Honey Do List Basement Project Complete

Stardate 04.12.2026

If I had to summarize my high school wood shop experience in one word, it would be incomplete.

Every assignment came with a deadline. I watched classmates move confidently through joints and hinges while I stood there trying to make sense of instructions that felt written in another language. My wood shop teacher showed me a lot of grace. He was also my tennis coach, so he knew my strengths lived on a different court. Still, those unfinished projects left a mark. For years, I quietly carried the belief that building things with my hands simply wasn’t “my thing.”

Because of that, I avoided projects that pushed me outside my comfort zone. If something required tools, measurements, and mechanical thinking, I was quick to find a reason to step aside.

Until this basement shelf project.

This one had thirty-two hinges. Four drawers. Measurements that had to be right. Pieces that had to line up. There were moments when I could almost hear that old wood shop classroom whispering, You’re not good at this.

But something different happened this time.

I stayed with it.

One hinge at a time.
One drawer at a time.
One small correction at a time.

No rushing. No quitting. Just quiet persistence.

Last night, when my wife walked into the basement and saw the finished shelves, the look on her face told me everything I needed to know. I didn’t need a grade. I didn’t need applause. I just needed that moment to realize that the story I had been telling myself for decades was no longer true.

I wasn’t “bad at this.”

I was simply unfinished.

And unfinished things, given enough patience, can still become beautiful.

There was a little bonus attached to this victory. The store where I purchased the shelves was offering an 11% rebate. I mailed that form in on the very first day. When that rebate arrives, it will go toward tools for what I’m now calling my dream project.

More on that later.

For today, I’m just celebrating this quiet win.

It’s never too late to rewrite an old story.
It’s never too late to learn something new.
It’s never too late to finish what we once thought we couldn’t.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Some victories aren’t loud.
Some are built slowly, hinge by hinge, drawer by drawer, belief by belief.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Fascinating, Captain. Evidence suggests your limitation was never mechanical ability, but an outdated self-assessment.”

Bones: “In plain English, Spock… the man finally stopped believing an old lie.”

I smiled when I heard them. Because that’s exactly what happened in that basement. I didn’t just build shelves. I dismantled a decades-old belief about myself.

Mission Log complete.

Grateful for small victories that quietly change big stories.

Mission Accomplished

Mission Accomplished

Stardate 04.11.2026

Yesterday, Miss Joni completed the delivery of 50 coloring books, 50 packs of crayons, and 50 hand-made bracelets to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

It happened to be the very same day our astronauts returned safely home from their journey to the moon and back. I smiled at the timing. One of the illustrations inside the coloring book shows a child dreaming of becoming an astronaut after healing is complete. Two very different missions. One shared thread: hope for the future.

The first photo from the day captures Miss Joni standing in front of the hospital beside the concierge who receives and distributes deliveries. It’s a quiet, beautiful moment. No spotlight. No ceremony. Just faithful people doing meaningful work for children they may never meet.

Later, my joy doubled.

A friend shared a picture of Helen M. Swearson autographing Where in the World is Wilson? while on a break from her day job. There she was, taking ordinary time in an ordinary place to do something extraordinary for someone else. The second photo carries that spirit — a reminder that missions are often carried forward in the small in-between moments of daily life.

Now that the logistics are complete and the coloring books are making their way into patients’ hands, I can already see ways to make the next mission more seamless. Each step teaches something. Each delivery becomes a little smoother than the last. One percent better.

None of this happens alone.

It is carried by supporters, encouragers, and prayer warriors who stand behind the scenes. People who give, who share, who believe, who lift these efforts up when no one else is watching.

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Fascinating, Captain. The scale of the mission is small, yet the impact appears… immeasurable.”

Bones: “That’s because you’re measuring with logic again. The heart doesn’t work in units, Spock.”

Michael: The more I do this, the more I see that meaningful work rarely looks dramatic. It looks like Miss Joni at a front desk. It looks like Helen signing a book on her lunch break. It looks like ordinary people choosing to do one small good thing at a time.

Mission Log: Another small mission, carried out with big love.

Have a great day.

Drawer #3 Before Sunrise Today

Stardate 04/10/2026

It’s just after 5:00am as I write this.

I’ve already been awake for an hour. Like most mornings, the first part of my day began with prayer and meditation, followed by a quick look at my sleep report. I pay attention to deep sleep and REM because they tell me something important: whether the way I’m living is supporting peace… or quietly working against it.

So far, so good.

That matters to me because my workload is on the high side, and I’ve learned the hard way that inner peace doesn’t survive long when I ignore the signals.

I’m also happy to report progress on the number one item on the honey-do list.

