by silence | Jan 31, 2026 | Health, life
Let’s be real—if you’re a guy over 50, you’ve probably noticed your energy isn’t what it used to be. Maybe you’re hitting snooze more often, needing that afternoon nap, or just feeling like you’re running on fumes by 3 PM. I get it. The good news? You don’t need expensive supplements or complicated routines to get your energy back.
I spent weeks diving into expert YouTube videos from physiotherapists, doctors, and fitness specialists who work specifically with men over 50. What I found were ten game-changing strategies that keep popping up again and again—and guys are reporting real results within weeks.
Let’s break down what actually works.
Key Idea #1: Start Your Day With Water, Not Coffee
The Strategy: Drink 16-20 ounces of room-temperature water with a pinch of sea salt and half a lemon within 5 minutes of waking up.
Why It Works: Overnight, you lose about a liter of water through breathing and sweating. Your blood gets thick, your heart works harder, and your testosterone and nitric oxide tank. This simple hydration hack rehydrates your cells, replaces electrolytes, and can boost morning energy by 20-30% in the first week.
Real Example: In Dr. Elle’s morning routine video, she explains how one of her clients—a 71-year-old retired firefighter named Frank—started this habit and noticed more stable energy within days. He went from walking with a cane to throwing it in the trash after six weeks.
Your Action Step: Tonight, fill a glass with water and put it on your nightstand with half a lemon. Add a small pinch of sea salt in the morning. Do this before you even think about coffee.
Key Idea #2: Delay Your First Coffee by 90 Minutes
The Strategy: Wait at least 90 minutes after waking before having your first cup of coffee.
Why It Works: Early morning, your body releases cortisol to wake you up naturally. When you drink coffee immediately, you interfere with this cortisol response and block the adenosine system (the brain’s natural wake-up mechanism). The result? You crash harder later and need more caffeine to function. Physiotherapist Will Harlow explains that delaying coffee lets your natural energy systems activate properly, giving you more consistent energy all day.
Real Example: Will shares in his video how he struggled with afternoon energy crashes for years. Once he started delaying his coffee until 90 minutes after waking, those 3 PM crashes disappeared completely.
Your Action Step: Set your coffee maker timer for 90 minutes after your usual wake-up time. Use that first hour for hydration, movement, and morning light exposure instead.
Key Idea #3: Get Outdoor Light Within 30 Minutes of Waking
The Strategy: Spend 10-30 minutes outside (or near a bright window) within 30 minutes of waking up. Look toward the horizon—not directly at the sun—and let natural light hit your eyes.
Why It Works: Morning light triggers your circadian rhythm, releases dopamine and serotonin, and increases luteinizing hormone—the signal that tells your testicles to make testosterone. A 2021 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology found that men who got 20 minutes of morning outdoor light raised testosterone 25-40% compared to men who stayed indoors.
Real Example: Dr. Elle explains in her morning routine that even on cloudy or rainy days, the outdoor light exposure makes a massive difference. If you’re in an apartment with no balcony, open every window and stand in the light. In winter, a 10,000 lux light box works too.
Your Action Step: Step outside first thing with your morning water. Even if you’re just standing on your porch or walking to get the mail, those 10 minutes matter. Make it a non-negotiable part of your routine.
Key Idea #4: Do 10 Minutes of Morning Movement (Not a Full Workout)
The Strategy: Within 30 minutes of waking, do 10-15 minutes of gentle movement—mobility exercises, light stretching, or a brisk walk. If you’re more advanced, try 60-90 seconds of high-intensity effort (like stair sprints or kettlebell swings) followed by 2 minutes of walking, repeated 3-5 times.
Why It Works: Morning movement increases circulation, wakes up stiff joints, and triggers nitric oxide release for the next 24-48 hours. This nitric oxide opens your arteries, improving blood flow everywhere—including down below. Norwegian research showed that just 3 minutes total of high-intensity intervals three times a week improved cardiovascular fitness by 17% in men over 65.
Real Example: Senior Fit Nation’s video highlights how even simple stretches for shoulders, back, and hips can transform morning stiffness into all-day energy. One viewer commented that his morning walks gave him more energy than his afternoon workouts ever did.
Your Action Step: Start small. Tomorrow, do 10 minutes of any movement that feels good—march in place with high knees, do wall push-ups, or walk around your block. Build from there.
Key Idea #5: Eat a High-Protein, Low-Carb Breakfast
The Strategy: Make your first meal 30-50 grams of protein, healthy fats, and under 30 grams of carbs. Think: three whole eggs with bacon and avocado, or a protein smoothie with almond butter and berries.
