Three-day weeks are good for the soul, and if you’re like me, you often come back into the work week off a high of enjoying doing exactly what you love. Spending uninterrupted time with family, golfing with friends, reading by the pool, etc. I think it’s important to recognize in these moments what we prioritize when we have the time to prioritize it, and then be grateful for the ability to enjoy those things. The energy we receive from doing what with love with those we love in an unmatched equation.

I love this quote to get us started this week, in a similar vein to this thought above:

We spend so much of life chasing more: More money, more recognition, more things to prove we’ve made it. Yet, life begins and ends in the same way: empty-handed. The houses, cars, bags, and clothes all stay behind. What travels with you is intangible: the love you gave, the peace you cultivated, the way you touched the lives of others. The real measure of a life well lived isn’t in accumulations but in contribution. So let your soul grow richer each day with presence, compassion, and meaning. Make sure when your hands are empty, your soul is full. - Vex King

Brain – Shake Off the Long Weekend Fog

A long three-day weekend is great for rest, family, food, and maybe a little extra fun. But tomorrow morning it’s over, and this is the moment where most people stumble. They drag into the week half-committed, half-focused, telling themselves they’ll “it’s a short week anyway, I’ll start fresh next Monday.” Unfortunately, that’s how momentum dies.

But the good thing is that is not you! You’ve got four days on the clock. Four chances to prove to yourself that you can shake the fog off faster than anyone else and get back to business.

Here’s our playbooks for the week to flip the switch and get some momentum:

1. Set the Tone with a Keystone Win
Momentum starts with action. Do one thing tomorrow that signals “I’m back on track.” Hit the gym, prep a clean breakfast, or block off an hour of deep work in the first 3 hours of your workday. That single act will reset your standard and set the tone for the rest of the week.

2. Attack the Big Three
Forget about catching up on every little thing. That only creates chaos. Instead, identify your three most important priorities for the week tonight - the ones that will actually move the needle. Write them down, commit to them, and use those as your north star to keep you on track as energy wanes late on Tuesday and Wednesday.

3. Move Your Body, Clear Your Mind
Nothing burns off the weekend haze faster than sweat. Whether it’s a lift, a run, or a fast-paced walk, 20 minutes of movement will sharpen your focus and restore energy. Don’t wait to “feel ready.” Move first, clarity follows.

4. Fuel Like You Mean It
Energy levels live in the kitchen. You don’t need a complicated reset, just discipline. Get back to basics: protein, whole foods, water. Skip the fast food on your way into work and feed your body fuel that actually supports your focus and effort. By tonight, you’ll already feel the difference.

5. Treat This Week Like a Sprint
Four days. That’s all you have, and it’s more than enough to create momentum. Instead of easing back, treat it like a sprint. Be sharper in your work, tighter with your workouts, cleaner with your meals. Prove to yourself that a “short week” can actually be your most productive week.

Body – When’s the Best Time to Do Cardio if You Lift?

If you train with both weights and cardio, you’ve probably asked the classic question: “Should I do cardio before or after lifting? Or should I split them into separate sessions?” The answer isn’t as simple as one-size-fits-all, and not everyone’s schedule is even conducive to being flexible here - but the research gives us some helpful guidelines to get started.

1. Separate Sessions Work Best (If You Can)
Studies on “concurrent training” (mixing strength and endurance) show that when cardio and lifting are done too close together, they can compete for recovery and adaptation. Endurance training activates pathways for stamina, while strength training activates pathways for muscle growth. Doing them back-to-back can slightly blunt each adaptation.

• Takeaway: If you want maximum muscle growth and cardio performance, the gold standard is to separate them by at least 6–8 hours—or better, on different days.

• Takeaway 2: This is an impractical approach for most people with a job and family obligations. Getting that out of the way early. This is simply what the science says - if you had the time, and if physical appearance and performance were your number 1 goal, you should separate the two.

2. Cardio Before Lifting
Doing cardio first can reduce your strength and power in the gym. Fatigue from running or cycling depletes glycogen and tires out your muscles, which makes heavy lifts harder.

• Best for: People prioritizing cardiovascular fitness or training for a race. If endurance is your main goal, putting cardio first makes sense.

3. Cardio After Lifting
Lifting first ensures your muscles are fresh, so you can push heavier loads and get stronger over time. Cardio afterward still provides heart health benefits and calorie burn without interfering as much with strength.

• Best for: People prioritizing strength, muscle growth, or body composition.

4. Type and Intensity of Cardio Matters
Not all cardio interferes with lifting the same way. High-intensity cardio (like sprints or HIIT) is most likely to affect strength gains when combined with lifting. Steady-state, moderate cardio has less of an impact.

• Think of it like this: a brisk walk or light cycle won’t “steal” much from your lifting session, but a hard 5k before squats will.

