🥊The #1 common denominator of elite athletes

First things first: diddukewin.com. Answer: No, they did not because they suck. Go heels! Ahh the joys of beating Duke at Cameron on their senior night…will never get old.

I digress. As Chance the Rapper would say: “👏👏👏 And we back…..And we back, and we back, and we back, and we back….”

Y’all already know what it is, and for those who don’t, let me introduce you to Elite Dads Weekly!

Here, we always keep it 💯 and keep it brief by curating action-provoking wisdom through 1 quote, 1 piece of advice from someone who has been there, and 1 action prompt tailored specifically for married fathers to feel supported & seen, help encourage new thought patterns, and stop overthinking and take action….all in under 5 minutes.

I hope you catch a vibe here to hold onto throughout your day and week as you and I turn passivity into proactive growth for ourselves, our marriages, and our kids.

No small boy stuff here…best believe that!

Stay Ready,
C

Now let’s get to it ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Thought this was timely given the news of the Tyson v. Paul fight. I am not a big boxing guy, but definitely respect the game. These dudes (and gals) are next level when it comes to training.

Regardless of how you feel about Tyson as a person, this is some straight truth - and he has the boxing success to back it up.

My takeaway: discipline is a common denominator for the best of the best. I know we all "know” that, but how can we apply that day-to-day?

Well, according to ya boi Mike, we have to “embrace the suck” - a term originating from another group of elite professionals - the Navy Seals. See the common thread here?

My charge to us married dads is to be a MODEL for discipline in our families, not a FOLLOWER. Meaning, don’t wait for your wife or kid to prompt you to be disciplined.

Whatever area you want to be more disciplined in (right now for me it is eating more protein and working out): 1) know ahead of time it is going to suck, 2) do it like you love it, 3) build momentum, and 4) enjoy being the strong foundation that your family leans on.

Dr. Becky Kennedy, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist (and a parent), was recently interviewed by Andrew Huberman on the Huberman Lab podcast that covered simple yet powerful tools to build healthy relationships with kids, teens, adults, and oneself.

Y’all….this podcast in one word: TURNT. Got my head spinning in all sorts of ways. Both good and also reflective on how I can change for the better.

One of the many things that stood out to me was Dr. Kennedy’s definition of being someone who is “sturdy.”

She defines sturdiness as being “connected to yourself and someone else at the same time.”

In practice, that means being true to my values, my wants, and my needs while at the same time being able to connect to someone who might have different values, different wants, and different needs.

There are so many applications to this - at home with my wife and kids, in the workplace, with friends, etc. The only caveat is that it starts with you knowing yourself. If you don’t know yourself, how can you be true to yourself?

She goes on to say it is our main job as parents to be sturdy and we do that through boundaries (things we tell people we will do that require the other person to do nothing) and empathy and validation (connecting with others).

My takeaway: Being a man who is sturdy by way of boundaries, empathy, and validation can change the trajectory of your life and those around you.

I would encourage you to check out the full interview below:

Speak your need to get what you need.

This falls under the category for me of “embracing the suck.”

I don’t like to speak my needs because it is vulnerable, I may be disappointed in the response I get, and the other person (whether my wife, kids, boss, or friend) should know what my needs are, right??

WRONG.

One of my biggest struggles is assuming.

Note to self: Stop assuming. Start speaking.

That’s a wrap, folks!

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