Please forward this to a high-impact leader who needs the energy edge. If this was forwarded to you, get plugged in here.

Welcome back - it's nice to have you here!

Before we dive in, where did your energy land this week on a scale from 1 to 10?

→ Hit reply if you want to take a second and share it. That simple awareness matters.

Let’s get into it:

⚡ QUICK SPIN:

You’re not choosing between right and wrong.

You’re choosing between safe and true.

That’s the real leadership tension.

The call that keeps you up at night.

The thing you’re “sitting with” even though you already know.

Because most of us...especially high performers...don’t want to be wrong.

So we default to safe. To polite. To what “makes sense on paper.”

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But here’s the paradox:

The thing you didn’t say.

The move you didn’t make.

The role you didn’t step into.

The client you kept even though your gut said no.

Let’s break that pattern. For good.

🛠️ MY TURN:

In EnergyOS coaching, we use the Regret Minimization Framework not as a backup plan…

…but as a decision accelerator.

And it’s personal.

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Years ago, this lens pushed me to leave corporate to build my coaching practice.

Not because it was easy.

But because I knew my future self would regret staying quiet when I knew I had something real to build and leaders I was meant to serve.

Recently, it showed up again in powerful ways:

A retail client came to me growing fast on Amazon. The safe thing? Stay on the rails and play to the platform.

But they had a bigger vision.

So we made the call: exit Amazon in 2026 and build direct-to-consumer dominance.

Not teetotaling to the empire.

That’s a power move.

A friend and mentor had a decision to make: speak up during a brewing political storm at work...or stay silent to avoid waves.

We worked it through.

They chose to say what needed to be said...not from ego, but from alignment.

And it changed the temperature in the room.

​
Because here’s the truth:

📚 THE BACKUP:

These frameworks aren’t fluff; they’re mental models used by founders, operators, and executives to move with clarity when the pressure’s on.

→ Regret is a real psychological force in decision‑making (PMC/NIH): Research shows that anticipated regret—the emotional prediction of how you’ll feel about a choice later—strongly influences human behavior and intentions. This isn’t fluff; it’s a documented mental model that people use (often unconsciously) when deciding whether to act or not.

→ Anticipated regret affects how we process risk and satisfaction (Frontiers in Psychology): Psychology studies find that when people imagine future regret, they often make choices that lead to greater satisfaction and better long‑term outcomes...especially when under less pressure and with space to reflect.

→ Fear of future regret can drive inaction...but it also highlights what matters (UNSW): Behavioral science shows that people often avoid choice because they fear regret more than failure itself. That anticipated regret shapes not just isolated decisions but the direction of careers, relationships, and leadership moves.

💥 They don’t call it anticipated regret for nothing; the future self you imagine is one of your best decision tools. Leaders who learn to hear that voice ahead of time act with clarity, not hesitation.

🛠️ THE SYSTEM:

Here’s how I coach leaders to use this thinking in real time:

1. Future-Tense Clarity

Ask: One year from now, which decision would I wish I made?​
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2. Label the Safe Choice

Get honest: what are you avoiding under the surface of “logic”?

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​3. Rehearse the Aligned Move

Mentally run the “harder” decision. Can you handle the consequence? (Almost always: yes.)

It’s not about being fearless.

It’s about being future-ready.

🤗 YOUR TURN:

What’s a decision you’ve been sitting with?

Is it safe…

or is it true?

👇 Drop a line. Let’s build more clarity in this new year, together.

👊 LET'S TALK:

This is the work.

Not just productivity.

But energetic alignment.

Making moves that your future self will thank you for.

🎯 If you’re ready to build a decision system that matches your ambition...

Let’s work together: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min​

Cheers, Adam

P.S. 👉 Want to comment or share this post via social? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

P.S.S. A new "Is Anything Real In Paid Advertising?" episode dropped this week: Micro Beats Macro: Real Influence, Not Bot Views | Ep. 35 w/Matt Anthes (Advocators)​

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