Well that sucked

I’m not usually one for making big “end of the year” plans. Why wait until Jan 1 to make a change, you know?

But this year the timing worked out: I just got out of the hospital, where they had me for 3 days. First for pneumonia in both lungs, then for apparently taking too much tylenol (they had to give me an infusion for my liver).

It sucked and it was honestly the worst I’ve ever felt, but it was also a necessary reset.

The whole time I was in there, I just thought about how much I wanted to be back home with my family and how everything else was basically meaningless bullshit.

This probably sounds obvious to a normal person but it’s very, VERY hard for me - my brain does NOT want to chill and I have a really hard time relaxing because I constantly feel like I need to be building toward the future for my family.

That's worked well for me in general: In late 2012 I had a net worth of -$90K, no job, no relationship, and everything I owned fit in about 5 cardboard boxes. But to make a long story short, I worked my ass off for a decade and it paid off: I got married, bought two houses, had a kid, and now have a (low) 7-figure net worth.

I don’t regret any of it, because I would’ve been in a bad spot now if I didn’t grind that hard. It had to be done.

But I’m f*cking tired.

And more importantly, I just don’t need to grind that hard anymore. I already put in the work, and it paid off. Not like “eff you” money where I never have to work again, but enough that I can coast.

So that's my mission for 2026: Take more time off. Go for a walk with the kid at 10AM on a Tuesday. Less Zoom calls (by FAR the most draining thing in my life).

Now the hard part is convincing my brain to go along with that.

My brain is used to being in that gear, and you don’t just flip the switch from grind mode to chill mode. Your nervous system literally gets trained to adapt, so you’re actually re-wiring your brain (and that’s not easy or comfortable).

I don’t have a big takeaway or anything like that, other than to ask for your help in holding me accountable to this.

It won’t be easy but I know I can do it - I’ve done much harder things without flinching.

And whatever your plan is for 2026, I’m cheering you on from the sidelines 🥳

PS - I don't have anything to sell you because I don't have any capacity for new clients but I always love hearing from you. So if you like this email, hit reply and I'd love to hear what you think!