Starting in November, we're bringing back something we tried before here in Anchored & Ready. A book of the month, starting with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. We gave this a shot before and it fizzled out. That's on me. I didn't set the standard, and I didn't follow through. If I'm going to ask you guys to commit to something, I'd better be willing to do the same. I genuinely believe reading is one of the most important habits we can develop. Not because finishing books makes you smarter than the next guy, but because slowing down, absorbing information, and challenging what you believe is something we don't do nearly enough of. We can spend hours scrolling through absolute bullshit on our phones, but somehow finding 15 or 20 minutes to read a book feels like too much work. And if your first thought is "I'm not really a reader," my response is pretty simple. Grow up and get the book. You're here because you want something different for yourself. Sometimes that means doing things you don't particularly enjoy or aren't very good at. If reading isn't realistic, grab the audiobook. Listen on your commute or whenever you can give it your attention. What matters is that you're actually taking something in and thinking about it. I also know plenty of you have probably read this book already. That's great. Bring your experience with you. What stuck? What didn't? Has your perspective changed since you first read it? We'll work through one agreement each week and use part of our Saturday Coffee & Clarity calls to discuss it. And I don't expect everyone to agree with the author. If something sounds like bullshit, say so. That's part of learning. I don't want this community to become another place where we just consume content and move on. I want us involved, challenging ourselves, learning from each other, and actually putting some of this into practice. Grab yourself a copy before November. Paperback, Kindle, audiobook, whatever works. I'll be doing the work right alongside you.

There’s probably a conversation you’ve had a hundred times in your head but haven’t had once in real life. Or a decision you’ve been sitting on because you know making it means something has to change. We’ve all been there. Sometimes we convince ourselves we’re waiting for the right time, when really we’re just avoiding the discomfort. This week, I’m challenging you guys to face one of those things. The Hard Conversation: Maybe it’s with your wife, a friend, someone at work, or even admitting to someone that you’re struggling. Say what needs to be said, with honesty and respect. The Hard Choice: That decision you’ve been putting off. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you need to stop standing still. Take one meaningful step toward dealing with it. Here’s the challenge. Pick one and do something about it before the week is over. You don’t need to share the details, but drop “Conversation” or “Choice” below and make the commitment. Then come back and let us know how it went. You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control whether you keep avoiding it. Stay anchored. Keep going.

I've got something I want you guys to think about before tomorrow morning's call. What's the one thing you're chasing right now that's entirely for yourself? Not something your boss wants, your family needs, or something you feel obligated to do. Something you genuinely want because it matters to you. And here's where it gets interesting. If I looked at how you spent your time over the last seven days, would I be able to tell what that one thing is? I'm guilty of spreading myself too thin. I get excited about new ideas, new challenges and new opportunities. Before I know it, I've got ten things on the go and I'm barely moving the needle on any of them. It's easy to confuse being busy with making progress. Hell, sometimes being busy is just a convenient way to avoid doing the one thing that actually matters. Because committing to something means there's a chance you'll fail. And as long as you're dabbling, you never really have to find out what you're capable of. I'm not suggesting we all need some massive, life-changing goal. Maybe it's getting your health back, learning something new, finding some peace or finally finishing something you've been putting off. But there's something pretty fucking satisfying about picking one thing, putting your head down, doing the work and seeing it through. So tomorrow morning, I want to know what you're chasing and whether your actions are backing it up. Are you actually going after what you want, or are you just keeping yourself busy enough to feel like you are? See you boys in the morning.

I’ve been thinking about identity a lot lately. How much of who we think we are is tied to a job, a role, or something that happened in our lives. For most of my adult life I was an electrician. A tradesman. That was a huge part of who I was. Then I became a dad and that changed me. Being a dad became such a big part of my identity that some of the other parts of me took a back seat. Even being a husband if I’m being truthful about it. And it got me thinking about how easy it is for us to decide “this is who I am” and just stay there. What if there’s more? What if you need to go do some shit you’ve never done before? Get uncomfortable. Meet different people. Learn something. Fail at something. Find something that gets you fired up again. I think there’s something pretty damn powerful about being around other men doing the same thing. We don’t need to be chasing the same goals. We just need to be chasing something. That’s what I want to get into Saturday morning on our Coffee & Clarity call. What have you tied your identity to? And maybe more importantly, who else could you become?

We had such a good conversation on Coffee & Clarity this morning that we never even got to the topic I had planned. So I’m bringing it here instead. I’ve been thinking a lot about how easy it is to live on autopilot. We wake up, check the phone, get to work, deal with whatever is on fire, come home tired, eat, scroll a bit, go to bed and do it all over again. That’s normal life sometimes. The problem is when sometimes turns into months. We all say certain things matter to us. Our marriage. Our kids. Our health. Our friendships. The things we want to build. But here’s the question I keep coming back to: If somebody watched how you spent the last seven days without hearing you explain yourself, what would they think mattered most to you? That can be a hard one to answer. Maybe you say your health matters, but you’ve skipped every workout, eaten like shit all week and stayed up too late scrolling. Maybe you say your relationship matters, but your partner has been getting whatever energy you have left after work. Maybe you say being a present dad matters, but every time your kid asks you something, you’re half listening while looking at your phone. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means there might be a gap between what you say matters and where your attention is actually going. So here’s what I want to know: Where in your life have you been running on autopilot lately, and what is one intentional choice you can make this week to change it? An answer could be as simple as: “I’ve been bringing work home with me every night and barely being present with my family. This week I’m leaving my phone in the kitchen for the first hour after I get home.” Nothing massive. Nothing performative. Just one area where you know you could be more deliberate. Drop yours below. I’m curious where this lands for everyone.