If you’ve been following along, you know there was a difference of opinion about who should build the shelves in the basement. That difference of opinion was rooted in past experiences. Fair experiences. Honest experiences.

What I’m realizing now is that this whole shelf project is actually an experiment disguised as a home improvement task.

I’m trying to prove something — not to my wife, but to myself.

I’m learning that when I gently step outside my comfort zone and give myself permission to learn new things without pressure, I can accomplish far more than my own brain thinks I can handle.

My brain can be stubborn.

When there’s tension or unfinished business in my head, it often shows up during sleep. That’s where the real battle happens. I used to think the solution was to push harder during the day. Now I’m discovering the solution is to cooperate with my own mind instead of fighting it.

I’m learning how to team up with my brain.

Less tension.
More patience.
One small task at a time.

Once this story is scheduled for release at 8:08am Pacific Time, I’ll be in the basement working on drawer #3. I’ve given myself one hour for the task.

If I were a professional cabinet maker, this might take ten minutes.

I am not a professional cabinet maker.

I am a man learning to be comfortable in the “uncomfort zone.”

When the hour is up, I stop. No frustration. No overrun. No pressure.

This is an experiment I can’t lose.

If the drawer is complete in one hour, I win.
If it’s not complete, I still win.

Because the real goal isn’t the drawer.

The real goal is learning to live peacefully while doing things that once felt intimidating.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” — John 14:27

Peace isn’t the absence of work.
It’s the presence of calm while doing the work.

And that’s new for me.

I can already sense that when this shelf project is complete, there will be a conversation with my wife about what comes next. If this experiment continues to go well, I have a feeling it may lead to some interesting projects in the future.

But that’s a story for another day.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears you are conducting an experiment on yourself.”

Bones: “I’ve seen worse patients, Spock. At least this one’s learning.”

Michael: “Gentlemen, I’m finally figuring out how to work with my own mind instead of against it.”

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Grateful for another quiet morning, one drawer at a time.

Goal for Today: Build One Drawer

Stardate 04.09.2026

Now that the first bulk order of coloring books has been handed off to Miss Joni and her team of student volunteers, I can turn my attention back to the honey-do list.

The basement wall-to-wall shelving project is moving forward. Most of the shelves are in place. Yesterday, I completed the first of four drawers.

What’s interesting is how this project is teaching me something I didn’t expect.

Small daily goals are working better for me than trying to do too much at once.

At the beginning, this project felt overwhelming. Measurements, materials, tools, and steps all piled up in my head at once. It felt like something that would take forever to complete. But when I reduced the goal to something simple — build one drawer — everything changed.

One drawer is manageable. One drawer is clear. One drawer is doable.

And one drawer, repeated four times, becomes a finished cabinet.

I woke up especially encouraged this morning because I hit a new high mark on my sleep report. Deep rest. Strong REM. A clear mind. There’s something about waking up rested that makes steady progress feel not only possible, but enjoyable.

There’s no pressure to build another drawer today. My wife even offered to let me slow down and take a break. But this isn’t about pressure. I simply enjoy creating. I enjoy learning. I enjoy watching something take shape that didn’t exist before.

This project is giving me an opportunity to practice patience in a very practical way.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Sometimes “doing good” looks like serving others.

Sometimes it looks like building a drawer.

Both require the same thing: steady faithfulness in small steps.

I have plenty of time this morning to complete another drawer before heading to my day job. No rush. No stress. Just quiet progress.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, progress appears statistically inevitable when the task is reduced to its simplest component.”

Bones: “In plain English, that means stop trying to build the whole thing at once.”

Michael: “One drawer at a time, gentlemen.”

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Grateful for another day to build, learn, and move forward.

Logistics 101

Stardate 04.08.2026

Sometimes the best way to handle complicated details is to pretend you’re a fifth grader.

Not to simplify the mission — but to simplify the steps.

Today’s story is inspired by my accountability partner, Miss Joni, who has a heart for serving children. She doesn’t just serve. She teaches. She models. She invites others into the work.

I saw her yesterday when she stopped by my day job to fulfill the kids’ order for items headed to a local food pantry. Those same kids who held a bake sale because they wanted to help children they will likely never meet.

Later today, I’ll see her again. This time, I’ll hand off the first bulk order: 50 coloring books and 50 packs of crayons.

Because of Miss Joni, there is now a clear path for getting these supplies into the hands of patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

And here’s what struck me.

What felt complicated in my head became very simple in her hands.

Order.
Receive.
Deliver.
Document.
Repeat.

That’s it.

A fifth grader could follow that.

And that’s the point.

