Sunday Sendoff

We love to think about the end goal.

Building 30 pounds of muscle. Doubling your income. Starting a million-dollar business. Running a marathon. Reading 100 books.

The problem?

This is putting the cart before the horse.

It leads to overwhelm. Paralysis. Putting things off until you’re “ready.”

The truth is, those things are accomplished one small step at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say.

Things happen quietly.

One training session. One chapter. One conversation. One lesson learned. One dollar saved. One kind gesture.

By themselves, those things don’t seem like much.

In fact, they can feel almost insignificant.

But here’s the secret:

Small steps compound.

A little bit each day.

String enough days together, and you’ll cover miles.

So go take a small step. Then take another tomorrow. And another the next day.

Years later, you’ll look back and realize you’re stronger, wiser, healthier, more skilled, and more confident than you were before.

Not because you made one giant leap.

Because you kept taking small steps.

Don’t underestimate the power of consistency.

A few training sessions each week become a muscular, strong, capable physique. A few extra pages each night become books you’ve finished. A few miles each week become races you’ve completed. A few thoughtful conversations become lasting friendships. A few improvements to your craft become expertise.

The little things have a funny way of becoming big things.

Just not overnight.

Guiding Principle

Take small steps. Cover big miles.

Something to Ponder

What small step could you take with the rest of today?

Then tomorrow. Then the next day.

What might your life look like a year from now if you simply started, no matter how small?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is tying our identity to one thing.

One job. One hobby. One title. One relationship. One accomplishment.

It might feel safe.

But it isn’t.

When your entire identity rests on one thing, you become fragile.

Lose the job…

Who are you?

Get injured and can’t play your sport anymore…

Who are you?

Your kids grow up and move out…

Who are you?

A relationship ends…

Who are you?

Life changes.

It always does.

That’s why it’s dangerous to build your identity around something that can be taken away.

Become a well-rounded human instead.

Learn new skills. Pick up new hobbies. Read books. Lift weights. Run. Build something. Teach. Volunteer. Learn an instrument. Write. Travel.

Become curious. Become adaptable.

The funny thing is, the more dimensions your life has, the stronger each one becomes.

You’re no longer just a lifter.

You’re also a father. A friend. A craftsman. A teacher. An entrepreneur. A student. A creator.

If one chapter changes, the whole book doesn’t end.

You simply turn the page.

That’s freedom.

Guiding Principle

Don’t be a one-trick pony.

Something to Ponder

Have you become a bit one-dimensional? Why not try something new, build a new skill, and create new opportunities for yourself?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

Comparison gets a bad reputation.

Most of the time, for good reason.

It can steal joy.

It can convince us that what we have isn’t enough.

This week, though, comparison did something unexpected.

I toured a beautiful old house.

It was huge.

Tall ceilings. Tons of rooms. Character everywhere. The kind of house that makes you stop and think, “Wow.”

But something funny happened on the way home.

I found myself appreciating my apartment even more.

It’s not perfect.

It’s not the quietest. Storage is…creative. Extra bedrooms would be nice. I’d love a garage someday.

But then I started thinking about everything my apartment is.

It’s where I write. It’s where I build websites. It’s where I sometimes train. It’s where my kids eat, sleep, and watch TV. It’s where ideas turn into projects. It’s where Brickwall grew. It’s where I’ve laughed, struggled, learned, and started building a better life.

It’s home.

(Not to mention I don’t have to worry about fixing things, mowing the lawn, foundation problems, moisture problems, and spending every weekend at Home Depot. 🤣)

Sometimes we’re so focused on the next thing that we forget to enjoy the thing we’re standing in.

The bigger house. The better job. The nicer car. The dream garage.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things.

In fact, I hope you keep chasing them.

Just don’t make the mistake of believing your life begins when you finally arrive.

Life is already happening.

Your apartment. Your first house. Your tiny office. Your beat-up car. Your budget gym.

These aren’t just places you’re passing through.

They’re chapters.

And someday, you’ll probably look back on them with more fondness than you expect.

Keep dreaming. Keep building.

