You're capable. You're driven. But you're stuck in systems built for someone else's brain, someone else's culture, someone else's way of working.
What if the problem isn't you? What if you just need strategies that shorten the stack instead of adding to it?
THE PHILOSOPHY
"You do not rise to the level of your goals.
You fall to the level of your systems."
—James Clear
This is true. But here's what most people miss:
Before you can build better systems, you need to shorten the stack of what you're trying to manage.
Most people struggle because they're trying to use systems that were never designed for their identity, culture, or neurotype.
If you're Asian American, creative, or neurodivergent, you've likely spent your entire life navigating expectations and structures that didn't consider who you are.
Short Stack Coaching exists to change that.
We do:
Strategic reduction before systematic addition
Systems that respect your energy and identity
Learning science that creates lasting change
Organizational understanding that navigates real power dynamics
Shame-free support that honors how your brain actually works
We don't do:
Therapy
Life overhauls that collapse in two weeks
Toxic productivity that leads to burnout
Generic advice that ignores your reality
Strategies that require you to become someone else
Your goals matter. But strategic clarity and sustainable systems carry you there.
Three Pathways. One Philosophy.
Asian American Professionals
Navigate cultural complexity with strategic clarity
You're balancing multiple cultural expectations, workplace dynamics that weren't designed for you, and the invisible weight of being "first" or "only" in your organization.
Creative Professionals
Structure that supports your creativity, not suffocates it
You're drowning in ideas but struggling with execution, sustainability, and building a business that doesn't kill your art.
Neurodivergent professionals
You're ADHD, autistic, or neurodivergent in ways that make standard productivity advice useless. You need strategies designed for how your brain actually works.
Build systems that work with your brain, not against it
The Short Stack Method
Drawing on 25 years in education, a master's in organizational leadership, and ICF accredited coaching training, I've developed a framework that creates lasting change by understanding how people actually learn and how organizations actually work.
"You do not rise to the level of your goals.
You fall to the level of your systems."
—James Clear
But here's the part most people miss: your systems must match your identity, culture, and neurotype.
If your systems weren't designed with YOU in mind, of course they kept collapsing. That doesn't mean you failed. It means the systems failed you.
The Short Stack Method works in two phases:
PHASE 1: SHORTEN (Strategic Reduction)
S – Self-Understanding
Your identity isn't a barrier to change—it's the blueprint.
We explore:
Cultural expectations and family dynamics
Neurodivergent patterns and energy cycles
Creative identity and how you actually work
Your real life constraints (not the imaginary perfect week)
Outcome: A clear map of who you are, what you need, and what's actually possible right now.
T – Triage What's On Your Plate
You can't build a sustainable life on top of overwhelm.
We sort through:
Immediate fires vs. chronic drains
Hidden obligations and inherited expectations
What actually matters vs. what you think "should" matter
Where you're over-functioning to meet others' needs
Outcome: Clarity about what needs attention now—and what can wait, delegate, or disappear.
PHASE 2: STACK (Strategic Implementation)
A – Align With Your Values & Reality
This is where decisions start feeling lighter.
We align:
Your goals to your current season (not someone else's timeline)
Your boundaries to your values (not generic advice)
Your energy to your commitments (realistic, not aspirational)
Your expectations to what's actually humane
Outcome: A "good enough for now" vision that relieves pressure instead of adding to it.
C – Create ND-Friendly Systems & Experiments
This is the heart of the work.
We build:
Simple routines that survive bad days
ND-friendly supports and environmental design
Systems informed by learning science (not Pinterest perfection)
Small habits that actually count
Creative and career experiments with low stakes
Outcome: Your personalized Short Stack Plan—3-5 tiny, sustainable steps that build momentum without overwhelm.
K – Keep Iterating, Gently
You don't fail when things wobble. You learn.
We regularly:
Review what's working without shame about what isn't
Adjust the stack as life shifts
Simplify when complexity creeps back in
Celebrate micro-progress
Normalize inconsistency and adaptation
Outcome: A life that evolves with you—not against you—using organizational change principles that actually work.
About
Michael Yuen
M.A. Organizational Leadership
Certified Life Coach
Educator. Organizational Leadership Expert. Asian American. Neurodivergent. Multi-hyphenate Creative.
Contact Us
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