To Be or Not to Be in the Comfort Zone

Stardate 05.12.2026

I’ve been noticing where I do my best living lately, and it feels a little uncomfortable.

I’ve started calling it my sweet spot.

In tennis, when the ball meets the center of the racket, the shot feels clean. Effort and outcome seem to agree with each other. The ball travels where you hoped it would go. There’s a quiet satisfaction in the contact.

I still hit plenty of balls near the frame. The sound is different. The result is unpredictable. I feel it in my hands right away.

Life has a similar feel.

There is a place where everything flows. Familiar routines. Predictable days. People around you nod in approval because what you’re doing makes sense. You feel competent there. You feel steady.

I know that place well.

I also know I don’t grow there.

More and more, I find myself living just outside that comfortable center. Not far away. Just at the edge where things feel slightly uncertain. Where I have to pay attention. Where I don’t get to move on autopilot.

It’s a curious place to spend your days.

My brain would prefer I return to the familiar. It gently suggests old habits. It reminds me how easy things used to feel. It tries to pull me back to a place where I don’t have to think so hard.

Friends sometimes join in without realizing it. They want you safe. They want you settled. They want you in the version of yourself they’ve always known.

There’s kindness in that. There’s also a quiet resistance to change.

I feel the tug often.

New habits take effort. New paths feel awkward at first. There are moments when I wonder how many times I’m willing to miss the ball before I connect cleanly again.

Then, every so often, I feel it.

That clean contact.

A new habit begins to feel natural. A risk turns into growth. Something that once felt foreign starts to feel like part of who I am becoming.

That’s the sweet spot I’m learning to recognize.

Not the center of my comfort zone. The edge of it.

The place where attention is required. Where small failures are common. Where progress is quiet and steady.

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.” — Psalm 37:23

I don’t always know where the next step will land. I’m learning to trust the One who does.

Living this way asks something of us. It asks us to be willing to look uncertain. It asks us to try things that don’t come naturally. It asks us to accept that growth has a different feel than comfort.

Sometimes the tug of war is real. Expectations from others. Old patterns from within. The rope feels tight in your hands.

There are moments when the healthiest choice is to loosen your grip and step in a new direction.

I’m finding that this slightly uncomfortable place is where my best living happens.

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

May you live long and prosper.

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears that growth frequently occurs in environments of mild discomfort.”

Bones: “I’ve treated enough patients to know that staying too comfortable can make a person stiff in more ways than one.”

There’s a certain vitality I feel when I stop trying to settle and start trying to stretch.

Grateful for the space where new steps are formed.

Livestream Wednesday, 5/12 at 1:00 with Michelle for Debt Reduction Tips

Livestream Wednesday, 5/12 at 1:00pm CDT with Michelle for Debt Reduction Tips

Stardate 05.11.2026

When it comes to getting out of debt and learning how to build wealth, I have a long trail of lessons behind me.

There was a season when my finances told a story I did not want to read. No job. No margin. A credit score that made hard conversations even harder. I remember sitting across from people, hoping they would see something in me that my paperwork did not show.

Two women did.

One was my realtor, Pam, who represented me during a time when there was very little about my situation that looked promising on paper. She treated me with dignity and patience. She helped me move forward when standing still felt easier.

The other was Michelle from the credit union.

Michelle saw past the numbers and showed me a plan. A real one. A practical one. A hopeful one. She believed that financial peace was still possible for me, and she was willing to walk me through the steps to get there.

Today, I am debt free. Financially independent. Living a life that once felt far away.

Pam and Michelle are a big part of that story.

On Wednesday, 5/12 at 1:00pm CDT, I will be sitting down with Michelle for a live conversation about debt reduction and the steps that helped me pay off my mortgage in ten years. She has agreed to share these principles openly so others can benefit from the same guidance that changed my life.

This livestream will appear on Substack.

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

If you are walking through financial challenges, this conversation may offer you a path forward. Michelle has a gift for turning confusion into clarity. I’ve seen it firsthand. I know her team. I trust her completely.

I did not go looking for Michelle. She came to me at my day job and offered help when I needed it most. That quiet moment of someone stepping in with a plan became a turning point in my life.

I am willing to share my financial missteps so you can avoid some of the same trouble. If this worked for me, it can work for you with the right guidance and steady steps.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” — Proverbs 21:5

I’m looking forward to introducing you to Michelle on Wednesday.

