Growing up, the first series of books I remember getting excited about was Pecos Bill. As legend goes, Bill fell out of a covered wagon as an infant, and his family didn’t notice. A pack of coyotes raised him and he grew up to become a cowboy with a pet rattlesnake named Shake. Logically, he then used Shake to lasso a tornado. Oh, and dynamite was his favorite snack.

High art? Not exactly. But as a little dude I couldn’t get enough.

Maybe it was the tall tales. Maybe it was the fact he shared my name (I went by “Bill” back then). Either way, those books had me. Until one day when I met a new series: Choose Your Own Adventure.

That’s when everything changed. Page 13: You follow the trail into the cave.Page 22: You head back to camp, pretending you’re not scared.

Same story. Different path. All based on your decisions.

Those books taught me something I didn’t fully understand until much later: You’re not just a character. You’re the author.

Drift Happens

Occasionally we all have related questions bubble up: What if we’d moved to a warmer climate? What if I’d taken that year off to travel and homeschool the kids? What if I’d said yes to starting that business?

Fact is, many of us aren’t choosing the adventure. Instead, we’re just letting life happen. Drifting. Letting routines, responsibilities, and noise write the story for us.

We fall out of the covered wagon and instead of climbing back in, we stay there, scrolling, numbing, waiting for clarity to arrive while white-knuckling our own versions of being a dad.

From one dad to another, no one’s coming to help. No one is going to turn the page for you. That’s your job.

The dads who seem to be living with purpose? They’re not just lucky. They’re awake. They’re choosing. Not perfectly (look my way and you’ll see a hot mess at times), but always on purpose.

A Quick Gut Check

If your life were a Choose Your Own Adventure book… What page are you on? Are you flipping forward, or rereading the same paragraph? Are you exploring the cave, or still pretending you're not scared?

The Call to Adventure

I’m not asking you to burn your life down. Just take a breath. Look around for a moment.

Even if your days feel repetitive, you’re still holding the pen. The plot may feel slow, but you’re still in charge of what happens next.

This week, choose something: Pick an adventure. Any adventure. Just don’t wait for the plot to fix itself.

Here’s Your Mission

Answer this today: If your kid read this chapter of your life, what would they learn about how to live?

If the answer feels off, choose a better adventure.

Cheers,

Will

PS: Look for a new weekly letter from Driven Dads to be shared next Saturday. It’s title? Saturday Sparks. It’s a mixtape for dads: curated bangers to kick off your weekend. From backyard hacks and dad jokes to beer-in-the-garage reflections and rabbit holes you didn’t mean to fall into. Some weeks it’s 7 tracks, others it’s 13. You may not love every banger, but odds are one will stick in your head all weekend. If Sunday’s newsletter is the soul, this one’s the spark. 🔥

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