Getting Back On Track

What’s goody, I’m Dewane Mutunga. You’re getting this email because you signed up for the Wise Dispatches, a weekly newsletter about becoming your best using the best science-backed insights and tools. I appreciate you being here, but if you’d like to leave, please unsubscribe.

What’s goody fam,

The other morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring at 5:30 AM. Same routine, different day. But something felt off. As I sat on the edge of the bed, I realized it had been weeks since I truly stuck to my routine. I wasn’t just hitting the snooze on my alarm—I was hitting snooze on my goals. It hit me hard. That’s when I decided, no more snooze—time to wake up to my potential again.

Recently, I attended a book launch at the Lit Bar in my hometown, The Bronx. It was the first stop on Wallo’s tour for his book Armed with Good Intentions. Wallo’s goal was clear: he wanted to make the New York Times Bestseller list. Now, I had met Wallo a few weeks earlier in L.A. at VeeCon, where he was on a panel, and we had spoken briefly. When he mentioned NYC, I promised to pull up.

Fast forward, I’m sitting in this intimate fireside chat-style event, at the only bookstore in The Bronx, with a Black man who comes from what I come from, doing something he dreamt of doing. It was a surreal moment. The difference between Wallo and me? He was acting on what was on his spirit, while I was still finding reasons not to. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I kept waiting for the “right” moment, delaying my dream in the process.

You see, it was in these very streets that my own dream was born: to write and speak for a living. Specifically, to become a New York Times bestselling author. And while I write every day, I don’t have a published book to show for it. That’s on me. My grandfather used to say, “What stands in your way is your way.” That’s been my reality—I’ve stood in my own way, perfecting procrastination under the guise of excellence.

After the book signing, I spoke to Wallo briefly about a few things. At one point, he was giving me advice on publishing a book. I felt like Santiago in The Alchemist coming across one of the many omens in pursuit of his Personal Legend. Mid-sentence I said, “You don’t need to say another word. I got it.” I thanked him, wished him safe travels, and shared a brief exchange with his business manager on the way out. That night, I left with my dream reignited, burning like wildfire inside my soul.

What does that look like? Creating. Sharing daily. Building in public—letting people see the beautiful ugly, the messy middle, and the behind-the-scenes.

In the process of bettering my best, I’ve focused on two key psychological strategies for getting back on track.

1. Research suggests that when individuals feel off course—whether due to setbacks, procrastination, or loss of motivation—reframing their mindset and developing resilience are key to regaining momentum. In my case, procrastination was disguised as “excellence” and my loss of motivation and desire came from doing things that weren’t aligned with who I truly am, for extended periods of time without grounding myself regularly.

2. The other key strategy is acting on the fact that accountability increases success rates. A study published in the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) found that having a specific accountability partner or group increases the likelihood of achieving a goal by up to 65%, and having regular check-ins boosts success to 95%.

Moving forward, my accountability partner is you.

Writing and publishing this newsletter weekly is part of me staying on track, and it helps me do what I care about most—connecting with you and building this community.

If you can identify with what’s going on with me, let me leave you with this:

• Minimize the time between idea and execution.

• Use what you have now and get started.

• Don’t worry about the finished product. Get better each day. Iterate.

• Do it now. Do it ugly. Do it scared.

Want to share this? Use this link.