But don’t forget to appreciate what you’ve already built.

Guiding Principle

Appreciate what you got, but keep striving for more.

Something to Ponder

Has your head been off in the clouds, thinking about what you don’t have?

Why don’t you come back down for a minute, look around, and appreciate all the good that’s already around you?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

When I was younger, I thought being a father meant having all the answers.

Knowing exactly what to say. Exactly what to do. Always being strong. Always being right. Always having a plan.

Then I became a dad.

And I learned something different.

Fatherhood isn’t about perfection.

It’s about presence.

It’s showing up when you’re tired. Showing up when you’re stressed. Showing up when life didn’t go according to plan. Showing up anyway.

My dad showed up.

I show up.

And you show up.

The funny thing about being a father is that the most important moments aren’t usually the ones you expect.

They aren’t the big events. They aren’t the cool trips. They aren’t the picture-perfect holidays.

They’re the ordinary moments.

The rides to school. The trips to the park. The bedtime stories. The walks. The dinners. The bad jokes. The random conversations that turn into life lessons.

Those moments don’t seem important at the time.

Until one day you realize they were everything.

I think a lot of fathers carry a quiet burden.

The feeling that we should be doing more. Providing more. Being more.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Your kids don’t need a perfect father.

They need their father.

The one who shows up. The one who listens. The one who keeps trying. The one who loves them. The one who is there.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we imagined. Sometimes the picture in our head never becomes reality.

But love isn’t measured by how closely life follows the script.

Love is measured by what we do with the pages we were given.

So today, if you’re a father, give yourself a little credit.

The fact that you worry about being a good dad is evidence that you’re trying to be one.

Keep showing up. Keep teaching. Keep listening. Keep loving.

The years move fast.

The moments matter.

And when your kids look back, they’re not going to care their dad wasn’t perfect.

They’re going to care that their dad was there.

Trying.

Happy Father’s Day.

Guiding Principle

Showing up, even imperfectly, matters.

Something to Ponder

Do you beat yourself up over not being the perfect dad? Why? Why not take some time to think about all the good things you do, and all the times you’ve shown up?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the future.

My kids. Work. Entrepreneurship. Money. Relationships.

The problem with looking too far ahead is that eventually it becomes overwhelming.

Because there are too many unknowns. Too many variables. Too many things outside of your control.

And when that happens, it’s easy to freeze.

Easy to overthink. Easy to convince yourself that you need a perfect plan before you move forward.

But that’s not how things get built.

A wall isn’t built all at once. A house isn’t built all at once. A life isn’t built all at once.

It’s built one brick at a time.

One workout. One conversation. One job application. One client outreach. One good decision. One day.

That’s it.

This is Sunday Sendoff #52. Fifty-two consecutive weeks in the books. One full year is just around the corner.

That may sound like a lot, but it was accomplished the same way everything worthwhile is accomplished: one week at a time. Brick by brick.

You don’t need all the answers right now. You don’t need to know exactly where you’ll be a year from now.

You just need to lay the next brick.

Then do it again tomorrow.

And the day after that.

Eventually, you look back and realize you’ve built something pretty incredible.

Guiding Principle

When the future feels overwhelming, focus on the next brick.

Something to Ponder

What’s the next brick in your life right now? Not one way off in the future…the one right ahead of you?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

I’ll be honest, I’m not naturally good at resting.

My default setting is action.

Train. Work. Write. Run. Build. Push.

If there’s something to do, I generally want to be doing it.

Lately, I’ve had my foot on the accelerator pretty hard.

And while there’s certainly a time for that, I’ve been reminded of something important:

Rest is necessary.

Not optional.

Necessary.

The funny thing about rest is that you can choose it willingly, or eventually your body, mind, or circumstances will choose it for you.

You can take a day off.

Or exhaustion will take one for you.

You can slow down for a weekend.

Or burnout will slow you down for much longer.

That’s why rest isn’t laziness.

It’s maintenance. It’s recovery. It’s preparation for the next push.

So if you’ve been grinding lately, give yourself permission to ease off the gas for a moment.

