Matt Tilmann
@mittendad
Writing about calm, creativity, and building a life you don’t need to escape from. Parent. Analyst. Systems thinker. Mitten Dad Minute 👉
I said yes to something before I read the fine print. Turns out it was joining the launch team for Jesse Mecham's new book — the founder of YNAB. @ynabofficial.bsky.social is the only budgeting method that actually changed how I think about money. Not tracking. Thinking.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison
Tomorrow morning, I'm publishing something a little different. A few weeks ago, I asked one question on Substack: What does home mean to you? #home
Most people get this backwards: Ikigai isn't a diagram you fill out and forget. It’s a daily compass, not a map. Here's what I learned: The popular "four circles" version is a career tool dressed up in philosophy — but it misses the point entirely:
The four-circle ikigai diagram is a career-planning tool with a Japanese label. The actual Okinawan elders, the book studies talk about a garden. A grandchild. A 6 am ritual. The diagram did laps on LinkedIn for a decade. The elders? They kept gardening.
I've been studying viral posts for years. @edendotso changed the game for me. Search 1M+ viral posts across every platform. Save the best. Let AI break down why they worked. Write your version. 7-day free trial. No card required. Aff link below: #creatortools
Nobody told you the junk drawer was costing you focus. Nobody mentioned the app badges were running a tax on your brain. Nobody covered what to do about it in under 15 minutes. I wrote it out for you. open.substack.com/pub/mittend...
Mental clarity is a byproduct of deliberate pause, not constant action.
While your miles may vary, this might be helpful for when you find yourself “fretting”:
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get your favorite podcasts! Just search for "The Mitten Dad Show"! And if you're feeling generous, and the topic resonated with you, a five star review is always appreciated on those platforms!
Rest didn't fix my burnout. More sleep didn't either. That's because I was treating the wrong type. There are three kinds of burnout — and only one responds to rest. The other two require something different entirely.
Calm often comes from things you handled before the day got loud. A place to put things. A plan for the next hour. A shorter list than your ambition wanted.
A rough week usually leaves debris behind. The hard part is rarely the week itself. It’s the messy reentry after.
One interruption costs you 23 minutes of focus. Context switching eats 40% of your productive time. That's not your problem. That's a systems problem. 🎙️ New episode of Mitten Dad Minute 👇
Hopefully you were able to take a break from the onslaught of #news to catch the #northernlights tonight!
There’s something liberating about realizing how little the stars care about your to-do list. Curious? Make sure you're subscribed at the link in the pinned post. Issue drops tomorrow morning at 6:30 am EST. #universe #selfcare #worklifebalance #mindfulness #productivity
Mistakes can often be the best teacher, as long as we learn from them.
Some good food for thought if you find yourself losing too much time to social media.
The fear of judgment might be the biggest creative #tax you’re paying—and the least acknowledged.
Want the full deep-dive on this? I wrote a detailed guide on how to build your personal knowledge system and reclaim your attention. Check out this week's post: open.substack.com/pub/mittend...