on my daily walks. Or sometimes, it is as simple as taking two or three deep, grounding breaths just to “be where my feet are.”

I have been exploring neuroscience, mental training, and the mysteries of my own mind for a few years now. The more I learn, the more profound value I find in the quiet spaces I used to overlook.

Step by step, this journey has led me to design my Version 2.0. This is a version of me who lives a slower life and genuinely enjoys the present moment. She does the things that truly matter to her and allows herself to constantly grow. Because “no one can take your character from you,” and that is why elevating my character is my ultimate priority. The goal is the journey, not the destination.

I recently finished an 8-week Mental Fitness Bootcamp, a training heavily focused on visualization and its practical applications. Because it maps so closely to my favorite topic—the brain—it became a deep dive into personal development and self-discovery.

I am not at my perfect 2.0 version yet, but over those 8 weeks, the gap closed significantly.

Here is what has shifted and clarified for me:

• I demand less from myself—and I mean that in the most positive way possible. I allow myself to take time off without the heavy guilt of feeling “lazy.” I am dropping the constant mental chatter of what I should be doing (because what does “should” even mean, anyway?).

• I am fiercely less judgmental when I don’t hit 100% of my plan. I accept that friction happens, and instead of fighting it, I try to find the hidden ‘gift’ in the situation—or I simply let it go and move forward.

• I am claiming the pause. I am building in more moments for a deep breath—that simple, powerful, few-second pause between tasks. Step by step, I am building undeniable awareness and presence.

• I am building my own framework. I created my “T-cup formula” to carry forward: Breath (to anchor myself in the present), Smile (to consciously build internal strength), and Serve (to take action, but from a place of grounded, intentional power).

• I am changing my relationship with my emotions. I learned that “emotions colour the world we see,” and that we must stop labeling them as strictly negative or positive. More importantly, I realized we can control our secondary emotions—the judgments we make about how we feel. We do not have to shoot a “second arrow” at ourselves by reliving the pain and overthinking the original emotion. This is a space I want to explore deeply moving forward.

• I trust my visualization practice. Visualization is the path forward for me. In the past, I would force myself to rigidly follow an audio track. Now, when an image sparks my curiosity, I let myself go with the flow and explore it. I have fun with it, and I am leaning into practices that are more advanced and inspiring.

• I found a community that elevates me. As our coach Maya kept repeating: “Train it till you trust it.” That was the true magic of this bootcamp. Yes, I am someone who can commit to a solo journey and get it done, but we grow faster and go further when we are surrounded by people who share our passion. They give you the courage to explore areas you might hesitate to enter alone.

Every single one of these areas expanded during this journey. I am getting closer to a way of living I could not have imagined for myself in the past.

I know my 2.0 version will keep evolving as I expand my awareness. And that is the most exciting part. These 8 weeks of exploring the visualization world will stay with me, actively shaping the future versions of myself and giving me the tools to become them.

Maya, who led this experience, is an amazing person. I am a huge fan of her work, and I always will be. People might point out that she is not a formally educated neuroscientist (neither am I, but I still built my path as a brain coach!), but none of that matters. As long as someone inspires you to do better and be better, that is everything. She gave me the spark to stay disciplined, stay inspired, and want more.

Thank you, Maya, for being that inspiration.

So, what is in it for you?

I wanted to share a bit about my journey to inspire you to explore yours. There is so much you can do; you just need to find your inspiration and follow it to do things step by step.

• Maybe you have been thinking about changing something for a while, but you still haven’t acted…

• Maybe you keep saying to yourself it’s time to work on good habits, and you do so for a month or so and it stops… only to then, a year later, be reminded by something or someone that you wanted to change something. As I always say, willpower has a ceiling, but designing your environment and rewiring your neural pathways does not.

• Maybe you keep chasing something, wanting more and never feeling fulfilled…

I know that feeling. And it’s not that hard to make it disappear. It just requires you to consciously work on yourself.

I can help you with that.

I have been working with high achievers for a while now, and it’s been very fulfilling to be able to support someone to change their life for the better.

I don’t promote my coaching widely due to my limited availability, but I do have 1 spot available this quarter. So, if you want to see how it would be to work together, just drop me an email at dorota@dorotakosiorek.com and let’s have a virtual coffee to talk about your own Version 2.0.

You can read more about me and how I work at: dorotakosiorek.com

But to understand how Ornella navigates this relentless corporate landscape, you have to look outside that role. You have to look at the handball court.

For nearly three decades, Ornella has lived the demanding, unpaid, but deeply rewarding life of a high-performance athlete. In her profile, we explore the crucible of elite sports, the hidden cost of the grind, and how sport and a court built the ultimate lifer high-performer.

The Crucible of the Court

In Uruguay, primary school extracurriculars are often divided along traditional lines: boys play soccer, and girls play handball. So naturally, Ornella, young, but already ambitious athlete, stepped onto the court at age eight, following in the footsteps of her older sister.

It was an instant, undeniable connection.

“They explained the rules, and I don’t know, let’s say in like five minutes I got it right away. I remember till today my first practice was like amazing how easy I understood everything.”

seems like she was made to be a handball player, right?

By the time she was 11 or 12, Ornella recognized a distinct gap in skill between herself and her classmates. Instead of coasting, she made her first major career decision: she asked her mother to enroll her in a specialized club that demanded rigorous technical and physical training. When that club didn’t meet her standards, she boldly pivoted to another.

“I don’t hesitate when I have to make decisions,”

she reflects, noting that this early autonomy laid the foundation for her personality today. By age 15, she was playing for the national team, traveling across the Americas to compete in places like Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

The Breaking Point: Injuries, Burnout, and the 25% Rule

The glory of international travel masked a grueling reality. Because handball is largely an unpaid sport in Uruguay, even at the national tier, Ornella was not drawing a salary. Instead, she was paying with her time and her body.

Her schedule was a relentless tetris of high school, then university, internships, full-time jobs, and overlapping practices. It was not uncommon for her to finish a four-hour club practice and immediately run to a national team practice. The physical toll was severe. There was a period, when everything was so intense, that she was spendign 15-20 hours training and then playing during weekend. As a consequence, she lost a significant amount of weight and at some point of her career as an athlete also suffered two devastating knee injuries, tearing her ACL and meniscus, which required surgeries in 2012 and 2014.

Looking back, she recognizes that her injuries were a direct consequence of improper nutrition and a severe lack of rest. Today, she fiercely advocates for what could be described as the “Holistic Quarter” approach for high-performance individuals:

“Mental therapy should have the same amount of hours dedicated... It should be part of the split: 25% court, 25% you are working with your body... 25% rest, and mental therapy.”

This hard-won wisdom saved her professional life. Last December, juggling her full-time job, a master’s degree, daily gym sessions, and late-night handball practices, she hit a wall of emotional burnout. Instead of pushing through until she broke, she made the difficult choice to temporarily step away from handball this year to prioritize her thesis and protect her peace.

The Corporate Athlete

If you ask Ornella how much of her corporate success stems from her athletic background, her answer is instantaneous:

“I would say 80%”.

The shy, introverted child she once was completely transformed through the dynamics of team sports. The handball court was her first classroom for leadership, conflict resolution, and communication. Today, she applies those exact principles to her 25-person team at work.

She understands that a corporate department, much like a sports roster, is made up of individualities and specific roles that must collaborate to win. Above all, sports taught her the absolute necessity of strict boundary-setting.

The 6:30 PM Rule: For Ornella, logging off is not a suggestion; it is a discipline. She schedules her gym sessions for 6:30 p.m., ensuring a hard stop to her workday.

The Friday Boundary: By 4:00 p.m. on a Friday, her week is mentally wrapped up, any new challenges are Monday problems. Such a strategy helps her prepare for the next week and ensures a right recovery over the weekend. A real boundary that should be followed!

What’s Next: The Shoes in the Closet

Ornella is currently preparing for her next major play. BASF is undergoing organizational changes, and she is strategically positioning herself for the future. With her master’s degree in communications and marketing nearing completion, she is setting her sights on a leadership role.