May you live long and prosper.

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “It appears, Captain, that sound financial planning is a most logical form of self-care.”

Bones: “I’ve seen stress wreck a man faster than any disease. This might be the healthiest conversation you’ve had all week.”

I’ve learned that peace of mind often begins in places we once avoided looking.

Endorphin Alert

Stardate 05.10.2026

Before I get too deep into today’s topic, I want to pause and wish all the moms a Happy Mother’s Day.

Since I know my mom reads these stories each morning, this feels like the right place to share her gift.

Mom, your next order of your favorite NMN is on me.

This gift carries a little self-interest. We all want you here with us for a long time, and your supplements are part of how you care for yourself so well. Happy Mother’s Day to you.

Now, on to one of my favorite subjects: endorphins.

You know when they’re present. You feel lighter. Clearer. More at ease in your own skin. You also know when they’re missing. Something feels off, and it’s hard to name.

I pay close attention to the habits that keep mine steady. If you suspect yours are running low, here’s a short checklist that has made a difference for me.

1. Get grounded
Shoes and socks off. Fifteen minutes outside each day. Grass, dirt, concrete, it all works. Cloudy days count. I feel a shift almost immediately when my feet touch the earth. This one has become part of my daily rhythm.

2. Burn fat instead of sugar
This has been a long experiment for me. When I eat in a way that keeps my blood sugar steady, my mood stays steady too. Hunger doesn’t bark at me every couple of hours. My mind feels calmer. The reward is subtle and lasting.

3. Step into the shower before the hot water arrives
I’ll admit this takes resolve. Those first seconds wake up every nerve ending. What follows is a rush that carries me for hours. It’s one of the most reliable ways I know to change my internal state quickly.

4. Greet the morning sun
This is best done outside. Even better if your feet happen to be bare. Morning light sets the tone for the rest of the day and helps your body find its natural rhythm. When I miss this because I’m deep in writing, I notice the difference.

5. Spend time with happy people
Today is for our moms, and mine happens to be one of the happiest people I know. I share her with five siblings, all of us benefiting from the same joyful spirit. She gives me walking reports like a field correspondent. How many hills she climbed. Which street she was on. Who she met along the way. I can feel my mood lift just hearing her voice.

There’s one more thought for those who carry complicated memories or grief today.

Some have lost their mother. Some carry wounds that never quite healed. I watched our family come close to losing my mom when she was in intensive care with a lung infection that stole her breath. That memory still sits close to the surface.

Here is a gentle invitation.

Take five minutes today and forgive your mother for anything that still hurts. You don’t have to say it out loud. You don’t have to explain it to anyone. Just release it.

There may be tears. Let them come.

Peace often follows.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32

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

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock tilted his head. “Captain, emotional equilibrium appears linked to your outdoor rituals.”

Bones folded his arms. “I’d say the Captain just knows how to take care of himself.”

I smiled at both of them. Small daily habits carry more weight than we think. A few minutes here and there can change the entire tone of a day.

Grateful for another morning. Grateful for moms. Grateful for the chance to feel good in this body and share the journey with you.

May you live long and prosper.

Tennis Captain Sends 3 Teams to District Championships Next Month

Stardate 05.09.2026

Our tennis captain achieved something rarely done. Three teams are headed to the district championships next month, all while he continues coaching high school tennis in Muscatine.

I’ve watched him lead ever since I began playing at North Dodge Athletic Center after relocating from Southern California. I didn’t know what to expect when I first arrived. I had heard plenty about the winters. I wondered how I would fit in on the courts.

Jim Sichterman never talks about obstacles. He talks about effort, attitude, and showing up ready to work. My teammates carry that same spirit. They have spent the past seasons helping me chip away at the small flaws in my game with patience and encouragement. They understand the 1% better mindset because they practice it every time we step onto the court.

Last week, Jim’s 18+ team won their league against a very strong opponent. I’m no longer on that roster. My schedule only allows enough vacation time to compete in two regional tournaments, so I stepped aside and let the younger players represent in that division. My focus now is on the 40+ and 55+ teams.

This morning I’m headed to cardio tennis at 8:00 a.m., led by a familiar voice in the tennis world, Michael Shires. Every Saturday he brings energy and challenge that stretches all of us. We are in the final month of preparation before facing other league champions from the western part of our state. Several of those teams have qualified for national competition in past years.

