Motivation, humor, and honesty from a man actively dodging a midlife crisis so you can too.
2026 starts in less than a week. Most planners ask you to map out the whole year. The 1-Day Method asks one question: Can you win today? No 90-day goals. No vision boards. Just a simple system to stack wins one day at a time.
Sometimes the worst part of my day is the first 30 seconds after I wake up.
Still half-asleep, the demons arrive.
The house that burned down.
The weight of providing.
Every worst-case scenario my mind can manufacture.
Some mornings they whisper.
Some mornings they scream.
I used to think successful men woke up clear-headed.
Calm. Certain. Ready to perform.
That’s a lie.
My work has taught me the 4 AM demons come for everyone.
CEOs. Athletes. The men who look invincible online.
The difference isn’t whether they show up.
It’s what you do when they do.
I get out of bed. Immediately.
Not because I’m motivated.
Because bed is quicksand for the mind.
The longer you lie there thinking, the deeper you sink.
The demons hate movement.
They feed on lying there.
For some men, the quicksand isn’t the bed.
It’s the couch.
The phone.
The bottle.
The scroll.
Whatever keeps you still long enough for the thoughts to take root.
So I move.
Feet on the floor.
Cold water on my face.
Breathe.
Make coffee.
Lift heavy weights.
Write down what’s going on in my head.
I don’t fight the demons.
I don’t argue with them.
I just refuse to give them the stillness they need to grow.
If you wake up some mornings with the weight of everything pressing on your chest, you’re not alone.
You’re human.
You’re in the arena because people depend on you.
The demons come for all of us.
Just don’t stay in bed with them.
Antonio
P.S. If the demons don't leave when you move, if they follow you all day, every day, that's different. Talk to someone. A friend or a professional.
P.P.S. Felt this? Buy me a coffee.
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