January hits differently when you have kids getting older, a business getting bigger, and a calendar that somehow fills itself without your permission.

Scotty’s kids are now old enough to remember every promise he makes, which feels unfair. TJ currently has three kids with a fourth arriving in May, which means his life is basically a Chick-fil-A playground with a mortgage.

Planning has never been more important.

This month, we took a page from Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time and decided to preload our entire year. Not “hope for the best.” Not “promise to slow down.” Actually plan a year that protects what matters instead of letting random obligations take over.

We want to buy back our time in a big way this year. Preloading the year gave us a clear blueprint to do it.

The Big Things Go In First

Dan Martell calls these the “big rocks.” Family, church, rest, vacations, priorities. The things that should not get bulldozed by a random Tuesday email.

So we sat down and scheduled the non-negotiables.

One of the biggest changes this year is TJ’s monthly date night with Kara. Last year, they only managed two. Which is what happens in years you have a baby. They welcomed their third child, a daughter, last year and have a son (God heard TJ’s prayers) coming in May. Kids are a blessing, but prioritizing your marriage only becomes more important as life gets louder.

On an unrelated note, TJ is smart enough to know that if he's going to reach his goal of six kids, going on a monthly date night will be the bare minimum that's required for Kara.

So this year, they’re on a mission to protect a monthly date night (except maybe May and maybe June…) Not because it’s convenient, but because marriages don’t drift toward health on their own.

Another big rock is our annual Sedona mastermind trip. This will be our third year in a row, and it’s one of our favorite weekends of the year. We spend time with people we genuinely like, who also happen to be in real estate, brainstorming businesses, solving problems, and reconnecting. Equal parts strategy, therapy, and laughing way too hard.

We also blocked off time for something new: a full-day business clarity session with a coach in early February. As the business has evolved, we realized we need sharper focus. We’re laying the entire business out with a coach to clarify where we’re going, what matters most, and how to reach the next level. That day is on the calendar and protected.

Then there’s Scotty’s favorite clause in our partnership agreement. When we started this business, Scotty demanded the entire month of June off every year. I assumed he was celebrating Pride Month aggressively. Turns out it’s family camp season, family time, and vacations. Either way, June is (largely) blocked for him. Some meetings. Some projects. But mostly trying to be present with the family, which is why we do all of this in the first place.

We also locked in our every-other-year family Cancun trip over Thanksgiving, which happens this year. It’s basically the coolest thing ever, and if you don’t preload it, work will absolutely try to steal it.

Not to brag or anything, but this baby alligator wanted no part of us last time we went golfing in Cancun.

Anyway.

Along with the ongoing priorities:

• Church and Bible studies

• Birthdays of close friends and family

• Kid events

• Rest and recovery

• Business trips and Buyers Club meetings

We put these in first so the year can stop pretending it has “surprises.” Besides, trying to cram your life into a calendar you didn’t design is basically how people end up in therapy.

Side benefit: when you look at your year this way, you realize why last year felt chaotic. We were winging it like two dads assembling IKEA furniture with no instructions.

Then Come the Business Priorities

Once family time is protected, we move to the business drivers:

• Capital raising pushes

• Acquisition seasons

• Content cycles

• Quarterly strategy meetings

• System improvements

• Lending growth plans

And we ask one simple question: Does this actually excite us?

If the answer is no, we adjust.
If the answer is yes, we double down.
If the answer is “it depends,” it goes on a list we’ll never look at again.

Preloading forces clarity. You can finally see whether you’re building the year you want or the year you accidentally inherited because you said yes to everything.

Then We Fill In the Small Stuff

Only after the big things are locked do we add:

• Workouts and weekly rhythms

• Routines and content planning

• Margin to think, breathe, and not lose our minds

This is where Buy Back Your Time really kicks in. If something drains us, we eliminate it, delegate it, automate it, or hand it to the VA before we convince ourselves it’ll “only take a minute.”

It never only takes a minute.

We are done being the bottleneck in our own calendar.

Why This Year Matters

The business is growing.
The kids are growing.
The responsibilities are growing.
And the margin for error is shrinking.

We want to be present dads, engaged husbands, and leaders in our homes and churches. We want to build a business that supports that instead of fighting against it.

Buying back our time makes that possible.
Preloading the year protects it.
Running the business with intention keeps us moving forward without burning out.

It brings clarity, peace, and structure.

Our Commitment for 2026

This is the year we build with intention.
This is the year we simplify.
This is the year we stop reacting like everything is on fire.
This is the year we take back our calendar one square at a time.

If you’ve never preloaded a year, try it. You might be surprised how much stress came from things you didn’t even want to do.

Here’s to a clear, focused, intentional 2026.

TJ and Scotty
The Moe Bros