Last week, I asked you to drop an emoji—no story needed—just a signal of where you are: 🏖️🌊🏊⛵🏝️. Thank you to everyone who shared—your honesty matters.

While the number of public responses was small (which is often the nature of LinkedIn, where the world moves at speed), they powerfully spanned the full range: from those still stranded on the 🏖️ beach, perhaps bracing for this week's fresh wave of layoffs at companies like Amazon (targeting as many as 30,000 corporate roles) and Target (cutting ~1,800 corporate positions), to those 🏊 swimming hard but exhausted, and even a few who have recently found a ⛵ raft after a long swim.

What this tells me is that we are seeing the full range of this turbulent experience, together. You're not imagining it. The system is challenging, the waters remain choppy. But crucially, the rafts are starting to appear. There's a sense that we are building momentum, trying to finish the year strong and not let these last few months be squandered.

What I noticed in those responses—and in the private messages I've received since Episode 009—is that the people finding rafts aren't doing it by accident. They're not lucky. They're not just "toughing it out." They're following a pattern.

That pattern? Seven core habits.

And before you think "another productivity framework," let me be clear: these aren't aspirational Instagram quotes. They're the documented practices that distinguish professionals who report thriving in their careers from those who are just surviving. Austin Belcak spent years studying this thriving cohort and distilled what they do differently. This is his list; and I am fully appreciative of the breakdown.

This week, we unpack those seven habits Austin compiled. Not as theory—as your map to land.

It reminds me of that sign in the Notre Dame locker room—the one every player slaps on the way to the field: "Play Like a Champion Today." (Go Irish! 🍀) This isn't just about winning; it's about showing up with purpose, agency, and giving our best effort—finding success in the journey, not just the destination. It's about choosing our 'target,' not just being tossed by the waves.

The Map - The 7 Habits Explained

These seven habits aren't random. They're the common thread among professionals who report thriving (not just surviving) in their careers—even during chaos like this. Austin Belcak spent years studying what this thriving cohort does differently, and he found seven core practices. Let's break down each one.

Habit #1: Prioritize Exploration

What It Means: Thriving professionals don't optimize for certainty; they optimize for learning. They treat their careers like a series of small experiments—taking courses, starting projects, volunteering. Why It Matters: Exploration helps you discover what you truly value and enjoy, preventing you from climbing a ladder against the wrong wall. It builds resilience through diverse experiences. What This Looks Like: Taking a short-term contract in a new industry, learning a new adjacent skill online, or volunteering for a challenging project outside your comfort zone. Connection: This aligns with the Career Flywheel's "Demonstrate" phase—you test small, learn fast, and build knowledge for future leverage.

Habit #2: Clarify Your Values

What It Means: The thriving cohort knows themselves deeply. They've intentionally defined what truly matters to them professionally—what energizes versus drains them.

Why It Matters: Without clarity, every opportunity looks the same, leading to burnout from chasing others' definitions of success. This clarity is what Gina Riley calls moving beyond the achievements or qualifications list to articulate your unique value, separating yourself from the rest. Her new book Qualified Isn't Enough is a great resource.

What This Looks Like: Being able to clearly state your non-negotiables (e.g., impact, autonomy, mentorship) when discussing roles, rather than just saying "I'm open to anything." Connection: This is the heart of PADE's "Alignment" pillar and the foundation for defining your UVP.

Habit #3: Define Your "Dream Job"

What It Means: This isn't about a specific title, but a clear picture of the experience: What problems are you solving? Who are you collaborating with? What does a fulfilling workday feel like? The thriving cohort can describe this in two paragraphs. Can you? Why It Matters: A defined target allows you to filter opportunities effectively, saying 'no' to distractions and 'yes' with confidence. What This Looks Like: Having a concise description of your ideal role's characteristics (impact, culture, work/life balance) and identifying companies that align. Connection: This relates to PACT's "Persona"—prompting yourself about the role you want to play.

Habit #4: Say No To Bad Fits

What It Means: Thriving professionals turn down opportunities, even lucrative ones, that don't align with their values (Habit #2) or dream job definition (Habit #3). They prioritize long-term fit over short-term relief. Why It Matters: Settling for a bad fit erodes confidence and wastes energy, ultimately leading back to the job search but in a weaker position. What This Looks Like: Walking away from a high-paying offer because the culture feels toxic, or declining an interview after realizing the company's mission conflicts with your values. Connection: This is core Principled Agency and requires Output Discernment—judging the fit beyond the surface offer.

