The Opportunity in Front of You – Top 3 Takeaways, October 16th, 2025
Takeaway #1: Are you doing what you want to do?
Or maybe it would be better to frame my top takeaway as are you doing what you feel you were meant to do or for that matter what you think you are best at doing? My top takeaway today isn’t meant to be some philosophical mumbo jumbo to potentially prompt you to reevaluate where you are in life...at least not exactly in that context. The reason I thought of this today is because the world in front of us right now presents the epidemy of the status quo compared to the exceptional. Yet, what I often read, hear, and find myself in discussions about is most of us defaulting to the status quo. And it’s understandable, it’s what feels like a safe and easy thing to do. Consider this, a study of greater than 10,000 employees found that in the average workday, 58% of the day is spent doing what they called “work about work”. In other words, tasks that aren’t necessarily moving the ball forward with one’s work/objectives. That comes in the form of internal meetings, reading/responding to emails/electronic communications, etc. What’s more is that only a third, 33%, of employees were found to be actually applying their skills to the core work they’re hired to do, with only 10% of time spent on strategic objectives – those which potentially will move the ball forward and help to accomplish overall goals. That’s kind of sad when you think about it, but that’s the norm. And btw, that’s nothing new. I’ve studied these types of studies for decades at this point, it feels weird to say that, but anyway the numbers may move around a little bit, but that’s about it. And the reason why is that’s the comfort zone for most. That’s what’s been established by most. This explains the malaise that sets in with many companies, this explains the malaise with our governments (where there’s usually less accountability for inactivity and meaningful accomplishments than in the private sector). At the same time...that’s what’s different right now.
Takeaway #2: Are your elected officials doing what you want them to do?
As the partial federal government shutdown enters its 16th day, I’m pleased to say yes. Every federal government shutdown preceding the current one has been a failed one. And that’s because every previous federal government shutdown has led to more cost for taxpayers, not less. That’s because of the previously mentioned status quo. There’s never been a previous federal government shutdown that led to a smaller government. So, all that’s happened in the end is that the status quo was kept in place with backpay for every furloughed government employee. Essentially additional paid vacations for all. It’s been a terrible policy, independent of politics. But this time around as President Trump has discussed the permanent RIFs are underway. Whenever this partial shutdown ends and whatever the outcome is, the federal government will be smaller, lawsuits pending, than it was before. Here are the five agencies that have been most impacted with recently enacted RIFs in order: Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development and Commerce. But there’s something I noticed yesterday while evaluating the President’s latest RIFs. The extent of the downsizing in these agencies since the onset of the Trump 2.0 presidency. Year over year here’s how much smaller those five agencies are by way of head count: Treasury: 29%, HHS: 14%, Education: 43%, HUD: 31%, Commerce: 11%. Between DOGE and the recent RIFs, what we’re seeing in D.C. is truly the end of the status quo approach. And it’s not just in those agencies, though they are among the most impacted. The troops need to get paid, for that matter everyone reporting to work for the federal government in any capacity everyday needs to get paid, otherwise this partial shutdown is proving to be one of the most instructive and potentially pivotal moments in American history. And President Trump isn’t just doing what others before him haven’t done to bring peace to the middle east and around the world. He’s doing what even he didn’t do during his first term during the longest partial government in history. Meaningfully change the size and trajectory of the federal government. Just as...
Takeaway #3: Governor DeSantis is doing here at home
Yesterday I brought you the information that the average Floridian pays $105,000 in homesteaded property taxes (in today’s dollars) in total, with much higher totals locally: Palm Beach County: $141,750, Martin County: $176,750, Indian River County: $183,750, St. Lucie County: $266,000. And I posed this question - Would you rather save 141 thousand plus dollars and truly own your home with your local government(s) operating at the size and efficiency of 2019, or would you rather pay $141k, and not truly own your home, and have your local government(s) operating as they do today? I think many realized that Governor DeSantis was truly a transformational political leader during the pandemic. I’m not sure many have looked at him the same way since. But his last act in this state – truly allowing you to own your home, while also having a necessarily leaner and thus what should be more responsive local government, is there for the taking. Just as President Trump has had to push and pull those within his ranks to stop spending most of their time doing “the work of work” and never really accomplishing anything meaningful...The same is true at home. It’s likely every taxing authority in this state will oppose the elimination of homesteaded property taxes because the status quo of largely unaccountable funding at ever higher levels with the roof over your head is all that they want. And that’s the easy thing to do because that’s what most people spend most of their day doing anyway. But we’re fortunate to live in a moment in history, in Florida and within this country, to have two of the rare leaders who’re more inclined to spend 90% of their time working on moving the needle and only 10% on the nonsense. From West Palm Beach to Washington, D.C. we can accomplish these things, but only if we’re willing to provide them with the support they need to finish doing the big things we elected them to do.