The 30-Second Check-In That Changes Everything

Hey Team!

I've now been back home for a few days after being on the road for 48 days, and I’m sinking back into my routine. Most elements of that I love… yet, something feels different. Being gone for over a month and experiencing what I did—whether my time in NYC or my ultramarathon in Georgia—has left me with a new version of myself.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. This journey was no easy feat. If it didn’t faze me, I’d probably need to look deeper under the surface. What feels alive for me now is this:

Your life can completely change within 90 days. Sometimes the circumstances choose us, but other times it’s about choosing action. Simply getting to the start line. Committing. Doing. More often than not, it’s that simple. What stands in the way—our ego, old behaviors, past wounds—isn’t our true potential.

The risk of not trying is always greater than the risk of failing. I’ve proven that to myself time and time again. So the question I’ll leave you with: are you playing to win, or playing not to lose?

This Week’s Shift

The past couple years I’ve been diving deeper into self-awareness. How I react, the choices I make, and whether I’m truly showing up as the best version of myself. Am I responding to situations or just reacting? Can I catch myself before I react? And eventually, can I reprogram patterns I’ve carried since childhood?

On my drive to Tofino, I listened to Marc Brackett talk about emotional intelligence. He introduced a simple tool called the Mood Meter—a quick way to check in with yourself in under 30 seconds.

It’s straightforward: one axis is pleasantness (mindset—joyful vs. stressed, open vs. angry). The other is energy (physical state—rested vs. depleted). Drop yourself on the chart and you’ll know exactly where you land. That awareness alone gives you the power to shift.

If you’re above the line, whether in frustration or joy, it often comes down to perspective. Release the anger and you can move into a brighter state. But if you’re below the line, running on empty, the way back up is through rest and recovery. Nutrition plays a role here too, but that’s a bigger conversation.

This 30-second check-in is an easy way to see what needs to shift so you can turn resistance into momentum and start the day aligned instead of reactive. What if you did this every morning before starting your day?

Tested This Week

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about sleep—it’s the holy grail of performance. We all need approximately 7.5 to 9 hours, with at least four hours of that in the restorative stages (deep + REM). Anything less and the wheels start to come off. The easiest lever is consistency: getting to bed at the same time every night. Miss that and everything else becomes harder.

This past week I tested Todd Anderson’s Dream Recovery products: the blackout sleep mask and nasal strips. The mask is oversized, soft, and blocks every ounce of light. The strips open up airflow through the night (and they don’t fall off!). Add in a cool room with the window cracked and a little rain for white noise—it’s been some of the best sleep I’ve had in years. Waking up recharged and ready to perform isn’t a luxury; it’s something you can actually build with the right setup.

Quick Reminders Before You Start:

Marc Brackett on the Rich Roll podcast. Here you’ll dive deeper into EQ, feelings, emotions, and the Mood Meter.

I met Todd (founder of Dream) at Runningman last week. He’s one heck of a guy, building products worth your attention.

Awareness, recovery, and action… line up those three up and you’re already playing to win.

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty