Every Day Deserves Your Energy

Welcome back to Mind by Fire.

Last month, I wrote about how adding novelty can make your days feel longer — how one small change can stretch time by waking your brain up to the present in this issue.
This week builds on that same idea, but from the other side: instead of trying to stretch time, it’s about valuing it — not rushing through the week just to reach the weekend.

Last weekend was great — filled with the things I enjoy doing adding a sense of completion to my week.
I used to look forward to the weekend with a disregard for my weekdays — fast-forwarding five days just to enjoy two, then spending half of Sunday dreading Monday’s arrival.

But over time, I started to design my week with purpose.
Now I find myself enjoying my weekdays even more than my weekends.
Most people don’t realize they’re moving through their week on autopilot — they’ve never stopped to think or reframe how they approach time.
Most people move through the week in countdown mode — waiting for Friday, rushing through the middle, and asking, “Is it Friday yet?” without realizing how much time that mindset quietly gives away.

Brain-Based Insight: The Joy of Designed Days

Your brain learns what to look forward to.
If you only attach reward to weekends, your dopamine system starts chasing relief instead of progress — it holds out for “someday.”
But when you build purpose and small joys into your weekdays, you retrain your brain’s reward prediction loop to release dopamine through engagement, not escape.

The prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for planning, decision-making, and meaning, thrives on rhythm. Consistent structure gives it predictability — which lowers stress — while novelty keeps it stimulated and motivated.
When you combine rhythm and purpose, you activate two essential drives: the stability that keeps you grounded and the curiosity that keeps you growing.

That’s why people who live with intention often describe time as fuller. Their brain’s reward system and focus network (the anterior cingulate cortex) are aligned — not scattered between obligation and escape.

And when you pause intentionally during your days, your default mode network — the system that turns experience into insight — finally gets the space to integrate meaning.
That’s where reflection happens. That’s where fulfillment begins to take root.

Design isn’t about control. It’s about creating a rhythm that lets your brain feel safe enough to create, challenged enough to grow, and grateful enough to stay present.
That’s what it means to build a life you don’t want to retire from.

Reset Ritual: The 1% Design

If you did last month’s time audit, revisit it — but this time, look at how you can design your week around what matters most.

Designing your week might sound like overkill.
But you already give your time to employers, clients, and other people’s priorities — why not dedicate that same structure to yourself?

When you make time for what fuels you — training, cooking, learning, or rest — the days stop blurring together.
Structure doesn’t restrict you. It frees you to enjoy life daily, not occasionally.

Start small — with awareness, not pressure.
Do a quick time audit for the next few days. Notice where your hours actually go.
Highlight what truly moves you forward versus what just fills time.

Then, simplify your to-do list.
Don’t overload your day with tasks that don’t matter if they’re done today or tomorrow.
Choose three things that will make you feel accomplished — not busy.

Finally, bring one thing you’d usually “save for the weekend” into your weekday — grill dinner outside, take a slow walk, or sit with your thoughts before bed.
Small moments turn ordinary days into time well-lived.

Reflection

It’s perfectly fine to look forward to the weekend — especially if you have plans — but don’t overlook the now.
I no longer dread Monday or wish time away.

I look forward to tomorrow, not the weekend.
Life moves fast enough on its own, and I don’t want to waste it waiting for a day that isn’t promised or guaranteed to go as planned.

With intention, I’ve designed my week so that every day holds an action that moves me closer to what I want to accomplish.
Because that’s what Time Wealth really is — designing a life you don’t need to escape from.
If you keep wishing the weekdays away, you’ll spend your life trying to reach moments that pass too quickly.

Stop waiting for the weekend to have a good time.
Design the week you want — one that gives you energy instead of drains it.
Because every day you get is worth your full attention.

Time Wealth Challenge

This week, make one small exchange with your time.
Trade 30 minutes of scrolling, rushing, or “waiting for Friday” for something that actually adds to your life — a walk, a call, a journal, or a moment of stillness.
Use that time to build the kind of rhythm you don’t want to retire from.
The goal isn’t to reach the weekend — it’s to live a week that feels worth being present for.

What I Cooked Last Weekend

Last weekend, I made a batch of homemade chorizo — smoky, rich, and full of flavor.
Sunday morning, that turned into a breakfast tostada layered with refried beans, crisped chorizo, and a fried egg — finished with fresh cilantro, red jalapeno, pickled onions, crema, and a cup of warm salsa ranchera on the side.

Simple, bold, and grounded — exactly how I like to start a new week.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.