In this reflective episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack an often overlooked but deeply personal tool in the founder’s journey: the goals list.
Sparked by Deborah’s rediscovery of a 10-year vision sheet with no mention of unicorns or exits, the trio dives into how we imagine the future, how we track it, and whether writing it down helps or hinders. What emerges is a nuanced conversation about planning versus presence, manifesting versus micromanaging, and why clarity sometimes begins with not knowing.
Karim shares how daily lists keep his mental bandwidth clear and help him welcome the unknown. Vassili offers a radically different take — his resistance to goal-setting stems from a desire to preserve openness and avoid self-limiting beliefs. Together, they explore how our relationship to time, fuel, and money is shaped by the structure or spaciousness we give our ambitions.
🧠 Topics we explore
- The upside and downside of writing goals down
- How goals shape your salience network (and why that matters)
- Why some founders burn out while others seem to float
- The relationship between structure, energy, and burnout
- “Energy budgeting” as a new form of productivity
- Journaling, manifestation, and the neuroscience of presence
This isn’t your typical productivity episode. It’s an invitation to rethink how we define progress and how to protect your energy while still dreaming big.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.