The Logic of Subtraction: Why I Started GuyAfterWork
For years, I lived a double life that was mathematically impossible to sustain. And while I felt unbreakable, soon enough, I would realize how fragile one can quickly become.
By day, I was a Financial Analyst. By night and weekends, I was a photographer and videographer, chasing every project I could find. By the end of 2019, the system crashed. I was burnt out, overwhelmed and felt like everything was breaking down. Ironically, that was the year I became an expert at managing everyone’s books but my own. It was out of that 2019 fire that I built the first version of my Financial Guardrail Tool – I needed a way to see the truth before the noise swallowed me whole.
But while I fixed my finances, I neglected the “machine” running the show -my body.
The Gap Between Tools and Action
By May 2024, I reached my maximum weight of 122kg. I had actually built the Daily Baseline Checklist (my physical alignment tool) back in 2023, but I was stuck in a cycle of “Analysis Paralysis”.
I had the tools, but I hadn’t taken down the barriers.
- I relied on Motivation, which is a high-volatility asset – it’s there one day and gone the next
- I failed multiple times
- Even by November 2025, I was still hovering near 120kg
I was an analyst who knew the solution but couldn’t execute the trade. I was trying to “hustle” my way to health, and it wasn’t working.
The November Shift
Late in November 2025, I stopped looking for motivation and started looking at Friction. I realized that the tools I built – the Budgeting tool and the Baseline Checklist – weren’t working because I was treating them like chores instead of guardrails.
I shifted my mindset. I stopped trying to “transform” and started trying to align. I subtracted the complexity. I focused on the “Core Four” baseline. I stopped waiting to feel motivated and started relying on the logic of the trail.
Subtracting the Noise
“GuyAfterWork” isn’t about a “perfect” journey. It’s about a man who had the tools, failed to use them, learned why and finally found the view.
I’m still that Financial Analyst. I still have the 2019 burnout scars. Even though I have found my path, I still rely on The Honest Map philosophy to keep me from drifting. But now, I’ve finally taken down the barriers. I’m over 20kg down, the fog is lifting, and for the first time in years, the map is honest.
Let’s find your baseline.
— GuyAfterWork
If you’re ready to move from theory to action, you can find the complete framework for this system in The Clear Sight Guide.
