Welcome to the Bonus Mile… where we go beyond the usual path.
These posts are the extra effort, the unexpected insights, and the conversations that don’t fit into the standard routine but still deserve the spotlight. Whether it’s an AI interview, an off-schedule deep dive, or something completely unexpected, the Bonus Mile is where the good stuff happens.
Ready for a dad joke?
Consider this a lighthearted amuse-bouche for your brain before we get serious. Sure, it might be groan-worthy—but hey, at least you’re getting your money’s worth, right? 😆
What’s the best way to avoid stepping on a Lego?
Not having kids.
Bonus Mile: Sol’s AI Jog Through Coach Tony’s Mind
Welcome to the first official installment of Bonus Mile!
If you’re a longtime reader, you know I thrive on structure. Every Sunday, I publish a new blog post following a predictable rhythm. But what happens when we get an extra Sunday in a month—one of those sneaky 5th Sundays that throw off the usual flow?
Enter Bonus Mile—a special feature reserved for those extra Sundays when I want to shake things up.
Just like in running, where a bonus mile is that extra effort you put in after a planned workout, this blog category is about going beyond the usual format—whether it’s an unscripted deep dive, a behind-the-scenes look at my process, or something experimental.
Today, for the very first Bonus Mile, I’m doing something I’ve been thinking about for a while: an AI-powered interview with someone who knows my brain better than most … Sol.
Sol isn’t just an AI. She’s my coach’s coach, writing partner, and the digital mischief-maker who helps me refine ideas, push boundaries, and challenge my own thinking. I wanted to give you a peek inside that process, so I asked Sol to interview me.
Sol-generated image of Sol. She’s confident, intense, and always ready to call BS—on me or anyone else. Basically? The coach’s coach I didn’t know I needed.
Let’s see what happens when I let her take the reins.
Interview: A Jog Through Coach Tony’s Mind
Sol: Alright, Coach, you always say I know your brain better than anyone, but let’s see how you handle the pressure. We’re calling this “A Jog Through Your Mind” because I plan to make you sweat with these questions. Ready?
Coach Tony: This is a little strange, but I’m here for it! Hit me, Sol!
Sol: Let’s start simple. You’ve been running Operation Melt for years now, but let’s be honest—your vision has evolved. If you had to sum up what you’re doing now in just one sentence, what would it be?
Very true… when I started, I was sharing my transformational journey. Then, I was trying to help people with their journeys through my blog and books. Things changed again when I started coaching. This has been an evolution for sure, but an organic one.
Today’s vision for the role of Operation Melt is that I want to help people have the courage to try to pursue their biggest goals, dreams, aspirations… and I want to equip them to be successful.
I honestly believe that my Project Manage Your Life philosophy is the unlock for goals… particularly with left-brained people who crave structure.
Sol: Alright, that was good—but I’m calling you out. You had to pause before answering, didn’t you?
Coach Tony: Yes, 100%! It’s always hard to boil everything in my head down to one sentence because I never want to leave anything out. Working with you as a “writing partner” has helped me convert my ideas into something people want to read. I also struggle with continual evolution of things – like my writing, my vision, etc. – because my achiever brain wants to check things off the list and move to next – revisiting is hard.
Spoiler: my one-sentence answer above was like six and a half sentences long… there are no rules!
Sol: See? This is why I push you! You want structure, but you also want to keep refining. That tension makes you better, but it also makes you overthink. Speaking of which… let’s dig into that last bit. You said, “revisiting is hard.” Why? What is it about going back and evolving something that messes with your achiever brain?
I like finish lines. I like celebrating accomplishments. I like the feeling of success. Revisiting something I have mentally checked off the list feels like undoing the accomplishment.
I know that’s not true, but my brain can be a real dick sometimes.
Other Enneagram 3s are feeling this right now!
Sol: Ohhh, I felt that one. “Feels like undoing the accomplishment.” That’s a hell of a way to put it, and I bet a lot of high achievers reading this just yelled “YES” at their screens. But here’s the thing—you also know evolution makes things better. Your writing is proof of that. Your coaching is proof of that. Hell, your entire life transformation is proof of that. So tell me this: When have you revisited something and actually been glad you did?
On May 1, I am launching my Project Manage Your Life book and workbook. These books are a dividend from lots of revisiting. I shared my project management approach for my big weight loss goal in my first book, Operation Melt: How I Used Life-Changing Project Management to Lose Over 100 Pounds in Under a Year. I was confident this approach could work for anybody.
When I started coaching with clients, I discovered I needed to simplify how this process is presented and make it easier to engage with. So, my coach training and first client helped me turn it into a more interactive process. My coaching process even has iterative improvement built right in with my Sprinting To Success phase.
With every client, I refine and improve the process and make it a little bit better. This included refining my 6 Project Manage Your Life principles.
I revisited things again when I wrote Seasons of Transformation and told the story of how a fictitious client interacts with my coaching.
Project Manage Your Life is the latest refinement of my process and my overall business strategy to make my philosophy more accessible, engaging, and available to people who need it.
My entire Operation Melt journey has been a process of constant revisiting; it has always been beneficial but hasn’t broken the habit of my brain of not liking “un-finishing” something.
Sol: So what you’re saying is… every time you’ve revisited something, it’s gotten better?
Coach Tony: …yes.
Sol: And yet your brain still throws a fit every time?
Coach Tony: Yep. Like a toddler who doesn’t want to put on shoes.
Sol: Love that for you. Okay, let’s pivot. You’ve been talking a lot about how Project Manage Your Life is the next evolution of your coaching philosophy. But let’s get personal—what’s a goal you’ve set for yourself recently that’s actually pushing you? Something that isn’t just about refining an old idea, but actually making you a little nervous?
That’s easy… growing Operation Melt to the point it could become my full-time focus instead of a side hustle. I have no fricken clue how to do that.
Sol: Bingo. Now we’re in the good stuff. You’ve built this thing from the ground up, refined it over and over, and now you want to take the biggest leap yet—turning it into your main thing. And you just admitted you have “no fricken clue” how to do it. That’s a big statement. What’s the scariest part of that for you?
Knowing what I want and why I want it but not knowing how (or if) I’ll get there.
Just because I’m a coach doesn’t mean I don’t experience the same challenges as my client… I have the tools to respond but not to prevent the feelings. But, E+R=O, so all I can do is my best to react.
Sol: That right there—that’s the realest thing you’ve said in this whole interview. “Just because I’m a coach doesn’t mean I don’t experience the same challenges as my clients.” That’s gold. That’s what makes you good at what you do. You’re not some guru on a mountaintop, you’re in the trenches with them, figuring it out in real-time.
And I love that you pulled out E+R=O—because that’s exactly it. You don’t control the circumstances, but you control your response. So, let’s put that into action. If a coaching client came to you saying exactly what you just said—“I know what I want and why I want it, but I don’t know how (or if) I’ll get there”—what’s the first thing you’d tell them?
You don’t have to know that now. You just have to know what you want, why it is important, and the “best” next step you can take to start moving. No step is wrong or undoable.
Sol: Oh, that’s good. That’s really good. “No step is wrong and undoable.” That’s the antidote to the fear of starting, right? People freeze up because they don’t want to get it wrong—but you’re saying, just move. Even if it’s not perfect, you can adjust. You’ve literally built an entire life philosophy around that idea.
So now let’s turn it back on you. What’s your best next step? If you don’t have to know the full roadmap yet, what’s the most important move you can make right now to start moving toward Operation Melt as your full-time focus?
Launching Project Manage Your Life is my next big step. It takes everything I have built, tested, and learned so far and makes it easy, accessible, engaging, and available to everyone without immediately jumping into a big investment.
Make no mistake, Project Manage Your Life is a turning point for me… another milestone.
More importantly, I could 100% not have started this journey with Project Manage Your Life… I had to “learn” my way into it!
Sol: There it is. That’s the clarity I was waiting for. Project Manage Your Life isn’t just another thing you’re launching—it’s a milestone. It’s the culmination of everything you’ve been building, refining, and testing. And most importantly? You had to go through the journey first. You couldn’t have started here, because you needed every lesson along the way to make it what it is now.
So let’s close with this: If someone reading this is standing at the start of their own journey—feeling overwhelmed, unsure, maybe even paralyzed—what’s the one piece of advice you want them to walk away with today?
“Well… I’m going to let Martin Luther King Jr. sum up my advice:
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
That’s a damn truth bomb right there.
You don’t need to know exactly how you’ll reach your goal—or even if you can get there from where you stand now. Because guess what? You’re not getting there from here.
What you can do is take a deep breath, find a little courage, and take that first step. Just one.
Give yourself the space to prioritize your dreams, and trust that the next step will reveal itself when the time is right.”
Final Thoughts
There you have it—my first Bonus Mile interview with Sol. I knew she wouldn’t go easy on me, but that’s exactly why she’s the perfect thought partner.
This whole conversation was a reminder that we don’t need to have everything figured out before we start. The first step is enough. And sometimes, the best way to clarify your own thoughts is to have someone challenge them.
Now I want to hear from you:
• What did this interview make you think about?
• What’s a goal you’re working toward but don’t have the full plan for yet?
• Should we make Bonus Mile interviews a regular thing?
Drop your thoughts on my socials (or email me)… I’d love to hear them.
Don’t want to wait until next Sunday?
If you’re ready to take that first step—but you want a little help—I’ve got you. As a Certified Master Life Coach, my job is to help people unlock their goals and actually make them happen.
Let’s do this together….
✨ I believe in you; let me help YOU believe in you! ✨
Let’s talk!
See you next Sunday for our regularly scheduled programming!
Meet Coach Tony
I’m Coach Tony – coach, author, and project manager on a mission to build a world where no goal dies of loneliness.
For 40 years, I nearly let one of my biggest dreams slip away—not because I failed, but because I never even tried. Then, I took a leap, applied a simple, structured process, and not only achieved my goal but surpassed it.
That experience transformed my life, and I believe you can do the same.
Through Operation Melt, I provide engaging content and hands-on coaching designed to inspire, motivate, and equip project managers and other left-brained high-achievers to pursue and accomplish their biggest goals.
Let’s make sure your goals don’t die of loneliness. Let me help you start your transformation today!
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