June 2019 · archival republish
Over 40 and a father? The #DadBodyProject
This is the original post from June 2019, kept unedited. The current version of what it became is written up here.

IF you are a dad over the age of 40, then read on. If not, no worries, feel free to share this message with someone that may fit the profile.
I'm looking for 4 more dads to beta-test a program that I've developed over the past 3 years. The #DadBodyProject.
As a dad, husband, brother, friend and community leader, I know all too well how challenging it can be to try to fit it all in. As men, we're often pulled by careers, family, community, and our own dreams and ambitions. That's life. And it's beautiful.
And yet. We often have a tendency to put our health and wellbeing, our self-care, on the back-burner of life. Not just the physical, but the emotional, psychological, and spiritual parts that make us who we are. We focus much of our energy on the external world, helping others before helping ourselves, becoming a martyr, sacrificing ourselves and in the process becoming a fraction of what we set out to be.
In our 20's we were headstrong and had a metabolism to match. We could get away with a lot. A full day at school or the office, then a session at the gym, followed by a night on the town, wake up and repeat. But that slowly shifted as our goals, ambitions, and lifestyle matured and evolved along with our personal and professional development. Life seemed to shift from me to us, as we found ourselves dividing our time to other commitments, thinking that there would be time to refocus on ourselves once we get through this one last project, one last challenge, achieve that one last goal.
But there's good news.
Our physicality and mental acuity are tightly tied to our physical and emotional wellbeing. When we start to lose our physical ability to be fit, healthy, and strong, our emotions start to wane. Negative thought patterns, excuses, and stress slip past our guard, and we find that we lose connection to mind-body-spirit. We see what was once a gap in our 30's is now a chasm to cross. Reconnecting the dots seems like a massive project, and regaining our health, fitness, and mental energy like an epic journey of epic proportions. It just feels hard, doesn't it?
Thankfully, I know exactly how you feel.
Whether the above fully resonates with you or only a part, we probably both agree that things have become more challenging as we have aged. Especially when it comes to maintaining a reasonable level of health and wellness that provides confidence, stamina, endurance, and energy to do the things that matter to us most in life.
As a 42-year old dad of now 2 teen daughters, a busy entrepreneur and a community leader, I can tell you I've figured it out. I've figured out how to satisfy all my cravings, be a great husband, a loving father, an endearing friend, while also loving myself enough to prioritize my own self-care habits. I'm not spending hours and hours at the gym as I did in my 20's. In fact, I work out less intensely, and for fewer hours, yet I'm fitter than I've ever been. I don't stress too much about how I eat, but rather what and when I eat. And most important of all, my energy and self-confidence as a result of some simple tweaks, I feel better than I ever have. And I want to help you achieve the same.
Imagine waking up with boundless energy, being able to connect with those closest to you fully present and alert, while also knowing that your choices that day are in full alignment with the things you most want. You aren't really thinking about being healthy or the like, rather you are just BEING.
That's the difference between goal setting and lifestyle shifting. One method is great for gauging progression, but the other, it's just about living life as it is. As your best version of you, because deep down you know, 'I got this!'
If you are open and ready
Then connect with me to get an overview for what the Dad Body Project journey entails. Note: this is not a free offer, it will require a nominal investment along with your time and energy. It will require work, but as challenging as it may be, I guarantee what you achieve will be worth it.
Originally published on LinkedIn, 7 June 2019. Republished here unedited. Seven years later this is still the work, with better tools. If you are the man this was written for, MERGE60 is where it happens now.