If I had a credit for every time I said, āIāll just do this later,ā I could probably fund a toddler-free writing retreat on Endor. But when youāre navigating life with kids, ālaterā is often a fantasyāunless you break tasks into micro-missions.
This week, I want to share a small shift thatās changed how I approach productivity: doing less, but more often.
šØāš What Are Micro-Missions?
Theyāre tiny, focused tasks that take 5ā15 minutes max. Enough to feel like progress, but not enough to wake the beast (aka napping child). Instead of thinking āwrite blog post,ā I write one paragraph. Instead of āclean the kitchen,ā I do one surface. Momentum over magnitude.
šŖ Tools That Help:
– The āNaptime Sprintā Sticky Notes: I pre-plan 3ā4 small missions I can do if naptime happens. If it doesnāt? I still feel mentally ready.
– Audio Notes for Blog Ideas: Iāve started using voice memos while loading laundry or pushing the pram. Goldmine of half-thought genius.
– Time-Coding the Day: I loosely block the day into zones (morning chaos, afternoon slump, post-bedtime potential). It helps me know when to try thingsāand when to let go.
Harvey was more than a dogāhe was a shadow, and a show-stealer. Loyal to his family every step of the way, Harvey’s life was one filled with love, laughter, and unbreakable companionship. From caravan holidays where he effortlessly became the centre of attention, to the quiet comfort of following me around the house, Harvey was always exactly where he was meant to be: by my side.
His gentle presence and unwavering devotion made the ordinary extraordinary. Whether trotting through caravan sites or curled up at home, Harvey reminded everyone that true greatness lies in love given freely and moments shared deeply.
He leaves behind paw prints not just on the carpet, but on hearts. Sleep well, Harveyāyou were truly the very best of boys.
Can I just say as a club Newcastle united are absolutely cooking btw just check out all of these announcements and highlights from the past month and a half!!
Menās Team Highlights
Dan Burn was voted Player of the Season for 2024/25. Alexander Isak was nominated for the PFA Playersā Player of the Year.
Premier League fixtures for 2025/26 were released, with a blockbuster opener against Aston Villa on August 16.
Transfer activity: In: Anthony Elanga (Ā£55m from Nottingham Forest) and Antonio Cordero (free from MĆ”laga).
Out: Lloyd Kelly (permanent move to Juventus), Callum Wilson, Jamal Lewis, and John Ruddy (all released)2.
Behind-closed-doors friendly: Newcastle beat Carlisle United 4ā0, with academy players and Joelinton scoring.
Hugo Ekitike pursuit: Ongoing negotiations for a potential record signing.
Womenās Team Highlights
Back-to-back promotions confirmed; now competing in the Womenās Championship or WLS 2 for another season.
New signings: Jemma Purfield (former Southampton full-back). Molly Pike (goalscoring midfielder from Southampton). Amy Andrews (striker from Durham). Deanna Cooper (ex-Chelsea and Reading defender). Jordan Nobbs (England legend) linked with a potential marquee signing.
Season tickets for 2025/26 went on sale and we got 4
.
Club-Wide Updates
Retained list published: Callum Wilson, John Ruddy, and Jamal Lewis released.
Mark Gillespie retained via contract option.
Lloyd Kellyās loan to Juventus made permanent.
Paul Mitchell, sporting director, confirmed departure after securing Corderoās signing.
New Head of Football Strategy: Jack Ross appointed.
Champions League qualification and Carabao Cup win celebrated as part of clubās strongest season in decades.
š§ My Lightsaber Is Actually a Remote: The Jedi Arts of Channel Control
In our galaxy, the remote is more than techāitās a wand, a peacekeeper, a beacon of compromise. And wielding it? Thatās pure Jedi.
I used to think I had control. Then came Bluey marathons and YouTube wormholes. Channel sovereignty became a rare artefact, like the Darksaberāspoken of, seldom seen. But hereās the trick: Jedi donāt dominate. They persuade, guide, and sometimes make room for Ewok dance breaks if it brings balance to the Force.
Iāve learned to rotate screen time like a training regimenācartoons one day, nature docs the next, with detours through football replays for parental sanity. Sometimes, we co-watch and I sneak in dad jokes that would make Yoda groan.
And when the tiny Padawans clash? Thatās when my calm Jedi dad voice comes out: āThere is no fight, only sharing.ā It doesnāt always work. But neither did Obi-Wanās first try with Anakin.
š Guardsman to Dadnaut: Discipline That Still Works
Before nappies, there were night watches. Before storytime, there were standing orders. I traded a regimented life in uniform for the whirlwind of parentingāand oddly, it didnāt feel all that different.