That goal sits quietly in the back of our minds.

To win a Midwest Sectional Championship among the top teams and earn a trip to Nationals.

As I think about it, gratitude rises to the surface.

Gratitude for a captain who leads with steady confidence.
Gratitude for a head pro who creates an environment where players of all levels feel welcome.
Gratitude for teammates who treat each other like family.

Scripture came to me as I laced up my shoes this morning:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” — Colossians 3:23

That verse fits the way this group approaches the game. There is heart in every drill, every match, every word of encouragement between points.

Tennis has a way of revealing character. It asks for patience. It asks for focus. It asks you to keep going after mistakes and trust the next shot.

I’m thankful to be part of a tennis family that understands this.

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

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Captain’s Addendum

Bones: “Spock, humans seem to believe improvement comes from hitting a small ball over a net thousands of times.”

Spock: “A logical method, Doctor. Repetition appears to refine both skill and temperament.”

There’s something about returning to the court again and again that shapes more than a forehand. It shapes the way we show up in other parts of life too.

I’m grateful for the people who share that court with me.

May you live long and prosper.

Field of Pickleball Dreams

Stardate 05.08.2026

The Pickleball Iowa County Committee met last night at the Williamsburg Rec Center to talk through the final steps before construction begins on four outdoor courts later this summer. Grant requests are out. Sponsors are being contacted. Momentum is building in a quiet, steady way.

Alongside the excitement came thoughtful questions from town hall members who care deeply about the future of this project.

What happens after the courts are built?
Who maintains them?
How will they be funded long term?
Will they remain free for the community as our board intends?

These are good questions. Necessary questions. The kind that remind you this is bigger than painted lines on asphalt.

This is about stewardship.

When I think about this project, I can’t help but think about my own dream to build a vacation home on wheels. I’ve shared openly about my lack of hands-on construction skills. I’m learning as I go. Measuring twice. Watching videos. Asking questions. Taking one step, then another.

That same spirit is present in this committee.

Back in late 2023, when the mayor told me a pickleball committee would be required and suggested forming a 501(c)(3), it felt like a mountain. A small group of women who were already playing indoors at the rec center quietly raised their hands and volunteered. What has grown from that moment is one of the finest teams I have ever had the privilege to be part of.

Over time, these women have become like family to my wife and me. We’ve laughed together, worked together, and walked through the long process of turning an idea into something tangible for our town.

Last night, as the questions came forward about sustainability, I raised my hand.

I shared that my next book project will be dedicated to this community. As with all my books, every dollar of proceeds will be donated. This time, the funds will go directly to Pickleball Iowa County to help ensure these courts remain cared for well into the future.

There is also a documentary in the works titled Field of Pickleball Dreams. It will tell the story of the volunteers who have poured their time, energy, and heart into making this town an even better place to live.

I looked around the room and realized something simple.

This is how lasting things are built.

Not through grand gestures, but through ordinary people showing up again and again with a willingness to help.

Scripture came to mind as I drove home:

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

No one in that room is weary. They are steady. Hopeful. Committed.

The finish line is beginning to come into view, yet there is no rush to get there. There is care in every step because everyone understands this is meant to serve generations who haven’t even picked up a paddle yet.

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

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Captain’s Addendum

Bones: “You know, Spock, humans build things long before they know how they’ll maintain them.”

Spock: “Indeed, Doctor. Yet they continue anyway. Fascinating optimism.”

I’ve seen this optimism firsthand. It lives in meeting rooms, on clipboards, in group texts, and in the quiet determination of volunteers who want to leave something better than they found it.

Sometimes faith looks like a prayer.
Sometimes it looks like a plan.
Sometimes it looks like four pickleball courts waiting to be painted.

I’m grateful to witness all of it.

May you live long and prosper.

Why Lucy Will Have a Paper Trail

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Stardate 05.07.2026

It’s official. Game on.

Yesterday, I ordered the first batch of extruded aluminum for Lucy after finally locking down the exact dimensions for the galley module. That moment shifted something—it turned an idea I’ve been carrying into something I can actually touch and build.

That’s when it starts to feel real.