Her ultimate goal? To merge her two greatest passions by managing a communications team within a sports institution.

As for her first (and probably biggest role) love – handball – she isn’t finished yet. While she is taking this year to focus on her education, she fully intends to return to the court next year in a lower-tier league that better suits her energy at 36.

After all, she has a brand new pair of handball shoes sitting in her closet. She’s only worn them three times. They are waiting for her – and knowing Ornella, she will be ready when it is time to lace them up again.

The first half of the month was focused, but with fewer photos… I was deeply involved in a creativity competition with the kids’ team that I was coaching. We spent many hours on hard work, and it was an event full of experiences (I don’t have many photos to share, as I don’t want to include kids’ pictures, so you will have to forgive me 😉).

As spring arrived with all its power, I took some weekend away trips to experience more nature and grab something good to eat. Gavi, of course, was loving it!!!!

The end of the month was full of travel, with me being in Paris and London for work, but I am also very happy I managed to include some fun in it!

My favorite shots from Paris:

And my beautiful hotel: there is something so restorative about finding a space that feels like a peaceful place after a long day of work and travel. I really loved the design inside, it had a solid gym to clear the head, and a great breakfast that makes waking up early worth it! I definitely could come back here again (if I wasn’t exploring new hotels each time I travel).

Check out some photos I took while staying in there!

…and some shots from London:

And meeting with Maya: my best-ever mental fitness coach! It was a great reminder that even coaches need coaches. Mental fitness isn’t a solo sport; it requires surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking.

March: a month full of experiences, time with great people, and hard work.

Inspired, happy and ready to start Q2 2026!

It was a work trip, so I didn’t have all the time in the world to explore and rest. But as I arrived on Sunday morning, it was sufficient to spend a great day walking around and enjoying spring in Paris.

I was planning on writing this edition about Paris, and it will be—but through the lens of rest and the design of the environment around us. Because, as I always say: working harder has a ceiling; designing better does not.

I have been thinking a lot lately, triggered by things around me, about rest and how my relationship with it has changed over the past few years. And this Substack can actually be considered a monument to my own way of thinking about rest.

First of all, rest is a very broad topic. Although many of us associate it with sleep, a holiday, or sitting on the sofa watching TV. (If this is you, then I highly encourage you to do some serious reflection on why this is your relationship with rest and how you could change it—maybe something in this article will inspire you to do so).

I heard about the concept of the 7 types of rest a while ago, while reading a book by a Polish author about how we can rest better. And I must say, it didn’t blow my mind... maybe because I was already advanced in my own journey and relationship with rest, or maybe because it just wasn’t in “my language.” This week, as we are exploring the next stages in the mental fitness bootcamp (I am loving it), the same concept came up, along with a lot of discussion about rest, recharging batteries, and the illusion of rest.

So, what are those 7 types of rest, and how am I approaching them in life (through the lens of Paris, London, and beyond)?

1. Physical

Sleep is the key element here, of course. It’s kind of the baseline for this category.

I remember when, back in consulting, I was so proud of myself for being able to sleep 5-6 hours for months, feeling energized and working at 100% of my capacity, while hitting the gym 3x a week, the pool 2x a week, and jogging on the remaining days.

Yeah, that wasn’t very smart. I know that now. But I wasn’t really thinking long-term. I know that I have done some damage to my brain and my lifespan—specifically taxing my prefrontal cortex, the brain’s logic and emotional regulation center, and limiting my neuroplasticity when it desperately needed to recover—but it has happened. Now I am focusing on the future and the things I still have control over.

So for me, sleeping a minimum of 7 hours per day is a non-negotiable (8 is ideal, but 7 is a bare minimum).

What else? I am coming back to my monthly routines of going for a full-body massage. It’s a great form of rest/recovery for me as someone who trains 6-7 days a week.

When I travel, I aim to walk a lot—as much as possible, sometimes to the extent that my feet are killing me. So to avoid that, I need to aim to find some stops for a drink or a snack to rest a bit, and Paris was perfect for that! So many beautiful places to sit down at... (but more about this in another category).

2. Mental

This one is probably the richest category in my life right now.

Visualizations are, of course, my favorite mental rest exercises... with the bootcamp being at the advanced stage, I have so many great recordings to use to calm my brain and rest mentally.

Walks are second on the list. “At home,” I have my daily walks with my dog that keep me going, and with spring coming to Europe, those are getting better and better because there is so much to observe now when nature is waking up to be beautiful and colorful again!

As mentioned above—I am doing that also while traveling, I just don’t have my pretty companion with me.

Spending time in nature. Weekend walks in the woods, or walks on the beach and by the river when I am in my hometown.

I do gardening in spring, summer, and autumn when I am in my hometown. This is something I discovered that I like after building a house with a garden. I remember I hated this when I was a kid. All the insects and everything was too much for me, so I avoided many things when spending time at my grandma’s garden.

Puzzles! I love this. I rediscovered puzzles a couple of years ago after a few years’ break. I could spend the whole day just doing puzzles. I regularly buy 1,500 – 2,000 piece puzzles and do them with my sister, or by myself sometimes... but this is so addictive for me. I forget the whole world when doing puzzles, and time flies (to the extent that I sometimes end up still doing them at 1 AM! Which now is a time when 99% of days I am asleep).

I also try all the “quiet my brain” ideas I shared with you last time—so warm showers, connection with water, Positive Intelligence exercises (10-second PQ reps that focus attention on a given thing).

3. Sensory

Besides standard things like reducing my time with my phone and in front of the TV...

I don’t think I have big issues with my phone. I am not a scrolling person. I have social media, but it is not something that makes me addicted.

Gardening is that form of rest for me. That connection with the ground is something different—it, of course, allows me to rest some senses and activates others in a different form. Touching the ground, digging into it, is really relaxing as it has this mysterious power that I don’t understand but enjoy. Every time I finish, I am very tired physically, as I usually aim to do a small thing and end up spending the rest of my day in the garden, stopping only because it’s getting dark or mosquitoes are eating my whole body.

But generally, spending time in nature is also sensory rest for me, because I am activating different senses than I normally do.

In Paris, the weather was absolutely great, and everything around me was waking up to life. Stores had vibrant flowers blooming outside, grocery stores were full of fresh fruits and vegetables on every corner, and cafes were full of people sitting outside, enjoying the sun and the rich smell of espresso. Seeing those beautiful things and taking in those sweet, vibrant smells truly made my day. This is the environment that helps you feel completely recharged!

I also find decluttering a very good way of increasing my sensory rest—or maybe rather, sensory wellbeing. Actually, when I think about it, the whole process of decluttering is maybe even more of a mental rest for me... because I am letting things go and disconnecting with them so that they don’t occupy brain space anymore.

But after doing so, having space in life is something that helps my senses be less active. So it’s rather a longer-term effect of less energy being stolen by those things (or people, or thoughts—because we can declutter more than just a drawer).

4. Creative

Changing the environment! And here, Paris has been a blessing.

When I was walking down the Paris streets, I was focusing on finding beautiful things. I took a few shots of beautiful cafe facades and store displays... the kind that make us stop and smile when we see them. Paris is definitely full of them! You can simply get lost, and everywhere you go, you will find something beautiful. I think environments can make us feel so much better.

(Of course, there are ugly buildings and trash, etc.—like everywhere), but I wasn’t looking for it. I set up my brain to find beautiful views, and I did.

Being surrounded by things that make our eyes smile is a great creative rest for me.

This trip also brought a different kind of creative rest: I finally met my online friend Julie for the first time in person. We’ve known each other for a while, but it was so good to see her in person and feel her energy—it is something completely different than Zoom calls or WhatsApp messages. She is one of the people who inspire me a lot, so just spending time together was incredibly creatively restorative.

Another thing for me is writing and putting my thoughts on paper or a laptop. But I do try to write in my digital note-takes to keep that feeling of handwriting moves and routines.

5. Emotional

This one for me is all about processing emotions.

I started doing it also with visualizations, and it is something really interesting. I haven’t tried it before, so I am letting myself play with it and explore.

