Daily Check-In, Friday, February 27

I feel like February was a loss, overall - particularly as it relates to my diet. But, starting with my Bible reading - it was not daily; however, I did get all my Bible reading completed and up-to-date...I just did it in a couple of long sittings.

I also failed to complete my February book on time...meaning, I now have to finish my February book and my March book this month to get caught up.

Carnivore - well, I knew I was going to stray from my diet while on vacation; however, I didn't expect I'd make so many excuses to continue straying once I got home. I ended up spending more days in February off carnivore, than on it - something I am determined to correct in March.

I did not have a single no-social day in February, nor did I spend much time in prayer. I'm finding both of those habits are pretty difficult to build - still, I'm determined to get the groove of both before the end of this year. I want to spend less time on social media overall, and more time in prayer...it's becoming a need more than a desire.

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes
Daily Prayer
Carnivore/Keto	No	I had another piece of candy today, and a friend took us out to eat this evening, so I relaxed the diet for one meal
Monthly Book Progress	No
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes

Daily Check-In, Thursday, February 26

Today, I completed my first class toward my IBM Generative AI Engineering Certification. That was exciting! I also completed several items in the second class. I'm getting excited about learning all I can about Generative AI as I position myself to become an AI Prompt Engineer, and an expert in this field.

I'm maintaining with the Carnivore diet, and still on track with my daily bible reading. I plan to record episodes six through eight this weekend, and I'll try to get it all posted as well. I also plan to do some "shorts" for TikTok and Facebook as well.

Hanging in there!

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	No	I had a piece of candy at the end of the day
Monthly Book Progress	No
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes

Daily Check-In, Wednesday, February 25

Wednesday was a good day! I'm feeling good. I weighed myself this morning and the scale read 244.4 - I almost cried. I have not seen a number that low on my scale in nearly two years. And, while weight-loss isn't technically the goal, it's definitely a bonus side-effect.

I completed module 3 of my first course in Coursera this afternoon. One more module to go to complete my first of 16 courses. I might try to wrap that up tonight. But for now, I'm on track. I really need to spend time reading my February book this evening - I have a looong way to go and only three more days to complete it.

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	Yes
Monthly Book Progress	Yes
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes

Daily Check-In, Tuesday, February 24

Today I opened a pop-up shop to begin selling motivational apparel. In doing so, I created my first two designs: 1) "RECEIPTS > EXCUSES" - a simple bold, impactful solid black design on one of five colored t-shirts, and 2) "Did You Do It Though" - a bright and colorful statement challenging folks to not just talk about it, but do something about it. Both are available at proof-of-work.printify.me for only $20.

In other news, I completed my 48 hour fast today at 2:00, and I've resumed my carnivore eating plan. I weighted in at 246.0 this morning...I'm heading in the right direction. I'll be really excited when I can comfortably fit into my nice clothes again - I'm thinking another 10 to 15 pounds will get me there. But my ultimate weight loss goal is ~190 pounds; so I still have a ways to go.

I also realized today is 2/24 - there are only four days remaining in February, and I've only read one chapter of this months book. I need to get on that! But yesterday, I did complete several sections in my AI studies. I'll finish module 3 today, and then I'll get some reading done this evening.

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	Yes	I completed my 48 hour fast today and resumed carnivore eating plan
Monthly Book Progress	Yes
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes

Daily Check-In, Monday, February 23

It's Monday! My sickness has mostly past - just working with my body to expel the remnants of the yucky. Today, I fast! Tomorrow, I'll fast again. Wednesday, I'll hit be back on carnivore and, because I'm ready to see some real results on the scale, I'm going to go strict carnivore through March. That's the plan - now let's work on making it happen!

Here's what got accomplished today:

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes	Numbers chapters 1 & 2
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	No	Doing a water fast instead
Monthly Book Progress	Yes
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes

Week 7 - I Got Sick

Seriously, not making excuses. I'm just saying, when you feel sicky, you just don't feel motivated to do much anything except focus on healing and recovery. I had just finished taking care of my partner who was sick the previous week - then I started feeling a scratch throat and developing a snuffy nose. That stuffy nose lingered, and lingered, and lingered. I'm literally just now getting some relief.

It sucks because I missed out on attending the gender reveal of one of my friends Saturday, and had to stay in for the most part. Still, I did get to go grocery shopping Friday evening to prepare for my sisters birthday lunch, which we had today (2/22/2026 - though, her birthday is actually the 27th).

Anyway, all that to say, I'm having a second restart this month. I'll fast Monday and Tuesday and resume Keto (heavy on the Carnivore) Wednesday. And, with that said...here's my stats for the week I was sick (you'll see several no's):

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes	I finished the book of Leviticus today!
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	No
Monthly Book Progress	No
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes	Not as much as I should have, but a "yes" nonetheless
Podcast Progress	Yes	Finished scripting week's 5 and 6. I'm ready to record!

Lost Track - Quick Reset

Well, I thought relaxing my daily posts would feel less demanding - and, it did - but I've also began to lose sight of my purpose and goals. In the past two weeks, I've learned I need the daily accountability. So, effective today, I'll resume my daily posts with my list. It will be a simplified post, but hopefully equally as effective as before.

This is Friday, February 13th, and this is what I accomplished today:

Goal	Result	Notes
Daily Bible Reading	Yes	I now have all my bible reading caught up through 2/13
Daily Prayer	No
Carnivore/Keto	No
Monthly Book Progress	Yes
No Social Sunday	No
New Skill	Yes
Podcast Progress	Yes	Daily accountability blog entry has been completed

Check-In - Thursday, February 12

Well, yesterday was supposed to be a day of fasting - actually, yesterday and today were to be my fasting days to get me back on track following my week off in Iceland; however, I failed yesterday - I ate two small boxes of conversation hearts. That's a LOT of sugar - in fact, it's pure sugar...the most I've consumed all year. There was a small voice in the back of my head telling me once wouldn't hurt. But it did. I may not have seen it on the scale, but I still broke one of my rules in a big way.

