Trapped

Dear Unlearners,

I recently moved back to Toronto. Usually by this time I already have my travel for 2025 booked. But I cancelled them all instead.

I realized I need to build roots to scale. I need a routine I can’t negotiate with.

It’s not sexy. But it’s necessary.

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Freedom comes from constraints you chose early.

That’s the opposite of how most people live.

They keep options open. They avoid commitment. They call it freedom.

It isn’t. It’s paralysis.

Real freedom comes after you pick your limits. Limits force focus. Focus compounds into results you can actually see.

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The Paradox Nobody Talks About

Choosing constraints early looks restrictive:

- A craft you commit to for years

- A city you build roots in

- A routine you don’t negotiate with

- Values you won’t bend on

But those constraints remove noise. They save the decision energy you waste every day. They create momentum that actually goes somewhere.

People who refuse constraints stay “free” forever. They also stay scattered forever.

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Every Serious Life Has Rules

The difference is whether you picked them, or inherited them by accident.

I spent years chasing the next city, the next opportunity, the next experience. I thought that was freedom. But all it gave me was exhaustion and scattered progress.

I was always starting over. Always rebuilding my life. Always explaining who I was to new people in new places.

Nothing compounded because I never stayed long enough for anything to compound.

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Why I Chose Boring

Now I’m choosing boring. Same coffee shop. Same gym. Same desk. Building instead of exploring.

Toronto isn’t the most exciting city. It’s not NYC. It’s not Paris. But it’s mine. And staying here means I can focus on the work that matters without the constant distraction of novelty.

Same city for the next few years. Same workout schedule every week. Same work hours that don’t shift around. Same core group of people I invest time in.

It sounds limiting. But it’s the opposite.

These constraints freed up mental space I didn’t know I was wasting. Space that used to go toward planning trips, researching new cities, making travel logistics work, rebuilding relationships from scratch.

Now that space goes toward work that compounds. Relationships that deepen. Skills that actually improve because I practice them consistently.

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The Trade Nobody Wants to Make

Most people won’t do this. They want to keep their options open. They think constraints mean giving something up.

They’re right. You do give something up.

You give up the illusion of infinite possibility. You give up the ego boost of always having somewhere new to go. You give up the story of being the person who’s always exploring.

What you get instead: actual progress.

Progress you can point to. Results that build on each other. A life that goes somewhere instead of just moving around.

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Freedom Isn’t What You Think

Freedom isn’t the absence of limits. It’s living inside the ones you chose on purpose.

The people with the most freedom didn’t avoid constraints. They picked the right ones early and committed hard.

They chose their city and built a network there. They chose their craft and got exceptional at it. They chose their values and didn’t compromise them for short-term gains.

That’s how you actually become free. Not by keeping every door open. But by walking through one door and building something behind it that matters.

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I’m not traveling in 2025 because I’m finally ready to build something that lasts.

I spent a decade collecting passport stamps.

Now I’m collecting progress instead.

Boring never looked so good.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Until next time,

Cammi