I have my T-CUP formula that helps me get back on track when needed.

And breathing. It’s always a part of visualization, but in general, taking those deep breaths, pausing, and then exhaling long—this is something that always works.

There are several simple breathing exercises that everyone can do anytime they need it. (Like: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds—repeat it 4-5 times.)

All of this is very calming, helping your brain and body get back to a regular rhythm so you don’t act from an emotional space anymore.

6. Social

Rest with people or without? This is a very good question!

I do both, depending on what I need.

There are times when I want to be alone and just sit more with my thoughts, which is why I do solo travels. I also experience that a lot when I travel for work.

But I also seek very intentional social rest with people—those who I want to spend more time with and those who bring me joy. And that is why, when I travel, I aim to intentionally plan social activities, but make sure they are not filling all the space and time I have. Because then, my social rest turns into social tiredness.

Speaking of intentional social rest, after Paris, I was so lucky to get a chance to meet my visualization coach in London and hang out with her a bit. She is such a positive person with a strong, confident, and inspiring energy. Inspiring people are exactly what I need in my life, so I look for them wherever I go—not just around my immediate circle.

7. Spiritual

I don’t consider myself a very spiritual person. As you probably noticed, everything I am writing about is science-based and has to be based on some kind of evidence that would convince me.

Yet, I do believe in myself—in the energy that I have within myself that keeps me going.

But as I wrote earlier, I like the power of the elements. Being in the water or in nature, connecting with the ground... this is something special for me. Maybe this is my way of resting spiritually. Connecting with what is around me and finding peace there—no matter who I am and how I feel on a given day, being there, being where my feet are, is the way to approach spiritual rest and feeling what is around me.

Designing Your Own Rest

So, as I sit at home now, looking out the window, I am realizing that rest isn’t just one thing. It’s not just sleeping or sitting on the sofa. It is a highly intentional design of our environment, our inputs, and our connections.

If you find yourself constantly tired despite “resting,” maybe it’s time to look at these 7 categories. We don’t need to work harder at recovering; we just need to design a better way to do it.

Which type of rest are you actually craving the most today? Let me know in the comments!

What I am reading & listening to lately:

• Life Wisdom – By Words of Taoism: some episodes I loved:

Spring, the Season of Letting Go – Taoism

o Everything Has Its Timing – Taoism:

o How To Stop Chasing Time – Taoism:

Beautiful hotels on my ‘to-visit-one-day’ list:

• Hotel Galery 69, Masuria, Poland

• Chesa Marchetta, Switzerland

Not only when you get to the professional level and the WTA and ATP Top 100, but for any player.

Why is that? First is the individual nature of the game. In the end, you are on your own on the court, and you have to deal with everything by yourself. You fight for every point by yourself. You manage your emotions, respond to attacks, and defend by yourself. There’s no one to hold your hand, help you, or jump in if you’re tired.

The 54% Rule and Amygdala Recovery

What’s more, every point matters. Roger Federer shared in his famous commencement speech at Dartmouth, that he won only around 54% of his points in his entire career while winning 20 Grand Slams. Think about that: he lost 46% of the points he played. This is pure emotional regulation in action—elite performance isn’t just about winning, it’s about how quickly the brain’s amygdala recovers from the micro-failure of a lost point so you can refocus.

And that says it all. Every point matters because you can lose a game or lose a set, but it doesn’t really matter later on. When a new set starts, you’re starting over. Every single game is important because it can shift the entire result. If you lose one point, you have to be mentally ready for the next one immediately. You have to play it as if it were the most important point. There is no relaxing time. There is no thinking time. You just have to always be ready.

The Art of the Relentless Reset

Every lost point, every lost game, can feel like a failure. You just have to shake it off, reset your mind, and start fighting again. It’s incredibly hard mentally to be a person who can so quickly refocus, shift attention, and immediately go back to playing at their 100% level. I don’t know of many other sports that have similar rules and demands, but it’s fascinating how these elite players deal with the pressure. Their mental game is insane, and they speak openly about the hard work they put into it.

A Piece of My Obsession: Curated Mental Masterclasses

This is an inspiration for me—in my life, at work, whatever I do. I keep exploring, reading, and researching the topic. Last week I ran into another great video showing an elite athlete using mental training and visualization to get better results. These videos pop into my feed often, but I also research them intentionally. It’s been so inspiring for me personally and for the work I do in the business world, so I keep digging deeper.

So, I decided to put together some of the best of the best: recent videos and examples of how tennis players during the Australian Open and the latest ATP/WTA tournaments have been using mental training, as well as Olympians in the recent Olympics in Milan. I think these recent cases can be incredibly inspiring. Hopefully, you get as fascinated by their mental strategies as I am right now. Let me share what I’ve discovered, and you can tell me what you think.

Tennis:

The final of ‘mental monsters’ as Patrick Mouratoglou called Djokovic and Alcaraz… Mouratoglou explains more about how Alcaraz managed to beat the strongest mentally tennis player that we know. Check that video:

@patrickmouratoglouMost players would’ve lost that final against Novak Djokovic, but Carlos Alcaraz didn’t. What mental strength! #ao #tennispro #sportsontiktok

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Carlos Alcaraz about his win over Alexander Zverev – an intense >5 hours game. Saying that he won the game ‘believing’….

Great analysis by Patrick Mouratoglou of the Sabalenka vs. Rybakina final of AO – Rybakina won because of mental consequences. Rybakina won more big points. 24 pressure points won by Rybakina vs. 15 by Sabalenka – and this is the difference and this made one of them a winner of that Grand Slam.

@patrickmouratoglouBefore sharing thoughts on the men’s final, it’s worth reflecting on the women’s final, which offered invaluable tennis lessons to anyone watching. #tennis #australianopen #ao

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More about pressure points – check out those statistics on the Djokovic vs. Sinner semifinal. Sinner won 12 more points overall. But only 23 pressure points… vs. 43 Novak. And that makes the difference!!!!

And also check this one where Djokovic explains that his mental strength is not his gift but something he has worked hard on to get to the level he is at – it is a skill to be learned!

That one is not from the AO, but it’s a great explanation of how Novak Djokovic is tricking his brain to create an advantage. He is saying how during the games when the crowd was (which used to be a standard for Novak) cheering for his opponent shouting e.g. “Roger, Roger, Roger” he was imagining they are actually shouting “Novak, Novak, Novak.”

How brilliant is that?! Knowing that your mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined, this was a genius solution to trick his mind.

Alcaraz explaining how he works with a sports psychologist…

Olympics:

Eileen Gu (Gu Ailing) – she is a top elite athlete and only 22!!! Really mindblowing… you have to check a couple of videos with her where she speaks about mental power and how she is working on her brain. Respect!

Eileen Gu on her own brain and how she thinks – we can all learn from what she said!

“I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes. I think I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I kind of modify it because it’s so interesting. You can control what you think. You can control how you think, and therefore you can control who you are. Especially as a young person, I’m 22, so with neuroplasticity on my side, I can literally become exactly who I want to be. How cool is that? How empowering is that? The fact is I get to become every day the kind of person that me at age eight would revere. I would be obsessed with me today. Are you kidding? I would love me. I would love me, and I think that’s the biggest flex of all time, that you can have little younger you be proud of you today. And so I guess for me, it’s like, yes, I spend a lot of time in my own head. Yes, I think a lot, but it’s not really in an egotistical kind of way. It’s in a tinkering, a scientist kind of way. I’m always trying to modify. I’m trying to think, how can I be better? How can I approach my own brain the way that I approach my craft of free skiing so that I can be better tomorrow than I was today?”

Her answering a journalist’s question: “Do you see this as two silver gained or two gold lost?”:

“I am the most decorated female free skier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself. I say this, winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? And so the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous thing. I have a nice perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before. And so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”

Her explaining how sport builds confidence – another elite lesson!

