Hi ,

I have a stack of journals at the very bottom of my bookshelf. Pristine spines. Empty pages. Designed by productivity gurus who promised transformation.

Besides these I also have a graveyard of deleted apps on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Todoist. Things 3. OmniFocus. Notion. Each one installed with hope. Each one removed with quiet shame.

And yet—my system works now. It’s worked for about two years now.

What changed?

Mini Insight
​January 1st is for Keepers.

Predictable energy. Architecture-first. They thrive on fresh starts, clean slates, morning routines built in December and honored through March.

The rest of us? We need something different.

I’m an Architect. Variable energy, structure-seeking. I love designing systems—which is exactly the trap. I kept designing new ones instead of running the ones I had.

Those journals? Built for Keepers. Those apps? Designed for people with predictable energy who could “just do the morning review.”

I wasn’t undisciplined. I was mismatched.

The Sixteenth System

I’ve tried fifteen (or so I guess; I kind of lost count, to be frank) productivity systems. None survived a bad week.

The sixteenth one did.

Not because I finally found discipline. Because I finally found fit.

What made the difference? I’ll share it over the coming weeks. But here’s the short version:
​I stopped designing for my best day. I started designing for my worst.

That shift—from ceiling to floor—changed everything.

My system isn’t perfect (neither am I) and I am learning weekly what works better for me—but evolving is also built into the system.

Try-This-Now (≤5 minutes)

Before you set any January goals:

1. Count the journals you’ve started and abandoned.
2. Count the productivity apps you’ve installed and deleted.
3. Ask: Were those systems designed for someone with my energy pattern?

If the answer is no, that’s not failure. That’s data.

Stop—this counts.

Pattern Tweaks

• Architect: The trap is redesigning. Your next system should be uglier than the last one. Trust me on this.
• Surfer: The trap is scatter. One inbox, not seven.
• Keeper: January 1st might actually work for you. Lean in.
• Pilot: The trap is open loops. Don’t add resolutions—audit commitments.

The book is called Restart Time. It launches June 4, 2026.

But 100 readers get it early.

If you want to be one of them—early access, exclusive bonuses, your name in the acknowledgments—click here to claim your spot and I’ll send you details on January 1. If you have already signalled interest, I got you covered already.

Excelsior,

Pierre/
Founder, Curio Chat Academy

P.S. Your worst day is the design spec. Not your best. That’s the sixteenth system in one sentence.