A Little Better Each Day

At the end of 2024, I started writing. I'd sit at my computer early in the morning before anyone else was awake and put the jumble of thoughts and emotions in my head into a Google Doc.

It made me feel incredible. It organized my mind, lightened the burden I felt like I was carrying, and brought clarity. I also felt accomplished when I was done.

As I dealt with a handful of challenges in early 2025, I found myself writing more. The perspective that came through writing was medicine to me. I've always liked the idea of writing standing the test of time, too. I'm not great at recalling the details of a story from a long time ago, so this felt like a way to capture my life. Something I could look back on, and maybe my kids could one day too.

Writing also takes time. Time to think clearly, sit down without interruptions, and flesh things out. With three kids under five and life in full swing, that's been harder to come by lately.

Every Saturday morning, I sit down at my desk and make a list of things I want to do and things I need to do. I go through the tasks that have been building up in my Todo app, figure out what should get done that day, and put the plan on the calendar I share with Abbey. Almost every time, “read” and “write” land on the list.

I really enjoy both, but sometimes it feels like the stars have to align for me to have the time and the right setting. Lately they have. I've been getting to bed earlier, which means I can wake up and read or write a little before the other priorities of the day take over.

I've been on a kick reading biographies about startups and entrepreneurs. I recently read Ding Dong by Jamie Siminoff and That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph, and now I'm reading Going Infinite by Michael Lewis. I love hearing people's stories and perspectives and learning what makes them them. I ought to write more about what I'm reading.

Of course, reading and writing come with a tradeoff. The time I spend doing those things is time I could be exercising or obsessively trying to find my next side project. I tend to get on kicks with all three. Depending on how I'm feeling and what season of life we're in, I'll spend weeks or even a month or two focused on one of them.

They all have to happen outside the hours I work my job. Which is a big reason it'd be nice to replace my job with one or two of those things someday, so I'd have a little more time to work with.

Other than wanting to read and write more, life is really good. We're happy, and our kids make it an absolute blast. I should write more about the experiences we're having raising them, even the little moments that make us laugh.

One thing bringing me a lot of joy right now is playing baseball with Beau, who's five.

We live in Lehi, and our house backs up to a beautiful city park. It has a walking path, a popular splash pad, and playgrounds. Depending on the season, there are usually about six different youth sports teams practicing there. We love living close to it for a lot of reasons, but it's especially great for baseball practice.

Some neighbors got us into competitive baseball early with Beau, and it's been a blessing because he's really excited about it. You hope your kids develop a desire and passion for things, but you can't force it. Baseball has come naturally to him.

Which is funny, because I grew up pretty much despising baseball. If it was on TV, I'd fall asleep. I never played past tee-ball when I was five. So when Beau started showing signs that he loved it, I knew I had a lot to learn.

That's been part of the fun for me. I enjoy picking up something new and learning the rules and strategies. It's all new to me, as if I were five again.

Beau loves the gear. He's always loved physical things, and we've joked about the piles of trinkets in his room. A new bat, cleats, glove, hat, or bag gets him pumped to play more baseball. And there's no shortage of gear in baseball. The options are endless, with no ceiling on price. Who doesn't like getting a new bat and going out to hit?

He also loves trying new things. New drills, a new indoor facility, or another chance to get better. Going to TPS in Pleasant Grove for the first time was like going to Disneyland. He was in love. Same with Mountain West Academy with his uncle Hank.

And he's competitive. Beau hates to lose. I don't blame him. We've had to teach him over board games that he's not always going to win. He learned a similar lesson after his first at-bat at a tournament in Salem, where the machine pitch was way too fast. You'll win some and you'll lose some.

I think that's part of what keeps our practices at the park so consistent. He loves finding ways to improve and compete with himself each day. There are so many skills, strategies, and techniques in baseball that you could spend your whole life getting better. That's what we work on: a little better each day.

Our routine usually starts with one of us asking the other if they want to go play catch. I'd say half the time it's him and half the time it's me. I love that he initiates it too, and that neither of us feels forced.

We put our shoes on, toss his baseball bag, some bases, and a bucket of balls in the wagon, and walk the few steps down to the open grass. At this point we both know the drill. It's become a ritual.

We warm up throwing, with five catches on each side before putting some distance between us. Then we work on grounders. After that, we'll try a new drill or do some batting practice, depending on what skill needs the most help. By the end, I'm usually trying to convince Beau that we should head in and get dinner. He'd go until dark. And sometimes we do.

I love that we're outside, that we can talk about our day and whatever else comes up, and that we have something to work toward together. It's almost always a better alternative to whatever else I could be doing. Finding something you and your kids both enjoy enough to do together is the biggest hack. Plus, it gets my mind off everything else, and being active is nice.

I realize I got long-winded about baseball, but it's one of the things bringing me a lot of joy right now. It's simple but powerful. These are the moments I want to remember and tell stories about later, when the kids aren't so little anymore.

Well, that's all I have for this morning. I spent more time writing than I thought I would. The kids need me. Benny's falling off the couch, Abbey is catching up on sleep after sleep training, and I need to go get breakfast and get ready to go into work.