☕ Running on Fumes (and Dumb Choices)
Yesterday’s workday felt like trudging through molasses while wearing ankle weights made of regret. I spent most of it trying to stay awake without the assistance of my usual caffeine IV drip. Why? Because I’ve decided to detox like a responsible grown-up who values “natural energy.” Spoiler: I don’t have any. I’ve scaled back to only noXplode in the morning, which would’ve been great if I had remembered to take it this morning.
So instead of being even mildly alert, I was running purely on stubbornness and shame.
🚶♂️ Family Walk: Now With 100% More Bribery
But despite my brain being in power-save mode, I rallied in the evening and got the whole crew out for a walk. Yes, the entire family. How? Leverage. Audrey didn’t want to go—until I casually mentioned that going on the walk earned her a ticket to the Minecraft Movie on Friday.
Cue instant motivation. Parenting tip: You don’t need to inspire, just dangle a carrot. If you think your kids aren’t for sale, you’ve never tried offering them Minecraft content in exchange for light cardio.
But honestly? It felt good. Something about the cool air, the sound of the kids bickering about whose turn it is to ride the scooter, and that moment of “we’re actually doing this together”… it hits. Small win, but a real one.
🛌 Sleep: A Tragic Tale of Betrayal by Muscle Tissue
Sleep started off promising. I went to bed early, like a responsible adult trying to unfat himself. I even skipped scrolling TikTok till midnight—personal growth, baby!
But my shoulders had other plans. They’ve gone from “a little sore” to “it feels like someone stuffed bricks into my rotator cuffs and set them on fire.” Every time I moved, they reminded me that I’m not 25 anymore. One wrong turn and I was wide awake, questioning all my life choices—including the one where I thought lifting weights after a 2-year hiatus was a good idea.
📚 Japanese, But Make It Click
This morning I fired up Lesson 3 of Pimsleur Japanese, round two. And honestly? It’s clicking. Like, I’m not just mimicking sounds—I’m starting to understand. Full sentences are starting to form in my brain, and it doesn’t feel like work anymore—it feels like progress.
Naturally, I tested my new skill on the dog. She looked at me with the same dead-eyed stare she uses when I ask if she wants to go out, but I’m counting it as a win. One day, I’ll be bilingual. Today, I’m just the weird guy telling his dog to sit in Japanese. Baby steps.
🏃 Cardio? Completed It. Lifting? Not Today, Satan.
Cardio got done—30 minutes of it. No skipping. I showed up, broke a sweat, and didn’t whine (much). Afterward, I rolled up to the squat rack ready to conquer.
Except… my back and shoulders were still on strike. I stepped up to the bar, felt the twinge, and instantly heard my body whisper, “Try it and we riot.” I noped out of there like someone just offered me a free timeshare presentation.
I used to think skipping a workout was weakness. But there’s a difference between pushing limits and being a masochist. Pain is feedback. And right now, that feedback says: rest or you’ll be in physical therapy by Day 10.
📖 Book of the Day: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson*
Look, I know—this book is everywhere. It’s the avocado toast of personal development. But unlike most self-help fluff, Mark Manson doesn’t promise magic. He tells you straight-up: you’re going to suffer; the trick is choosing the suffering that gets you somewhere.
That idea punched me square in the ego. Because yeah, I’m sore, I’m tired, and I bailed on squats—but I still showed up today. I chose this kind of discomfort over the slow, soul-sucking pain of staying stuck. That’s the lesson. You don’t eliminate pain. You just get better at choosing which pain is worth your time.
And for me, getting healthy—actually healthy—is worth it. Even if it means temporary setbacks, failed lifts, and bribing my daughter with Minecraft flicks.
✅ TL;DR Wins and Lessons
- ☕ Forgot my only allowed caffeine source. 0/10, would not recommend.
- 🚶♂️ Family walk achieved via expertly crafted bribery.
- 🛌 Sleep betrayed me, courtesy of angry shoulder ligaments.
- 🧠 Japanese is finally clicking—my dog remains unimpressed.
- 🏋️♂️ Cardio was solid, squats got vetoed by my skeletal system.
- 📖 Manson’s wisdom: choose better problems, not no problems.
Day 3: Still here. Still sore. Still showing up.
If you need me, I’ll be doing mobility work and whispering sweet nothings to my shoulder joints.
Minecraft tickets purchased. Honor upheld. 💥
Drew Karriker is a self-proclaimed professional tinkerer, self-experimentation enthusiast, and lifelong learner with an inability to sit still. A former nuclear engineer turned DevOps architect, he’s built a career (and a life) out of breaking things, fixing them, and then making them better.
Despite wrestling with ADHD, anxiety, and an unrelenting need to optimize everything, he transformed his career and life in just a few years—not because he’s special, but because he figured out how to turn obsession into execution. Now, he’s doing it again—publicly—one 100-day challenge at a time.
His past projects? Some were successes. Some flopped spectacularly. Each one left him a little wiser (and probably a little more caffeinated). Now, he’s on a mission to document his transformation—mind, body, career, and everything in between—so that others might pick up a thing or two along the way. Or at the very least, be entertained by the chaos.
Follow along at RewiredWithDrew.com and get inspired, get motivated, or just grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride.