Yesterday, we introduced you to the $10K Work matrix.

And today, you’ll meet $10 Tim.

Now we all have our friends who are obsessed with their gadgets.

(Ahem, I’m clearly deflecting my own issues.)

And if there’s something $10 Tim knows well, it’s shiny new toys.

Tim’s Whoop Strap monitors his Heart Rate Variability. (Cost, $360/year)

His Peloton provides on-demand HIIT workouts to lower his blood pressure and give him the energy to keep up with his toddlers. ($1,895 + $468/year)

His Oura Ring promises an orderly wind down at 9:45 PM. ($399)

And his iPad Pro (with Pencil and Smart Folio Keyboard, of course) makes him a creative powerhouse. ($1,799 + $149 + $249).

There’s just one problem.

It’s way past Tim’s bedtime. He’s doomscrolling TikTok on his brand new iPad.

(And his Oura ring is uncharged.)

We’re suckers for Shiny New Toy Syndrome (SNTS)

Deep inside, you and I know that no app, cool notebook, course (yes, even Supercharge Your Productivity) or wearable will give you more than 24 hours in a day, make you lose 10 pounds or make a tough decision for you.

Yet, like $10 Tim, we can’t resist.

We smash that buy button.

And then whisper to ourselves:

But they never are.

How to overcome Shiny New Toy Syndrome

Here’s why the Oura Ring won’t make you sleep more and why the Superhuman app won’t make your boss less annoying over email.

A tool – any tool (including our flagship course Supercharge Your Productivity) used in isolation is guaranteed to fail.

Let’s say $10 Tim wanted to improve his sleep.

I mean, he’s already got the Oura Ring. But he could also splurge on a fancy Smart Mattress from 8 Sleep. (Price = $2,000).

Or, he could apply the $10K Flywheel and understand how to conquer Shiny New Toy Syndrome once and for all.

Here's how it looks like if we apply the $10K Flywheel to sleeping better.

It all starts with self-awareness.

• Do you know how to talk to your inner critic? This helps dampen nerves before a big presentation and often makes the difference between a restful sleep and a night of tossing and turning.
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• Do you know how to separate your identity from your self-worth? (Friend, it’s taken me decades to realize that this was an unrecognized source of personal anxiety.)
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• Do you know how to resolve conflict with your better half? Maybe a "never go to bed angry" rule can defuse the inevitable relationship strife.

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Then we can identify the three key behavior changes:

• Shutting down your phone (a complete power down) at 8pm – 90 minutes before your bedtime.
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• Limiting your weekday wine consumption to 1 glass per evening, twice a week.
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• Closing “open loops” (GTD-style) into your notebook to prevent your mind from racing in bed.
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Now we get to that $2,000 Eight Sleep mattress.

That's the tool.

The icing on the cake, to get you those 8 delicious hours of sleep.

And thanks to the $10K Flywheel, here's what RadReaders do to Shiny New Toy Syndrome:

Now it's your turn, my friend. This is a safe space. Hit reply and tell us:

Mine is fancy Japanese notebooks, specifically the Midori Unruled A4 Paper pads. And lots of iPads.

With gratitude,

Khe + The RadReads Team

PS Tomorrow we'll help you side-step one of the most common productivity mistakes.