Junkyard Jumpstart – Coming Soon!

I wrote another book. Apparently I haven’t learned my lesson.

It’s called Junkyard Jumpstart, and after spending a ridiculous amount of time writing it, changing my mind, rewriting it, cutting things I loved, adding things I later cut, and generally making a nuisance of myself, it’s finally in the hands of the publisher. Stay tuned for the release date (but hopefully in time to make your Christmas shopping list).

The idea behind the book is pretty simple: sometimes life stalls. More specifically, sometimes you stall spiritually. You don’t crash. You don’t explode. You don’t have some dramatic existential crisis requiring a therapist, a sabbatical, and three weeks in Tuscany. You just stall. You get tired. Bored. Distracted. Comfortable. The things that once pushed and pulled you spiritually don’t quite do it anymore. You’re not necessarily unhappy. You aren’t ready to give up on God or anything like that. You’re just sitting there with the key turned and the engine making that pathetic clicking sound.

I know that feeling. And I’ve discovered that when I’m there, I usually don’t need a five-year plan. I don’t need to reinvent myself, discover my purpose, optimize my morning routine, or listen to a podcast hosted by a 31-year-old explaining how to live a meaningful life. I just need a spark.

That’s the idea behind Junkyard Jumpstart. It’s a collection of ideas, stories, questions, and occasional provocations meant to get the engine started again. There’s no big master plan here. In fact, that’s sort of the point. I’ve become increasingly suspicious of grand life-changing strategies. They make for great conference talks but tend to fall apart by Tuesday afternoon.

I’m more interested in small things. Call the friend. Take the walk. Read the book. Go somewhere unfamiliar. Give something away. Make something. Ask a better question. Pay attention to something you’ve stopped noticing. See what happens.

The title, of course, comes from my junkyard roots. I grew up around dead cars, greasy parts, battered tools, and people who understood that something appearing useless didn’t necessarily mean it was finished. Sometimes it needed a new part. Sometimes a good whack with a wrench. And sometimes it just needed a jump. Turns out people aren’t entirely different.

So the book is written, which is both satisfying and a little unnerving. Publishing means taking something that has lived privately on your computer and handing it to strangers who are free to underline things, disagree with you, ignore your favorite chapter, or use the book to level a wobbly table. All perfectly legitimate uses.

But I do have one hope for it. If you’re feeling a little stalled—tired, bored, restless, or simply wondering what’s next—maybe Junkyard Jumpstart will provide enough of a spark to turn the engine over.

Where you go after that is entirely up to you. (Tuscany might be a good start.)

I’ll let you know when it’s available for preorder.