Hey, fellow dads,
Ever feel like life just keeps piling on until you’re completely buried? Like no matter how much you push, you just can’t seem to get back on track?
That’s exactly where I was.
For almost four weeks, I felt drained. Maybe it was stress, exhaustion, or just life catching up with me—but I hit a wall. I wasn’t motivated. I wasn’t productive. And honestly, I felt like a terrible father and husband.
This wasn’t the first time, either. It was part of a cycle—go full steam ahead, crash and burn, repeat. But this time, as I clawed my way back, I realized something: there was a pattern. I wasn’t just randomly bouncing back; there were specific things I did that helped me regain my footing.
Here are the four things that helped me reset and get back at it.
- 1. Acknowledge Where You Are – It’s easy to shove feelings down and try to power through, but that never really works. If you’re overwhelmed, frustrated, or just plain exhausted—be honest with yourself. The only way back is to stop pretending you’re okay. You aren’t. And that’s okay.
- 2. Phone a Friend – When I’m in a rut, my first instinct is to withdraw. I go into hiding, avoiding conversations and pushing through on my own. But when I reflected on what actually helped me get back on track, I noticed that every time, talking to someone I trust was a turning point. Whether it’s your partner, a good friend, or a group of like-minded dads (😉), don’t go it alone. A little encouragement and outside perspective can make all the difference.
- 3. Reconnect with Your ‘Why’ – Why do you do what you do? What truly matters to you? When life gets overwhelming, it’s easy to lose sight of that. Is it your kids? Your wife? Your legacy? Reminding myself of my purpose—whether it’s being a great dad, building a meaningful career, or taking care of myself—helped me reset my focus. Your ‘why’ is your anchor.
- 4. Take Small, Intentional Steps – Getting back on track doesn’t happen overnight. And if you try to overhaul your life all at once, you’ll probably end up back where you started. Instead, I focused on small, manageable actions that helped me rebuild momentum. And you know what? It worked.
Even better, those small wins helped me stay up longer and recover faster the next time life knocked me down.
The $100M Calendar Strategy For Dad’s
After realizing my cycle of burnout, I wanted to break the pattern for good. So, I did what I always do when I need answers—I researched.
Surprisingly, I found a solution in a YouTube video called How I Organize My Life as the CEO of a $100M Company | Productivity Hacks.
The biggest takeaway? Getting organized creates a fallback system.
Half the battle of feeling overwhelmed is believing that getting back on track will take too much effort. But when you have a structured system, you remove the guesswork. Instead of climbing out of a hole blindfolded, you know exactly what steps to take.
That’s what led me to Noah Kagan’s $100M schedule strategy.
Here’s how it works:
Major Categories:
🟦 Work (Blue): Dedicated time for focused work.
🟩 Health (Green): Time blocked for workouts, nutrition, and mental well-being.
🟨 Life (Yellow): Space for personal development, hobbies, or downtime.
🟪 Family (Purple): All family time and responsibilities.
Subcategories for Better Organization:
🟥 Appointments (Red): Work-related meetings or calls.
🟧 Personal (Orange): Non-work, non-family commitments (hobbies, side projects).
⬜ Review (Grey): Weekly, monthly, and annual check-ins to adjust and improve.
By color-coding my calendar and adding minimum daily activities as notes, I’ve been able to stay on track, reduce stress, and actually prioritize what matters.
The best part? Regular reviews. At the end of the week, I take a few minutes to see what worked, what didn’t, and where I need to adjust. That way, I don’t fall into the same rut again.
Try It for Yourself
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small. Block out just a few key things in your calendar—your work time, your family time, and something for yourself. Then, build from there.
You don’t have to stay stuck. Small, intentional steps can make all the difference.
Have you ever tried color-coded calendaring or another system that helped you stay on track? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s working for you!
🍻 Cheers to finding structure in the chaos!