The discipline drilled into me as a Guardsman didnāt vanish the moment I strapped on a baby carrier. Instead, it evolved. The early routines? Gold. Nap schedules are like operations briefs: donāt overcomplicate, donāt deviate. Gear checks became nappy bag inspections. Early on, I realised that the same calm under pressure I needed in uniform was the very thing that got us through the āpoonamiā on aisle 7 of Tesco.
But itās not about barking commands. Itās about presence. A soldierās presence matters. So does a dadās. When my kid melts down at bedtime, I channel that same stillness I used to stand ceremonial post. When I say āno,ā itās not sharpāitās grounded. Confident. Respectful.
Turns out, you can turn a parade square mindset into a playroom strategy. Discipline, done right, isnāt about controlāitās about consistency, compassion, and showing up the same way every time. So while the tools have changed, the mission stays the same: protect, provide, and lead with honour.
Thereās something electric about looking aheadācounting down the days to those big moments in gaming, TV, and film that you know are going to leave an impact. Over the next 18 months, weāre getting sequels we never thought weād see, fresh takes on iconic stories, and a few surprise comebacks that have me genuinely hyped.
Hereās a rundown of the 10 titles that have claimed top spots on my anticipation radar:
š® 1. GTA VI ā May 26, 2026
Vice City returns. Lucia and Jason take the wheel. Rockstar is leveling up with the expansive state of Leonida and a narrative that already feels legendary. It’s been a long waitābut the neon-soaked chaos will be worth it.
š 2. The Mandalorian & Grogu ā May 22, 2026
Din Djarin and the little green legend make their big-screen debut. Jon Favreau is back in the director’s chair, and if the series was anything to go by, this movie might just leave the whole galaxy buzzing.
š§ 3. Stranger Things Season 5 ā Nov 26, Dec 25, Dec 31, 2025
The final chapter arrives in three parts. Hawkins, Eleven, and the Upside Down face off one last time. Emotions? Checked. Flashlights? Charged. Ready to say goodbye? Not remotely.
š§ 4. Harry Potter (HBO Series) ā 2026/27
A full reboot of the books, bringing each chapter to life with room to breathe. New cast, same magic. And with Rowling on board as an exec producer, itāll be fascinating to see what gets reimagined.
š·ļø 5. Wednesday Season 2 ā Aug 6 & Sept 3, 2025
Jenna Ortega returns in a season that promises more gothic weirdness, less high school romance, and a deeper dive into Addams family lore. The toneās getting darkerāand Iām here for it.
ā¢ļø 6. Fallout Season 2 ā Dec 2025
Weāre heading to New Vegas, and the Wasteland just got more chaotic with Macaulay Culkin joining the cast. After the sleeper hit that was Season 1, expectations are sky-highāand radioactive.
š§ø 7. Toy Story 5 ā June 19, 2026
Just when I thought the toy box was shut for goodā¦ Woody and Buzz are back, facing off against a villain named Lily Pad in a tech vs. toy showdown. Bring tissues. Pixar never misses.
š 8. Moana (Live-Action) ā July 10, 2026
Catherine Lagaāaia teams up with Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson in this reimagining of the oceanic epic. Visuals are expected to be stunning, and if the music hits like the originalāweāre in for a wave of nostalgia.
š« 9. Borderlands 4 ā Sept 12, 2025
Vault Hunters, assemble. A new villain, the Timekeeper, sets the tone for a full-throttle co-op experience across a brand-new planet. Get ready for mayhem, loot, and bad jokes aplenty.
šµļø 10. Mafia: The Old Country ā Aug 8, 2025
Step into Sicily, 1900s. Play as Enzo Favara and rise through the Torrisi crime family. Itās giving Godfather meets Red Dead, and every part of that sentence makes me want to pre-order.
š£ļø What Are You Excited For?
Thatās my hype listābut what are YOU most looking forward to? Is there an under-the-radar release I should have on my radar? TV, movie, game, animeāIām open to it all.
Hit me up on socials or drop a comment below. Letās build the ultimate fandom watchlist together. š
The first item of baby clothing I bought? A mini NUFC shirt. Not a bottle, not a onesie. A Toon top. Because for me, football isnāt just about sportāitās about belonging.
Welcome to The Toonverse Chronicles, where passion meets parenthood, and raising a Newcastle fan becomes an emotional training montage worthy of the empire strikes backābut with more wafer thins.
