Fitness Is Important, But It Should Not Be Your Life

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For years, I hid behind fitness.

I trained constantly. I obsessed over food. I skipped opportunities because they might interfere with a workout or a meal or my gainz.

I was in incredible shape, no doubt.

But I was also broke. I was aimless. I felt stuck.

I only felt like I had something in one place: the gym.

Looking back, I realized something.

Fitness can become a coping mechanism. It can become the thing you hide behind instead of facing the harder parts of life.

It’s healthier than alcohol or drugs.

But it can still become an escape.

Here’s the hard truth:

Fitness, by itself, doesn’t build wealth. It doesn’t build meaningful relationships. It doesn’t make you a better father. It doesn’t make you a better man.

Fitness, by itself, isn’t enough.

What fitness can do is support all that. It can run quietly in the background while you focus on the other important things.

And that’s where fitness is best.

Not when it’s your identity…but when it’s helping you feel better. When it’s helping you move better. When it’s helping you think more clearly. When it’s helping you have more energy. When it’s helping you be stronger for the people who depend on you. Yes, even when it’s helping you look better.

Fitness should be the foundation. It’s important, of course—but it’s not the whole house.

For years, I was trying to live on nothing but the foundation.

Today, I still lift weights. I still run. I still want to be fit.

But it lives to serve me…not the other way around. It’s not my life anymore.

In the end:

Don’t build incredible fitness while neglecting everything else that matters.

Put fitness in its place—and let it be a part of the better you.

Sunday Sendoff #56: Small Steps, Every Day

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

We love to think about the end goal.

Building 30 pounds of muscle. Doubling your income. Starting a million-dollar business. Running a marathon. Reading 100 books.

The problem?

This is putting the cart before the horse.

It leads to overwhelm. Paralysis. Putting things off until you’re “ready.”

The truth is, those things are accomplished one small step at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say.

Things happen quietly.

One training session. One chapter. One conversation. One lesson learned. One dollar saved. One kind gesture.

By themselves, those things don’t seem like much.

In fact, they can feel almost insignificant.

But here’s the secret:

Small steps compound.

A little bit each day.

String enough days together, and you’ll cover miles.

So go take a small step. Then take another tomorrow. And another the next day.

Years later, you’ll look back and realize you’re stronger, wiser, healthier, more skilled, and more confident than you were before.

Not because you made one giant leap.

Because you kept taking small steps.

Don’t underestimate the power of consistency.

A few training sessions each week become a muscular, strong, capable physique. A few extra pages each night become books you’ve finished. A few miles each week become races you’ve completed. A few thoughtful conversations become lasting friendships. A few improvements to your craft become expertise.

The little things have a funny way of becoming big things.

Just not overnight.

Guiding Principle

Take small steps. Cover big miles.

Something to Ponder

What small step could you take with the rest of today?

Then tomorrow. Then the next day.

What might your life look like a year from now if you simply started, no matter how small?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

The Best Workout Is the One You’ll Do…To an Extent

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You’ll often hear people say, “The best workout is the one you’ll do.”

There’s a lot of truth to that.

A “perfect” program that you never follow isn’t better than a decent one you actually stick with.

But don’t let that advice become an excuse.

If your workout consists of randomly wandering around the gym, doing your favorite exercises, never challenging yourself, and never progressing…

You’re probably not going to get the results you’re hoping for.

Effective training still follows some basic principles.

Progressively challenge your muscles.

Train consistently.

Recover well.

Eat enough quality food.

Give it time.

You don’t need the perfect program, of course.

But you do need a program that’s enjoyable enough to keep you coming back—and structured enough to actually move you toward your goals.

The best workout isn’t just the one you’ll do.

It’s the one you’ll do consistently that actually works.

Sunday Sendoff #55: Don’t Tie Your Identity to One Thing

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is tying our identity to one thing.

One job. One hobby. One title. One relationship. One accomplishment.

It might feel safe.

But it isn’t.

When your entire identity rests on one thing, you become fragile.

Lose the job…

Who are you?

Get injured and can’t play your sport anymore…

Who are you?

Your kids grow up and move out…

Who are you?

A relationship ends…

Who are you?

Life changes.

It always does.

That’s why it’s dangerous to build your identity around something that can be taken away.

Become a well-rounded human instead.

Learn new skills. Pick up new hobbies. Read books. Lift weights. Run. Build something. Teach. Volunteer. Learn an instrument. Write. Travel.

Become curious. Become adaptable.

The funny thing is, the more dimensions your life has, the stronger each one becomes.

You’re no longer just a lifter.

You’re also a father. A friend. A craftsman. A teacher. An entrepreneur. A student. A creator.

If one chapter changes, the whole book doesn’t end.

You simply turn the page.

That’s freedom.

Guiding Principle

Don’t be a one-trick pony.

Something to Ponder

Have you become a bit one-dimensional? Why not try something new, build a new skill, and create new opportunities for yourself?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

This 4th of July, Remember

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Muscle and Freedom: Declare Your Independence

Before the flags waving in the breeze. Before the burgers. Before the fireworks.

Take a minute.

Remember that the freedoms we enjoy today weren’t free.

They were earned by people willing to do extraordinary things. Scary things. Difficult things. Sometimes simply by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Parents who raised their children with character.

Workers who showed up every day and kept the country moving.

Entrepreneurs who built businesses that changed their communities.

Soldiers who carried out their missions.

First responders who ran toward danger when everyone else was running away.

Freedom survives because people choose responsibility.

So today…

Enjoy the food.

Laugh with your family.

Lift some weights.

Go for a run.

Play catch with your kids.

Call your parents.

Watch the fireworks.

And don’t forget to appreciate just how fortunate we are.

Not because our country is perfect—

But because we have the opportunity to keep making ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation better.

Happy Independence Day.

Stay safe. Stay grateful. Stay strong.

Sunday Sendoff #54: What You Got

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

Comparison gets a bad reputation.

Most of the time, for good reason.

It can steal joy.

It can convince us that what we have isn’t enough.

This week, though, comparison did something unexpected.

I toured a beautiful old house.

It was huge.

Tall ceilings. Tons of rooms. Character everywhere. The kind of house that makes you stop and think, “Wow.”

But something funny happened on the way home.

I found myself appreciating my apartment even more.

It’s not perfect.

It’s not the quietest. Storage is…creative. Extra bedrooms would be nice. I’d love a garage someday.

But then I started thinking about everything my apartment is.

It’s where I write. It’s where I build websites. It’s where I sometimes train. It’s where my kids eat, sleep, and watch TV. It’s where ideas turn into projects. It’s where Brickwall grew. It’s where I’ve laughed, struggled, learned, and started building a better life.

It’s home.

(Not to mention I don’t have to worry about fixing things, mowing the lawn, foundation problems, moisture problems, and spending every weekend at Home Depot. 🤣)

Sometimes we’re so focused on the next thing that we forget to enjoy the thing we’re standing in.

The bigger house. The better job. The nicer car. The dream garage.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things.

In fact, I hope you keep chasing them.

Just don’t make the mistake of believing your life begins when you finally arrive.

Life is already happening.

Your apartment. Your first house. Your tiny office. Your beat-up car. Your budget gym.

These aren’t just places you’re passing through.

They’re chapters.

And someday, you’ll probably look back on them with more fondness than you expect.

Keep dreaming. Keep building.

But don’t forget to appreciate what you’ve already built.

Guiding Principle

Appreciate what you got, but keep striving for more.

Something to Ponder

Has your head been off in the clouds, thinking about what you don’t have?

Why don’t you come back down for a minute, look around, and appreciate all the good that’s already around you?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

How to Build a Terrible Website

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I love websites.

I’ve loved them ever since I built my first one back in 2015 (remember FTP? 🤣), and I’ve built several since then.

Over the years, I’ve visited thousands of websites.

Some have made me stop and think, “Wow.”

Others have made me wonder if the owner actually wanted people to leave.