So… Does It Even Matter?
Yes - but mostly if you’re chasing elite-level strength or endurance. For the average person who wants to be fit, strong, and healthy, the most important factor is just doing both consistently. The interference effect is relatively small for recreational lifters.

What I have found in my own experience is that if I 100% want to make sure my cardio gets done (not marathon training cardio, just complementary cardio to the weights), I have to ensure it gets done when I am in the gym and not hope for the discipline to get it done later in the day. And even breaking that down, if I go into the gym with low energy, I am likely going to force myself to do it first to ensure it gets done, even if that is less optimal.

Most Effective Cardio Options in 15–20 Minutes
If your gym time is limited, here are efficient cardio methods that pair well with lifting:

• Incline Walking (Treadmill): 10–15% incline, brisk pace. Low impact, high calorie burn, great for fat loss and conditioning.

• HIIT Intervals: 30–60 seconds of hard effort (sprints, bike, rower) followed by equal or longer rest. Maximizes fitness in minimal time.

• Rowing Machine: Full-body, low-impact, and efficient for both strength endurance and conditioning. Loved this during Hyrox training.

• Assault Bike / Air Bike: Short, brutal bursts of intensity. Excellent for calorie burn and improving VO₂ max.

• Stair Climber: Great lower-body conditioning, especially if you’re short on time.

Choose the style that matches your energy level and recovery needs. Even 15 minutes of consistent cardio stacked onto your lifting pays huge dividends over time.

Book – How to Get Better at Reading (and Actually Stick With It)

A lot of people want to read more, but the actual experience can feel frustrating: losing focus, rereading the same page, or finishing a chapter only to realize nothing stuck. Reading isn’t just about turning pages, it’s a skill you can build. Here are some of the most common excuses and problems I have heard for people hesitating to lean harder into reading, and some easy actions to help get better at the skill:

1. Lack of Focus
Our brains are wired for quick hits of stimulation these days - scrolling feeds, alerts, and bite-sized content. A book asks for something different: patience. That mismatch can make it hard to settle in, especially when we have this ever-present urge to put our hand in our pocket to check to see if we missed any notifications.

• Action: Think of reading like training attention. Start with 10–15 minutes in a distraction-free zone. Put your phone in another room, set a timer, and commit. Over time, extend the sessions. You wouldn’t expect to run 10 miles on day one - don’t expect marathon-level focus right away.

2. Low Retention
Many people read without truly engaging. The words pass by, but the ideas don’t land. This often happens when you rush or treat reading passively. This is a frustrating realization for both non-fiction and fiction books. You don’t remember the action items from the self-help book you try to read, and you lose the plot on that fantasy you picked up, too.

• Action: At natural stopping points (end of a section or chapter) pause and restate the main idea in your own words. Write down one sentence in a notebook, or simply say it aloud. This reflection cements memory, sharpens comprehension, and transforms reading from passive consumption into active thinking.

3. Choosing the Wrong Books
Sometimes the issue isn’t focus or ability, it’s the book itself. If it doesn’t spark curiosity, your mind will wander. Pushing through purely because you “should” read it drains motivation. I have finished entirely too many books that I knew I should have dropped in the first 30 pages, and that at times soured me on reading all together.

• Action: Give yourself permission to quit. Reading isn’t about proving discipline, it’s about building a habit of engagement. Start with books that excite you, whether it’s fiction, biography, or personal growth. Once the habit is established, you’ll find it easier to tackle more challenging material.

4. Reading Stamina
Just like exercise, reading stamina takes conditioning. If you only pick up a book every few weeks, it’ll always feel like starting over. Long stretches will be tiring instead of enjoyable.

• Action: Read daily, even in small doses. A single page counts. What matters most is frequency, not volume. By touching a book every day, you build momentum and make reading a normal part of your identity, not a special event.

5. Treating Reading as a “Should” Instead of a “Want”
When reading feels like homework, resistance grows. You might tell yourself you “should” read more, but obligation kills enthusiasm.

• Action: Create a ritual around reading that makes it something you look forward to. A favorite chair, a warm coffee, or evening quiet time can turn reading into a reward. The environment has to signal enjoyment, not a duty.

6. Multitasking Mentality
Trying to read while mentally juggling tomorrow’s tasks means nothing sticks. Books reward undivided attention, and that requires intention.

• Action: Before you open your book, pause for 30 seconds. Take a breath and set the mental cue: this time is only for reading. This tiny act primes your brain for focus and helps keep wandering thoughts at bay.

Reading well takes practice. By adjusting your environment, your approach, and your expectations, you can grow your ability to focus, retain, and enjoy books. Start small, build consistently, and you’ll be surprised how quickly reading becomes not just easier, but deeply rewarding.