Why It Works: Most men over 50 eat breakfast like they’re trying to lose weight—oatmeal, toast, juice. Pure carbs spike insulin, crash testosterone, and store fat. A protein-rich breakfast keeps insulin low, forces your body to burn fat, and gives your liver the raw materials to make testosterone. Dr. Eric Berg explains that many men are running on glucose (sugar energy) when they should be running on ketones (fat energy), which is far more stable.
Real Example: In the “Men Over 60: 7 Essential Foods” video, Dr. Mohit Khera shares the story of a 67-year-old patient who switched to soft-boiled eggs and Greek yogurt for breakfast. Within three weeks, the man reported better focus, steady energy until lunch, and even improved bedroom performance.
Your Action Step: Tomorrow morning, skip the cereal. Cook three eggs in butter or olive oil, add a side of bacon or salmon, and half an avocado. Notice how long you stay full and energized.
Key Idea #6: Lift Heavy Things 2-3 Times Per Week
The Strategy: Do resistance training at least twice a week, working your muscles to fatigue (around 10 reps per set). You don’t need a gym—bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or light dumbbells work great.
Why It Works: After 50, men lose muscle mass at an accelerating rate (sarcopenia). Muscle is metabolically active—it burns calories even at rest. Resistance training not only prevents muscle loss but actually boosts your metabolism and energy levels throughout the day. Will Harlow, the physiotherapist, calls it “the best method of exercise for health, muscle, energy, independence, and mobility.”
Real Example: Dr. Dawn Andalon works with women in their 50s-70s who incorporate Pilates-based strength training. She emphasizes that it’s not about heavy weights—it’s about working to fatigue safely. Many of her clients report feeling decades younger within weeks.
Your Action Step: Find a simple beginner strength routine on YouTube (look for trainers specializing in over-50s). Commit to two 30-minute sessions this week. Track your progress in a notebook.
Key Idea #7: Follow the 3-2-1 Sleep Rule
The Strategy: No food 3 hours before bed, no fluids 2 hours before bed, and no screens 1 hour before bed.
Why It Works: Food before bed keeps your heart rate and body temperature elevated, disrupting deep sleep. Fluids before bed mean bathroom trips at night. Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin and tricks your brain into thinking it’s morning. Quality sleep is when your body repairs itself, regulates hormones, and recharges energy. Poor sleep crashes testosterone and makes you tired all day.
Real Example: Will Harlow shares that this single rule transformed his own sleep quality. He noticed deeper sleep, fewer wake-ups, and waking naturally before his alarm—something that hadn’t happened in years.
Your Action Step: Tonight, set three alarms on your phone: one at 3 hours before bed (last meal), one at 2 hours (last drink), and one at 1 hour (screens off). Give yourself a week to adjust.
Key Idea #8: Fix Your Vitamin Deficiencies (Especially B1, D3, and Magnesium)
The Strategy: Get tested, but assume you’re low in B1, D3, and magnesium if you’re over 50. Dr. Berg recommends nutritional yeast for B1, 2,000-5,000 IU of D3 daily, and large salads for magnesium and potassium.
Why It Works: After 50, your body doesn’t absorb nutrients as well. B1 deficiency mimics chronic fatigue syndrome. D3 deficiency crashes testosterone (correcting it can raise free testosterone 20-30%). Magnesium and potassium power the sodium-potassium pump in every cell that generates energy.
Real Example: In “The REAL Reasons Why You’re Tired,” Dr. Berg shares his personal story of years of fatigue. He tried every vitamin under the sun, but it wasn’t until he addressed his B1 deficiency and fixed his diet that his energy came back. He describes it as “taking a helmet off my head and finally waking up.”
Your Action Step: Add nutritional yeast to your meals (start with 1 tablespoon), take a quality D3 supplement with K2, and eat a large salad with mixed greens daily. Give it three weeks and notice the difference.
Key Idea #9: Reduce Sugar and Processed Foods to Stop Energy Crashes
The Strategy: Cut out obvious sugars (soda, desserts, pastries) and read labels to avoid hidden sugars. Focus on whole foods—meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats.
Why It Works: Sugar spikes insulin, crashes blood sugar, and sends you on a roller coaster of energy highs and crashes. Most men over 50 are stuck in this boost-crash cycle all day—sugary breakfast, crash at 10:30 AM, more sugar at 11 AM, crash again at 2 PM. Dr. Dawn Andalon explains that switching to complex carbs and protein keeps your energy consistent all day.