“As far as trusting yourself, the power of sport is unparalleled because it is evidence over affirmation. It’s you don’t tell yourself, oh, I can handle the pressure. Oh, I’m so great. You do it time and again. Sports are really honest because you can’t lie to yourself. You know when you stayed late and other people weren’t there. You know when you showed up early and other people weren’t there. You know when you gave 100% in training day in, day out for months. So it’s not about, you know, at the last second I tell myself, chipper a little line and call it a day. It’s the fact that I look back on quite literally years, like a decade, of hard work of pouring my heart and soul into this sport. And so it’s, yeah, it’s trusting myself, but it’s building that trust every day. And so that’s a big reason why I encourage more young girls to get into sports because I think that the power it has to build and instill that confidence in people is really special and unique.”

And another one, her saying how she approaches her work (it’s probably the one closest to my heart because I do the same):

“Even if it hadn’t gone my way I would have nothing to regret because I have done quite literally every single thing that I possibly could to prepare for this game. There is not one thing that I look back on… Oh gosh, I wish I have done xyz. I have done xyz. I have done it all. Everything I could possibly think of I did. Even if the results didn’t come, I know that I did my very best and at the moment when it counted most, I showed the world that I wasn’t afraid to try.”

You can watch it at the beginning of this video…

How skiers are using visualization – great video not only explaining but showing pieces of mental training – they are not only visualizing, but moving their body, feeling emotions, atmosphere… Must be watched as it is hard to explain.

Those are just some key highlights that I loved the most from the recent several weeks (some are older, but matched the topic so I shared anyway, hope you don’t mind).

I hope you enjoyed this, watched some videos, and got at least a bit interested in mental training and visualization…. A piece of my obsession :D

Respond and let me know how you liked this type of edition! (So that I know if I should do more of these…?)

Then, the rhythm stabilized. Less travel, more time at home with my beloved dog…. so naturally, I have plenty of shots of him! :P

I think I also ‘slipped’ a bit on my daily habit—making the bed first thing in the morning ;) Somehow, I came back from the gym the other day and saw this (see photo below)…. I was sure I had made it, but I guess as I get older, my memory isn’t what it used to be!

There are also a few shots from our last snowy walk…

And then… the first sunny day!!!!! Omg, this was a perfect day. I haven’t seen so much sun in a while :) I am so looking forward to spring!!!

This month, I also created a few AI-generated visuals during my mental fitness bootcamp. I am loving this program so far! The community is great, and my coach—I absolutely love her :) I fully agree with what she is promoting and teaching.

These images have become a huge inspiration for me:

Meet Roger (My Brain) The name is inspired by Federer, of course! I realized I needed a name that feels strong, resilient, and elite. It became clear that while he’s always been my friend and had my back, our relationship is shifting. He is becoming my Challenging Coach: someone who calls me out and pushes me to grow, because the goals ahead are bigger than anything we’ve done before.

Meet Me 2.0 This is the image I put on my wallpaper to anchor my vision, and I use it daily in my visualization practice. She is so inspiring. She feels powerful, yet calm and relaxed….. exactly the state I want to be in!

My 2.0 is living a slow, fulfilled life in her favorite scenery—by the beach. Her life is full of experiences, not things. She incorporates sports into every day, spends time with close ones and her beloved dog, and does deeply meaningful work.

I already love her life and how she shows up: self-confident and fulfilled, winning the hearts and minds of the people she wants around her. Now, it’s time to make it my life, too! :)

As my coach said, “The soft power really comes through,” and that is exactly what I wanted!!!!

My Takeaways:

• The Winter Reset: As someone with a winter birthday, the weather usually isn’t great. But this year, getting away to a new environment and adding a decent level of physical effort in nature was exactly what I needed. It allowed me to rest actively, disconnect from the daily routine, and truly reset my mind.

• The Coach Effect: I came back to the gym after a bit of a break. I used to train 3x/week for about 8-9 years with my trainer. It feels good to be back, but I feel every part of my body after each session! This is exactly why you hire a coach—they will push you to your limits, something you would rarely do on your own.

• Calming My Brain: Lately, I feel my brain is very busy, analyzing situations and scenarios non-stop. So, I am implementing tiny habits to help it calm down, actively practicing having fewer inputs so I can finally enjoy the “here and now.”

What did your February look like through the lens? Whether it was a month of heavy inputs or a quiet winter reset, I’d love to hear one moment that challenged you to grow this month. (And bonus points if you tell me what name you would give your own brain!)

See you in the spring sun!

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That place where simply by walking down the streets or being in that specific environment, it always makes you feel like: “This is it. I could stay here forever”?

I do have one. Maybe not literally one, but I most frequently visit that specific one…

For me, it is Spain, specifically Barcelona.

Every year I go to Barcelona 2–3 times at minimum. Mostly, of course, the goal is to see a football (soccer) game live. But it is much more than that. It’s all about the emotions that being in that specific environment triggers in me.

And yes, I hear it a lot:

“You have been there so many times already, why do you go again? You have seen so many games live, again?”

What can I say—if something makes you feel the emotions you want to feel, why not repeat it?

The Neuroscience of “Happy Places”

Actually, there is a science to this. We often think high performance comes from pushing ourselves, but often it comes from placing ourselves.

Environments hold energy. Our brains are prediction machines. When we visit a place where we’ve felt peak joy before, our hippocampus (memory) and amygdala (emotion) light up in anticipation. My brain has physically associated the streets of Barcelona with freedom, passion, and energy.

So when I land there, my biology shifts before I even leave the airport. I’m not just visiting a city; I’m stepping into a pre-anchored state of power and happiness. I am changing my environment to change my brain.

The “Little Me” Perspective

But there is another layer to this, one that goes deeper than neuroscience.

When I was a young girl, I dreamt of going to an El Clásico game and seeing Barça win. Back then, that sounded like a dream hard to materialize, an illusion that belonged to “other people,” not me.

Now, I am 38. I have been to several El Clásicos. It feels so natural now that I cannot imagine not prioritizing such a trip each year.

But I have to be careful.

We humans have a tendency to normalize our miracles. We chase a dream, we catch it, and then... we get used to it. The magic fades into a routine.

I refuse to let that happen.

I am intentionally making sure my every experience there is unique. I want to make it as special as if it were the first time. Because once, this was an illusion. Now that I make it happen regularly, it doesn’t mean it is “normal.” It is a great experience worth reliving every year.

If you have such a thing in your life—a joy you have successfully normalized—don’t forget to pause, appreciate it, and enjoy it every time it happens.

Because the “small you” could have only dreamt about it.

Scouting for The Dragonfly Inn

This desire to keep the magic fresh is why I am changing my routine this time.

Every trip to Barcelona makes me feel energized… but Barcelona is the most frequently visited by me because I value experiences, and a Camp Nou game is the best experience for me ever. It’s something only another Socio/a can understand.

So, for my upcoming trips (yes, I’m going twice in the next few months!), I am swapping my regular/favourite hotels for two brand new selections.

Why? Because I am on a mission.

I am not just looking for a bed to sleep in; I am looking to explore stories of places. I want to feel the history in the walls to get inspired for the internal design of the future Dragonfly Inn.

I am creating my “Big Ideas Book”—a collection of sensory details and “service magic” so that when it comes time to build the Dragonfly Inn, I will know exactly what feelings I want to recreate. I want to observe how people feel in these spaces.

(Note: I will share my own full photo diary after the trip, but for now, here is the “Mood Board” of where I will be scouting!)

1. Antiga Casa Buenavista

I picked this for its historical gravity.

The building is located on Ronda de Sant Antoni and dates back to 1873. It is a tribute to Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau)—a hotel “made in Barcelona.” They say that every single detail is the result of “painstaking work by local professionals”💛.

The inspiration they shared on their site caught my eye immediately:

“A space that you can call home with all the character of Barcelona. A place where stories continue to be written, including yours.”

I love that quote!!!!! It matches perfectly my exploration mode and this “year of experiments.”

2. Hotel Brummell

In contrast, this is a small boutique hotel with only 20 rooms in Poble Sec—away from the crowds.

When I saw the photos of this space, I instantly knew I wanted to go there. As they state on their website:

“We are a 20 room hotel in Poble Sec, Barcelona. Hotel Brummell is an urban oasis created by friends.”

Which means it is exactly the kind of “Oasis” vibe I want to explore. I want to see how they curate that intimacy.

I hope you enjoyed my reflections on why I keep going back.

What about you?

Do you have a dream you’ve achieved that you need to stop and appreciate today? Or a “Third Place” where you feel your energy shift instantly?

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In the woods, time feels different. It stretches. This perfectly fits my philosophy of the Strategic Off-Season: the deliberate rest we all need to recharge, recover, and switch off. It’s the only way I’ve found to stop the work-thoughts from running a 24/7 marathon in my head, or to pause the “analysis-replay” of personal problems. I want to write more about this here—how I’m connecting rest across my life to slow down and experience more, rather than just chasing the next “thing.”

2026: The Year of Experiments

My 2026 is already full. Every week, a new trip, project, or idea pops into my plan. But I’m moving with my favorite filter: The “Hell Yes” Rule. If an idea is aligned with my vision, I say yes. Because this is a year of experiments, I am letting myself explore, trusting that if the intention is right, the work will follow.

The Birthday “Pattern Interrupt”

A few days ago was my birthday. The plan was to head to the mountains—specifically to the Karkonosze—to disconnect, rest, and simply enjoy time with my small family. This wasn’t just a getaway; it was a strategic Pattern Interrupt.

Why? Because changing your environment is the fastest way to change your mental patterns. When we step outside our daily routines, we break the unconscious loops we follow. Whether it’s skiing or hiking through the snowy, foggy trails, the physical effort forces a perspective shift. You begin to see things—solutions, opportunities, truths—that are invisible when you’re stuck in your daily habits. I wanted to be in this specific mountain air to convert “thinking time” into true reflection.

The 12-Month Lens

While there, I read a letter I wrote to myself exactly one year ago. It was a fascinating way to look at my life through the lens of my “younger” self.

Reading it, I could see what I achieved versus what I haven’t. Despite the fact that many things I wanted didn’t happen, other things did. I had aimed for business and personal milestones that would help me slow down. All in all, I got what I needed—just through a different door than I expected.

I plan to keep writing these letters to track the evolution I am going through. These changes are hard to see when they are about us—we live with ourselves daily, making it almost impossible to see the “shift.” Writing things down, and then letting a year pass, provides the ultimate lens.

This is the best way to compare yourself: not to others, but to the person you were 365 days ago. You see how you have evolved and what you want more of (or less of) in your life.

I truly enjoyed that time in nature, getting “good-tired” while hiking in the snowy mountains. Next year, I know I will plan a similar trip—to be here and now, disconnect from the routines, and simply enjoy my life.

Cheers to myself, who wants to live slower to experience more.

Side note:

There is something about the Zenit that fits my philosophy right now—it forces a “deliberate slowness.” You can’t rush a film frame. It requires the same presence I bring to a coaching session or a difficult match. Putting these here gives me a dedicated space to reflect…

January was a busy month! I only realized how much actually happened while scrolling through these frames.

My takeaways:

• Nature is my sanctuary: My camera roll is full of forests, trees, and mountains. This is where I rest best. While I miss the beach of my hometown, the winter woods offer a different kind of “Dragonfly Inn” quiet—the sound of pine needles underfoot and the crispness of the off-season air.

• The Neuroscience of “Slowing Down”: I noticed that hiking, skiing, or walking the woods with my dog actually makes the month feel longer. In neuroscience, we know that novel environments and active rest signal the brain to create more “time stamps.” By stepping out of the routine, I’m literally stretching time.

• Connection as Regulation: Time with people I care about is the best way to regulate my nervous system and recharge for the high-performance demands of the week.

• Personal ROI: Investments in myself—whether in a new skill or a quiet moment of exploration—always lead to the most interesting growth opportunities.

• The Lens vs. The Mind: A camera can capture the light and the situation, but the soul of the memory stays in the head. The photo is just the key that unlocks the door.

What did your January look like through the lens? Whether it was a busy rush or a quiet reset, I’d love to hear one moment that helped you “slow down the clock” this month.

See you in the forest!

I don’t usually do that, but some trips got planned first and then I wanted to make it happen for others, so I ended up traveling for two whole weeks, including a lot of driving. I returned tired physically, but definitely energized mentally.

That contrast is exactly why I want to talk about today’s topic.

Strategic Off-Season is about how to remain a high performer while allowing yourself to recover properly. It’s about using rest strategically to power up and unlock your potential.

I’ll be honest: I’ve spent most of my life conditioned to see rest as a defect. To a high achiever, an empty calendar can feel like a “laziness” trap rather than a recovery tool. I needed to rewire my perspective to let go of that constant urge to do.

I’ve realized that rest doesn’t have to be “nothing.” Sometimes it’s the design of the environment that allows the brain to switch off. For me, that “Dragonfly Inn” feeling is a mix of active fatigue from the slopes followed by the quiet sensory details—the smell of mountain air, a warm tea, and the mental space to just be without a to-do list looming over me.

As you know, this is my year of EXPERIMENTS. I am exploring various ways to see what works for me. One of those experiments was my skiing trip to Austria this year.

Key Takeaways from the Slopes:

1. My rest must be active. My nervous system doesn’t thrive in stillness; it recalibrates through movement. Getting physically tired and feeling that satisfaction is what works best for me.

• In practice: I was considering a solo retreat, but I’m now leaning toward a tennis camp. My big holiday in October/November will definitely be an active one with plenty of hiking.

2. I work best when challenged externally. I’ve learned that I accelerate my progress when I have a coach or trainer. Even though my skiing journey is still at the beginning level, having daily sessions booked for all six days was the best thing I could have done.

• The Elite Connection: It reminds me of the philosophy at FC Barcelona. The best players in the world don’t train alone—not because they lack discipline, but because they know they have “blind spots.” If the world’s best athletes need an external eye to stay at the top, why should we expect to reach our peak entirely on our own?

• In practice: I used a personal trainer for over 8 years, and moving back to that “external push” is a priority for my strength training. It simply yields better results.

3. Mental blocks sabotage growth. Despite what I know about mental training, I still face thoughts that limit me. My ski coach kept repeating: “Open your mind,” “Look into the future to see the next loop, not at your skis,” “Trust yourself more.”

On the surface, his advice sounded like standard sports clichés—but they were the keys to unlocking my coordination.

• The Brain Science: When we look down at our skis, our brain stays in a “threat-detection” loop (the amygdala). By looking toward the “next loop,” we engage anticipatory processing. This shifts the brain to the prefrontal cortex, allowing us to enter a flow state.

Being in my late 30s, I’m aware of the consequences of falling, which made me too careful and not courageous enough.

• In practice: I’m taking this lesson into a Mental Fitness Bootcamp starting in two weeks to analyze my mental blocks in other areas of life.

I love that time off because it allows me to completely switch off from the “mental noise” of work and chores. Sport forces a 100% focus that acts as a system reset for my brain.

Now, a question for you: What is your preferred way to rest your mind, and when is your next scheduled time to do it?

I had planned my London business trip weeks in advance, but it wasn’t until the Christmas break that the “missing piece” appeared. While scrolling through Instagram, I saw a promotion for an event by someone I’ve long followed and admired: Maya Raichoora. The best part? It was scheduled exactly for when I’d be in the city.

Within five minutes, I had my tickets.

This was a “Hell YES” moment—the kind of intuitive decision that requires zero hesitation. It aligned perfectly with my work schedule and my broader philosophy on business travel: we don’t just travel to work; we travel to evolve.

Side note: I recently dove into my Human Design analysis. One of the most resonant reminders was the importance of honoring my intuition. If you’re looking to reconnect with your own “gut feelings,” a good friend of mine, (btw, her Substack “The Coffee Dispatch” is AMAZING), recommended me this free assessment: My Human Design.

Finding Light in the Dark

Last Wednesday, I headed toward the river for Maya’s event: Mental Fitness Live. London was being London—it had been raining steadily all day, and the evening air was damp and heavy.