šŖ The Magic of It All: Our bedtime stories alternate between Alan Shearer and Albus Dumbledore. We celebrate goals like spell-casting victories. Somewhere between match replays and wand battles, my little one started to get into it.
ā½ Lessons from the Gallowgate End: – Loyalty isnāt about never losingāitās about never walking away. – Tradition mattersārituals like wearing black and white or doing silly half-time dances are part of family identity. – Hope, even when weāre 2ā0 down in life, makes everything worthwhile. – Raising the little one like the Carabao Cup whilst she is giggling and I like every other Geordie is on cloud nine – Priceless.
š” Favourite Moment: The day I got to put my youngest in her first proper toon top. there is nothing like it.
š Full-Time Thoughts: Itās not just football. Itās not just parenting. Itās shared belief. And that, to me, is a kind of magic. It is going to be a magic we all feel when we start going to the lasses matches next season as the youngest is just about old enough now.
Stardate: Week 3 of parenting my 4-week-early little girl. Log Entry: Time: 01:13. Status: Half-dressed half-asleep. Tea: Redundant. Partner sleeping, just, waiting for the 3am feed time.
This is the first of my Mission Logsāpersonal, unfiltered dispatches from the frontlines of dad hood. Iāll be honest: nothing prepared me for the wild silence of a sleeping Mamnaut and babyā¦ except maybe training in sleep deprivation while on guard duty.
š¤ The Incident: It was approaching midnight, and the bottle was prepped there was a sleepy silence throughout the house. It was now time to awaken the shrieking shack!
š¦ My Survival Tips: – Embrace the behaviour exhibited by the Mamnaut, speak softly cuddle the little one in and slowly wake up the mamnaut. The goal is to head upstairs! – Accept imperfect wins. There had been screaming and named football chants sung like lullabies but I was now ready to feed the little one. – Create a sleep pattern that works: Mamnaut slept from 10-12 am on the sofa, we went to bed at midnight and then the Mamnaut had a broken sleep until 2:30 am to prep the 3 am feed, and I slept from 1 am until 5:30 am ready for the 6 am feed! It isn’t perfect but we are getting used to it!
š Status Report: We made it through. Slightly haunted, heavily caffeinated, andāsurprisinglyāmore connected to my little one than ever. Itās funny how the hardest moments teach us the most about love especially when you are looking down at them having a feed at 12:30 am when everything in the world feels calm again.
From Guardsman to Dadnaut ā The Mission Behind the Maker
In another universe, I might have stayed behind the scenes, quietly creating, connecting, and carrying worlds on my shoulders. But in this one? I am all in. Not because I crave attention, but because I believe in building things that matterāstories, brands, moments, and meaning. The Dadnauts project isnāt my first idea, but it will be lasting. Itās the one that fits like a glove, Or a gauntlet.
Dadnaut blends precision with play. Thereās a Guardsmanās discipline still beating under the surface: a respect for routine, attention to detail, and a commitment to seeing things through. That part of me shows up every time I draft content plans, build workflows, or break down a complex project into clear steps. However, itās not all strategy and checklists, I am fuelled by curiosity, story, and connection. I know how to turn a tagline into a touchpoint and a fandom reference into a bridge.
If creativity were a constellation, Dadnaut aims to be its navigator. Whether I am brainstorming blogs that spark self-reflection or remixing Newcastle United chants into bedtime rituals, I strive to bring a unique orbit to everything I touch. I see ideas not just for what they areābut for what they could become, if given the right voice, the right vibe, the right space to grow.
Beyond the blogs, tweets, and branding bursts, thereās someone who simply cares deeply about legacy, about laughter, and about leading with authenticity. I am building something not just for clicks or clout, but for community. For other dads navigating the weird intersection of nappies and fandom. For anyone whoās ever felt torn between who they were and who theyāre becoming.
At the heart of this galaxy-spanning operation? The Mamnaut. The partner, the co-pilot, the quiet force that holds the orbit steady when things start to wobble. Sheās the one who sees through the mess to the meaning, who tempers the chaos with calm, who reminds Dadnaut, whether with a look, a laugh, or a perfectly timed hug that resets the universe, that this whole mission only flies because itās a team effort. If Dadnaut is the explorer, Mamnaut is the gravity. Together, they make the stars feel a little more within reach.
The core of Dadnauts mission is this truth: Identity isnāt something you leave behind when you become a parent. Itās like building your own lightsaber. It draws from your past, reflects your essence, and evolves with every choice you make in the galaxy of fatherhood. Like every great Dadnaut before him, I am just getting started.
Dadnauts 