Issue 160, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,

Last Thursday after BNI, I grabbed coffee with a founder friend.
He runs a strong agency, team of eight, AED 12 million in revenue.

A few minutes in, he said,

I smiled. I’ve heard that line all year.
So I told him, “You probably won’t.”

He laughed, waiting for the punchline.
There wasn’t one.

“Because you’re waiting to become the kind of person who wakes up early before you actually do it.
That person doesn’t exist yet. You have to build him.”

He paused, then asked,

You don’t become disciplined by waking up at 5 AM.
You become disciplined by doing it when you don’t want to.

That’s the trap.
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We wait for the identity to show up first, the calm and focused version of ourselves, before taking action.
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But it’s the other way around.
Action creates identity.

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🧠 You’re Already Becoming Someone Every Day

Most founders think they’re waiting for the right moment.
When things slow down. When motivation kicks in. When they finally feel ready.

But while you wait, your brain is already keeping score.

Hit snooze? Evidence you’re not a morning person.
Skip the gym? Evidence you’re inconsistent.
Delay building systems? Evidence you don’t follow through.

You think you’re in neutral.
You’re actually reinforcing the identity you don’t want.

The brain doesn’t judge. It logs patterns.
Do something long enough, and it writes the story: This is who we are.

Then it protects that story.
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Every next decision bends to keep it true.
Easier to skip. Easier to quit.
Not because you’re lazy but because your brain values consistency over progress.

You don’t lack discipline.
You’ve just trained your brain to expect a version of you that doesn’t follow through.

The only way to rewrite that story is to give it new evidence.
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🧠 Action Is the Shortcut to Identity

I told him, “Forget 5 AM. Pick a time that works. One alarm. No snooze. Feet on the floor in sixty seconds. Do it for thirty days.”

Not because 30 days makes you a morning person.
Because 30 days gives you 30 receipts that you keep promises to yourself.

Here’s how it plays out:

Days 1–10: Brutal.

You’ll bargain, rationalize, promise to restart Monday.
Do it anyway.

Days 11–20: Still hard, but now there’s proof.

Ten checkmarks. Pattern forming.
Your brain starts to shift from “we’re trying” to “we do this.”

Days 21–30: Something clicks.

Not because it’s easy but because it fits who you’ve become.
You’re not trying to be disciplined. You are.

That’s how identity forms.

Not from affirmations or vision boards but from small, repeatable evidence that stacks until your brain updates the story.

You don’t delegate because you’re a good leader.
You become one because you delegate.
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You don’t meditate because you’re calm.
You become calm because you meditate.
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You don’t build systems because you’re organized.
You become organized because you build systems.

Progress writes the script.
Identity reads it back

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Your Turn

Right now, Dubai is in full swing with the 30x30 Challenge: 30 minutes of movement for 30 days.

It’s not really about fitness. It’s about evidence.
Every workout, walk, or stretch is one more receipt that says, I do what I said I’d do.

So here’s your version of the challenge.
Pick one behavior you’ve been postponing until you feel ready.
Not a full transformation. One small, repeatable action.

Do it for thirty days.
No negotiation. No perfect conditions.
Each day you follow through, you’re not building a streak. You’re building a new story about who you are.

Because progress isn’t the reward.
It’s the proof.

And once the proof stacks up, the identity follows.

🧭 Know a founder who needs to hear this?
Forward this. It could be the push they need.
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📢 Dhiren’s Updates

The Part-Time CEO Retreat is a month away, and I’m really looking forward to it!
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These retreats always pull something out of me too.
It’s one of the few times I get to slow down with the group, sit across from people I care about, and watch them think without rushing to the next meeting or fire.

This year we’re planning 2026 with real goals and real KPIs.
Not wishful thinking. Not “maybe next year.”

Actual decisions.

There are two spots left.

If you’re in Dubai and feel like you need space to reset and plan properly, message me.

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📌 Dhiren’s Pick of the Week

📚 I’ve been revisiting the book, Personality Isn’t Permanent this week.

It’s a reminder that who we’ve been isn’t the limit of who we can become.

What hit me most again is this idea:
Identity isn’t fixed.
It shifts with the choices we make today.

As founders, we often carry old labels about ourselves… disciplined or not, consistent or not, “the type” or not.

This book makes you question all of that.

If you’re in a season of trying to grow into a new version of yourself, this is a grounding read.

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ps: did someone forward this to you?​
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Cheers,