SPARK Insights by Coach Reg — Issue #0027

For the past two weeks, I’ve been offline.

Arlene and I escaped for a much-needed break. We golfed every morning, ate well, walked slowly, and let the world fade to the background. I didn’t open my phone during rounds. Took only a couple calls. And more importantly — I was present.

After a long stretch of travel and holding space for so many others, I finally created space for myself.

And here’s what hit me:

I thought I’d come back overflowing with creativity. Time off, clear skies, wide open calendar. Ready to build the next thing.
But instead?

I froze.

Faced with a blank canvas and all the freedom in the world, I didn’t feel energized. I felt stuck.

The very same thing I coach others through… found me.

Yesterday I was on a call with Scott Schang and Noah Kronfly, reflecting on this creative friction. I shared how hard it is to build something when you’ve been given everything. No constraints. No guardrails. Just possibility.

And it reminded me of a conversation I had last fall during my Swing & Savor experience — 12 people, one unforgettable night, and a stunning meal by Top Chef finalist Soo Ahn at his restaurant, Adelina.

Chef shared something that stood out…

He said one of the reasons Top Chef produces such incredible plates is because they impose constraints. Time limits. Ingredient limitations. Cuisine boundaries. The creativity doesn’t bloom in spite of those boundaries — it blooms because of them.

So here I was, struggling to create from a blank page, and Scott threw something back at me that I had forgotten I’d told him a year earlier. When he was stuck in a similar place of possibility overload, I told him:

Turns out, I needed that reminder more than I realized.

I was trying to fit in.
Trying to force an idea into existence.
And in the process, I violated one of the core truths I teach:

Don’t fit in. Fit around.

Let what wants to be created show up when you do.

So I’ll leave you with this reflection:

SPARK Insight

Where in your life are you stuck because you're trying to create from a place with no boundaries, no structure, no constraints?

And if you stopped trying to fit in… what might emerge if you simply showed up and listened?

Tomorrow, I’ll be sending a rare follow-up message — direct, specific, and born from the raw clarity of a few deep conversations this week. If you’re at a crossroads, it might be the exact thing you need to hear.

Until then —
Coach Reg