There’s something deeply satisfying about making a smart financial decision. The sort of decision that makes you stand a little taller, nod quietly to yourself, and feel as though you’ve finally wrestled adulthood to the ground and pinned it there with calm, mathematical authority.

There’s something even more satisfying about believing you’ve beaten the system. Loyalty should be rewarded. Thrift deserves applause. Careful arithmetic ought to have its moment in the sun. And when enthusiasm joins the cause, well… productivity tends to follow.

In this tale from Clarence Mills, a modest adjustment gathers momentum. A harmless strategy develops legs. A simple plan acquires velocity.

Good intentions are present at every turn. So is caffeine.

What begins as sensible and responsible grows into something larger than anticipated. There are calculations involved. There is pride. There is the quiet thrill of optimization. There is the firm belief that one more small improvement couldn’t possibly change much of anything.

And then the day unfolds.

Tasks are tackled. Projects are launched. Long-postponed ambitions suddenly appear conquerable. Energy levels rise to heights normally reserved for professional athletes and Labrador retrievers. Sleep, meanwhile, begins to look distinctly optional.

This is a story about loyalty, thrift, ambition, and the surprising athleticism of good intentions when given just the right encouragement. It is also a gentle reminder that momentum, once invited in, does not always ask permission before settling in for the evening.

If you’ve ever made a perfectly reasonable plan and watched it gather speed…
If you’ve ever believed you were cleverly outmaneuvering a rewards program…
If you’ve ever found yourself wide awake long after prudence suggested otherwise…

You may feel very much at home here.

Clarence Mills has seen many things.

But nothing quite like this.

I try to bring a new Clarence Mills misadventure most Thursdays. If this one strikes a chord or two, feel free to follow along — and let me know you’re out there listening.