Real Example: In the “How to Boost Metabolism over 50” video, Dr. Dawn shares how reducing sugar is the single fastest way her clients notice increased energy. One client said he felt “like the lights came back on” after just one week of cutting sugar.
Your Action Step: For one week, eliminate one processed food from your diet. Maybe it’s the morning muffin, the afternoon candy bar, or the evening ice cream. Replace it with whole food (nuts, Greek yogurt, berries). Track how you feel.
Key Idea #10: Manage Stress With Breathing and Physical Work
The Strategy: Do simple breathing exercises daily (4 seconds in through nose, hold 2 seconds, 6 seconds out through mouth—repeat 4 times). Also, engage in physical work—gardening, chopping wood, yard work, anything that uses your body productively.
Why It Works: Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which tanks testosterone, disrupts sleep, and drains energy. The breathing technique (called a “physiological sigh”) flips your nervous system from stress mode to recovery mode in under 60 seconds. Physical work depletes stress energy naturally, unlike exercise which can sometimes add to stress load.
Real Example: Dr. Elle explains that the 4-breath morning routine triggers nitric oxide release and tells your body “we’re safe, we’re in control.” She’s seen men go from anxious and exhausted to calm and energized just from this simple practice. Dr. Berg also recommends physical work over exercise for stress, calling it “a great therapy for stress” because it releases that pent-up stress energy.
Your Action Step: Right now, try the breathing technique: hand on belly, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 2, breathe out for 6. Do this 4 times. Notice how you feel. Do it every morning before getting out of bed.
The Bottom Line: Small Changes, Big Energy Gains
Here’s what I learned from analyzing these expert videos: you don’t need a complete life overhaul to get your energy back. You just need to stack a few small, science-backed habits that work together.
Start with these three tomorrow:
- Hydrate first (water with sea salt and lemon before coffee)
- Get outside (10 minutes of morning light)
- Move your body (10 minutes of any movement)
Add one new habit each week. Within a month, you’ll be doing most of these strategies naturally—and you’ll feel decades younger.
The guys in these videos aren’t special. They’re regular men in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who decided they were done feeling tired all the time. If a 71-year-old retired firefighter can throw away his cane and go ziplining in Hawaii, you can reclaim your energy too.
Your move.
What’s your biggest energy drain right now? Drop a comment below and let me know which strategy you’re trying first.
by silence | Jan 7, 2026 | science, life
If you’ve been feeling tired after meals, gaining weight around your belly, or struggling with cravings that seem to hit out of nowhere, you’ve probably heard the phrase “insulin resistance.” It sounds technical, but the basic idea is simple: your body’s cells stop responding well to insulin, so your pancreas has to pump out more of it to keep blood sugar under control. Over time, that higher insulin state makes it easier to store fat, harder to burn it, and tougher to feel consistently energetic.
The good news? Improving insulin sensitivity doesn’t require perfection. It requires consistency—and a handful of habits that work with your biology instead of against it. In a popular episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, Ben Azadi shares five practical actions he used to reverse insulin resistance quickly. Here’s a human-friendly breakdown you can start using today.
1) Stop Snacking Between Meals (Let Insulin Come Down)
One of the fastest ways to keep insulin high all day is constant snacking. Even “healthy” snacks can keep your body in a near-continuous feeding state, which means insulin keeps rising and falling without ever getting a real break.
Instead, aim for 2–3 real meals per day. Make them satisfying. Eat enough protein. Add fiber and healthy fats. Then… stop. This simple change gives your insulin levels time to fall between meals, which is exactly what you want if you’re trying to reverse insulin resistance.
Easy win: If you normally snack at 4pm, try drinking water, taking a short walk, or having a full dinner a bit earlier instead.
2) Stop Eating at Least 3 Hours Before Bed (Protect Nighttime Metabolism)
Late-night eating feels harmless—until you realize that insulin sensitivity tends to drop later in the day. In other words, your body is often less equipped to handle a big meal right before sleep. Azadi recommends stopping food intake at least 3 hours before bedtime.
This habit can also support better sleep quality, which matters because poor sleep is strongly linked to worse blood sugar control and increased hunger the next day.
Simple rule: Pick a “kitchen closed” time and treat it like an appointment with your health.
