This past Friday turned out to be a GREAT day.
So good, in fact, that I spent hours reflecting on why.
Can't wait to tell you all about it.
☀️
But first..
Livin' La Vida Luna y Luca
My bundle of love.
Best Day Ever Formula
This past Friday was one of the best days I've had in a long time.
I was so unusually happy at the end of the day I decided to decode the subtext so I could try to manufacture more of these days.
Let me start by simply sharing what happened throughout the day.
- 06:30a - Wake up, Morning stuff, Dia feeds Luca, I get Luna
- 07:00a - Breakfast is ready
- 08:00a - Leave for school (Dia WFH so she came w/)
- 09:00a - Back home, Dia work day starts, I go to gym
- 10:00a - Luca wakes up from first nap, play with him
- 11:00a - Luca second feeding of day
- 11:30a - I go to Sunday Motor Co to grab coffees for us
- 01:00p - Visit New Construction Site
- 03:00p - Sister comes over to play w Luca
- 04:00p - Get Luna from School
- 05:00p - Dinner
- 06:00p - Bedtime Routine for both kids
- 07:00p - Both kids asleep
- 07:30p - Drop off a baby shower gift
I have to admit that looks like a pretty boring day on the surface.
So let me provide more context.
Here's why I think it turned out to be such a great day.
Physical Exertion
Not going to spend too much time here because it's obvious.
Doing something physically demanding is probably the first and most important ingredient to having an awesome day.
I ran a 5K at a 09:00 / mile pace.
Did it kill me? No.
Did it suck? Yes.
30 minutes. That's all it took to make me feel like I made some progress.
Serendipity
As I was driving over to Sunday Motor Co to grab coffees for the fam, I received a text from my buddy, Gabe.
This spontaneous run-in turned into a 90-minute discussion about everything from life, business, creative endeavors, longevity, fitness, and so much more.
These types of conversations absolutely light me up.
Flexibility / Redundancy / Optionality
90 minutes!? In the middle of the day?
Didn't Dia's coffee get cold? What about Luca?
First of all... Dia's coffee was iced, so no love lost there.
As far as Luca is concerned, yes I'm his primary caregiver right now, but 1) Dia was working from home and 2) Dia's mom is here as my extremely capable pinch hitter until Luca goes to school with Luna.
To be clear: I wasn't shirking my responsibilities. I was simply putting my mask on first.
That "adult" conversation with a good friend filled my cup with enough energy to handle Luca by myself for days.
Work - Manager Tasks*
On the way back home from SMC, I drove by my new construction project to check out the latest progress.
The excavation is complete! Gravel is down and footings are set.
We're two weeks away from having our Superior Walls foundation installed.
Work - Maker Tasks*
As I was pulling away from my project, I noticed the owner of a neighboring property doing some yard work.
This is the same guy who replied to my direct mail saying he wanted $800,000 for his house. I offered him $615,000 and he told me I was wasting my time.
His name is Sal.
Anyway, I waived as I drove by. I caught his attention so I stopped to see if he changed his mind about selling to me.
We talked (for an hour!) about my project, the neighborhood, his kids, his future plans, etc.
I was in Flow.
I had a smooth rebuttal for every single objection he gave me.
He even said, "If you keep talking like this, I might just let you buy my house."
Win.
As we were talking, the neighbor came home. His house is another tear down opportunity.
Sal waived him over and said, "Hey, Pete - This kid will buy your house if you're looking to sell!"
So now I'm working Pete. We're discussing work, family, early retirement, etc.
A minute or two later, Pete's wife, Jennifer, comes home and she walks over to join the conversation.
Now I have a captive audience of 3 people that seem genuinely interested in exploring the sale of their home to me.
"Our home is a tear-down. You don't want our home", Jennifer says.
"That hole in the ground across the street is mine. I want your house as soon as you are ready to sell it to me", I replied.
"Do you have a business card?"
"No, but I'll come back and drop off an offer later today"
"You don't have to do that. We're not ready to sell just yet."
"It's no trouble at all. Just putting numbers and signatures on a piece of paper so you know I'm serious."
--
I fucking live for these moments.
There are few higher highs for me than selling someone on something.
In this case, I was selling myself as a solution.
A solution to Sal and his wife moving somewhere without stairs.
A solution to Pete and Jennifer moving closer to their grandchildren in Maine.
Surrounded By Love & Support
I left home at 11:00a and didn't get back until 2:00p.
I didn't walk into "Where the hell were you?"
I walked into, "Tell us everything!"
My wife and MIL are my biggest fans and I'm so lucky.
--
At 3p, my sister came over to play with Luca.
Watching her feed him, hold him, play with him, change his diaper, etc. is just awesome.
It's not always sunshine and rainbows with my immediate family, but it's really nice when it is.
Being Generous
My sister and I left home at 4p to grab Luna from school.
On the way, we stopped at Kings to grab a dessert platter for Pete and Jennifer.
They mentioned hosting a baby shower this weekend so I thought I'd drop off a gift along with my offer.
Fulfilling My Duty / Discipline
Our family's night-time routine is something we take very seriously.
Every night from 5-7p we have a literal checklist of things we get to do with our kids.
- 5p - Family Dinner
- 6p - Bath. First Luca then Luna
- 630p - Luca's last feed
- 645p - Read books, sing songs, talk about our day
- 7p - Put both kids in bed
Do we have to do all of these things every single night? No.
Do we want to do all of these things every single night? Hell no. Especially the baths.
Do we still do all of these things every single night? Of course.
I don't rely on motivation, I depend on discipline.
I can't speak for Dia, but I don't have a choice. I either do it... or I don't.
The idea of deciding which nights we execute the routine and which nights we let it slide because we don't feel like it makes me cringe inside.
I realize this seemingly contradicts the point above about freedom / flexibility / optionality.
But to me, it doesn't. It just makes sense because...
Discipline = Freedom.
For more on this topic, try reading this Field Manual by Jocko Willink.
Crossing Everything Off The List
"Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today"
- Benjamin Franklin
I told Pete and Jennifer I was going to submit an offer later that same day.
I went to their house before and after getting Luna from school, but they weren't home!
I could have left the dessert tray on their doorstep and the offer in their mailbox, but it felt like a half-measure.
So at 730p, after both kids were in bed, I went back one more time.
Thankfully, they were home.
Jennifer answered the door and she was surprised to see me.
I handed her the dessert tray and said, "this is for your baby shower". She thanked me.
I handed her the offer package and said, "and this is how you'll get to spend more time with your grandchildren."
We shared a laugh and said goodnight.
--
As I walked back to my car I felt "whole".
And if I had to say why, it's because my day consisted of:
- Physical Exertion
- Serendipity
- Flexibility
- Work - Manager Tasks*
- Work - Maker Tasks*
- Love & Support
- Generosity
- Fulfilling My Duty
- Crossing Everything Off The List
Footnote:
