Hey Campfire Embers!
I skipped last week’s newsletter.
Part of it was simple — no new blog post. Part of it was even simpler — I didn’t feel like writing. 😅
And honestly? That’s probably a sign of what 2026 will look like for OCU. Less “must ship every week,” more every-other-week flow. I want these notes to feel useful, not forced.
🧠 75 Hard… Modified
Before the new year, I mentioned Madeline and I were going all-in on 75 Hard.
Reality check — we went with 75 Modified.
Two 45-minute workouts per day (one outside) was the breaking point. Turns out… time and recovery matter. So we adjusted:
- One workout per day
- No alcohol (easy mode for Madeline — she’s under 21 😄)
- Eating plans — I’m tracking macros, Madeline ditched soda and desserts
- Ten pages of non-fiction per day
- Gratitude journaling
- A few other daily habits
The surprise winner? Reading ten pages a day.
📖 Chasing the Flow State
Before Christmas, I started rereading The Rise of Superman.
This book isn’t about “finding flow” in a woo-woo sense. It’s about that moment where the world slows down, everything feels clear, and you just know the next right step.
You’ve felt it.
Maybe while fixing something that shouldn’t be fixable. Maybe mid-hike. Maybe late at night when the house finally gets quiet.
Weirdly, I used to hit flow between 5 PM and 7 PM in my corporate life — after nine hours of meetings, nonstop emails, and ringing phones. Once the noise stopped, productivity went through the roof.
Ever go to bed stuck on a problem… and wake up with the answer? That’s flow doing its thing.
The book talks about Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile — once one human proved it was possible, the mental barrier disappeared for everyone else.
Our brains just need proof.
🚐 Visualization Works (Ask Me How I Know)
I’ve used visualization more than I realized — especially with RVing.
On our first longer trip, we visited Cloudland Canyon State Park. Our 2002 Silverado crawled up a steep hill at about 10 miles per hour.
I spent the entire weekend terrified about going back down.
So I practiced it in my head — braking, gearing down, staying calm.
And when it was time? Totally fine.
I still do this today. I mentally run through “what if” scenarios — breakdowns, tight turns, bad weather. Sara would probably tell you I handle problems way better now than I used to.
If RV life teaches anything, it’s this — problem-solving is part of the adventure.
As part of 75 Modified, I’m now adding visualization into my 2026 half-marathon training too.
🤖 Flow, AI & Automation
You know I can’t leave this without talking AI.
I pulled together a simple framework that explains when to automate, what to automate, and when not to.
👉 The Automation Decision Frameworkhttps://gamma.app/docs/The-Automation-Decision-Framework-5-Filters-5-Buckets-ufhlu3vpm428ibf
And if you want a tighter breakdown on creating flow — mentally and tactically — here’s the deck I built around it:
👉 Creating a Mental Flow Statehttps://gamma.app/docs/Creating-a-Mental-Flow-State-9c2qfh3l64mais1
Same principle applies to RV travel, work, fitness, and family life — reduce noise, remove friction, and let momentum do its thing.
🔥 One Last Thing
I may not send this every week in 2026.
But when it lands in your inbox, my goal is simple — something useful, something honest, something that helps you move forward.
If this resonated, hit reply and tell me:
Where do you feel flow most often — and what’s getting in the way right now?
Talk soon,
Mike Our Campfire Unplugged 🚐🔥
Our Campfire Unplugged
P.S. If this email helped you, send it to someone who’s buried under trip planning stress or RV upgrade decisions. That’s how this community grows.
Follow Our Adventures Across Social Media! 📲
We LOVE using YouTube and TikTok (no crazy dances from us!) to scout new places before we visit—and we share tons of travel tips, campground reviews, and fun shorts from our adventures too!
We would love your support:
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
🎵 Follow us on TikTok
👍 Join us on Facebook