3) Walk After Meals (The Underrated Blood Sugar Hack)
You don’t need a fancy workout to make a big impact on blood sugar. A 10–20 minute walk after eating can significantly reduce the post-meal glucose spike, meaning your body needs less insulin to manage the same food.
This is one of the highest-return habits because it’s easy, doesn’t require equipment, and works even if you’re busy. If you can only do one walk per day, do it after your largest meal.
Make it effortless: Put on a podcast, walk around the block, or pace while you take a phone call.
4) Do a 24-Hour Water Fast Once Per Week (Strategic Insulin Reset)
Azadi suggests a 24-hour water fast once per week to help lower insulin levels and support metabolic “reset” processes. He also links fasting to cellular repair mechanisms like autophagy and improved mitochondrial function.
Now, a quick reality check: fasting isn’t for everyone. If you have a history of disordered eating, are pregnant, have certain medical conditions, or take medications that affect blood sugar, you should talk to a clinician before doing longer fasts.
But if you’re a generally healthy adult, a once-weekly 24-hour fast (for example: dinner to dinner) can be a powerful tool—especially when the rest of your week is already trending in the right direction.
Gentler option: Start with a 12–14 hour overnight fast and slowly extend.
5) Sprint or HIIT Twice a Week (Build Insulin Sensitivity Fast)
Long cardio is fine, but if the goal is insulin sensitivity, short intense bursts can be incredibly effective. Azadi recommends HIIT or sprint-style training twice per week, such as:
- 20 seconds all-out
- 90 seconds rest
- Repeat for 3 rounds
You can do this on a stationary bike, a rower, swimming, uphill walking, or running—whatever is safest for your joints and fitness level. This kind of training helps your muscles demand more glucose, improves metabolic flexibility, and supports better insulin function.
Important: If you’re new to exercise, start smaller. Intensity is a tool, not a punishment.
Bonus Nutrition Guidance: Keep It Low-Processed and Protein-Forward
Alongside the five steps, Azadi recommends reducing processed carbs and keeping total carbohydrate intake relatively moderate (he mentions under ~100g/day) while increasing protein and healthy fats.
You don’t need to obsess over numbers, but you do want meals that stabilize you. Think: eggs, fish, chicken, legumes (if tolerated), vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and whole foods that don’t come with a marketing campaign.
A Simple Way to Start This Week
Don’t try to overhaul everything overnight. Azadi’s approach is to implement changes progressively—one habit at a time—and he suggests results can take weeks to months (he mentions around 3 months).
If you do just these three for the next 7 days—no snacking, a short post-meal walk, and no late-night eating—you’ll likely notice better energy, fewer cravings, and more stable hunger. Then add fasting and HIIT when you’re ready.
Your metabolism doesn’t need you to be perfect. It needs you to be consistent.
by silence | Dec 28, 2025 | productivity, life
I was watching a video recently that really made me stop and think, and I wanted to share it with you. You know how, as the year winds down, we all feel that sudden pressure to start making lists? We rush to write down resolutions—lose ten pounds, get that promotion, finally learn that new language. We treat January 1st like a starting line for a race we’re already tired of running.
But this video by Simon Sinek suggested something different. It wasn’t about doing more or running faster. It was about pausing. Before 2026 begins, he suggests we do five simple things to build a life that actually feels right, rather than just one that looks good on paper. I thought these might help you as much as they helped me.
First, take a moment to reflect on your journey, not just your results
We’re so hard on ourselves, aren’t we? We look at our to-do lists and only see the boxes we didn’t tick. But think about who you’ve become this year. Think about the quiet strength you built when things didn’t go your way. That growth is invisible, but it’s real. Give yourself credit for the evolution, not just the trophies.
Second, reconnect with the people who matter.
Life gets so loud. It’s easy to let months slip by without calling the people who make us feel like ourselves. I know I’m guilty of this. But success feels hollow if we don’t have anyone to share it with. Send that text. Make that call. Bridge the silence. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about grounding yourself in the relationships that nourish you.
Third, simplify.
And I don’t just mean cleaning your desk (though that helps!). I mean the mental clutter. The toxic expectations, the unnecessary commitments we say “yes” to out of guilt. We think doing more makes us important, but often it just makes us exhausted. Let’s try to clear the noise so we can actually hear what we want.
Fourth, try setting intentions instead of just goals.
This was a big shift for me. A goal is external—”I want to lose weight.” An intention is internal—”I want to feel stronger and more alive.” When you set an intention, you’re deciding who you want to be, not just what you want to get. It changes the energy from pressure to purpose.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, forgive yourself.
