365 days

All virtual sessions (60 minutes) booked in January are half off - this is through BETTER as well as me personally (for my non-sports teams/org readers). The session doesn’t have to be in January, just booked during that month. Just reply to this email to lock it in.

Also, for the men, I’m doing a personal 6 month NO DRIFT cohort to help you develop discipline and direction. Limited spots. Reply for info.

Wednesday, December 31

By the time you read this, I will have completed my morning workout. It will mark 365 days of consecutive workouts. I’ve come close to that the last couple of years but always missed a day or two (sickness, busyness, travel, etc). This year was different.

I didn’t miss when I was traveling (I took more than 50 flights this year). I didn’t miss when I was tired. I didn’t miss on holidays or vacations. I didn’t miss when the schedule was packed. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything for 365 straight days (expect maybe breathing and talking).

I didn’t set out to become a body builder (you won’t see any pics of me flexing online). I set out to prove something to myself about standards. When you strip away the motivation, the hype, and the "new year, new me" energy, you are left with one thing:

The Work.

This email will be longer than usual, but I think it will be helpful for you - also taking the rest of the week off from email, so I’ll see you on Monday.

Here are the 5 things I’ve learned from a year of not missing. 5 lessons that can help you in your journey (whether it’s about fitness or not).

1. Kill the Negotiation

The moment you ask yourself, "Do I feel like working out today?" you have already lost. Feelings are unreliable masters and take us off the path.

The most critical skill I developed this year wasn't a physical lift, it was the mental ability to subtract the negotiation. The decision was made before my feet hit the floor. Identity isn't what you want to do. It’s what you do when you don’t want to.

2. Standards > Goals

Goals are about a destination. Standards are about who you are right now and who you are becoming.

A goal says, "I want to lose 10 pounds." A standard says, "I am the kind of person who moves my body every day."

Goals can be delayed. You can push a deadline back. But standards are non-negotiable. This streak wasn't about a finish line. It was about maintaining a standard of performance for myself. I wanted to be able to put my head on my pillow knowing that I lived my standard.

3. Embrace the Middle

Day 1 is easy. It’s fueled by excitement. Day 365 is easy. It’s fueled by celebration.

Day 147? That’s just a Tuesday (Truly. It was Tuesday, May 27th). Nothing exciting, just a day.

Most people quit in the middle because it’s boring and unglamorous. But the best know that consistency isn't about the highlight reel. It is about a commitment to the boring process. The magic is in the middle.

4. Mood Follows Action

I rarely felt like working out before I started. I never regretted it after I finished.

We often think we need to feel motivated to act. The truth is the opposite: You need to act to feel motivated. You cannot think your way into a new behavior, but you can act your way into a new mindset.

5. Confidence is Self-Trust

This is the most important lesson of the year, at least for me.

Real confidence doesn't come from affirmations. It comes from keeping promises to yourself.

Every time you say you are going to do something and then you don't do it, you erode your reputation with yourself. You teach your brain that your word doesn't matter.

But when you show up - especially when it's hard, especially when no one is watching - you build self-trust. And you cannot lead others if you cannot trust yourself.

If I can't keep a simple promise to work out for 30 minutes, how can I expect my family, my team, or my clients to trust me with the big things?

I’ll close with this.

You don't need more time for your goals. You don’t need more resources or planning or strategy or advice. I didn’t add extra hours into my days, I just used the hours I had more efficiently.

You need to decide who you are, and then do the things that person does. Discipline and consistency are not personality traits, they are skills.

Here’s to Day 366. Here’s to 2026.
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Keep chopping wood. 🪵🪓

-Kevin