Sabbatical Reflections: Month 1 - Foundations, Not Finishes

Four weeks in and some things look clearer. Some feel heavier. But most of all, I’m starting to notice what’s actually sticking.

I didn’t finish a book.

I didn’t build a product.

I didn’t land a tutoring client (yet).

But I’ve been laying something slower that might last and isn't another content graveyard.

📝 What I’ve been building:

• Daily writing cadence — small posts, drafts, frameworks, fiction
• Progress on four books-in-motion (still live, still learning)
• FE Mechanical exam (took it Monday after finishing up my prep work that connected a lot of different concepts with the stakes feeling different)
• Reengaging with computer science fundamentals so I don’t drift too far
• Small Levers Lab, Website, and Leverage Notes Substack all launched — not perfect, but live

🏃‍♂️ What I’ve been living:

• Started boxing (coordination is a work in progress)
• Returned to running — quiet miles, steady breath
• Scrambled to get my last civil wedding details done with my fiancée
• Took real rest for the first time in a long time
• Read significant chunks from a few books from different human domains

📐 What’s starting to emerge:

• Companion apps and onboarding systems for young professionals — maybe a way to extend the books and my writings
• A clearer filter for future roles: human leverage + technical edge
• A rhythm for writing in public during this creative sprint — not to perform, just to be visible
• None of this feels fast. But it does feel honest.

Looking ahead to Month 2:

• More hands-on work, fewer open tabs
• Training for the Habanero Hundred trail race
• Maybe fasting — food, phone, media, habits
• Sharpening my routines again (diet, sleep, focus)
• Starting to job search with the clearer vision of the roles I want (a mix of engineer, strategist, teacher)
• More nature, more stillness
• Teaching more in any form

And one thread I’ve just begun tugging on: the long arc.

Writing in public has made me wonder what it would mean to build a place and not just a platform. A physical and digital space for men who’ve drifted. Somewhere to recover rhythm, learn real skills, and reenter the world with their spine intact.

The name and concept came to me a while back: Iron Temple Ranch. I don’t know how it will come about exactly. But it’s starting to feel less like an idea and more like a blueprint I’ll be laying stone by stone.

Thanks to everyone who’s read, replied, or resonated. This sabbatical has reminded me that some of the best conversations start when you stop performing and start sharing what’s real.

If you’re navigating your own transition or in a rebuilding season, I’d love to connect.