Hey y’all. Hope the week’s going well.

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I read something that landed the other day.

The idea was simple: you can be authentic and hardworking and still struggle if you’re planted in the wrong environment.

It made me think about dad life. Sometimes we assume if things feel off, it’s because we’re not doing enough. Not patient enough. Not organized enough. Not disciplined enough.

But environment matters. The people you spend time with. The tone in your home. The pace you choose to run at. The expectations you set.

If you’re constantly around negativity, you’ll feel drained. If you’re around dads who push you to be better, you’ll rise.

Performance matters. Effort matters. But placement matters too.

Not everything in life can be changed overnight. But you can be intentional about where you plant yourself and your family.

And that usually changes more than grinding harder ever will.

Ben Chapman is five months into fatherhood and already running on fumes.

The Nashville singer-songwriter jokes that he gets more sleep on tour than he does at home, which tells you everything you need to know about life with a newborn. The schedules are still shaky. The nights are long. Some days feel like you’re just surviving.

But then there’s the morning.

Coffee brewing. Letting Mom sleep in. A simple smile from his son George after a brutal night. Ben says the small stuff is starting to matter more than the milestones.

He starts his day at 7, heads to writing sessions by 11, grills dinner most nights, and is learning the golden rule of early fatherhood: buy the good diapers.

Follow him at @benchapman.

I used to buy the cheap 3-pack tees. Felt responsible. Felt efficient. In reality? I was replacing them every year. They’d lose shape. Hold sweat. Start looking tired fast.

Lately I’ve been trying to simplify things. Fewer decisions. Fewer pieces. Just better stuff. That’s what sold me on the Unbound Merino tee.

Ya, it's not cheap (that's on purpose).

But it’s 100% superfine merino wool, so it doesn’t stink, dries fast, and you can wear it multiple times without washing it. I’ve worn mine on travel days, to dinner, even under a jacket…and it just works.

Here’s where I’ve landed as a dad: I don’t need 20 shirts. I need a few that fit great and last.

Upgrade Your T-Shirt Game here and save 10%.

Your body runs on a circadian rhythm, a 24-hour clock wired to light.

Morning sunlight hits your eyes → signals the suprachiasmatic nucleus (your brain’s timekeeper) → boosts cortisol and starts a timer for melatonin release ~12–14 hours later.

Translation: Morning light = better sleep at night.

Daytime bright light improves alertness, reaction time, and mood. Nighttime bright light suppresses melatonin and delays sleep. Even standard indoor LEDs can do it.

Researchers call it “circadian entrainment.” Your grandfather called it “go outside.”

Simple rule: Bright mornings. Bright days. Dim nights.

No sunshine? Get a sun lamp.