Leave the guilt in 2025. The projects you didn’t finish, the patience you lost, the mistakes you made—they are lessons, not life sentences. You cannot walk into a new year with lightness if you are dragging a heavy suitcase of regret behind you. Forgive yourself for being human.
So if you’re asking, “Okay… what do I do with this?” I’d keep it small:
- Pick one lesson from 2025 you don’t want to forget.
- Pick one person to reconnect with this week.
- Pick one area to simplify (your desk, your calendar, your commitments).
- Pick one intention for 2026 that feels human, not performative—something like “be steadier,” “be present,” “be healthier,” “be kinder to myself.”
- Then start now, gently. One tiny habit. One tiny step. Because future you doesn’t need pressure—future-you needs support.
by silence | Dec 21, 2025 | life
Picture this: It’s 1956. A 25-year-old guy sits in his tiny one-bedroom apartment, staring at his kitchen alcove after another long day. He’s married, starting a family, and completely broke. Every morning, he takes a bus for two hours to get to work. Every evening, another two hours back.
He’s a high school dropout working construction jobs, farm work, factory lines—putting nuts on bolts, hour after hour after hour. His bank account? A few dollars. His future? Looking exactly like his present, which looked exactly like his past.
That young man was Jim Rohn. And one evening in that tiny apartment, something clicked in his mind that would eventually make him one of the most influential personal development teachers in history.
But before we get to what changed everything, let me ask you something: Have you ever felt stuck? Like you’re working hard but getting nowhere? Like no matter what you do, the results stay the same?
If so, you’re about to discover what Jim learned that evening—a truth so powerful it transformed not just his bank account, but his entire life. And it all starts with a phrase you need to write down right now:
The major key to your better future is YOU.
Not your circumstances. Not the economy. Not your boss or your background or your luck. You.
Let me show you exactly what that means.
The Question That Started Everything
Before that pivotal evening, Jim was confused. Deeply confused.
He’d watch people work side by side—same company, same products, same challenges, same city, same everything. Yet one person would make $1,000 a month while another made $2,000.
“How is that possible?” he wondered. “They’re doing the same work!”
So he did what most of us do: he looked for explanations. And oh boy, did he find them.
Jim created what he called his “Reasons Why I’m Not Doing Well” list. It was impressive:
- The government (top of his list!)
- Taxes (“Look what they take! How am I supposed to succeed?”)
- High prices (“Go into the supermarket with $20, come out with a tiny bag!”)
- The weather
- Traffic
- His crappy car
- The company he worked for
- Company policies
- The lousy training program
- His negative relatives who always put him down
- His cynical neighbors who only cared about themselves
- The economy
- The community
It was a pretty good list, right? Covered all the bases. If anyone asked why he was struggling, Jim had answers. Lots of them.
Until the day he met a man who would destroy that list forever.
The Mentor Who Changed Everything
Mr. Shoaff was a wealthy businessman. The kind of guy who had what Jim wanted: money, success, happiness, freedom.
One day over breakfast, Mr. Shoaff asked to see Jim’s list of goals.
“I don’t have a list,” Jim admitted.
“Did you lose it in your car? In your house somewhere?”
“No, sir. I don’t have a list. Anywhere.”
Mr. Shoaff looked at him and said something Jim would never forget:
“Young man, that’s where we need to start. If you don’t have a list of goals, I can tell you right now what your bank balance is—a few dollars.”
He was right. Dead right.
Then Mr. Shoaff said something even more uncomfortable: “Jim, I’ve known you a little while now, but it’s already my sincere opinion that for things to change in your life, you must change.“
Jim didn’t want to hear that. He wanted to hear that the world would change. That circumstances would improve. That someday, somehow, things would just get better.
But Mr. Shoaff kept going: “Before you met me, you were probably saying ‘I wish things would change.’ But things aren’t going to change. So you’ve got a big problem.”
Jim sat there, stunned.
“Here’s what you need to learn,” Mr. Shoaff continued. “Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. That’s the key to everything.”
At that moment, Jim’s life split into two eras: Before Shoaff and After Shoaff.
The Excuse List Goes in the Trash
A few weeks later, Mr. Shoaff asked Jim another uncomfortable question:
“Tell me, out of curiosity—why haven’t you done well until now?”
Jim pulled out his list. You know, the one with the government and the taxes and the weather and all the rest.
He went through the entire thing. Mr. Shoaff listened patiently, looking at every item carefully.
