The “life razor” and how to apply it in business

The “Life Razor” And How To Apply It In Business

I want to introduce you to my new boyfriend.

His name is Sahil.*

If it weren’t totally inappropriate, I’d share this picture he posted on LinkedIn. He’s posing shirtless after qualifying for the Boston Marathon. His 8-pack abs are glistening in the sunlight. I can’t even with this photo. He looks like Batman. His shorts are also completely drenched. 

Christ on a bike. Looking like that should be illegal.  

Anyway, Sahil’s LinkedIn thirsttrap was all the convincing I needed to buy his new book, The 5 Types of Wealth.**

Not gonna lie, I was expecting it to be bad. Even though his newsletter The Curiosity Chronicle is excellent and boasts nearly a million subscribers, I thought the title of the book was boring and the cover an even bigger snooze. I poo-pooed him for trying to be the next 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 

The audacity!

In spite of myself, I cracked the spine and read the first 50 pages a few weeks ago. I was still telling myself this guy is way too handsome to know anything about anything. I was just reading to say I gave it a shot. 

Fast-forward three weeks and I have not stopped thinking about those first 50 pages. 

I built a whole mastermind retreat around a concept he teaches called the “life razor.”

To understand the concept, you need to know what a razor is. You probably know tons of them. A razor is a shortcut for decision making. It helps you cut through complexity and decide what’s most likely true, useful, or worth paying attention to.

For example: 

Occom’s Razor = the simplest explanation is usually the right one

Hanlon’s Razor = never attribute malice to something that can be explained by stupidity

If we apply this to life, you get a simple, guiding principle that helps you navigate decisions and actions in your life. Here’s mine, as an example. 

Tarzan’s Life Razor

Tarzan values recreation and play. She cares for her body and brain through discipline and daily practices. She doesn’t shy away from hard things, whether it’s a long portage or a tough conversation. She builds self-trust by challenging herself constantly and honouring her commitments. She is comfortable getting uncomfortable. Tarzan’s life razor is, “I never miss an opportunity to ski a black diamond.”

I refer back to my life razor constantly. 

For example, I hear a song on Spotify that I really like. I want to learn it but it’s in French and the piano part has a complicated rhythm. It sounds annoyingly hard. Instead of saying to myself, “Forget it, that will take too long,” my life razor pops into my head. “Black Diamond Alert! You are definitely learning this song.” 

(Here’s the song, in case you’re interested. I sing it all the time.) 

Black diamonds aren’t just about doing something hard. They’re also playful and open me to new possibilities (hello, Italian Alps). The idea of doing a black diamond makes me go, “Oooh, what would that be like?” There’s that feeling of having conquered something when it’s done. 

See how my razor helps me make decisions about actions I want to take in life and business?

Another example.

Lisa’s Life Razor***

Lisa trusts her body above all. She prioritizes its care in ways that are flexible and bring her joy. She has a silly side that’s reserved for the people she trusts. She paddleboards, plays the flute, and pursues interesting hobbies. She never leaves the house without emergency snacks, which she eats herself but also shares with humans in need. Lisa’s life razor is, “I never leave the house without purse chocolate.”

What does this look like in life? 

Let’s say Lisa is about to make a big decision in her business. She wants to build a new sales funnel but she knows she can’t do it alone. She looks for the business equivalent of “purse chocolate” to help her get through this challenging project in a way that aligns with her values. Lisa joins Tarzan’s mastermind where she finds supportive community, strategic support, and a place where it’s safe to be absolutely silly. 

(I seriously did not mean to make this into a sales email. I have Power on the brain because we just had a retreat.)

If you want to try this exercise, here’s what I had my mastermind members do. 

Spend 5 minutes journaling on ways to finish the sentence, “I am…”

Think of your past, present and future self. What do you love the most about FIRSTNAME? What qualities do others admire in you? What habits define you, good or bad or neutral? What are your most important commitments to yourself? Who are your people and how do you show them love? 

Try out 2-3 variations on your life razors. 

It’s easiest if you start with, “I never…,” “I always…,” or “I do…” as a sentence stem. It doesn’t need to have the perfect metaphor like purse chocolate or black diamonds, but it does make it memorable, so give that a try if you’re feeling ambitious. 

Test out your life razor on a friend. 

There’s nothing quite like reading it aloud in front of someone who knows you. Do the words ring true when they come out of your mouth? Can you apply this principle anywhere in your life where you’re stuck in indecision? Is there a better way to word it? (Ex. Originally my life razor was, “I’m always working on my next black diamond” but “I’m always working” does NOT belong in my guiding principle for living ) 

Try this out and tell me what you come up with. 

You could try sending it to my boyfriend Sahil Bloom but he is so busy he has not answered any of the emails I sent him. I’ve had to turn to ChatGPT to develop my fantasy romance with Newsletter Batman. Let’s hope he reads this and comes to his senses.   

SAHIL BLOOM IF YOU’RE READING THIS IT’S OKAY YOU’RE MARRIED AS LONG AS YOUR WIFE IS COOL WITH IT. LET HER KNOW I’M NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SERIOUS ALSO DO YOU WANT TO SPONSOR MY NEXT NEWSLETTER?

See you next week. 

~ Tarzan

Tarzan Kalryzian [she/they]
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*Not my boyfriend. Humor me, I missed April Fool’s. 

**Actually I pre-order anyone’s book who asks because I’m developing my pre-order karma for when my book comes out.

***Lisa Kilgour is a real person, a holistic nutritionist, the BOSS OF TIKTOK, and a member of my mastermind, Power.  But this isn’t a real razor. I made all this up based on my favorite things about her.