There are two van-building creators I’ve been learning from for a long time. Both have built hundreds of systems for customers, and I’ve picked up a lot just by studying how they approach design and execution.

What finally moved me forward was timing meeting preparation. A sale showed up on the exact aluminum size I had already decided on—surfacing through one of their affiliate links. That was the nudge.

Not pressure. Just alignment.

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There’s a reason I’m going to keep a detailed paper trail on this entire build.

I don’t just want to complete Lucy. I want to document what I learn in a way that could actually help someone else who decides to do the same thing. If I can figure this out step by step with limited outside help, it’s reasonable to believe someone else can too.

That’s the point of the record.

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Here’s the interesting part: I don’t even own the van yet.

But I’m no longer waiting for that piece to begin.

Instead, I’m building the system first—module by module, skill by skill. When the van finally arrives, everything will already have a place to go.

That approach mirrors how I’m trying to live right now:
steady progress, not dramatic leaps.

Small improvements. Repeated daily.

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The good news with this first order is that the supplier will cut the extruded aluminum to exact dimensions for the galley. That removes one of the more technical hurdles and lets me move forward with more confidence and less guesswork.

I’m going to take my time with each section and learn as I go.

At this stage, it really does feel like building Legos—just on a much larger and more permanent scale.

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One of the most interesting parts of this journey is how many tools are now available to ordinary builders.

Between experienced creators online, community knowledge, and AI support, the barrier to entry for projects like this has dropped in a way that didn’t exist years ago.

I’m not doing this alone. I’m doing it with access.

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Stay tuned.

This is only the beginning.

May you live long and prosper.

How I Found Happy Michael

Stardate 05.06.2026

This story is for the people who are known for being happy and quietly wonder where that happiness went.

I’m one of those people.

It’s a strange feeling when others still see the smile, yet something inside feels out of tune. Like a well-kept car that looks perfect from the outside while the owner senses a faint vibration no mechanic can locate. You can’t always name what’s wrong. You just know something has shifted.

I’m not putting a label on that feeling today. It shows up differently for each of us.

I will say this: finding Happy Michael again felt almost as difficult as finding the inanimate object that once seemed attached to my hip.

Those who know me understand I’m talking about Wilson.

I didn’t lose him carelessly. Wilson was express mailed to a friend battling cancer during the pandemic. It felt right at the time. She needed a companion more than I did.

What I didn’t realize was how much of my own joy I had quietly tied to that volleyball.

Wilson had been present in some of the most joyful chapters of my life. Then the pandemic arrived. The world slowed to a stop. The adventures stopped. The laughter thinned out. A wave of emotions came that I was not prepared to navigate. I felt like I was trying to keep my head above water without knowing how to swim in those conditions.

The first time Happy Michael resurfaced happened in a place that didn’t seem remarkable at all.

A small café. Breakfast with my wife. A quiet morning.

In the middle of that ordinary moment, a feeling returned that I had not experienced in years. It was deeper than the surface happiness people knew me for. It caught me off guard. I remember sitting there thinking, What is this?

I didn’t understand then that this was the beginning of a change taking place inside me. Something had shifted, like the tide slowly turning. No one announces when the tide changes. You only notice that the water is moving in a different direction.

Emotions feel a lot like that. They rise. They fall. They move in ways we don’t control.

All I know today is that the tide has been moving in a healthier direction.

Happy Michael is back.

I didn’t arrive here alone. I needed a professional to step into the water with me when I felt like I was drowning. That part matters more than I ever realized. Healing is not a solo swim. There were moments that felt frightening. There were moments I misunderstood what I was feeling. Having someone steady beside me made all the difference.

This remains a process. Some days still feel uncertain. I keep moving forward anyway.

Scripture speaks gently into this place:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

That closeness has become very real to me.

If you are reading this and wondering where your own happiness went, please hear this: you are not alone in that search. There is no shame in asking for help. There is wisdom in not swimming by yourself.

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

I’m grateful for the quiet morning in that café. Grateful for the people who stepped into the water with me. Grateful that tides do change, even when we cannot see it happening.

May you live long and prosper.

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🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, emotional tides appear to follow patterns that are difficult to chart.”
Bones: “That’s because we’re not meant to navigate them alone, Spock.”

Some days the water feels calm. Some days it feels deep. I’m learning to keep swimming, trusting that I don’t have to do it by myself.