1. Enjoy my soon-to-arrive granddaughter
2. Spend time with my dad
3. Publish my How to Become a Nomad booklet
4. Go on submission with my adult thriller novel
5. Explore the world with my wife Lisa
I don’t like New Years resolutions.
I’ve learned that goals made on an arbitrary calendar date don’t have sustaining power for me. Though we’re still in January, the above goals for 2026 weren’t born at the ball drop. They are works-in-progress.
I’m reflective by nature, sometimes to a fault. I brood. I chew. I mull things over. Who am I? What is my purpose? Am I doing enough to help others? How should I spend my limited time and energy?
Over the past eight years, I’ve written more than three hundred personal development posts. They’re a collection of my successes, failures, insights, life lessons, musings, and reflections. The act of writing them helped blow away the fog of ambiguity, provided greater clarity, and increased my retention.
My hope has always been that these posts would also shine light on other paths, that the words I’ve thrown into the digital winds would find their way to people who’d benefit from them.
If you’re a subscriber, you may have noticed I haven’t posted much lately. One reason has been the steep learning curve of nomadic life. My wife Lisa and I sold everything in July of 2024 and have been full-time travelers ever since.
It’s taken a bit to find our feet. We’ve learned that the acts of planning for, getting to, settling into, and exploring various destinations around the globe takes considerable time and energy. That’s not a complaint. We’re incredibly fortunate to live this way, but like any path in life, there are practical realities included.
We started a weekly travel newsletter called Footnote: Two Nomadic Authors Hike the World. In it, we share travel tips and humorous, thoughtful, and sometimes embarrassing stories from our nomadic adventures. If that sounds interesting, you can subscribe to our weekly emails by clicking on any post here.
I’ve also written my first adult novel. After publishing five middle grade books and becoming a USA Today bestseller, my traditional publishing career stalled. Book deals are very hard to come by these days, especially in middle grade, so I’m trying my hand at other genres and age groups that interest me. If you’d like to stay in the loop on my upcoming books, you can sign up for my infrequent author newsletter here (scroll to bottom of page).
The realities of nomad life, combined with novel writing and producing travel newsletter content, has made it challenging for me to find time and energy to write about personal development.
And honestly, after three hundred posts, I’ve said a lot of what I wanted to say. Am I done learning and growing? Never. Personal development is a lifelong pursuit.
But recently the desire to write about these things has waned. Perhaps that’s God / Life / the Universe / my True Self telling me something. Everything has its season, and it feels like the time for Becoming Yourself has come to a close.
What will the future hold? I’m not sure, but for now, you’ll probably hear from me seldom here.
I’d love to stay in touch. If you’re a subscriber who has already opted into my writing, I’ll transfer your subscription to our free weekly travel stories newsletter. If you find my writing there isn’t something you’re interested in, you can easily unsubscribe.
If you’d like to keep following my writing, find me at:
- Our travel newsletter Footnote: Two Nomadic Authors Hike the World
- My author website MattMcMann.com (for book news, you can subscribe to my infrequent author newsletter here)
- On Instagram @matt_mcmann
Thank you for your companionship on this personal development road over the years. I’m humbled and truly grateful.
A final encouragement—Travel light. Keep good company. Build your identity on a worthy foundation. Choose your ultimate hopes wisely. Believe in Love, Goodness, and the wonderful person you are.
All the best on your journey toward Becoming Yourself.
Matt, I receive your emails but honestly rarely open and read. Often a result of just needing to clear my inbox quickly. Today, the day you say it’s coming to an end and I read it. What are the chances? I’ve enjoyed your words over the years and wish you and Lisa many more great adventures including a new baby. Thank you Jesus for the way you have always used Matt. 🩷 K. Rumowski
Kristen! What a happy surprise to see you pop up here. Thank you so much for your encouragement. It really does mean a lot. Seasons are funny things, and sensing the change isn’t always easy, but this feels right. I’m glad we had a season together. Please say hi to Jeff for me and all the best to you and the family!
Thanks so much for being a trusted guide over the years! Your willingness to be real and make authenticity something that is attainable has left a lasting mark on my life. All the best in your upcoming adventures:-)
Thank you Ty! That means more than I can say. And I would not have learned half the stuff that I did without your constant support, sharing of the road, and listening for endless hours to me figuring stuff out!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas on Becoming Yourself, Matt. I’ve enjoyed and benefited from your words greatly!
Hey Jarrod! So great to see your name pop up here. Thank you so much for that encouragement. It means more than I can tell you. I hope your adventure of life is going fantastic. All the best!