The Video That Changed Everything
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a video by Dan Koe called "How to fix your entire life in 1 day". It's about a psychological excavation protocol—a structured framework to uncover the hidden patterns driving your behavior and transform them into deliberate direction.
The core idea hit me hard: real change requires becoming a different person first, not just adopting new behaviors. Your identity protects itself, creating resistance to transformation even when you desperately want to change. And all your actions serve hidden objectives—goals you're not even aware of.
Something about it resonated deeply. I couldn't just watch and move on. I needed to go through it myself.
Claude as My Therapist
I didn't have a therapist. What I had was Claude, an AI assistant, and a willingness to be brutally honest with myself.
I started going through the questions. One by one. But I didn't just answer them—I dug deeper. When Claude asked follow-up questions, I didn't deflect. I sat with the discomfort. I explored the corners of my mind I usually avoid.
And then, somewhere between question 15 and 16, I found myself in tears behind my laptop.
Not sad tears. Not happy tears. The kind of tears that come when you finally see something you've been hiding from yourself for years.
The Fear of Finality
What I discovered wasn't what I expected. Among other things, I realized I have a deep fear of finality—of finishing things, of the verdict that comes with completion.
Starting is easy. Starting is full of possibility. But finishing? Finishing means being judged. It means facing the reality that what you made might not be good enough. So I'd leave projects at 90%. I'd abandon ideas right before the finish line. I'd tell myself I was a perfectionist, but really, I was just afraid.
Afraid of the moment when something is done and the world gets to decide what it's worth.
Building the App
After going through all 21 questions across the 7 pieces, I knew I wanted to revisit this framework regularly. Not just once, but as a practice. I also knew that if this helped me, it might help others who are stuck in similar patterns.
So I did something I rarely do: I finished something.
I built Life Unstuck—an iOS app that guides you through the same 7-piece framework that broke me open behind my laptop. The same questions. The same structure. Plus daily reminders to help you stay aware of your patterns throughout the day.
Why I'm Sharing This
I'm not sharing this because I have it all figured out. I'm sharing this because I don't. I'm sharing this because maybe you're stuck too. Maybe you're afraid of the same things. Maybe you need permission to sit with an AI and cry about the things you've been avoiding.
The app is simple. It doesn't have fancy features or social sharing or gamification. It just asks you questions and stores your answers locally on your device. No cloud. No tracking. Just you and your thoughts.
Because sometimes that's all you need to get unstuck.
The Framework
Inspired by Dan Koe's protocol, I structured the app around 7 pieces:
- Beware of the Pain — Identify the patterns keeping you stuck
- Anti-Vision — Define what you refuse to become
- Minimal Viable Vision — Clarify who you want to be
- Daily Anchors — Set reflection reminders throughout your day
- Evening Integration — Name the enemy and understand why you're stuck
- The Commitment — Set yearly goals, monthly milestones, and daily actions
- The North Star — Your complete framework on one page
If any of this resonates, give it a try. Either with the app, or just with a notebook and some honest questions.
The tears are optional. But they might be part of the process.