An Excellent Wknd [26.10]
Some thoughts on yellow doors
Hello, hi, 👋
Happy Saturday, my friends. Here’s hoping you’ve got a yellow door or two waiting for you this weekend.
Let’s get into it.
THE YELLOW DOOR OPPORTUNITY
We spend our lives looking for green lights and red lights.
Green means go - this opportunity looks promising, this person seems worth knowing, this path feels safe. Red means stop - this doesn’t align with our goals, this won’t advance our career, this feels like a waste of time.
But the most meaningful connections in life don’t come from obvious green lights. They come from what Daniel Coyle calls yellow doors - the invitations that don’t look super promising at first glance. The neighbor who seems a bit odd asking you to go for a walk. The friend suggesting an activity that makes you think “that’s not really my thing.” The event that doesn’t obviously connect to your goals or interests.
Yellow doors require a slight leap. They ask you to say yes when your default response is “maybe not.” They demand a bit of energy to push through when it would be easier to stay comfortable. And that’s exactly why they matter.
When you only walk through green doors, you get exactly what you expected. You stay within the boundaries of what you already know and who you already are. Yellow doors lead somewhere surprising. They introduce you to people who become some of your best friends. They spark interests you didn’t know you had. They expand your life in ways you couldn’t have predicted.
The practice is simple: look for one yellow door each week. That invitation that makes you hesitate, that opportunity that doesn’t fit neatly into your plan, that person who isn’t your usual type. Say yes to it. Not every yellow door will lead somewhere magical, but enough of them will that the practice transforms how you move through the world.
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💬 Chase Club Chat Club #2: The Reverse Bucket List
This week’s Chat Club is prep for an upcoming episode. We’ve dropped two short clips — one from Arthur Brooks and the other from Simon Sinek — both talking about the idea of a reverse bucket list. We’d love to hear what sparks for you before we record.
If you’re a Chase Club member, jump in and share your thoughts.
❤️🔥 The Daily Chase
Brief, focused essays delivered each weekday morning to Chase Club members.
Two good ones for you:
On Monday, Ben and I are getting into seven universal laws every self-aware person should know. We’re talking Dunning-Kruger, Goodhart’s Law, Hick’s Law, Lindy’s Razor, and a few others. They’re the kind of frameworks that quietly change how you see yourself and the decisions you make every day.
Then on Thursday, we’re joined by Dr. Jordan Metzl — sports medicine physician, author of Push: Unlock the Science of Fitness Motivation, and someone who has thought longer and harder about why some people rarely miss a workout than almost anyone alive. If you’ve ever wondered what actually separates the consistent few from everyone else, you won’t want to miss it.
Until then, keep on chasing.
🤙🏼 Patrick
PS, Got a question for Ben? Starting in April, we’re bringing back listener questions to the main feed - and we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your questions here!