The 3AM Rule

This is the Minute Business Riff (MBR). Quick takes. Big swings. Leadership riffs you can read in less time than it takes to scroll LinkedIn aimlessly.

One minute. One idea. That’s it.

Today’s word count: 338

It took me 1 min 14s to read this.

A few months ago, I found myself wide awake at 3AM.

Laptop open. Notes everywhere. Brain on fire.

Not because I was stressed but because I was obsessed.

A new idea had me lit up - I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Workflows. Launch plans. First hires………Sleep could wait.

That kind of 3AM? I love it. It’s rare. It’s powerful. It’s a signal.

When something pulls you in like that - follow it.

But here’s the flip side.

A year ago, I was up at 3AM again.

Same time. Different feeling. Tight chest. Tired eyes.

I wasn’t building something new, I was dreading something old.

A broken culture dynamic I kept avoiding.

An executive alignment that never felt right.

A calendar that looked like it belonged to someone else’s life.

Same 3AM. Opposite signal.

That’s when I made up the rule I live by now: If something keeps you up at 3AM, it’s one of two things:
- Something you’re meant to build.
- Something you need to leave or address.

That’s it.

If it lights you up - lean in.

If it weighs you down - dig in, fix it, or walk away.

But don’t ignore it.

Here’s the truth - 3AM is honest.

It doesn’t care about titles, calendars, or optics.

It shows you what’s really going on before you’re ready to admit it.

Tactical Takeaway:

This week, pay attention to your 3AM thoughts.

• Are you fired up or fried out?

• Are you chasing something or trapped in it?

• Are you staying because it’s safe, or leaving because it’s hard?

Write this down: Build, Fix, or Leave.

Then act like your future depends on it.

Because the things that keep you up at night?

They usually hold the key to your next breakthrough or the anchor that’s quietly been dragging you under.

Think this was a banger? Think I’m full of it?

Either way, hit reply and drop some truth bombs.

I read every email 😁

Great leaders are made in minutes. Not meetings.