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By Colby Kultgen
Hey friends.
Welcome to 1% Better!
The newsletter where I usually share the 5 best things I find each week.
But this week's issue will be a bit different...
10 priceless lessons on my 34th birthday
🎂 It's my birthday!
Well, actually, it was on Saturday, but for the sake of this issue, let’s pretend it’s today.
This past year taught me more than I ever expected.
So today I want to share the 10 lessons that have made the biggest impact on me over the last 365 days.
Let’s dive in.
1. Never underestimate the power of 5 good minutes
Something I remind myself of on tough days:
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You're always 5 good minutes away from feeling better.
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5 minutes of exercise—your energy shifts.
5 minutes of writing—your mind clears.
5 minutes of reading—your perspective changes.
5 minutes of breathwork—your body resets.
5 minutes of conversation—your mood improves.
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If you’re having an off day, ask yourself:
What’s the best way I can spend the next 5 minutes?
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You'll be surprised at how a small action can shift everything.
2. You can literally change your life anytime
You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were yesterday.
Change your hair.
Change your clothes.
Change your job.
Change your mind.
Change your habits.
Change your surroundings.
Change your standards.
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No permission needed. No waiting for the 'right' moment.
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Remember: The only person who’s going to magically show up and change your life is you.
3. The best skill you can develop in life
One of the best things you can do in life…
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Develop a bias for action.
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Waiting for the 'right time' often means missing the time entirely.
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We think later will be better, easier, or more convenient—but life doesn’t work like that.
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Remember, there’s always a clock ticking that we can’t see.
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Send the message.
Book the flight.
Start the project.
Tell people how you feel.
Make the decision you’ve been putting off.
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If you're struggling, try this:
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1. Set ‘decision deadlines’ – Give yourself a time limit to make decisions, so you don’t waste energy overthinking.
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2. Focus on the ‘minimum viable action’ – Identify the smallest, most straightforward action you can take to get started.
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3. Commit publicly – Share your goal or next action with someone you trust to hold you accountable.
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The clock keeps ticking whether we act or not.
So why not take action now?
4. Doomscrolling is the cigarettes of our generation
A hill I’ll die on:
Doomscrolling is the cigarettes of our generation.
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Addictive.
Destructive.
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And one day, something we’ll look back on and be shocked we ever did so casually.
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More and more studies are linking excessive scrolling to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality.
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The evidence is piling up in front of us, and yet, we’re doing it more than ever.
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I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to wait until the damage is undeniable.
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Here’s the good news:
Breaking the cycle doesn’t require throwing your phone in a lake.
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It just means replacing an hour or two of mindless scrolling each day with activities that compound in your favor.
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Here are 20 suggestions if you don’t know where to start:
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1. Journal
2. Paint or draw
3. Clean a space in your home
4. Workout or stretch for 5 minutes
5. Read a long form article
6. Cook something new
7. Do a task you’ve been avoiding
8. Visit a local museum or gallery you’ve never been to
9. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for
10. Spend an hour researching a random topic
11. Watch a movie without checking your phone
12. Sit outside and people-watch
13. Play with a pet
14. Volunteer at a community center or shelter
15. Take a book to the park and read
16. Watch a TED Talk and take notes on it
17. Play a sport outside with friends
18. Practice a skill for 20 minutes
19. Explore a neighborhood you’ve never walked through before
20. Build something with your hands (LEGO counts)
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5. What imaginary award are you trying to win?
A question I couldn't get out of my head this year:
What award are you trying to win that doesn’t exist?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized how often I fall into this trap.
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Most hours worked.
Least rest taken.
Never said no.
Didn't ask for help.
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If I had a trophy for every time I sacrificed my wellbeing to seem strong, dependable, or put-together, I’d need a bigger mantel to hold them all.
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But why do we do it?
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Here's the harsh reality:​
We chase these imaginary awards not out of ambition, but out of fear.
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Fear of being seen as unreliable, incapable, or incompetent.
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So we swing too far in the opposite direction.
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We say "yes" to everything to seem reliable.
We overwork to look committed.
We avoid asking for help to appear competent.
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But the truth is that the only person holding you to these impossible standards is yourself.
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And when you stop performing for a panel of invisible judges, you can start living from a place of truth instead of defense.
6. The best way to ask for feedback
Feedback is the fastest way to grow in your career and life.
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But 90% of people don’t know how to ask for it.
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I love this advice from Adam Grant:
When people hesitate to give honest feedback on an idea, draft, or performance, I ask for a 0-10 score.
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No one ever says 10. Then I ask how I can get closer to a 10.
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It motivates them to start coaching me—and motivates me to be coachable. I want to learn how to close the gap.
Ask better questions, get better answers, grow faster.
7. Questions that will define your next 10 years
I spent a lot of time this year thinking about these questions:
1. Am I climbing the right mountain?
2. What am I avoiding just because I know the answer is painful?
3. What beliefs about myself have expired?
4. Are the results I’m expecting aligned with my current habits?
5. If I died 10 years from today, what would I most regret not doing?
6. Who brings out the best in me, and can I spend more time with them?
7. Are my actions aligned with what I say my priorities are?
My advice:
Dedicate 15–30 minutes to sit down and answer these questions thoroughly. I promise you won’t regret it.
8. Sideline critics don't count
I love this quote from Brené Brown:
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"If you're not in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I'm not interested in your feedback."
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The people putting in the work aren't the ones judging you.
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• Athletes don’t shame beginners.
• Entrepreneurs don’t laugh at risk-takers.
• Artists don’t tear down those trying to create.
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Criticism almost always comes from the sidelines.
From those too afraid to step in themselves.
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So, the next time you’re feeling judged by someone, ask yourself:
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Are they in the arena?
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If not, they haven’t earned a say in your journey.
9. Complaining never helped anything
A rule that we can all benefit from.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger on complaining:
I have a rule: no complaining about a situation unless you’re prepared to do something to make it better. If you see a problem and you don’t come to the table with a potential solution, I don’t want to hear your whining about how bad it is. It couldn’t be that bad if it hasn’t motivated you to try to fix it.
This was a big mindset shift for me.
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Think about it—when has complaining ever helped you?
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Why choose to repeatedly relive a problem instead of redirecting that energy toward solving it?
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And if you can’t solve it right now, you’re better off ignoring it entirely.
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So, when something’s bothering you, consider these two options:
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1. Take responsibility and do something to make it better.
2. Acknowledge it’s not worth your energy—and let it go.
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Everything else?
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Complaining, ruminating, obsessing—just keeps you stuck.
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Choose action. Or choose release.
10. Don't wait until it's too late
My mom had a serious health scare this year.
It all happened so suddenly.
I got a call from the hospital. Hopped on a plane. And endured the most agonizingly long four-hour flight of my life.
The prognosis wasn't good, and there was a very scary window of time when I thought we might actually lose her.
Thankfully, she pulled through—but the experience shook me.
I know it's normal to feel waves of guilt and regret in moments like that, but I didn’t realize how visceral it would be.
All the things I hadn’t said.
Times I didn’t reach out.
Moments I thought we’d still have together, but now might never come.
It was one of the worst things I’ve ever felt.
And I never want to forget it.
It reminded me that you don’t get to choose when your last conversation with someone will be.
But you can choose to show up fully, often, and first while you still have the chance.
Did you enjoy this special edition?
Reply and let me know!
I read and respond to all messages.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
—Colby
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