I know it’s early — but the excitement isn’t!
As we head into a new month, I’m thinking about a time my best friend and I were sitting at a McDonald’s. I was sipping my usual large Coke, easy ice (you get more Coke that way).
The conversation drifted between how things were going and the usual family routines — until the subject of family finances came up. (I was bursting at the seams waiting to talk about this one!)
Respectfully, I told him I’ve got some great things happening in my life as an author and publisher, and asked if he was willing to dive into this conversation with me. He nodded… and off I went!
I started with, “This month’s been a mix of surprise, gratitude, and steady steps forward.”
It’s funny how progress doesn’t always look exciting while it’s happening — but then you look back and realize, Wait… I’m actually building something real here.
Economics for Adults Simplified is holding strong! I’ve watched it climb as high as #5 in Microeconomics this week — wild, right? Two orders in ONE DAY!, And a lot of steady page reads, and there it goes — climbing back up the charts like it knows exactly where it belongs. (On Amazon, of course.)
That’s what I love about this journey: you don’t have to force it when the foundation’s solid.
The work you did months ago still shows up to help you later. That’s the part most people don’t see — the quiet days that actually build your future.
Sure, those quiet days can make you feel like your book isn’t doing anything… but in reality, it’s driving a depth charge that’s building pressure beneath the surface — and when it hits, it’s POWERFUL!
So the takeaway here is this: even when things don’t look so great on the outside, there’s usually something stirring on the inside.
Our pastor said it best in his sermon this week:
“When you plant a seed, it doesn’t just pop out of the ground as a tree or a tomato. There’s a lot happening under the soil — and when it’s ready, it’ll sprout into what it was meant to be.”
I enjoyed that time with my friend.
It really was a remarkable conversation, and it felt good to catch up.
Earlier this year, I placed both of my Simplified books under a single series called “The Simplified Series” on Amazon.
That move turned out to be a great decision — it put both titles in better alignment inside Amazon’s system and helped them support each other in search results.
Now, let’s talk money for a minute.
You know how I always say budgeting shouldn’t feel like punishment?
That’s because I lived the version that did — the one that makes you feel guilty for wanting a simple treat after a long week.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
Before you spend, just pause and ask yourself,
“Is this helping future me, or just this moment?”
No guilt if it’s for the moment — just awareness.
That’s where freedom starts.
Not by cutting out joy, but by understanding what matters.
And on the burnout side…
The Burnout Recovery series is officially linked — 7 Steps to Burnout Management Simplified and Burnout Sucks – Life Doesn’t Have To are now part of the same story.
It feels right, because burnout isn’t just about exhaustion — it’s about trying to find yourself again when the noise finally dies down.
Here’s something I’ve been reminding myself lately:
Heal your mind. Heal your world.
You don’t have to fix everything in one weekend. You just have to start somewhere.
Get a little extra sleep. Say no once. Take five quiet minutes to breathe before life gets loud again.
Burnout recovery is a journey.
It isn’t just about changing your daily routine — it’s about discovering why the burnout happened in the first place, and making the changes that help you live better and take back control of your life.
That’s recovery. Real recovery.
Here’s a quick story:
I’m a blue-collar worker, and I work long hours — every day.
It’s hard sometimes to catch a breath (or even get a real break).
I’d been drinking coffee since my early teens — every single day.
It had become my comfort drink, kind of like a mother’s chicken dinner on a Sunday afternoon. I remember those meals — good food, family, and that nap you had to take afterward just to recover from the “abusive properties” of that dinner. (That’s probably where the term “Sunday nap” came from!)
Coffee had the same effect on me. It made me feel tired, which is not good for a factory worker.
I wasn’t getting enough sleep to begin with, and then I threw long hours and that “comfort drink” on top of it, which was a total disaster.
Burnout was very real for me.
I realized that not enough sleep and too much coffee were the culprits.
So I listened — to my body and my mind — and I made changes.
I don’t drink coffee anymore, and I get to bed much earlier than I used to.
Now I start my day with a power drink instead of coffee — and let me tell you, that makes a difference.
So, before I close this out, I want to extend a HUGE Thank You!
If you’ve been following my books, reading them through Kindle Unlimited, or just telling someone else about them — I can’t tell you how much that means.
Every page read, every message, every quiet “hey, I liked that part” helps keep this thing moving forward.
Seven months in, we’ve built something real — not from hype, but from heart.
Three Simplified books, steady readers, and now a Burnout series that’s officially standing tall.
That’s not just progress. That’s momentum.
So wherever you’re reading this — maybe before work, maybe winding down at night — know that I’m raising my cup (okay, my Coke) to you.
Here’s to November: steady, simple, and strong.
– Brian
www.TheSimplifiedSignal.com
Real Talk. Real Tips. Real Life. Simplified.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest"
- Benjamin Franklin
Thanks for reading!
Stay rested, stay sharp, and stay Simplified.
—Brian
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