Every tattoo artist has a version of this story. The client walks in with total certainty, zero flexibility, and a reference image that belongs on a bumper sticker. What happens next is a masterclass in the difference between knowing what you want and knowing what you’re asking for.

I spent decades treating my body like a rental property. First tattoo at 52 changed that in ways I didn’t see coming.

Every other decision you make comes with an exit ramp. Tattoos don’t. That asymmetry turns out to be more instructive than any productivity system I’ve ever tried.

I was 52 years old, sitting in a tattoo chair in Forsyth, Georgia, and the only person in the room who wasn’t surprised was the artist holding the machine.

Most people pick a tattoo artist the way they pick a restaurant on a Tuesday night, whoever’s available and has decent reviews. After six tattoos and one more going on today, I can tell you that approach is how you end up with permanent regret.

Most people think about their next tattoo. I’ve started thinking about the whole wall — and that shift changes everything about how you choose what goes on your skin permanently.

Getting tattooed for the first time at 52 wasn’t about rebellion or a midlife crisis. It was about realizing the person I’d been protecting my reputation from never existed.