When You Say Yes Before You’re Ready

Hey Team!

We’re in the second week of the new year and I already feel like the holidays were months ago. Maybe it’s the travel, maybe it’s the speed of everything right now. Either way, it feels like a lot of us are back to regular programming.

One update that feels fitting to share. I threw my hat in the ring for the Moab 240. I did it. I shared the decision on my socials (here: I changed my 2026 goal), and the responses have been rolling in. My honest sentiment hasn’t changed. Heck yeah, I’m scared. And I don’t fully know the training plan yet. But I have 10 months to figure it out.

What I do know is this. Making the commitment is its own version of showing up. Even signing up, even before you’re “ready,” is a step toward the start line. Something shifts when you do that. It takes courage. It’s bold. Confidence rises, and the flywheel starts turning.

So if you’re on the edge of committing to something that scares you this year, maybe this is your nudge.

Note: I find out next week on January 20 if I get selected. Pray to the race gods and wish me luck.

This Week’s Shift

This past week, I got invited to Austin by my friend Michael. No real agenda. Just come down, hang, meet good people in the health and wellness world. He said we’d swing by his friend Eric’s place (aka “Muscle Mansion”), sauna, cold plunge, and connect with a bunch of guys.

My kneejerk reaction was pretty direct. Why would I fly to Austin to hang with dudes at something called Muscle Mansion? That does not sound like my gig. Then a louder voice kicked in. Don’t go without an agenda. Everything needs a reason, a schedule, meetings, outcomes. This offer had none of that. It was just a hang.

But my gut said go. And I’m glad I listened.

In the last couple days here, I’ve felt real expansion, effortlessly. I’ve met incredible humans, made a few meaningful connections for the app we’re launching, met runners and run club organizers, and most importantly, I’ve deepened my friendship with Michael. The support for the upcoming launch feels really great.

Then I realized something that kind of stopped me. I haven’t gone on a “friend trip” like this in years. A trip with little agenda and a lot of connection. It reminded me that I deserve that too. We all do.

The shift that hit me hard. Sometimes we need to loosen the reins. Stop trying to calculate the net return on every decision. Say yes when a friend says, “Want to go on a trip?” Not because it’s optimized. Because it’s real. It’s authentic. And it feeds the soul.

From The Field

As I said, it’s been years since I’ve been on a true friend trip. The kind where you go with the flow and let the days unfold. We’ve basically spent every day at Eric’s place. He’s been unbelievably welcoming, and we’ve crossed paths with 50+ people.

And what stood out most. Not one time has anyone had an alcoholic drink. Lunches, dinners, nothing. Yes, I’m in the mix with people deep in the wellness world, but five years ago I don’t think this would’ve been the norm. It feels like the culture is shifting quietly. What used to be “normal” is becoming optional. What used to feel “different” is becoming understood.

The takeaway I’m sitting with is simple: your environment shapes your defaults. If you’re trying to build a stronger year, a bolder one, choose rooms where your goals feel normal. Choose friendships that don’t require you to explain the version of you that you’re becoming. You don’t need more willpower. You may need fewer points of friction.

If you want a small challenge this week, try this. Say yes to one thing that isn’t optimized, but is honest connection. Then notice what opens up after.

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty