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Matt Tilmann

@mittendad.bsky.social
855 followers 918 following 1.9K posts

Writing about calm, creativity, and building a life you don’t need to escape from. Parent. Analyst. Systems thinker. Mitten Dad Minute 👉 mittendad.eden.so

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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
In honor of 10/10, I’m running a 10 cards for an extra 10% off! Bundle and save, it’s a great way to complete any sets you may have been looking to complete. Just add any 10 cards (or more), and take the additional 10% off at checkout in your offer. share.collx.app/mittendad #thehobby
share.collx.app
CollX Profile • Matthew Tilmann • @mittendad
CollX is the fastest way to figure out what your cards are worth. Snap photos of them and instantly get the current market price. Add them to your collection and track your overall portfolio value. Yo...
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
What's really weighing you down? I built a short quiz, that only takes about a minute to help out. mittendad.eden.so/form/what-s-... #mentalhealth #selfcare
mittendad.eden.so
What's Really Weighing You Down? · Matt Tilmann
Find out what's adding to your mental load and how to lighten it. Takes about a minute.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It walks you through the one ask you're actually dreading, tonight. Leaves you with a message in your voice you'd actually send. The article: mittendad.substack.com/p/the-most-p...
mittendad.substack.com
The Most Productive Skill You’re Not Using (Yet)
Unlock Hours in Your Day Without Adding Anything to Your To-Do List
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Reading about a boundary isn't the same as holding one. So I turned the thing the article couldn't give you — a coach in the moment — into a product (read to the end).
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
8 out of 10 of you told me you have trouble saying no to things that eat the part of the week that's actually yours. The skill isn't complicated. The script's been in front of you for years. The hard part is using it at 3pm when the ask is real and the guilt does the talking.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
"In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities," said Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki. "In the expert's mind, there are few."
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Happy NFL Sunday Kickoff! share.collx.app/mittendad/st... #football #nfl #hobby
share.collx.app
CollX • Matthew Tilmann • 2026 Topps Football Inserts
2026 Topps Football Inserts — 35 cards from Matthew Tilmann on CollX.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
In honor of today being my birthday, I thought I’d do a little something fun on my CollX Store. Meet the $4.20 seller minimum, and I’ll throw in 1 .99 and under card of your choice for as long as supplies last! Lots of moderns, 90’s and more to choose from! share.collx.app/mittendad
share.collx.app
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
The moments your mind keeps returning to tell you more than any personality test. Pay attention to what you reach for when it's quiet.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Søren Kierkegaard called boredom “the root of all evil — the despairing refusal to be oneself.” mittendad.substack.com/p/boredom-no... #productivity #mentalhealth #burnout
mittendad.substack.com
Open the Fridge Three Times and You'll Know
7 small quests that break the photocopy of your week
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Everyone who says they're "not creative" was told that once. Probably by a teacher, a boss, or a version of themselves trying to stay safe. The people you call creative just kept going past the part where it got uncomfortable. No perfect mornings required. They just never got the message to stop.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Head to familytravelstack.com/bundle and use my code MITTEN10 for 10% off. #ad
familytravelstack.com
Hawaii & Disney Bundle — FAMILY TRAVEL STACK
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
My friends at Family Travel Stack built the ultimate cheat code. They create step-by-step logistical blueprints for Hawaii, Disney, and Japan that do all the math for you. You keep the luxury experience, but fix the procurement
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
You want to take the kids to Hawaii, but you don't have 200 hours to plan the logistics or the desire to pay full retail.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Dinner. Laundry. The mental tally of everything you're the only one tracking. That's Round 2. The burnout most of us feel isn't from the job. It's from the second shift nobody calls work. open.substack.com/pub/mittenda... #worklife #burnout #parenting #mentalhealth
open.substack.com
The Second Shift Nobody Calls Work
Give me 5 minutes between rounds and i'll show you where your energy actually goes
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Talking to yourself is just externalizing the processor. Some brains need to hear it before they can sort it. My daughter does it while building LEGOs. I do it while writing. The only difference is she hasn't been told to stop yet.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
How often have you found yourself drifting out of the moment, instead of just being present? Read on for a way to help you be more present with those you love: mittendad.substack.com/p/stop-curat... #selfcare #parenting #mindfulness
mittendad.substack.com
Stop Curating the Moment. Start Touching the Carpet
The internal auditor trades real presence for a mental highlight reel. Three ways to fire it tonight.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Full read through here: open.substack.com/pub/mittenda...
open.substack.com
The 10-Second Ritual That Saves 15 Minutes Per Interruption
A tiny capture habit that lets you walk away mid-thought and come back without losing a single sentence.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Sometimes I feel like I get interrupted 40x a day, so I built a fix: park what you're doing with one hotkey, come back and pick up right where you left off. $14.99 this week. Interrupt Stack: apps.apple.com/us/app/inter... #productivity #parenting #writing #deepwork
apps.apple.com
Interrupt Stack App - App Store
Download Interrupt Stack by MATTHEW PHILIP TILMANN on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Interrupt Stack.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Something to think about:
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The bootcamp starts tomorrow. Full write-up here: open.substack.com/pub/mittenda... #paidpartnership
open.substack.com
Eden Bootcamp starts tomorrow — the tool I've used since Kortex
If you run a Substack, Eden may be just what you've needed.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
I don't recommend tools often. Most don't survive the first week. Eden did. I've been using it since it was called Kortex. It shows you what's actually working before you write a single word. Real outlier posts. Not AI guessing. Then it helps you make the idea your own.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
If you’ve ever answered a question about your loved one’s day with the same vocal temperature you used on a budget call, you already know the feeling I’m describing. You were standing there. You just weren’t in the room. Read on for more: open.substack.com/pub/mittenda... #selfcare #productivity
open.substack.com
You Can't Out-Schedule a Lack of Transitions
Nobody taught you how to close a tab in your own head. Here's the missing skill.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
You budget what you have today, not what you hope shows up tomorrow. The book is called Never Worry About Money Again. Out August 11th. Pre-order: neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com Try YNAB free (my link): ynab.com/referral/?ref=-cqmS6XdNH1ZFGFn&sponsor_name=Matt&utm_source=customer_referral
neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com
Never Worry About Money Again
Never Worry About Money Again teaches that your money is you, that it’s meant to be spent, and that all you need to stop worrying about money is one question—what’s it for?
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
I said yes to something before I read the fine print. Turns out it was joining the launch team for Jesse Mecham's new book — the founder of YNAB. @ynabofficial.bsky.social is the only budgeting method that actually changed how I think about money. Not tracking. Thinking.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Today's Daily Refill digs into why traditional recovery keeps failing neurodivergent professionals and parents, plus tools that actually match how your brain works. Full read here: dailyrefill.beehiiv.com/p/rest-wont-...
dailyrefill.beehiiv.com
Why Rest Alone Won't Fix Neurodivergent Burnout
Fresh research on why traditional burnout recovery fails neurodivergent professionals and parents, plus nervous system tools that actually work.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Most #burnout advice assumes you're just tired. But for a lot of us, the problem isn't that we did too much. It's that our nervous system has been processing the wrong kind of demand for too long. Rest doesn't fix a wiring problem.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
If you've spent 6 months trying to pick a niche and still feel hollow, you're probably avoiding the harder question underneath it.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
☕️ Daily Refill - A notebook system that beats most apps. It's $2.99 right now. dailyrefill.beehiiv.com/p/bullet-jou...
dailyrefill.beehiiv.com
☕️ Daily Refill - A notebook system that beats most apps. It's $2.99 right now.
The Bullet Journal Method Kindle edition hit its lowest price in 30 days. No subscription. No notifications. Just paper, a pen, and a framework that doesn't need your Wi-Fi password.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
The problem isn’t capture. Our intake is fine. Most of us are excellent at saving things. Screenshots, highlights, bookmarks, “I’ll come back to this” tabs. The funnel is wide open. The drain is clogged. Nothing comes back out. Read on for more: open.substack.com/pub/mittenda...
open.substack.com
Stop Building Your Second Brain
The system was never the point. A retrieval-first approach for people who've rebuilt their folder structure fourteen times and abandoned every one.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Your phone is a slot machine with better branding. Political texts are just the current jackpot. There will always be another one. Do Not Disturb is the wall between the world's noise and your 12-minute window. Turn it on tonight. Not just for the texts. For the window.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The deadline will pass. The email will sink. The thing you're building in the 25-minute windows? That's the only part that compounds. Your brain treats every ping like a katana. It isn't. Most of it is theater.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Most modern decisions aren't made under swords. They're made under Slack. The samurai had a filter for fear and ego. You'll need one for urgency. "If I die tomorrow, does this choice still matter?"
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Corporate work has no ritual for endings. Theatre does. A curtain call. A dressing room. A walk to the car in the dark. You're grieving something real without permission to name it. Nobody told you the commute was your curtain call.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Most people think the problem is: Not enough time Too many meetings A demanding boss The real problem is nobody taught you how to close one version of yourself before opening the next. Theatre has a curtain call. The office has 'let's circle back.' #balance
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If you're on the lookout for a new "up north" cottage, small home, you name it on the lakefront, make sure to check out the below listing! www.zillow.com/homedetails/... #Michigan #realestate #puremichigan #cottagecore #cottage #upnorthliving #upnorthmichigan #homesweethome #HomeOwnership
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
You told yourself real life starts after the promotion. After the launch. After the kids are older. It already started. Coffee cooling. Inbox half-read. Your daughter asking the same question twice. This is the whole film. Stop auditioning for a life you're already living.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Rest is not a reward you earn after the work is done. It is part of how the work gets done.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Burnout is not a badge. It is a signal.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Your nervous system relaxes when your content runs without you.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Dozens of responses in this week’s essay. From Michigan and Macedonia and the Shenandoah Valley. From nomads and retirees and moms and people who’d lost their homes and people still looking for one. And not one of them named an address. open.substack.com/pub/mittenda...
open.substack.com
What 30 Strangers Taught Me About Home
I asked one question on Substack. The answers rewired how I think about belonging.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
40+ of you wrote back. From Michigan and Macedonia and the Shenandoah Valley. Nomads, retirees, moms, people who'd lost homes and people still looking for one. Not one of you named an address. The essay drops in the morning. If you're not subscribed yet, now's the time. Link in bio.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Tomorrow morning, I'm publishing something a little different. A few weeks ago, I asked one question on Substack: What does home mean to you? #home
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
You need a version of your goal that runs on 12-minute fragments. The clear month you're waiting for isn't on anyone's calendar.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Quiet Burnout Is Worse Than Regular Burnout — Here's the 40-40 Rule That Spots It dailyrefill.beehiiv.com/p/quiet-burn...
dailyrefill.beehiiv.com
☕️ Daily Refill - You're Getting Better at Your Job While Your Body Sounds an Alarm
Quiet burnout doesn't look like burnout. You're hitting every deadline while your body sounds an alarm you've learned to sleep through. Here's how to spot it, plus three experiments that won't cost yo...
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The self-care economy: what actually restores you (and why it's mostly free) dailyrefill.beehiiv.com/p/self-care-...
dailyrefill.beehiiv.com
The self-care economy: what actually restores you (and why it's mostly free)
Self-care is a huge industry. Most people still feel depleted. Here's what the research says about what actually restores you — it mostly costs nothing.
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Remember, Ikigai isn’t a one-time diagram. It’s the continuous, small answer to "What matters today?" that gets you through a hard Thursday. The rest? It sorts itself out once you focus on that daily reason. Full episode here, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts: youtu.be/WELxoECqZZ8?...
youtu.be
Ikigai Is Not a Venn Diagram: What the Japanese Concept Actually Means
YouTube video by Matt Tilmann
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Most people get this backwards: Ikigai isn't a diagram you fill out and forget. It’s a daily compass, not a map. Here's what I learned: The popular "four circles" version is a career tool dressed up in philosophy — but it misses the point entirely:
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Matt Tilmann @mittendad.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
☕️ Daily Refill - Quiet burnout is the 2026 epidemic (and 3 ways to refill before you crack) dailyrefill.beehiiv.com/p/quiet-burn... #burnout
dailyrefill.beehiiv.com
☕️ Daily Refill - Quiet burnout is the 2026 epidemic (and 3 ways to refill before you crack)
Quiet burnout hit 2 in 3 workers in 2026. Spot the early signs of high-functioning exhaustion and 3 small ways to recover before you crack. A 2-minute read.
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