Happy Sunday {{first_name}}

Big news I've been sitting on: We're expecting our first child in February!

I haven't mentioned it in these Sunday notes until now because, honestly, I've been navigating a lot. The move, the medical appointments, the reality that our whole life is about to shift in ways I can't fully imagine yet. But it's exciting. Really exciting!

And here's the thing everyone, literally everyone, has told us: "Nothing can fully prepare you for what's coming."

Which is a frustrating message when you're someone who likes to be prepared.

I've spent my career planning, strategizing, and controlling variables. I got pretty good at it. But this? There's no perfect framework for this. No amount of reading or planning will change the fact that in a few weeks, everything shifts.

Despite the fact that ‘success’ is nebulous, I'm not less motivated because of that. I'm actually more focused, more driven, more clear on what matters than I've been in a long time.

I'm also learning to let go of the idea that I can be "ready." I just need to be ready to navigate what comes next.

So that's where you're finding me this Sunday: more motivated than ever, while accepting that certainty isn't on the table. Moving forward with clarity and focus anyway.

Maybe you're navigating something similar. A transition, a change, something big where the finish line keeps moving. There is no “definition of done.” Maybe it's not a kid. Maybe it's a career you're building, a relationship, a health challenge, or just the daily reality that "done" and "right" aren't actually destinations you can reach.

Maybe you're finding yourself more motivated than ever, but also realizing the game has changed.

Anyhow, here's what I'm learning to do.

I'm defining "good enough" and letting go of the rest.

I can't be a perfect parent. I can't know everything. I can't be fully prepared. But I can decide what "good enough" actually means and focus on that.

Good enough means: keeping him safe, loved, and fed. That's it. Not necessarily optimal sleep schedules, not developmental milestones, not having all the answers. We’ll do our best, but aiming to start with a focus on just those three things.

Everything else? It's either a bonus or it's noise.

I don’t think this is lowering the bar. It's getting clear on what actually matters, so I don't waste energy chasing things that don't.

I'm building systems I can control, ignoring outcomes I can't.

I can't control if I'll be a "good dad." But I can control showing up every day.

So I've doubled down on the systems: daily workouts in the home gym (no excuses), cooking at home, vitamins, AG1 Greens (😉), sleep while I can still get it, meditation every morning. Peak health is something I can actually do.

Will these routines survive when the baby arrives? Probably not. But building them now gives me something to return to when everything else feels chaotic. Systems protect you when motivation or certainty can't.

I've also gotten clear on who I am and where I'm committed. I'm building my life here, in this place, with my family. Everything that doesn't serve that gets a quick no.

Clarity on identity makes decisions easier when outcomes are uncertain.

I'm building a support structure, not just asked for advice.

This week, I set up a group chat with a few other guys who are all expecting babies in the first half of this year. We're going through this together.

It's not just asking people who've been through it for tips. It's having a predefined safe space already saved in my phone. People I can text at 2 AM, people who hopefully get it, people who won't judge.

There's something powerful about knowing I don't have to navigate this alone. Not just conceptually, but practically. There's a group thread I can open right now.

If you're facing something big, I'd recommend this. Don't just gather advice. Build the structure of ongoing support before you need it.

I've given myself a way to process that isn't thinking.

I'm someone who tends to overthink. Work through problems mentally. Analyze and strategize.

But I'm learning that some things can't be thought through. They need to be moved through.

The daily workouts aren't just about health. They're when my brain finally shuts up about everything I can't control. Same with meditation. Ten minutes of sitting in silence somehow processes what hours of thinking can't. Even cooking at home becomes this: hands busy, mind quiet.

When I'm overwhelmed with the unknown, sometimes the answer isn't more thinking. It's moving my body, sitting in stillness, or doing something with my hands.

I'm also learning when to stop engaging and just be quiet.

Sometimes when I'm overwhelmed, my instinct is to talk it out, research more, ask more questions. But I'm learning that sometimes that just makes it worse.

Sometimes the recalibration isn't more input. It's stepping back. Not engaging. Letting myself just sit with the uncertainty without trying to solve it or talk through it.

That's hard for me, but it's been necessary.

Here's what I want to ask you:

I'm genuinely curious. Hit reply and let me know.

I think a lot of us are navigating some version of this. Staying motivated and clear while accepting we can't ever be fully "ready." And I think hearing what's actually helping each other matters more than my theories.

See you next Sunday,
Eric

P.S. If one thing came to mind while reading this, that's probably the one. You don't need to solve everything. Just decide what happens next.

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