I now have a working template for logistics — a step-by-step process for handling bulk donations, from ordering to distribution to accounting. Not because I designed it, but because I watched someone who serves with clarity instead of clutter.

It doesn’t get any better than kids helping kids.

An honorable mention goes to Kiwanis International for seeing what these students were doing and multiplying their efforts. What started as a bake sale is turning into a model that can be repeated again and again.

Miss Joni plans to share photos once the books reach the children’s hospital. I’m looking forward to that moment — not for recognition, but for confirmation that simple steps, done faithfully, make a real difference.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33

Peace often looks like simplicity.

Clarity.

Order.

And sometimes, pretending you’re a fifth grader so you don’t overcomplicate what God is trying to do through willing hands.

Near the end of days like this, I find myself smiling at how something that once felt like a fog of logistics has turned into a clear path forward.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, the process appears almost… elementary.”

Bones: “I’ve seen grown men complicate a glass of water. This? This makes sense.”

Michael: “Sometimes the smartest plan is the one a child could follow.”

May you live long and prosper.

Have a great day.

First Bulk Order Arrives Today

Stardate 04.07.2026

Sometimes the best solutions don’t come from us at all. They come through us — carried by other people’s hearts.

What began for me as a personal pursuit of better health, stronger finances, and clearer purpose has now become three books. Different stories. One mission: help others navigate hard seasons with hope.

Lately, I’d been wrestling with a stubborn case of writer’s block. Some of it came from within. Some of it came from circumstances around me. The breakthrough didn’t arrive as a lightning bolt of inspiration. It came in the form of friends, family… and thirty elementary students who simply wanted to bless children they’ve never met.

Those students held a bake sale because they wanted to make a difference for patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

They didn’t overthink it. They didn’t form a committee. They saw a need and acted.

Then something beautiful happened.

Kiwanis International heard what the kids were doing and doubled the money they raised. Miss Joni told the students she knew someone who could get coloring books at a discount and reached out. Word spread. Other donors wanted in. More hands went up.

And today, I’m receiving a box of 50 coloring books from Amazon.

My head is still spinning.

Not because of the books.

Because of the hearts.

This is what happens when people stop waiting for perfect plans and start acting with simple compassion. This is what happens when generosity becomes contagious. This is what happens when a few kids decide to care.

Volunteers are stepping in. Doors are opening. Momentum is building.

And the writer’s block?

Gone.

Stay tuned.

Have a great day.

Early In, Early Out

Stardate 04.06.2026

One of my teammates from my day job is on vacation this week, so I’m starting my shift a little earlier today and tomorrow to help cover for him.

There’s something satisfying about walking into a quiet workplace before the day fully wakes up. The lights seem softer. The noise hasn’t started yet. It feels like borrowed time — a head start not just on work, but on the day itself.

The tradeoff is a gift: extra family time at the end of the day.

I’ve learned to recognize these moments for what they are. They’re small adjustments that create meaningful returns. An earlier alarm. A little more effort on the front end. A little more presence on the back end.

That’s a trade I’ll take every time.

Later today, I plan to check in with the place I ordered our shelves from. I discovered I’m missing a few parts needed to complete the four drawers in the cabinet project I’ve been working on. Once those drawers are installed, the project will be finished.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this process as much as I have.

There’s no better way to learn than by doing. Measuring twice. Adjusting. Realizing you installed something backwards. Taking it apart. Trying again. Learning patience in a very practical, very humbling way.

Some lessons don’t come from books. They come from screws, wood, instructions, and the quiet decision to keep going when it would be easier to walk away.

What surprises me most is not that the cabinet is coming together.

It’s that my confidence is.

I can feel it building as the project progresses. The kind of confidence that doesn’t shout but quietly says, “You can handle more than you thought.”

And because of this one project, I’m already thinking about a bigger one.

More on that later.

For now, I simply want to savor what it feels like to cross a finish line. To see something that once existed only in boxes and loose parts slowly take shape into something useful, sturdy, and complete.

There’s a lesson in that.

Sometimes God builds us the same way.

Piece by piece. Adjustment by adjustment. Mistake by mistake. Until one day we step back and realize we’re not who we were when we started.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

This cabinet didn’t come together all at once. Neither do we.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain’s Addendum

Spock raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating, Captain. You appear to be deriving confidence from cabinetry.”

Bones shook his head. “I’ve seen men find themselves in stranger places than a pile of hardware.”

I smiled. Sometimes the work in front of us is doing more than building a project. It’s building us.

Mission Log complete.

Grateful for early starts, steady progress, and the quiet joy of finishing what we begin.