Roles

Throughout this site, the term “role” refers to the different parts we play in different situations. Our motivations, our goals, even our behavior can vary greatly depending on the role we play. In the Pilot Fire Simple System for Everything, designing a balanced, passionate life depends on learning about our roles and tuning them for our unique skills and interests. The power comes from understanding why we do what we do, pursuing what it means to be our best, and finding people who support us through their modeling, honest feedback, inspiration, collaboration, and love, especially when we fail.

Every decision, goal, every plan, every action we take is enhanced by our understanding of our roles.

As we grow in our roles, they become very powerful and help us:

  • Focus on what is most important in every situation.
  • Develop deep skills in areas that matter most.
  • Achieve goals that give us purpose.
  • Feel better about who we are and why we make certain decisions.
  • Stay motivated.

To get started, try this simple exercise.

More Articles about Roles

As a Productivityist, the Practice of Productivity is the Goal

Being productive is one of the best feelings I know. Sure, it’s not the meaning of life, getting things done, but it sure feels great checking a bunch of tasks off my list, and when the things I get done are lined up with something big and important, that’s the best feeling of all. Productivity

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Realistic Roles in Marriages That Work

I’m changing my mind (again) about marriage. As I prepare for the Great Year Workshop in which Love in all its forms is central to making a life you believe in, I’ve been turning to an unlikely source for relationship inspiration: marriage. Many and maybe even most marriages dissolve well before the death-before-parting deadline. It seems

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Post Breakup, What’s Your New Role as an Ex?

“What do I do the next time I see her?” That’s a great question. When you are no longer your lover’s Lover, what is the new role you play, and what does that tell you about what to do next? As satisfying as knife-in-the-eye revenge fantasies may seem, for many of us it behooves all

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A.J. Jacobs, Smartest, Fittest Guinea Pig, is Your Cousin.

A.J. Jacobs is my Cousin. He’s yours, too, and he is on a mission to make sure we know it. I interviewed A.J. to find out why he takes his role as Cousin so seriously, and I’m convinced we would all be better people to follow his example. Plus, he’s throwing a giant party in

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Join the Family that Connects Kids to College

In my role as Neighbor, I’ve made a point of getting to know people I would never meet in other situations. As a result I’ve made some of the most meaningful connections to remarkable people, like Andrea and Catherine, people I can now call family. Just read what they are doing, and join us. It’s so

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Dear Men, Without Our Mothers Would We Ever Cry?

We lay down our shields and swords, and we embrace each other and weep. Mother is dead. It may be the most beautiful thing to witness because it is so rare— unfettered grief poured out from men’s hearts. We are taught young to cry, merely by her permission, for crying comes naturally if we let

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Who is the Pilot of My Life?

One of the unusual benefits of Pilot Fire is decisiveness, informed by seeing yourself through the lens of your different roles. Life gets richer, more intense, and much more rewarding as you develop your expertise in each role. Put another way, Fully embodying your roles brings your soul to the surface. Tweet that! Knowing your roles

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Coming Soon: The Pilots + Self Revelations

You may have noticed my posts are less frequent these days. That’s because I’m working on a secret project called “The Pilots.” Wanna know the secret? I hope so. I’ll tell you this: I’m wrapping up my year to kick ass with a grand delivery you’ll find almost obvious if you’ve been following my articles,

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