Finding Your Bottleneck

The First Step to Eliminating Blindspots

Two weeks ago I talked about blindspots—those invisible barriers strangling your progress. The baseball pitches I couldn't see coming. The silo of pigeon shit I jumped into. The headaches I ignored for years.

Adding more to your to-do list is easy. Identifying the core problem is hard.

So what's the next step? How do you actually find your bottleneck?

The LENS Framework

When you can't see your own blindspots, you need a new LENS:

Locate patterns: Find recurring failures Examine resistance: Identify what you're avoiding Narrow focus: Pinpoint the core issue Seek external input: Get outside perspective

This is about finding the one thing that's strangling everything else.

Where to apply this Framework

Some of you will think holistically and want to apply the Framework to life in general. That works, but may be too broad.

Maybe you have a specific problem you are looking to solve. For example growing your mailing list or staying focused. You can use the same approach to work on a specific problem. This may work better for those of you who are fighting a specific challenge.

Once you think through this framework, it will become clear what your bottleneck is.

Do not feel obligated to complete each step once your bottleneck is determined.

Our goal its to solve a problem, not fill out a worksheet.

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Now let's dive into the actionable steps of the LENS Framework...

Locate Patterns

Your bottleneck leaves evidence everywhere. For the next 3 days:

• Carry a small notebook (physical, not digital—no phone distractions)

• Document every failure, frustration, and energy drain immediately

• Note time of day, energy level (1-10), and emotional response

• No analysis yet—just raw data collection

The pattern is the point. Not the individual failures.

***If you are looking to solve a specific problem, this is a good time to reflect and write down what specific occurrences have cause the bottleneck in the past.

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