• Table of Contents

How I think

Core preferences

• I see the world through the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and am better at iterating than innovating. I thrive when my day is time-blocked and includes deep work.
• I check email about three times daily and am at my worst when late for meetings or deadlines. If it's not in my calendar or task manager, it won't happen.
• My personal interest is the intersection of workflow and leadership—hence the name of my LLC. You can count on me to step back and consider how we perform the work.
• Doris Kearns Goodwin says the hierarchy of communicating is nodding, speaking, and writing. I will answer or return calls as soon as I'm able; expect a same-day response to texts or chats and next-business-day response to emails.

Work preferences

• Work coordination and execution sometimes overlap in meetings, but should be managed as separate efforts.
• Coordination
  • "Real time sometimes, asynchronous most of the time."
  • Email ping-pong is terrible for coordination. Hire a savvy administrative assistant or use booking software.
  • Don't use system defaults for meeting length. Think about the purpose and develop an agenda. Consider a reverse meeting or office hours instead.
  • Take time after the meeting to process it. For every hour of meeting, schedule one hour without meetings for deep work.
• Execution
  • Version control prevents confusion. Use change tracking and share links—don't create or attach files.
  • Do your research and don't duplicate what already exists. Follow, point to, or update it.
  • Keep the reader in mind and make your writing useful. Clearly state your purpose up front. Use an AI-based writing partner and read your writing aloud.
  • Avoid passive voice and use "per" instead of "in accordance with."
  • Fewer acronyms and abbreviations is better.
  • Specific, properly rounded numbers are more impressive than adjectives.
  • Not everything gets capitalized. When in doubt, follow the GPO Style Manual.
  • "Patrick M. Lineberry" for formal stuff and "Pat Lineberry" for everything else.

2026 life strategy

HBR_My_Life_Strategy_Worksheet_2026.pdf

In 2026, I am intentionally re-centering my life around faith, truth, and depth, rather than speed, noise, or optimization for its own sake.

I am treating faith as the keystone, not an accessory—reclaiming time from online entertainment and reinvesting it into Scripture, philosophical reading, Sabbath, and practices that restore focus and courage. This spiritual grounding is meant to shape how I think, speak, and act—not just what I believe.

I am deliberately training myself to tell hard truths, both privately and relationally, through a weekly "truth muscle" practice and by cultivating a small circle of male friendships that prioritize consistency, honesty, and presence over convenience.

Professionally, I am seeking stability and leverage, not maximal upside: building practical AI literacy to remain useful and adaptable, while transitioning from 1099 work to W2 employment to reduce cognitive load and support my higher priorities.

Across all areas, my strategy favors substitution over addition, structure over willpower, and formation over performance—so that my calendar, not just my values, tells the truth about what matters most.

How I feel

Triggers