My route involved a 15-minute walk through a park by the river. As I entered, I realized it was quite dark and felt a little unnerving. Usually, this is where the brain’s “threat-detection” system (the amygdala) kicks in, but I chose to shift my focus.

I noticed another woman checking her phone, looking just as hesitant as I was. She asked if it was safe to walk through, and sensing she was a kindred spirit, I asked if she was heading to the event. I was right.

We walked together, and the “scary” environment simply faded away. We didn’t talk about the rain or the shadows; we discussed our journeys and where we are in our lives right now. When I shared my vision with her, she stopped and said, “That is amazing—best of luck.” I took it as a clear sign: I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

The Stadium and the “Infectious” Shift

The venue itself was another serendipitous sign: the event space at Fulham Stadium. As a football fan, arriving at a stadium felt like a nod from the universe.

The energy inside was electric. Maya Raichoora spent time chatting with us before the session began, and I had the pleasure of getting my copy of her book, Visualise, signed. (If you want to explore visualization as a serious mental training technique, this book is a must-read).

Maya’s presence is a masterclass in Infectious Energy. I’d had a difficult, taxing morning, but her presence pulled me into the “here and now.” She shared that her mastery of public speaking is no accident—it is the result of rigorous visualization. She even meets the audience beforehand so she can “rehearse” with real faces and stories in her mind, priming her brain for peak performance.

The Neuroscience of the “Mental Rep”

As a coach, I know that visualization is far more than “positive thinking.” It is a neurological rehearsal. When we visualize, we fire the same neural pathways as we do during the physical act. We are quite literally “training” our brains while our bodies are at rest.

To make this practice tangible, I focus on three distinct pillars:

1. Sport: The Precision Rep I use visualization in my tennis training to get more “reps” in without the physical wear and tear. By mentally rehearsing the perfect serve or a difficult backhand, I am preparing for the pressure of a match point before I even pick up the racket.

2. Work: The Daily Rehearsal To ensure my days are productive, I perform a “mental walk-through” of my schedule. I visualize the flow of my meetings, the energy I want to bring to my team, and the successful resolution of complex problems. This reduces “decision fatigue” because my brain feels like it has already navigated the day successfully.

3. Life: The “Dragonfly Inn” Vision This is my long-term anchor. I close my eyes and see my future Dragonfly Inn resort. I visualize the hospitality, the scent of the garden, the way I spend my time there, and the soulful environment I am creating. This isn’t just a daydream; it’s a strategic destination.

Attracting the “Hell YES”

This trip was proof that we attract what we are ready for. I had been looking for a “retreat” or a deep growth experience this year, and because I was open to it, my Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the brain’s filter—spotted that Instagram ad.

I’m thrilled to continue this journey by joining Maya’s Mental Fitness Bootcamp in a few weeks. I can’t wait to bring these high-level visualization skills back to my clients and my own leadership practice.

Energized and mentally clear, I’m heading off for my winter break. I’ll be sharing some of the beautiful places I visit soon!

For me, travel has always been about exploration. It always has been, but in the past, I wasn’t using its full potential. Partially because of my own “scaries,” and partially because of how the corporate system works. But I am glad I learned to do things differently now.

The “Old Way”: The Consulting Grind

Working in consulting, I had an opportunity to travel—probably not as much as the average consultant because I didn’t really want to travel a lot.

I’m a true believer that the energy we send to the world comes back to us. If we look for something good, we will find it (and if we look for bad things, they will come too, unfortunately). That was my case. Because I didn’t crave constant travel, I “attracted” great projects on-site. I spent more time in the office with my team and traveled only occasionally.

But looking back, I wouldn’t support that style of travel today. Usually, it was Monday to Friday, focused purely on the project and maximizing work time.

Of course, this is what the industry desires. If there were dinners, they were with co-workers or clients. After that, everyone went back to the hotel room to work a bit more, because this is a sign of being a “top performer” and often leads to a better performance assessment.

Doing something different—wanting to explore the city or attend events—was possible in theory, but I could already feel the judgment from the people “above” me. So somehow, I didn’t do it often. At least not as often as I could have or should have.

I also wasn’t as open to the world as I am now. I had trouble going to a restaurant by myself; I wasn’t ready to step into that discomfort zone. Luckily, consulting travel usually happens in a team setup, so I could minimize those lonely dinners. But this meant spending all week with the same people, rarely exploring beyond the client office, the hotel, and the nearest restaurants.

I did have some trips where I managed to sightsee a bit, but it wasn’t intentional planning like I do now.

Do I regret it? No. Life is about learning and exploring different things, and I did the learning part my way. I’m mostly focusing on the “lessons learned” to make my next business trip the best it can be.

The only thing I do feel a slight regret about is not taking a chance on a secondment abroad. In consulting, there are opportunities to work in another office (usually abroad) for 1–2 years. I never pursued that path because, at that stage in life, I didn’t want to leave for that long. But that wasn’t a “future-forward” mindset. It was “here and now” thinking, and when my “here and now” changed, I wished I had done it differently.

Where would I have gone? I would love to go to Spain, of course.

Side note: One of my life goals is to speak Spanish like a native. I’m not there yet, but I know I will get to that level at some point.

But if Spain wasn’t an option, I likely would have chosen the US—because the best opportunities usually come from there. I am aware that the US consulting culture is even tougher than the European one, but that would have been a conscious decision: accepting the downsides to benefit from the positives.

Anyway, that chapter ended a while ago, so this is just a retrospective. But I wanted to share what shaped my thinking about business travel.

I wish there was more awareness among those running big consulting projects. They should help people shape their time during trips and support personal growth, rather than just pushing for unrealistic client deadlines. That would empower people to do things differently.

As you can see, my (maybe unpopular) opinion is that consulting travel is often as inefficient as the industry’s ways of working… But few people care, because they are blinded by stereotypes and old-fashioned business habits.

A Note from 30,000 Feet

By the way—I am writing this post on the plane to London, on my way to a team meetup. Planes have become my best deep focus environments.

Often with no internet access, I can focus my thoughts on writing, thinking, designing, or exploring my mind. From a brain-based perspective, the airplane cabin is the ultimate “constraint environment.” When we remove Wi-Fi and digital notifications, we stop the constant task-switching that fatigues the Prefrontal Cortex. It’s a forcing function for flow state. Without the option to be distracted, the brain settles into deep work much faster.

The results are always better than the same time spent at my home office desk.

What has changed and why?

Short answer: mostly ME.

Of course, I have changed jobs and moved from the fast-paced consulting world to the tech startup environment, but I don’t see that as the main trigger. The trigger was a mindset shift that happened back when I was still working at BCG.

It was more than 5 years ago… I remember sitting at my desk at 2 AM during COVID (so, of course, home office). Staring at another pointless slide deck someone insisted on, even though I knew it made zero sense. I’d tried to change their mind. It didn’t work.

There I was → wasting my precious mental energy on work that didn’t matter while someone else controlled how I spent my days. And I hate wasting time. It’s one of my core values.

The shift came a few days later when a LinkedIn message from a recruiter hit my inbox. It caught my attention, so I set up a call to explore the opportunity… because I am a big believer that one connection can change your life.

The story ends with me getting a job offer. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to take it… because this wasn’t just a job change. This was about reclaiming my mental autonomy.

This realization helped me make a decision not only about my job but, most importantly, about the way I want to work from now on. Because my mindset changed (and gradually, my priorities), I was finally able to redesign my business travel.

My focus is now on making things Fun & Joyful.

1. I aim for “Experience Optimization.” I am a much more open person now. I enjoy networking, going to events, and meeting new people. So I always look for events happening in my destination around the dates of my business trip. If there is one that looks exciting, I aim to get there—even if it requires me to travel a bit earlier, take a holiday, or pay for an additional night in the hotel. I am optimizing for life experiences, so this is my way of investing in myself.

2. I maximize human connections. I use the time I have in a city to have a proper lunch or dinner with a friend or travel companion. This creates quality relationships. It could be someone I know or a co-worker—any relationship I really want to invest time in. For example, right now in London, I am meeting my team and work colleagues, which is the best way to generate positive energy.