I'm determined to get back on track. I have to!

Today, I had four eggs, and a few pickle. I'll probably end the day with some hot broth, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to drink.

My new plan is to get through today and tomorrow as close to pure carnivore as possible. I'll have a "cheat" meal on Saturday to celebrate Valentine's Day with my favorite human! Then Sunday, I'll do a water fast. Monday, I'll do a water and broth fast. And, Tuesday, I'll focus on returning to carnivore full-time.

I've booked another guest for my podcast. It's a local business owner and we're going to discuss "risk, fear, and building something from scratch" from the perspective of someone who's done just that. We are still working out the details, but I expect we'll do that podcast in April.

Random Check-In: Wednesday, February 11

Well, it's been a few days since I've posted to my blog - but, for good reason! I was out of the country on vacation in Reykjavik, Iceland. It was fabulous! Iceland is truly indescribably beautiful - the scenes I saw looked surreal. I'll post more about that with pictures later; for now, I want to provide a brief update on my progress.

So, I did not do any bible reading while I was away, but I did get most of it caught up on the flight home last night. I still have three or four days of bible reading to do to be completely caught up.

Food - well, no one expects you to truly stick with any diet when you're traveling abroad. Seriously, I'd have missed out on some delicious opportunities. Having said that, I didn't stray terribly far from the carnivore farm. For breakfast, I always had a good portion of meat and eggs, but I also tried some other options on the buffet - after all, I was eating at a 3 Michelin Star restaurant each morning. I also completed guided food tour of the city where I tried arctic char for the first time, and a fish stew - both were delicious.

Besides two cups of hot chocolate, one cup of coffee, and a shot of Brennivin, I only drank water (and I must say, the water in Iceland is pure and delicious!).

Exercise - yeah, I got it! We were walking all day, every day! And I have my iPhone tracker to prove it. We averaged over 10k steps a day. So, I think I'm covered there :-)

I'll use the coming week to cleanse and get back on track. I'm still making great progress. I'm becoming more conscious of my choices and responding accordingly. And, while I did gain just over a pound on my vacation, I'm counting that as a win (it could have been much worse).

Book Review #1 - "The Best Beer Run Ever"

I enjoyed this book overall—it kept my attention from start to finish and even taught me some new military terminology along the way. What fascinated me most was how Chick managed to get himself into an active war zone with little more than determination, charm, and a wildly unconventional plan. The improbability of it all somehow made the story even more compelling. I was also struck by how quickly he was able to track down so many of his friends once he arrived, which added a surprising warmth and momentum to the narrative.

I finished the book with a renewed appreciation for the men and women who served in Vietnam—their resilience, their sacrifice, and the human cost they carried long after the war. At the same time, the story left me with increased skepticism and scrutiny toward our nation’s leadership and the decisions that put so many lives in harm’s way. The Greatest Beer Run Ever is funny, heartfelt, and eye-opening, but it also quietly challenges the reader to think more deeply about war, loyalty, and the people who bear the consequences of decisions made far above them.

Monthly Check-In - January 2026

January taught me something important - rating my progress on a daily basis can feel defeating when I don't get a check-mark for each goal everyday. I've decided to move to a weekly rating where I can take a more balanced approach to my goals and, just maybe, feel less like I'm failing to make progress when I don't complete a task every single day. Knowing I made some progress with each goal throughout the week may be more satisfying and definitely help to maintain my motivation.

So, I'll sum up January here, then move to a weekly post where I discuss each goal and what progress I made. I'll probably also include other, more personal posts about my non-goal related adventures going forward.

January Progress

• Faith
• Bible reading: YES! I'm using a "read your bible in a year" app to help me through my daily bible reading and, yes, I am caught up - having completed all readings for January 1 through January 31!
• Intentional prayer: NO. Unfortunately, I did not dedicate any time to personal, private, and intentional prayer in January.
• Focus
• Carnivore - YES! - Mostly...I'd say I'm probably 90-95% strict carnivore for January. I made a few minor exceptions such as eating dill pickle, and having chicken and beef from the Chinese and Mexican restaurants where I didn't have control over what ingredients were in the sauces - but I only ate out three times (I think that's right), and only consumed protein and fat (in whatever sauce it was cooked in).
• Exercise - YES! I added this to my goals after announcing what my goals would be. I figured, if I'm going to focus on my diet, I should have some form of movement as part of my "get healthy" focus. So, I started doing some simple movements, including reboudding (almost daily), squats (~3-4 times a week), sit-ups (~3-4 times a week), and, when it warms up outside, I'll start walking several times each week - luckily, there were 2 days in January where it was nice and comfortable outside and I was able to get in some laps at the local track.
• Book reading: YES! I completed my first book of the year! The goal is to read one book of interest each month in 2026. My first book was "The Best Beer Run Ever." I'll post a full review later, but I enjoyed this one!
• Creation
• New skill study: YES! I have been studying and practicing using various components of AI. I also enrolled in an IBM AI Prompt Engineering certification offered through Coursera and have completed 1.5 modules of the first course.
• Podcast progress: YES! I recorded the first five episodes of my podcast and published the first two episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts! I also spent a great deal of time trying to perfect my workflow (a work still in progress). The latest three are still being edited for publication.