Habit #5: Set Clear Boundaries

What It Means: Happy professionals protect their time and energy. They define work hours, disconnect regularly, and communicate their capacity clearly and respectfully. Why It Matters: You can't execute the other habits effectively if you're constantly depleted. Boundaries are essential for the "marathon, not sprint" approach. What This Looks Like: Blocking and honoring focus time, politely declining non-essential late meetings, and taking all your vacation time without guilt. Connection: This is the Energy Budget from Episode 009 in practice. You can't contribute to the Community Flywheel if you're running on fumes. Boundaries prevent 'browning out.'

Habit #6: Get Proactive About The Future

What It Means: Thriving professionals don't wait for opportunities; they create visibility for themselves. They plan their growth independently of their employer, share their work, and build their network proactively. Why It Matters: The passive job search ("apply and wait") is ineffective. Proactive visibility creates demand before you need a job. What This Looks Like: Publishing insights on LinkedIn, contributing valuable comments, building a portfolio, or reaching out thoughtfully to connect with people you admire. Connection: This is the Career Flywheel in action (Delegate, Elevate, Demonstrate) and embodies the "Driver" mindset.

Habit #7: Lifestyle Balance

What It Means: Happy professionals integrate their career into a fulfilling life, rather than letting the job consume everything. They prioritize health, relationships, hobbies, and rest. Why It Matters: Creativity, strategic thinking, resilience, and clear judgment all require mental and physical well-being. Balance isn't a reward; it's a prerequisite for sustained high performance. What This Looks Like: Making time for exercise, engaging in hobbies unrelated to work, eating meals away from the desk, and prioritizing sufficient sleep. Connection: This reinforces Habit #5 (Boundaries) and enables the long-term energy needed for the "marathon."

Seven habits. Not seven easy steps—seven practices. Consistency is key. Which brings us to the mindset that fuels that consistency.

The Mindset - "Play Like a Champion Today!"

There's a sign in the Notre Dame locker room. You may have seen it on t-shirts, bumper stickers, rally flags. But here's what you don't see on network TV: before players reach that sign, they walk down stairs listing the 11 national championship banners—1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988.

They're reminded: champions walked these steps before them. The expectations. The potential. The collective standard.

Then, individually, each player slaps the sign: "Play Like a Champion Today!" (Go Irish! 🍀)

It's not just words. It's collective buy-in. It's saying: "I'm holding myself to the standard of everyone who came before me. Today, I show up worthy of that legacy."

That's what we're building here—not individual heroics, but collective standards. The 7 Habits aren't aspirational quotes. They're the championship banners of the thriving 15%. And each time you practice one of these habits, you're slapping the sign. You're buying in.

It's not "Win Like a Champion." It's play. Show up. Give your best. Trust the process.

This embodies the "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" philosophy from another favorite of mine (Friday Night Lights):

This isn't toxic positivity. It's acknowledging the storm but choosing your response. You control your values, your effort, your boundaries. "Play Like a Champion" means refusing to let external chaos dictate your internal commitment. It's the mindset that turns the seven habits from a checklist into a way of being.

This personal agency takes the destination into account, but ensures each purposeful step—each time we pick ourselves up from disappointment, each deep breath when we see obstacles—makes the journey itself powerful and rewarding.

The Proof - A Real Story

Let me tell you about "Alex." Laid off last October. By July: 1,000+ resumes sent, zero offers. Convinced the system was rigged, AI was a scam, ATS was the enemy. The destructive spiral.

We spent 30 minutes in August. We didn't "fix" the resume; we clarified Alex's UVP, answering two questions:

Alex struggled. After 20 years, optimizing for "what pays" wasn't working anymore. Once we found that core value, we rebuilt everything around it—resume, LinkedIn, talking points. Same skills, different framing.

Three weeks later: interviews. Eight targeted applications, not 1,000.

Four weeks later: offer accepted—a role they were excited about that didn't require a pivot to a new field or abandon their domain expertise. Not just "a job," but the work Alex had been unconsciously optimizing for: solving complex systems problems with measurable impact.

But here's what really changed: the clarity wasn't just in the resume. It gave Alex empowerment to speak with confidence during interviews—to build out examples on a whiteboard, to shine in both the personal and technical aspects, in harmony. The fear of being judged, critiqued, or blindly rejected was gone. Alex's triumphs had made the page, had made the STAR cheat sheet. This allowed both sides to see why this wasn't just a candidate, but a solution to their biggest problems this hire was intended to solve.

Same skills, different framing. Right fit.