3. I prioritize my health and wellbeing. This is crucial so I don’t feel that travel harms my life. I make sure I know where I will exercise (is there a gym close by? Should I pack jogging shoes or resistance bands?). I always have a good book with me, and I plan for healthy food during the journey.

   My top priority: “NEVER SKIP TRAINING.” My personal trainer taught me this rule for vacations, and I now apply it strictly to business trips too.

4. I scout great food places. I look for real, high-quality food experiences rather than just eating whatever is closest to the hotel.

5. I focus on the “Why.” For business trips, I don’t schedule extra meetings apart from the actual events I traveled for. Same for family events and friends’ visits—I keep my focus on the main goal.

My Updated Travel Checklist

I have an updated checklist that I plan to follow this year whenever I am going on a business or private trip:

• Events in the area: I check what’s happening where I am going. Maybe there are industry meetups I want to join, or a play at the theater I would like to attend.

• Invest in relationships: I plan at least one meal with a friend or travel companion. If I don’t know anyone in that city, I dedicate time to call an old friend and chat for an hour or two.

• Places to stay: I research family-owned hotels or boutique inns to aim for inspiring places. Why? Because environment dictates state. Corporate chains often feel sterile and cold, keeping my nervous system in a subtle state of “alert.” A place with human warmth—think of the “Dragonfly Inn” vibe—signals safety and connection to my brain. It allows me to actually decompress rather than just “sleep.”

• Places to eat: I look for authentic food experiences, not just convenience. My first step is always to ask the locals—if I know anyone in the city, I want their specific recommendations. Nothing beats a local’s “hidden gem.” If I don’t know anyone, I dedicate time to researching online for places with good energy and reviews so I can book in advance.

• The Photographer ‘Job’: I take loads of photos of the world around me. This shifts my brain from “passive observer” to “active creator,” helping me notice beautiful details I’d otherwise miss.

This post was all about me and my experiences because I cannot speak for other people’s perspectives. But I hope it encourages you to review your business travel approach and maybe make some changes.

Most of all, I suggest you answer this question:

What brings me joy in life, and what do I want to optimize my life for right now?

Once you have that answer, simply find a way to pack it in your suitcase.

I can see myself waking up early and going for a walk with my dog there… or watching the sunrise while sitting on a bench on the lake coast.

It is an ambitious, sprawling dream. But that is exactly why it’s a ten-year journey. True excellence, much like a championship season or a perfectly designed environment, isn’t rushed. It is cultivated.

The “Big Idea” is to create a space that houses everything I love. Imagine a small, sophisticated guesthouse that gradually expands into a full retreat. There will be a restaurant serving local flavors, a stable for horses, a red clay tennis court—a place where the game slows down and strategy takes over — and access to the water.

But beyond the amenities, it’s about environment design. I want to host coaching retreats and workshops where high-performers can escape the “red zone” of burnout. It’s a place to regain focus, reclaiming the “Calm Power” that the modern world so often strips away.

Basically, I want to create a sanctuary full of things that I love… a place where I can easily spend all day doing all the things that I love. I will be organizing coaching retreats or other workshops there for small groups of people to help them escape the stressful reality and regain focus, attention, and fun in life.

The “Dragonfly” Blueprint

Every big idea has an origin story behind it. So does this one. Usually, such a story makes things look more important, more inspiring. I have no idea what you will think about this one, but let’s find out.

But the blueprint for this 10-year plan didn’t come from a business textbook—it came from a stack of DVDs in my sister’s living room.

When my sister was in her early 20s—which was way before streaming platforms and such worldwide accessibility of TV series—she had one favorite series, and even got it on DVD: Gilmore Girls. At the time, that series hadn’t really been broadcast on Polish TV; you had to either buy the DVD or somehow ‘get’ it from the internet. She was crazy about that series and watched it probably more than 5 times after getting it. By now, she must have seen it even more times.

At some point, I also borrowed it from her and started watching. Since it’s on streaming platforms now, I have seen it myself more than 4 times as well. It’s such a funny and easy-to-watch TV series that people of any age and any sex watch. I know so many guys enjoying watching it too—although not all of them want to admit it! Often they pretend not to watch and are just sneak-peeking ;) but in reality, they are engaged followers of Gilmore Girls stories.

So, of course, the whole idea of our guesthouse is simply a way to build our own Dragonfly Inn. And this year, we have decided to start seriously working towards that plan!!!

This is such a great idea to work towards: our own Dragonfly Inn. A place where work becomes slow life, where friends can come anytime, where we cook delicious things, have some horses, and organize great events. Inspired by a really funny and interesting story of Gilmore Girls… so I can’t wait to start this work, getting more and more serious and taking you on that journey with me!

The “Why”: From Chasing to Being

The Dragonfly Inn isn’t just a nostalgic dream; it’s a response to a lifestyle that I followed for many years in the corporate world—a life that often felt like running a race with no finish line. The idea is, in the end, to create a place that allows us to rest and have a slow life. But why is this so important for me?

I have been chasing something all my life… always aiming for perfection and never resting. Rest felt like laziness, especially when around me there were always so many things to do. I had those thoughts that it is better to do those things and then rest… but often new things were coming up and the list was becoming endless.

Resting is a challenging thing for me. I have learned a lot lately about how environments impact our life and what we do. So, I am step-by-step implementing changes in my own environment to be able to rest more and treat it as a part of my long-term game.

Field Notes: My Current Environment Design

I am currently looking for interesting resort places to visit as a part of my research project. While I design the future Inn, I am already incorporating ways of rest into my life to cultivate it on a regular basis:

• Slow, ‘unplugged’ mornings. I usually start them with exercises (either a tennis lesson, swim lesson, or I exercise at home with weights or my own body weight). After that, I am getting ready for the day and preparing breakfast for the family (depending where I am, it might be breakfast for 2 + dog or a bigger team if I am in my hometown). Also, in the summer period, I often wake up even earlier to drive to the beach for a 5:00 or 6:00 AM walk with Gavi — protecting that early silence and uninterrupted focus to clear my brain for the day.

• Lunchtime walk with my dog. No matter the weather, we go each weekday at 12:00. On weekends the timing might shift a bit, but there is always a midday walk!

• Travel Upgrades. When traveling, I aim for a better travel experience (no 5:00 or 6:00 AM flights) at the expense of a bit higher cost. I invest in my own health and wellbeing this way to have a solid night’s sleep and enjoy the time in the destination a bit more while being rested.

• The “Work Buffer.” When traveling for work, I aim to add 1-2 days before the actual event reason to slow down, spend time in the (new) city by myself and relax. Instead of traveling in a rush. And yes, I often invest my own money to have an additional night in a hotel or stay for a weekend at my own expense. But I like it. This is fun for me.

• Annual solo trip. Last year I went to Miami and it was an amazing time! This year I am still at the place/type of trip selection stage.

• Active rest. Tennis, swim classes, many walks with my dog, summer in my hometown, when time simply slows down…

The Long Game

So, that idea about the Dragonfly Inn is about realizing my sister’s big dream from Gilmore Girls, as well as being a monument for my journey: changing from a high-achiever chasing something, to a person with a slow life who enjoys every moment more and cultivates a “less is more” mentality.

Because I’m working hard to improve my relationship with rest. It’s much better than in the past, but still, there is a lot to improve on. And that Inn one day will be my own version of how to rest in life.

I imagine this as a place where people come to escape from day-to-day life… to find something that allows them to forget about everything and, at least for the time of the stay, have fun and enjoy every moment.

I’d love to hear from you:
If you were designing a sanctuary for your own mental recovery, what would it look like? What are the textures, sights, or experiences you look for when you finally allow yourself to stop chasing?

As a fan, I was thrilled. El Clásico is always high-stakes theater. But as a researcher of high performance, I wasn’t just watching the ball. I was watching the bench. I was watching the body language.

I was watching the human recalibration that made this win possible.

We often think championships are won by the fittest athletes or the best tactics. But this weekend proved that sustainable high performance is actually built on three invisible pillars: Radical Vulnerability, Energy Management, and Psychological Safety.

