This week, I will focus the newsletter on the “Commit” pillar of Warm Current. Because I’ve got real evidence that consistent commitment to yourself creates conditions where good things happen. This whole newsletter is my attempt to live out loud the things that I hope will make a difference to (in my own small way) prove that my way is healthier and more positive than the way men are implored by “influencers” in the manosphere.
To Commit is the un-sexy daily choice of showing up for whatever matters to you. It’s not “motivation,” it’s just an affirmative choice to say yes to a thing you said was important to you, even when you don’t feel like it.
Case in point, last week I mentioned I’d been rejected for a job that I really wanted. Got through two rounds of interviews and then got a form rejection. But also last week I received an invitation to coffee from a communications colleague in a different department at the large org where I work.
I could have said no because I was feeling low. I don’t really drink coffee in the afternoon. I wasn’t feeling like meeting new people. There were a hundred reasons I could have declined. But I am committed to improving my network and developing more relationships, especially with other men. So I said yes. And it turns out he was a very nice guy. We have some common experiences in our careers. He invited me to happy hours with other communications folks. He literally added a multiplier effect to my life. One yes now means more connections, more community.
Sometimes the impacts of committing are more long-term. For example this week I’ve made some progress in my 2026 running goal: “Find out how fast I can run a mile without getting injured.”
This morning, I dropped a 6X400m repeat workout with each interval between 77 and 81 seconds. Earlier this week, I did 8X300m, and all were around 5:10 per mile pace. After phase one (wake up my legs to speed), and phase two (start to touch race pace), I am now in phase three (extending the speed for longer).
Here are my 300 splits from Tuesday. You can see the pace was getting close to 5:00/mile pace. I haven’t run that fast in 20 years!
Here are this morning’s 400m splits:
Note that last one, I ran 77.6 seconds. That’s 5:12 mile pace. A month ago 5:30 seemed pretty ambitious. Now it feels reasonable, and 5:20 feels possible. No, it’s not world record speed or anything. But it’s important to me because it’s helping me stay curious about my capabilities.
This didn’t happen because of one workout. I run 5-6 days per week. So it happened because of consistent, patient commitment to my process.
Will I run 5:20 on July 8? Not likely, but it’s gone from impossible to possible. Because I focused on what I control: me.
I don’t control the job market, but I do control saying yes to coffee when someone reaches out. I don’t necessarily control the outcome of the first 1-mile race in 20 years I enter, but I control my commitment to my process.
It’s not about my mile time or new friends at work. Those are the outcomes. If I extend this to other parts of my life, I create conditions for better outcomes elsewhere. One more example: That former elite runner I ran with last winter who got hurt? I checked in on him to see if he’s recovering and he asked about my training. He said he wanted to come watch me race! Imagine that – an elite 800m runner who ran for Nike telling this aging mid-packer he wants to watch me race. That felt really good.
So ask yourself: What are you saying “maybe” to when you could be saying “yes?” What feels impossible to you right now that is just one phase away from feeling possible?
Let me know in comments on the site, shoot me an email (frankfield@protonmail.com). As always share this with someone who might benefit from it. Subscribe. And if you’re so inclined, Buy Me a Coffee.