Max McKeown Talks About SuperAdaptability, Metaplasticity, and Thriving in an Age of Overwhelm

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.Overwhelm isn’t new. It’s human. That idea sits at the heart of my conversation with Dr. Max McKeown—strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and author of SuperAdaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm. From the very start, Max challenges the notion that we’re living through a uniquely chaotic moment, arguing instead that overwhelm has always been part of the human condition.What follows is a thoughtful, recursive conversation about loops, space, nuance, and the difference between doing productive things and actually living productively. We explore how humans adapt consciously, why systems need slack to function, and how upgrading the way we upgrade ourselves may be the most important skill we have.Six Discussion PointsWhy the “age of overwhelm” isn’t temporary—and never really wasThe danger of confusing productivity with productivenessHow loops shape our behavior whether we notice them or notWhy space is essential for adaptation in systems, work, and lifeThe role of nuance, humility, and reason in conscious changeWhat it means to “upgrade your upgrade” through metaplasticityThree Connection PointsSuperAdaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of OverwhelmMax McKeown on LinkedInProductivenessThis conversation is less about answers and more about awareness—about noticing the loops we’re already in and choosing how we engage with them. If you’ve ever felt busy but not better, productive but not present, this episode offers a different way to look at adaptation—and at yourself.