Here are my field notes from the Supercopa.

1. The Araujo Protocol: Strength is no longer “Toughening Up”

For me, the most significant moment of the night wasn’t a goal. It was seeing Ronald Araújo—the team captain—raise the trophy.

Why? Because just a few weeks ago, Araújo stepped away. Reports surfaced that he had “crashed mentally” and needed time to rebuild his self-confidence.

In the “old world” of sports (and business), this would be impossible. A captain admitting to a mental struggle? He would have been told to “toughen up.” He would have been told to train harder.

Instead, two things happened:

1. The Player: Araújo had the courage to view his mental state as an injury requiring rehab, not a character flaw.

2. The Environment: The club handled it with total discretion. There were no leaks, no drama—just space.

My Personal Take

I wanted to add a few thoughts on why this resonates so deeply with me.

• The Definition of a Fighter I have always loved Araújo as a player. He has always been a fighter who gives his best. Maybe he wasn’t always playing at the absolute top technical level every single game, but he never lacked the spirit in his heart. Seeing him admit to a mental crash was really something I admired—it showed that “fighting” sometimes means knowing when to stop.

• Rest as Strategy I am incredibly happy he is back because this is proof that rest must be a strategic part of your long-term game. We often fear that stopping means losing ground, but Araújo showed that stepping back is sometimes the only way to move forward.

• Beyond the Pitch I hope he is now stronger and has learned a lot from this experience. But even if things don’t go perfectly for him in the future, my view won’t change. For me, he has proven himself to be a unique personality. By showing his vulnerability, he secured a legacy that goes beyond football—he is someone I will always remember with a positive vibe.

This is the new definition of resilience. It isn’t about never breaking; it’s about how intelligently you repair.

2. The Mirror Effect: Managing the “Ghost” Players

Leadership isn’t just about managing the people on the pitch (or in the boardroom). It is about managing the energy of the people who aren’t there.

Hansi Flick, Barça’s coach, gave a masterclass in this. Throughout the tournament, he was seen holding up the jersey of Gavi—our young midfield “fighter” who has been injured for months.

Why does this matter? Neuroscience tells us that energy is infectious. It’s the “Mirror Effect.” Gavi represents pure aggression and heart—he leaves everything on the pitch. By physically bringing Gavi’s symbol into the room, Flick did two things:

• For the Squad: He reminded them of the “Fighter Identity” required to win.

• For Gavi: He built an architecture of belonging. He ensured his injured player didn’t feel like a ghost.

My Personal Take

Gavi holds a special place in my view of the current team.

• A Personal Favorite To be honest, Gavi is my favorite player. I am such a believer in his spirit that I even named my dog (a Vizsla) after him! To me, he represents “living love” for this club, and as a fan, that is the highest quality a player can possess.

• The Energy Difference When you watch a game where Gavi plays, the difference is immediate. You can physically see that his energy and passion operate on a different frequency than the other players. It is amazing to watch, and Hansi Flick clearly sees this too. Flick is the type of coach who appreciates players who play with their soul, which explains his vocal affection for Gavi.

• The Return It is a huge loss not being able to see such a passionate player on the field right now. I sincerely hope he finally recovers from his injuries and comes back for good. The team needs his skill, but even more than that, we need his heart.

3. The Raphinha Turnaround: Belief as a Performance Drug

Finally, we have to talk about Raphinha. Eighteen months ago, he had “one foot out the door.” He was struggling for form and identity. This weekend, he was named the MVP of the Supercopa—for the second year in a row.

This consistency isn’t an accident. It is the result of Public Backing. When the media doubted Raphinha, Flick publicly defended him. He created a shield of psychological safety that allowed Raphinha to stop playing with fear and start playing with flow.

My Personal Take

Raphinha’s story is perhaps the most powerful example of the “Flick Effect.”

• The Leader Makes the Player Raphinha is living proof of what a great leader can do for a player’s mentality. Flick didn’t just coach him; he effectively “recreated” him, allowing him to rise to his top level. It proves that talent is often static, but confidence is dynamic—and it requires the right leader to unlock it.

• A Treasure for the Team He is another incredible example of passion and energy, and frankly, he is a pleasure to watch. He has that rare ability to change the game with a single touch of the ball. He is a real treasure for this squad, and I hope he stays at the club for the long term.

• The Thin Line Between Success and Failure This situation highlights a crucial truth about football, especially here in Europe where the discipline is paramount and the pressure is suffocating. Not every player can deal with that weight alone. Having the right coach to support them mentally isn’t just a “bonus”—it is often the difference between a successful career and a lost one. Without Flick’s support, Raphinha might be gone; with it, he is MVP.

The Leadership “Game Tape”

What can we, as business leaders, learn from this weekend in Riyadh?

Lesson 1: The “Rest” Protocol Don’t be afraid to say you are struggling. The era of the “stoic, suffering leader” is over. Vulnerability is a competitive advantage because it allows you to heal faster.

Lesson 2: The Energy Audit Look at your team. Who are your “Fighters”? Who lifts the energy just by walking in the room? Energy is contagious. If you have lost your spark, surround yourself with people like Gavi or Raphinha who have it in abundance.

Lesson 3: Appreciation is a Strategy Don’t assume your top performers know they are valued. Tell them. Publicly. Flick holding that jersey wasn’t a nice gesture; it was a strategic move to bind the team together.

Lesson 4: Manage the Invisible Like Flick, your job isn’t just to manage tasks. It is to manage the energy of the team—including those on leave, those struggling, and those on the bench.

Football is a game of skill, but Championships are won in the mind.

Which of these three “protocols” (The Araujo Rest, The Flick Belonging, or The Raphinha Belief) is missing from your current work environment?

The last few years have been a gradual but radical change for me.

I moved from the fast-paced environment of strategic consulting—where I worked hard, looked at the people above me, and simply wanted to “be where they were”—to the life I have now.

And what is that life?

Slow mornings. Walks with my dog. Daily training. Time with family and friends. A lot of travel. But at the same time: A fulfilling job in the tech industry, passionate side projects, and constant growth.

I know I would never have achieved this balance in corporate consulting. At least not in such a short time.

Why? Because that environment isn’t designed to let you slow down. It is designed for the sprint. Everyone is chasing something immediate.

Leaving consulting was the best decision I ever made. It gave me a new perspective. It created space for the decisions that led me here—discovering new passions, meeting amazing people, and finding inspiration outside the boardroom.

But I haven’t done it in a day. It was a process. A journey.

2025 was my year of CURIOSITY. I gave myself permission to be curious about myself and the people around me. That curiosity led me to where I am today.

2026 is my year of EXPERIMENTS. I have so many ideas, and I want to explore them all. Why not?

So, what is the plan?

For the last year, I focused heavily on my work as a Certified Brain-Based Coach, supporting leaders to change their lives.

I still love this work. But to make space for the new vision, I am limiting my practice to just a couple of clients per quarter.

Instead, I will dedicate my time and energy to building the long-term dream.

This means:

• Active Scouting: Exploring family-owned hotels and inns.

• The Sport Lab: Watching football, playing tennis (and analyzing the mental game of elite athletes).

• Self-Experimentation: Testing protocols on myself to see what works.

It is all to learn more about Environment Design—how to structure our physical space and our minds to win the long game.

I will be sharing my Field Notes on all of this right here.

An Invitation

I want this post to be an invitation.

Don’t be afraid of the change. Everything is possible if you believe in it.

Remember: If you believe you can’t change, you will never change. But if you believe you can, and you do the work, the brain adapts.

Our mind is a fascinating machine that runs our lives. The best decision you can make is to start using it consciously to your advantage.

If you want to slow down in life and at work, you have to find the inspiration to do so. It is hard to change when everyone around you is running.

So, start by changing your environment. Look at how others are doing it. Learn. Explore. Experiment.

Don’t limit yourself to what you see daily around you. Expand that horizon. Because out there, there are so many ideas that you might never explore if you stay exactly where you are.

Welcome to the experiment.

— Dorota