When Jim finished, Mr. Shoaff said five words that hit like a hammer:
“Mr. Rohn, you’re not on the list.”
Boom.
All those excuses. All that blame. And Jim himself wasn’t anywhere on the page.
Within a few months, Jim learned to tear up that list and throw it away. He took a new piece of paper and wrote just one word:
MYSELF.
That’s when everything started changing.
The Philosophy That Explains Everything
Mr. Shoaff taught Jim something that sounds simple but changes everything when you really understand it:
You don’t get paid for time. You get paid for VALUE.
Think about it. You can’t get more time. When midnight strikes, the day is over. There’s no such thing as “extra time.” If you could find it, that would be great, but you can’t.
So if you can’t find more time, what CAN you get more of that makes an economic difference?
Value.
Here’s the magic question: Is it possible to become twice as valuable and earn twice as much money in exactly the same amount of time?
The answer is yes. Absolutely yes.
IF you work primarily on yourself.
That’s what Jim did. He stopped working just on his job and started working on himself. His skills. His mindset. His character. His knowledge.
And his income exploded.
But it wasn’t just about money. The person he became was worth more than any paycheck.
The Four Seasons: Life’s Most Important Lessons
Mr. Shoaff taught Jim to think about life like the changing seasons. And just like you can’t change the seasons, you can’t change many things in life.
But you CAN change yourself. And when you change, everything changes.
Here are the four fundamental lessons Jim learned:
Lesson 1: Learn How to Handle the Winters
Winter always comes after fall. Always. For 6,500 years of recorded history, it’s happened every single time.
Some winters are long. Some are short. Some are brutal. Some are mild. But they always come.
There are financial winters when you’re broke. Social winters when relationships crumble. Personal winters when your heart breaks into a thousand pieces. Career winters when nothing works.
The nights feel impossibly long. Your prayers don’t seem to rise above your head. It’s winter.
Before Jim understood this, he’d wish for easier winters. When things got hard, he’d wish they were easy.
Then Mr. Shoaff taught him the philosophy that changed his life:
“Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems. Wish for more skills. Don’t wish for fewer challenges. Wish for more wisdom.”
That was it. The winters won’t change. But you can.
You can become stronger. Wiser. Better. More capable of handling whatever winter throws at you.
Lesson 2: Learn How to Take Advantage of Spring
After winter comes spring. Always. With perfect regularity.
Spring is pure opportunity. The chance to plant seeds that will become your harvest.
But here’s what most people miss: You must take advantage of spring QUICKLY.
Why? Because spring is brief. You can count your springs on one hand. They don’t last forever.
Jim says you basically have to become good at one of two things in life: planting in spring or begging in fall.
Most people waste their springs. They’re unprepared. They don’t know what to plant or how to plant it. So when fall comes, they have nothing to harvest.
Jim learned to read every book, take every course, and learn everything he could about what to do when spring arrives—because when it’s here, you have to act fast.
Lesson 3: Learn How to Protect Your Harvest All Summer
Right after you plant your garden in spring, guess what shows up?
Weeds. Bugs. Invaders trying to destroy what you started.
The truth is, they’ll succeed—unless you prevent it.
Jim taught two critical truths:
First: All good will be attacked. Every garden. Every business. Every relationship. Every dream. If you don’t believe this, you’re naive.
Second: All values must be defended. Family values. Business values. Personal values. Health values. Financial values. Nothing good survives without protection.
You can’t plant in spring, disappear all summer, and expect a harvest in fall. You have to tend the garden. Pull the weeds. Fight off the pests. Protect what you’re building.
Lesson 4: Learn How to Reap in Fall Without Complaint
This is the lesson about responsibility.
When fall comes—harvest time—you reap what you sowed. Period.
If you planted in spring and protected all summer, you’ll have a harvest. If you didn’t, you won’t.
And here’s the mature response: Accept it without complaint.
If you do well, reap without apology. If you don’t do well, reap without complaint or blame.
Don’t point fingers. Don’t make excuses. Just look at the results and ask: “What did I do or not do that created this?”
Jim says this is one of the highest forms of human maturity: taking full responsibility for your life.
It’s the day you cross from childhood into adulthood.
The Truth About What Holds You Back
Here’s something Jim discovered that will blow your mind:
It’s not what happens to you. It’s what you do about what happens.
Think about that. The same storm hits two people. One says, “Terrible weather—no way I’m going to work today.” The other says, “Perfect! Most people will stay home. Great day to get ahead.”
Same storm. Completely different results.
Jim used to blame the weather. Then he learned: it rains on rich people too.
He used to blame the economy. Then he learned: the economy affects everyone the same way. Some people get rich during recessions.
He used to blame everything external. Then Mr. Shoaff showed him the truth: You’re not on the list.
The day Jim took responsibility—the day he stopped blaming and started asking “What can I do about this?”—was the day his life began to transform.
The Five Skills That Changed Everything
Jim’s seminar covered five major topics. Each one critical. Each one life-changing.
1. Personal Development: The Foundation
Income rarely exceeds personal development. If you win the lottery but you’re not the kind of person who can handle wealth, it disappears.
Success isn’t something you chase. Success is something you attract by becoming an attractive person.
Work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Read books. Take courses. Listen to audio programs in your car.
2. Goal Setting: The Skill He Never Learned Until 25
At 25, Jim had no written goals. His bank account proved it.
Mr. Shoaff taught him to write down 10 goals, then pick the ONE that would have the greatest impact if achieved in 24 hours.
Then: write it on a new page, set a deadline, list every action needed, and do something every day toward that goal.
Jim met a man once who had done this exercise 10 years earlier. The man had been broke, divorced, and alcoholic. He picked his most important goal and worked on it daily.
Ten years later? Worth $40 million.
“I owe it all to that lesson,” the man said.
3. Fundamental Rules: Biblical Wisdom Applied
These aren’t religious sermons. They’re practical principles:
- You are responsible for your life
- Success seeks a good home—become that home
- What you become matters more than what you get
- Ask “What will I gain?” not “What will I earn?”
4. Behavioral Disturbances: The Silent Killers
These are the mental and emotional patterns that destroy opportunity:
- Excuse-making
- Procrastination
- Fear of failure
- Allowing others to drain your energy
Identify them. Remove them. Replace them with discipline and action.
5. The Day That Turns Your Life Around
Human beings are emotional creatures. Emotions can build you up or tear you down.
Learn to harness them:
- When opportunity strikes (spring), act with enthusiasm
- When difficulty comes (winter), respond with resilience
- When success arrives (fall), accept with gratitude and responsibility
Master your emotions, and you master your life.
If Jim could sit down with you one-on-one, here’s what he’d say:
“This year, make peace with yourself. Stop fighting who you are. Stop blaming the world. Find those remarkable human gifts that are already inside you, waiting to be discovered.
Then change whatever you want to change. Because you can. Any day you want, you can change your life.”
Jim proved it. He went from that broke 25-year-old in the tiny apartment to a wealthy, fulfilled, influential teacher who helped millions.
Not because the world changed. Because he changed.
Your Move: What Will You Do Tomorrow?
Here’s Jim’s challenge: What will you do starting tomorrow that will change the course of your life?
If you don’t do something different tomorrow, your life will stay the same. You can predict your next five years by looking at your last five—unless you change.
Here’s your action plan:
- Write this where you’ll see it every morning: “The major key to my better future is ME.”
- Tear up your excuse list. Write one word: MYSELF.
- Do the 10-goal exercise. Pick your most important goal. Work on it daily.
- Read 30-60 minutes every day in your field.
- Identify your current season. Winter? Build strength. Spring? Plant fast. Summer? Protect your gains. Fall? Reap responsibly.
- Work harder on yourself than your job. Every skill you develop increases your value.
- Take full responsibility. Stop blaming. Start asking, “What can I do about this?”
The Bottom Line
Life isn’t going to change. Winters will come. Springs will pass. Summers will require protection. Falls will show what you planted.
The seasons won’t change. The economy won’t change. The challenges won’t disappear.
But you can change. And when you change, everything changes.
That’s what Jim Rohn discovered in that tiny apartment. That’s what Mr. Shoaff taught him over breakfast. That’s what transformed a broke high school dropout into a man who changed millions of lives.
The major key to your better future is YOU.
Not your circumstances. Not other people. Not luck or timing or the economy.
You.
Now go make peace with yourself. Find those gifts. Develop those skills. Plant in spring. Protect in summer. Handle winter with wisdom. Reap in fall with integrity.
Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
Because when you do, income will follow. Success will follow. Happiness will follow.
Not because the world changed, but because you did.
Your better future starts now. And the key has been in your hand all along.
It’s you.
by silence | Aug 18, 2024 | life
My dad called me on a Wednesday, asking me to him with his email as it was not working. I was in a rush that day and I told him that I didn’t have time, and I will attend to it on Saturday.
