When I first heard the term conative, I was surprised I hadn’t come across it before. After all, I live in the productivity space. But after my conversation with David Kolbe, it became clear just how crucial it is to understand this third part of the mind—especially if we want to work more naturally and avoid burnout.

David is the CEO of Kolbe Corp and co-author of the book Do More, More Naturally: Empowering Effortless Success and the Freedom to Be Yourself. In this episode, we dive into how understanding your instinctive strengths—the way you naturally take action—can dramatically shift your productivity, your teamwork, and your overall approach to work and time.

David’s insights are a refreshing reminder that productivity isn’t just about what we do—it’s about how we instinctively do it. I walked away from this conversation with a new appreciation for nuance, individuality, and the value of building systems that work with our natural tendencies rather than against them. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but still not in flow, this episode might be just what you need.