What changed? Alex stopped applying to everything and started applying to the right things, framed irresistibly. Alex went from "qualified #784" to the "obvious choice."

This is Habit #2 (Clarify Values) and Habit #3 (Define Dream Job) in action. Exploration (Habit #1) without clarity is just chaos. Clarity unlocks the map.

I'm incredibly grateful for our growing community and always here to help however I can—even if just listening and reminding you: it's not you; sometimes it's the system, and we just have to ride the next wave together.

Applying the 'Starfish Check-In' to myself: I've been mostly 🏊 Swimming (moving, exhausting), with occasional moments ⛵ On a raft (some stability). I have my moments getting whipped in the surf, fearing I'm getting sent backwards. But finding ways to swim across the current, slow and steady, has been the goal each morning.

Navigating these seven habits—especially during a storm—cannot be done in isolation. We're building rescue together. Every tool, framework, and insight shared adds planks to the collective raft.

This is the Community Flywheel:

·         Engagement: You share your status, someone feels less alone.

·         Contribution: You share what worked (like trying Habit #2), someone else saves time.

·         Advocacy: You tag someone who needs this. The raft gets bigger.

·         Growth: Collective thriving, not just individual survival.

This isn't just about you landing on 🏝️—it's about pulling others up with you. That's how the raft becomes a ship. That's how we all get to land.

Don't try all seven habits at once. I know you're tired. Start with one.

This week: Habit #2 - Clarify Your Values. It's the foundation.

My 'Resume Helper' AI agent (MindStudio No-Code Workflow) starts with this exact step:

Your Action This Week: Block 15 minutes. Open the Resume Helper. Answer the two questions. Don't overthink it—just write.

That's your first slap of the sign. That's Habit #2 in motion.

What happens after you answer? You'll have the raw material for your UVP—your Unique Value Proposition. Next week, I'll show you how to translate that clarity into a resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview talking points using PACT and PADE. But it starts here. Block 15 minutes. Answer honestly.

Reply or comment with your biggest insight. Let's map this together. Even if your insight is "I don't know yet" or "This feels overwhelming"—that's worth sharing too. Clarity often starts with naming the confusion. You're not behind. You're right where you need to be.

Reply or comment with your biggest takeaway. Let's map this together. Even if your insight is "I don't know yet" or "This feels overwhelming"—that's worth sharing. Clarity often starts with naming the confusion.

You're not behind. You're right where you need to be.

The beauty of this process: you can iterate in my tool or ChatGPT, see how it translates different answers, and build on what resonates. Treating AI as a fluid, dynamic process instead of a linear checklist will move you into mastery and amplification.

Bonus Tip: If you're eager for one more tip, here is Gina's newsletter from this week. It breaks down how to amplify your results with smart improvements to your LinkedIn profile—your personal billboard every day.

Looking Ahead - Next Week

Next week, we'll dive into how frameworks like PACT and PADE become the practical tools to consistently "Play Like a Champion" across all seven habits.

I've broken down both of these frameworks in detail in previous episodes (Ep. 006: "Art of the Modern Spellbook" and Ep. 008: "The Wizard's Paradox"), and they're all now easily searchable in my Beehiiv Archive: https://agenticinsighter.beehiiv.com/archive. Now, we'll apply them together as a complete system.

We'll explore:

·         How PACT (the how for tools) helps you execute Habit #1 (Exploration).

·         How PADE (the how for systems) helps you execute Habit #2 (Values) and Habit #4 (Saying No).

The habits are the what. PACT and PADE are the how.

Until then – keep paddling beneath the surface. Together.

Joseph

Deeper Dives / Further Reading

This week's map draws from:

·         Austin Belcak's "7 Things I Learned from Happy Professionals": The framework that inspired this week's habits. Austin teaches people how to land amazing jobs without applying online at CultivatedCulture. LinkedIn Post

·         Austin Belcak on Landing Your Dream Job: This video features Austin sharing strategies for finding work you love: YouTube Link

·         Gina Riley's "Qualified Isn't Enough": Gina is an amazing person and has a true heart for helping people, but also a gift at breaking down complex processes into systems and actions that anyone can apply. Book

·         "Play Like a Champion Today": A personal throwback to my time at Notre Dame, but a universal reminder of what showing up looks like and how to not lose sight of the journey we are on. Wikipedia

A Personal Recommendation: Both Austin and Gina are amazing voices. Please check them out. I guarantee there is something from each of them that will help you reflect, learn, or improve something you are working through right now. Their work is practical wisdom the Community Flywheel helps us share.