43 today 🎂 Father of 4. Married 19 years. Great hair. 43 lessons on raising kids, building a business, and living a…

43 today 🎂 Father of 4. Married 19 years. Great hair. 43 lessons on raising kids, building a business, and living a good life 🧵

Since 43 is a lot, I'll keep it short 🎯 1. Your kids don't need a perfect dad. They need a present one. 2. Early wake-ups aren't interruptions. They're the magic window. Make 6 AM your golden hour together ☀️

3. Kids copy what they see, not what you say. Give them an example worth copying. 4. Let them catch you reading, journaling, and praying instead of scrolling. 5. Praise character, not just results. Describe, Label, Praise: "You hustled back on defense. That's determination."

6. Loving their mom well is the most visible lesson you'll ever teach them ❤️ 7. Parents need PTO too. Ours is 1 night/morning a week, a half day a month, a full day a quarter. 8. Coach their teams if you can. Front-row seat, and they see you serve other kids too.

9. Enter their made-up worlds. Silly, unstructured play matters more than any lesson plan. 10. Admit when you're wrong, to your kids and to your wife. They need to see it's OK and how you handle mistakes.

11. Bring them along to the gym, the trail, and the jiu-jitsu mats. Habits are caught more than taught. 12. Don't let vague financial fears keep you from having kids (or more kids).

13. We waited 8 years to have kids. The DINK life was fun, but nothing compares. Wish we'd started sooner. 14. Your prime earning years and their prime childhood years overlap. It's a "yes, and." Be intentional. 15. Making home a happy, safe place for everyone is on you, Dad.

16. Small things done daily become big things in a year and great things in five. 17. A personal brand is a career cheat code. I don't think I'll ever apply for a job again. 18. 43 isn't even halfway. I started creating at 30, so most of the journey is still ahead.

19. Short-term action, long-term expectations. Write the newsletter, publish the video, let it compound. 20. Turn your notes into content LEGO blocks 🧱 Assemble, adjust, rebuild. 21. Every piece of content should point to your email list. You own it. The algorithm doesn't.

22. Write like you're explaining your topic at a dinner party. That's your first draft. 23. Nervous about pricing? Raise it 50% and stop talking. 24. Tools matter less than what you make with them. Pick one and ship.

25. Tend your relationships daily. Every job & business I've had came from them. 26. If AI makes you 2x more productive, you're allowed to work less! Give hours back to your family. 27. Bounce-back speed beats talent. Bad launches & bombed videos are part of everyone's story.

28. Lift heavy things. Let your kids see you struggle and push through 🏋️ 29. Train something that humbles you. For me it's jiu-jitsu 🥋 30. Wake up early. No one wakes up early to watch Netflix. 31. Keep a journal. It's your personal history, and someday your kids' too.

32. Read as many books as you can. Keep a back-pocket book instead of reaching for your phone 📚 33. Go to therapy. It helped my business as much as a business coach did. 34. Spend time in silence. Let your mind rest.

35. Cook real food at home. It's one of the best ways to get off a screen and back into your body 🥩 36. Read the Bible and pray, and let your kids see you do it 🙏 37. Serve somewhere: church, youth sports, your neighborhood. Community is built by people who show up.

38. Family and friends have the biggest impact on your happiness. Not followers or revenue. 39. Practice happy stacking: friends, kids, brisket, and a good beer at a great brewery 🍻 40. Write your eulogy and revise as needed. It will change how you think about life.

41. Get outside. Hike to the top of a mountain with your kids ⛰️ 42. Stop chasing the most interesting weekend. Build the most meaningful life. 43. The internet is wonderful, but it's only part of life. My kids don't care how many impressions this gets.

That's 43! Thanks for reading 🙏 I help creators grow and earn with email newsletters and Kit, with a side of dad life (like this thread). Follow @mattragland and say hey 👋 If one of these hit home, ❤️ or RT the first post so another person sees it.