A Month Gone. Here’s Where I’ve Been.

Apr 23, 2026

I owe you an honest update.

Four Wednesdays went by. No newsletter. Every single one of them, the guilt showed up right on time, even when I did not.

I teach self-compassion. I know Kristin Neff’s framework by heart. And still, I had to sit with the weight of a broken commitment and remind myself: acknowledge what happened, recognize you are not the only one who gets buried, and move forward. Easier to teach than to live.

So here is where I have been. Not a highlight reel. Just the truth.

NASA called again.

I was brought back as a contractor for a special three-month project. I am humbled every time I get the call to serve in that environment. It has taken more cognitive bandwidth than I anticipated. Gratitude and exhaustion can coexist. I am learning that again.

I launched an app, then stopped using it.

The ONE Daily Devotional app is live. Three daily prompts. Five to seven minutes. It is built for busy people who need to pause. A faith-based devotional and a gratitude journal, side by side, because I believe stillness matters regardless of where you are spiritually.

Here is the honest part: I had a streak going. Then life picked up. I stopped using my own app. The person who built a tool for stillness was not practicing stillness. That is the kind of gap that forces you to look in the mirror. I am starting my 7-day streak again today. If you want to join me: www.playforoneapp.com

The book is almost done.

ONE: A Spiritual Playbook for the Mental Game of Golf is in final edits with my publishing team. Release later this year. This one has been years in the making and I am not going to rush the finish.

I run a car wash.

I’ve been operating an express car wash in Huntsville. Nine employees. Real operations. Real accountability. Real problems that do not wait for a convenient moment.

I will be honest with you: nothing has taught me more about leadership, communication, and showing up than managing a brick and mortar business. All the frameworks and research I have studied in sport psychology? Running a team of nine people who depend on you makes those frameworks real in a way no textbook does. I am a better coach because of this experience. I did not expect that.

I have been building something quietly with a partner for almost a year.

Ryan Easter is an executive coach and leadership expert. He founded The Allied Advantage, and for the past eleven months we have been building the Leadership Academy together. Every week, new content. Targeted specifically at managers and supervisors who want to lead better and communicate more clearly.

I kept this quiet on purpose. I wanted to build it right before I talked about it. We are close. Learn more at thealliedadvantage.com/la

The podcast found its next chapter.

Mind Your Game is stronger than it has ever been. Dustin Donner handed the baton, and LPGA Tour winner Cydney Clanton stepped in as my partner. We have a real sponsor now in Caddy Snacks. And there are things coming down the pipe I am not ready to announce yet, but I am genuinely excited about what we are building.

You can catch previous episodes here: Mind Your Game on Apple Podcasts

Cydney and I are running a summer workshop for junior golfers.

This summer we are launching a Mental Edge Workshop for junior golfers and their parents. Foundations of the mental game. The stuff that actually matters and lasts. More details coming soon. If you have a junior golfer in your life, stay tuned.

The thing I am most proud of is not on any resume.

Through all of it. NASA. The app. The book. The car wash. The podcast. The Leadership Academy. The workshop. Through every early morning and late night and full calendar and missed Wednesday...

When I walk through my front door, I am a husband and a dad. Not Dr. Mat. Not a consultant or a coach or a contractor. Present. Fully there.

That is the hardest commitment to keep. And it is the one I refuse to break.

I think about this a lot with golfers. We talk about performance and focus and resilience on the course. But the mental game does not start on the first tee. It starts with what you protect, what you guard, what you refuse to let the noise drown out. For me, that is my family.

Here is a picture my 10-year old drew of me :)