profile

Sam Sheppard

Are you fighting gravity?

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

​

How to Stop Wasting Energy on the Wrong Problems

↓

Hey Reader,
​
Ever feel like you’re running in circles, trying to fix something that just won’t budge? It’s exhausting.

But what if the problem isn’t actually solvable?

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of Designing Your Life, call these gravity problems.

A gravity problem is something you can’t change...like the fact that networking events drain you, or that society favours extroverts.
​
You can fight against it all you want, but you won’t win.
​
Gravity doesn’t care.

You reclaim your time and energy when you learn how to tell the difference between problems you can solve and ones you need to reframe.

​

Reframing Problems: A Designer's Approach

​

Designers view problems not as obstacles but as opportunities for innovation. By shifting our perspective, we can transform challenges into actionable steps. This process, known as 'reframing', enables us to see situations in a new light and discover solutions previously overlooked.

Steps to Identify and Reframe Your Problems:

  1. List your current challenges: write down anything that's frustrating you
  2. Sort them into two categories: Gravity Problems (things outside of your control) and Solvable Problems(things you can take action on).
  3. Reframe the solvable ones: instead of asking, Why am I always overlooked? try:
    • How can I make my strengths more visible without exhausting myself?
    • What environments allow me to thrive instead of drain me?

​

Small shift. Big difference.

When you stop wrestling with the unchangeable and focus on what’s actually within your power, things start clicking into place.

​

So, what’s one problem you can reframe this week? Hit reply and let me know - I’d love to hear.

​

Remember, life design is an ongoing process. Stay curious, take action, and view challenges as opportunities to create the life you desire.
​
And if you missed our earlier discussions on gravity problems and the designer's mindset, you can catch up here:

​

In your corner, always 💛

Sam
​

Sam Sheppard

Let's connect! You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.

​

P.S. When you're ready, here are three ways I can help you:

​
​
1. Improve your confidence and wellbeing with my Introvert Success Toolkit.
​
2. Get inspiration with living, not existing, through my blog.

​

3. Discover how I live, not exist, with my book - this link is for the UK but it's available on Amazon worldwide, just search 'to live not exist' ;)​
​
​

And if you enjoyed this newsletter and would like to support my work with a tip, you can do so here 💛

​

​

P.P.S. I really value you being here, so please feel free to reply to this email with any questions, concerns or feedback and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Sam Sheppard

i-Unbound: life design for introverts

Join 300+ introverts receiving i-Unbound: one proven tool, idea or mindset every Tuesday to help you build the life you want to live.

Read more from Sam Sheppard
Sam is smiling at the camera wearing a black and white polka dot dress and a black cardigan. Behind her is a gradient yellow and orange background, like a sunrise

How just 5 minutes a day could change EVERYTHING! ↓ Hey Reader, Long before GPS existed, Polynesian navigators crossed thousands of miles of open ocean without maps. They followed the stars, currents, and winds - reading nature's clues to find their way.This was called wayfaring. And it might be exactly what you need in your life right now. Unlike a road trip with a clear destination, life doesn't have a single endpoint. There's no "you have arrived" announcement. Instead, we navigate by...

5 days ago • 4 min read
Sam is smiling at the camera wearing a black and white polka dot dress and a black cardigan. Behind her is a gradient yellow and orange background, like a sunrise

How life design becomes your professional advantage ↓ Hey Reader, If the phrase 'personal branding' makes you want to retreat and hide, you're not alone. For introverts, the idea of 'showing up' online can feel like an exhausting performance. Yet, in 2025, the reality is that a personal brand is the new CV. Employers are actively seeking candidates with strong personal brands and for those of us building a business, our personal brands are even more important than our business brands, as...

12 days ago • 3 min read
Sam is smiling at the camera wearing a black and white polka dot dress and a black cardigan. Behind her is a gradient yellow and orange background, like a sunrise

Why trying to do everything yourself isn’t a flex - it’s holding you back. ↓ Hey Reader, Last week, I sent a text that took every ounce of courage I had. I've already shared how after being evicted from my London home, losing my main client, and retreating to a hometown where I've never belonged, I'd hit rock bottom. Friends had offered their spare rooms. Their support. Their help. But something inside me kept waiting for the 'perfect' invitation - one where I wouldn't feel like I was...

19 days ago • 3 min read