This post is just for fun—a collection of everything I’ve noticed that can make a website really, really bad.

Even if you’ve never built a website, you’ll recognize a few of these. If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet, you’ve experienced them.

So…

You want to build a terrible website?

Here’s how.

Stuff it with ads. The more, the better. We love ads.

Have three different things pop up the moment someone arrives. Don’t let them actually see the website first.

Make it look fantastic on a desktop…and terrible on a phone. It’s not like anyone uses smartphones.

Hide important information. We’d rather spend ten minutes looking for what we came for.

Use font so small people need binoculars. Better yet, make it so small they need a microscope.

Clutter every page with as much stuff as possible. Cover every square inch.

Make it slow enough for someone to brew a pot of coffee while it loads. A food service-sized pot.

Don’t make your links look like links. Can I click this? One of life’s great mysteries.

Link to irrelevant, low-quality, or questionable websites. Guilty by association.

Treat security like it’s optional. Everybody, come on in!

Pick colors that have absolutely nothing to do with your brand. Better yet, pick ten of them.

Use fonts that are “creative” instead of readable. Is that an I or an L?

Use colors with almost no contrast. Our eyes thank you.

Add photos and videos simply because you can. Bonus points for cheesy stock photos.

Set your videos to autoplay at full volume. Nothing says “welcome” like getting yelled at.

Never proofread anything. Typos? Run-on sentences? Questionable punctuation? Bring it on.

Use HUGE blocks of text. Everyone loves reading walls of text.

Make every page look different. Consistency is overrated.

Skip the About page. We don’t need to know who’s behind the website.

Skip the Contact page. Make it a true one-sided conversation.

Ask visitors to sign up for your newsletter before they’ve even read a sentence. That’s definitely how trust works.

If you do all that…

Congratulations.

You’ve built a website people can’t wait to leave.

The funny thing is that good websites usually aren’t complicated.

They’re fast. They’re clear. They’re easy to navigate. They respect the visitor’s time.

Whether you’re building a business website, a portfolio, or a personal blog…

…or you’re just someone who uses websites…

Remember this:

Your website isn’t for you. It’s for the people using it.

Sunday Sendoff #53: Happy Father’s Day

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

When I was younger, I thought being a father meant having all the answers.

Knowing exactly what to say. Exactly what to do. Always being strong. Always being right. Always having a plan.

Then I became a dad.

And I learned something different.

Fatherhood isn’t about perfection.

It’s about presence.

It’s showing up when you’re tired. Showing up when you’re stressed. Showing up when life didn’t go according to plan. Showing up anyway.

My dad showed up.

I show up.

And you show up.

The funny thing about being a father is that the most important moments aren’t usually the ones you expect.

They aren’t the big events. They aren’t the cool trips. They aren’t the picture-perfect holidays.

They’re the ordinary moments.

The rides to school. The trips to the park. The bedtime stories. The walks. The dinners. The bad jokes. The random conversations that turn into life lessons.

Those moments don’t seem important at the time.

Until one day you realize they were everything.

I think a lot of fathers carry a quiet burden.

The feeling that we should be doing more. Providing more. Being more.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Your kids don’t need a perfect father.

They need their father.

The one who shows up. The one who listens. The one who keeps trying. The one who loves them. The one who is there.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we imagined. Sometimes the picture in our head never becomes reality.

But love isn’t measured by how closely life follows the script.

Love is measured by what we do with the pages we were given.

So today, if you’re a father, give yourself a little credit.

The fact that you worry about being a good dad is evidence that you’re trying to be one.

Keep showing up. Keep teaching. Keep listening. Keep loving.

The years move fast.

The moments matter.

And when your kids look back, they’re not going to care their dad wasn’t perfect.

They’re going to care that their dad was there.

Trying.

Happy Father’s Day.

Guiding Principle

Showing up, even imperfectly, matters.

Something to Ponder

Do you beat yourself up over not being the perfect dad? Why? Why not take some time to think about all the good things you do, and all the times you’ve shown up?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.