My dad passed away on Friday, two days after I was too busy to attend to his needs. The Friday was one week away from when my wife and I were supposed to fly back home to spend Christmas with him.
Have you called and spoken to your parents today?
I learned this painful lesson the hard way. Until today I regret not attending to his call, attending to his need, always thinking that my time is more important.
Soon afterwards, I left the country I was working in and returned home to spend time with mum, who was aging gracefully.
If I could turn back time, I would do the following
Make regular quality time a priority
Consistently set aside dedicated time to spend with your parents, even if it’s just for short periods. This could involve weekly dinners, regular phone calls, or planned visits. Quality time doesn’t necessarily mean long durations, but rather focused, meaningful interactions.
Create and preserve memories
Engage in activities that create lasting memories with your parents. This could include taking family vacations, celebrating special occasions together, or simply documenting everyday moments through photos or videos. These shared experiences will be treasured long after they’re gone.
Show appreciation and express love
Actively demonstrate your love and gratitude for your parents. This can be done through verbal expressions, thoughtful gestures, or small acts of kindness. Don’t assume they know how you feel – make it a point to tell them and show them regularly.
Seek their advice and wisdom
Take the time to ask your parents for guidance and listen to their life experiences. This not only shows that you value their input but also allows you to learn from their wisdom. Ask them to share stories about their lives and the lessons they’ve learned.
Involve them in your life
Keep your parents involved and informed about your life, including your challenges, successes, and everyday experiences. Share your goals and aspirations with them, and include them in important life events. This helps maintain a strong connection and makes them feel valued and included.
At the end of the day, at your death bed, you wont be thinking about work, or money. You will be regretting the times you didn’t spend together. You will be regretting your loved ones. You will be crying within about the things you wished you did for others when you were capable off.
by silence | Jul 28, 2024 | life
It took me 50 years to learn why I couldn’t achieve anything remarkable. I made so many changes in my life but nothing would stick with me. I ended up going back to my old habits.
I lacked discipline!
Discipline is the foundation of achieving long-term success. It is the bridge between setting goals and realizing them. Without discipline, we are left with mere intentions and unfulfilled dreams.
And how do you cultivate discipline?
You build habits. One step at a time. Building habits is a crucial step in developing discipline, and it is essential to understand how habits can help us stay motivated and on track.
How Habits Can Build Discipline
Habits are repetitive behaviors that we perform automatically, often without conscious thought. By building good habits, we can create a routine that helps us stay disciplined and focused on our goals. Here are some ways habits can build discipline:
- Consistency: Habits help us establish a consistent routine, which is essential for building discipline. When we perform a task consistently, it becomes second nature, and we are more likely to stick to it.
- Accountability: Habits hold us accountable for our actions. When we commit to a habit, we are more likely to follow through, even when we don’t feel like it.
- Self-control: Habits help us develop self-control, which is a critical component of discipline. By resisting temptations and staying focused on our goals, we build our self-control.
- Motivation: Habits can motivate us to take action, even when we don’t feel like it. When we see progress and results from our habits, we become more motivated to continue.
How to Stay Motivated
Staying motivated is crucial for building discipline and achieving long-term success. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated:
- Set clear goals: Setting clear goals helps us stay focused and motivated. When we know what we want to achieve, we are more likely to stay on track.
- Track progress: Tracking progress helps us see how far we’ve come and motivates us to continue.
- Celebrate small wins: Celebrating small wins helps us stay motivated by recognizing our progress and achievements.
- Find accountability: Finding accountability, whether it’s a friend, family member, or mentor, helps us stay motivated and on track.
How to Get Back on Track When You’ve Missed Deadlines
Missing deadlines can be discouraging, but it’s not the end of the world. Here are some tips to help you get back on track:
- Don’t give up: Don’t give up, even when you’ve missed a deadline. Instead, focus on getting back on track as soon as possible.
- Reassess your goals: Reassess your goals and adjust your schedule accordingly.
- Break it down: Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks to help you stay focused and motivated.
- Seek support: Seek support from friends, family, or a mentor to help you stay motivated and on track.
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
Recommended Books on Discipline
Here are some recommended books on discipline that can help you build habits and achieve long-term success:
- “Atomic Habits” by James Clear: This book provides a comprehensive guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones.
- “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg: This book explores the science behind habits and provides practical tips for building good habits.
- “Discipline Equals Freedom” by Jocko Willink: This book provides a no-nonsense approach to building discipline and achieving success.
Remember, discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment!