Take a day. Take a couple days.

Read a book. Take a nap. Go for a walk. Sit on the patio.

Tag in your inner Zen Slacker.

The work will still be there when you get back.

And when the tank is full again? When your energy returns? When the fire starts burning hot?

Push that accelerator down.

Build. Create. Train. Work. Go after it.

Just remember that even the hardest workers need a pit stop once in a while.

Guiding Principle

Take your rest, or it’ll take you.

Something to Ponder

When was the last time you truly rested? And what hobbies, interests, or simple pleasures have you been neglecting while you’ve been busy pushing?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

You may have a lot.

You may not have much.

Either way, you need to be thankful for what you have.

Because it’s easy to focus on what you don’t have.

To scroll through other people’s lives. To compare. To feel behind. To think life handed somebody else a better deck.

That mindset leads nowhere good.

It breeds resentment. Bitterness. Misery.

But on the flip side, gratitude doesn’t mean complacency.

It doesn’t mean settling. It doesn’t mean shutting off ambition and pretending you don’t want more out of life.

There’s a balance to strike.

You should be able to look around and say:

“Yeah, I’m doing pretty good.”

While also saying:

“But I can still do better.”

That’s healthy. That’s growth.

That’s the way we live life.

Be grateful for where you are—while still building toward where you want to go.

Guiding Principle

Be grateful for what you have. But don’t get complacent.

Something to Ponder

What do you already have in your life that you’ve started taking for granted?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

Lately, I’ve been reading up on Cristiano Ronaldo. The guy has an incredible story, and I love stories like his.

(Seriously. Give him a Google. He came from almost nothing and became one of the greatest soccer players to ever do it—not to mention wealthy and famous beyond belief.)

If you don’t know, Ronaldo is known for his intense training regimen and ripped physique. I like finding inspiration from places you wouldn’t normally expect.

One thing that really struck me was something Lionel Messi said. It was something along the lines of:

Ronaldo trains because he loves it. Messi trains because he has to.

That hit me hard because I realized:

I’m absolutely a Ronaldo in this area of life.

I don’t just love the end result. I love the process.

I love being in the gym banging out sets. I love the feeling of my muscles working. I love seeing what I’m building over time.

I love the lifestyle itself.

I train six—and sometimes seven—days a week. I have home gym equipment and a gym membership. You could say I love training.

I eat plenty of whole foods, protein, and fiber. Do I indulge? For sure. But it’s not an every meal thing.

I prioritize sleep, and do my best to sleep well every night (life sometimes has other plans, but I do the best I can).

You could also say I’m a little crazy. And maybe I am.

But I also believe that’s why I’ve been so successful at this part of my life.

Now, do you have to love it this much to get results?

Not exactly.

I take it further because it’s naturally part of who I am.

But you can also be like Messi. You can train because you have to. You can train for the end result.

And honestly? Sometimes the end result is enough.

It’s not that hard to get results, either.

Almost anyone can find five hours a week for the gym.

Get off social media. Turn off the TV. Cut down the bar nights. Make training convenient.

Almost anyone can make better food choices.

Eat a few more whole foods. Get a little more protein. Eat more fiber. Cut back on some junk.

Almost anyone can improve their sleep.

Go to bed an hour earlier. Shut electronics off before bed. Cut caffeine earlier in the day.

It helps to love it.

But it’s not required.

Here’s the truth:

Some people are obsessive craftsmen. They genuinely love the process. They could train for hours, talk about it endlessly, and happily structure their entire lifestyle around it.

Others are disciplined pragmatists. They may not love every workout, every meal prep session, or every early bedtime—but they love what training gives them.

Both approaches can work.

The end result is ultimately why you do it.

So if you love it? Great.

If you don’t?

That doesn’t mean you stop training.

You just use a different strategy.

Guiding Principle

Whether you’re an obsessive craftsman or a disciplined pragmatist, the work needs to get done.

Something to Ponder

The areas where you’re an obsessive craftsman are probably your strengths. But where are your weaknesses? How could those weak areas improve if you decide to become a disciplined pragmatist in them?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.