Walk of the week

Minnesota finally has some sunny spring weather. I took 15 minutes to take a break.

It’s funny—I preach to myself that I need to live intentionally, but I always find myself going back to my old habits, like scrolling through social media.

I’ll even open my “smart” phone with good intentions—searching for helpful articles and tips—but I’ve noticed it still requires some dedicated focus, even just 5–10 minutes. Instead, I often toss it to “future me” to deal with. Procrastination at its peak.

Do I ever go back to those bookmarks and read them? Not really. Eventually, I just delete the links in an effort to keep my inbox clean. So in the end, there’s zero gain.

What I’ve realized is this: I need to give myself permission to pause and really take in what I’m trying to learn in the moment.

Because once I let it go, once I delay it, the opportunity to grow disappears with it.

Of course, as a dad, that’s easier said than done. There’s always something—kids needing snacks, a spouse asking for help, a house that never stops moving. But even 10–20 minutes of focused time can make a difference. And for that to happen, we need to set boundaries, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

I recently read about the 5 AM Club—it sounds great, even kind of amazing. Here’s a quick summary of what it’s about:

At its core, it’s a simple idea: win the morning, win your day. The book introduces the 20/20/20 Formula, which breaks the first hour of your day into three focused 20-minute blocks:

• Move: Get your body moving—exercise to wake up your system, boost your mood, and kickstart your energy.

• Reflect: Spend time in stillness—journal, meditate, or just breathe. This helps you set clear intentions and find mental calm.

• Grow: Learn something—read, listen to a podcast, or watch something educational to feed your mind.

Maybe that’s why the idea of the 5 AM Club stuck with me. It’s not just about waking up early. Even 20 minutes of focus can create momentum and build compounding positive effect on your life journey. Keep it up!