How The Man Who Wants To Live Forever Made Me Rethink Everything (Just Not How You'd Expect)
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Hi, I’m Jason. If you are in a leadership role, I’ve created The Prime Movement for you. It’s for those of us who believe in the power of progress - in leadership and in life. Dare to know. Dare to grow.
What’s coming up:
Prime Performance: This Week’s Best News, Views & Life-Hacks
The Prime Perspective: How The Man Who Wants To Live Forever Made Me Rethink Everything (Just Not How You'd Expect)
Lessons from the Arena: Why Good Leaders Have Bad Meetings (And How To Fix Them)
Be a Prime Mover: 1 Quote to Spark Change
Prime Performance: this week’s news, views and life hacks
👀 WATCH 49 Seconds On How Self-Improvement Can Become Self-Sabotage
I shared this on Linkedin last week, as in our rush to make big changes in the New Year, there’s a very real danger of forgetting to be present in the moment. I know that time is your most precious commodity, so I just want you to spend it wisely.
🕹️ PLAY Go Take this 2-minute UPF Shopping Test
The NYT has come up with this virtual supermarket quiz to illustrate just how difficult it can be to tell what you’re putting in your body. At a time when we know that the right nutrition is critical for our physical and cognitive health, it’s proving harder than ever to avoid ultra-processed foods. Take the test and see for yourself!
👂 LISTEN How Running Ultra Marathons Made This Entrepreneur A Better Leader
OK, I may have to confess to some bias here, as I count Dubai-based entrepreneur Tom Otton as a friend, but he shares more meaningful insights about leadership in this hour-long podcast than you’d get from reading most business book best-sellers. A masterclass in how to lead in all aspects of life. (I’d also recommend subscribing to ‘Beyond The Business Card’ as host Justin McGuire is creating some great content around leadership).
The Prime Perspective: Thoughts on Leadership and Growth
How The Man Who Wants To Live Forever Made Me Rethink Everything (Just Not How You'd Expect)
At the weekend I sat down to watch ‘Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever’, the new Netflix documentary on Bryan Johnson's controversial quest for immortality. As someone deeply interested in exploring the limits of human potential, I found it impossible not to be intrigued by Johnson's $2 million-a-year pursuit to reverse ageing.
The documentary is more nuanced than I expected, painting a portrait of a man whose mission raises profound questions about where determination ends and obsession begins. However, what I valued the most was that it made me think - it challenged some of my preconceptions, I learnt how developments in science are creating new frontiers in life and it stimulated my thoughts around purpose and performance.
I’d urge you to watch it yourself with an open mind, but it left me with one thought I haven’t been able to shake…
In our quest to live a better life, why do fads tend to trump fundamentals?
There's something deeply seductive about the promise of technological solutions to age-old human challenges. We've seen this pattern before - from biohacking to wellness tech, each wave promising revolutionary breakthroughs. Now, longevity is having its moment.
Dr Brendon and I have been discussing this extensively. While the cutting edge of longevity research is fascinating, the science consistently points to something less headline-grabbing but more fundamental: the most powerful "longevity hacks" are also the most accessible.
Quality sleep
Nutritious food
Regular movement
Strong relationships
Stress management
These aren't sexy. They don't require a $2 million annual investment. They won't make headlines. But they work. The evidence base is overwhelming.
And here’s the kicker for me - these fundamentals don't just extend life, they enhance it. When you optimize your sleep, you don't just potentially live longer - you think more clearly today. When you exercise regularly, you don't just add years to your life - you add life to your years.
This is where I believe we need to shift the conversation. Instead of viewing longevity as a separate pursuit, what if we saw it as a natural byproduct of living well? What if, instead of obsessing over a distant future, we focused on showing up fully in the present moment?
Don't get me wrong - I'm excited about the insights Johnson's experiments might yield. The intersection of technology, data, and human performance is fascinating. But there's a delicate balance between optimization and obsession, between using data to inform our choices and letting it consume our lives.
Three Principles I Live By:
Focus on evidence-based fundamentals first
Use technology as a tool, not a master
Optimize for quality of life, not just quantity
Follow these principles and you’ll be at your best - in role and in life.
THE PRIME PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
Building Better Leaders. In Role. In Life.
Lessons from the Arena: Real Life Leadership Challenges
Every week, I'll share real challenges from coaching experiences, offering practical insights you can apply to your own leadership journey.
CHALLENGE:
I'm the CEO of a growing fintech company - we’re scaling fast, but I'm struggling with our leadership team meetings. Despite having clear agendas and action items, something feels off. Conversations feel surface-level and I feel we're not getting to the heart of important issues. I've read all the productivity hacks, but implementing yet another framework feels like it would just add to the problem. How do I make these meetings more meaningful rather than a time and energy suck?
MY GUIDANCE:
I see you. This felt like an eternal struggle for me in a number of my leadership roles and given the complexities and nuances of group interactions, the reality is there is no single panacea to a challenge like this.
However, I’ll share an approach to conversation dynamics that I think can give you practical tools to help you navigate this situation.
The Framework
I’m normally sceptical about frameworks, as too many seem to have been constructed for the optics - to present the illusion of simple fixes to complex leadership issues.
However, I have a very high regard for the team at Reboot and think their ‘I-We-It’ approach has real power in it. They were inspired to create it by the work done by the Harvard Negotiation Project and here's why this matters for your situation:
Most meeting advice focuses solely on the 'It' - the tangible stuff like agendas, action items, and time management. But in my experience working with leaders, meeting challenges usually run deeper than that.
Think about your leadership meetings through these three lenses:
'It' - The content and tasks (your agenda items, decisions, metrics)
'We' - The relationship dynamics between team members
'I' - Each person's individual mindset, fears, and needs (including yours)
Here's what I find fascinating: When meetings feel stuck, we typically try to fix the 'It' level - better agendas, stricter timeboxing, clearer action items. But often, the real blockers exist at the 'We' or 'I' levels. They are a microcosm of team dynamics.
For example, a CFO might remain quiet during strategic discussions not because the agenda is poorly structured ('It'), but because they're worried about being seen as the constant naysayer ('I'), or because there's unresolved tension with another C-suite executive ('We').
The Approach
Try this:
1. Start with yourself ('I'):
What's your own relationship with these meetings?
Are you perhaps rushing to solutions because you feel pressure to have all the answers?
Are you creating enough psychological safety for real dialogue?
2. Examine team dynamics ('We'):
Are there unspoken tensions that are being imported into the room that need addressing?
Does everyone feel their voice carries equal weight?
Is there trust for genuine disagreement?
3. Then optimize the structure ('It'):
Once you've addressed the deeper layers, then focus on meeting mechanics
Consider starting meetings with a brief check-in to acknowledge the 'I' and 'We' dimensions
Create explicit space for both strategic and relational conversations rather than just the former
The key insight here is that meeting effectiveness isn't just about better process - it's about creating conditions where people feel safe to bring their whole selves to the conversation.
I've seen leaders transform their meetings not by adding more structure, but by paying attention to what's happening beneath the surface. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Curiosity is a leadership superpower in these situations.
Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Message me at jason@theprimemovement.com.
Be A Prime Mover: 1 Quote to Spark Change
“Your calendar is the most honest autobiography you'll ever write. It doesn't matter what you say your priorities are; your calendar reveals the truth. Each block is a decision about what matters, stripped of pretense and rationalization. Your calendar isn't just recording your time - it's exposing your lies.”
— Shane Parrish
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Your thoughts are the fuel that keeps us moving forward, so message me at jason@theprimemovement.com.
