These Twin Killers were Joe's Undoing

About 10 years ago, Joe was in fantastic shape. A former athlete, he liked training. He ate well because, like me, he has an amazing wife who cooks for him.

Over the past decade, he put on 50 lbs and now has diabetes. His BP shot up, and he needs meds. Sadly, his older brother died suddenly from a heart attack. So, Joe is worried about his heart.

To make matters worse, because of his weight and a decade of inactivity, Joe finds it hard to perform even basic exercises like Lunges, Squats, and Pushups.

They hurt and he's embarrassed he can't do them. That was why he never kept up with any previous programs he'd begun.

So, what happened to push this former athlete into a cardiovascular and metabolic tailspin?

Two things - the twin killers of midlifers like Joe.

Busyness and Comfort.

We know the busyness story all too well - kids and career consumed all his time. He put everyone and everything else first. Heck, that's what they taught him to do at West Point. He was just being a selfless leader, right?? Ooh, but it came at a cost.

We don't talk as much about Comfort, but it's as insidious as Busyness.

Most people construct lives of modest comfort. They want everything in their lives to be as comfortable as possible and go to great lengths to avoid discomfort.

This showed up in Joe's life as little things like the cushy recliner he melts into when watching TV.

Or the decision to build a first-floor master so he wouldn't need to climb the stairs to bed.

Joe hasn't mowed his lawn in over eight years. Doesn't even own a mower anymore.

He and his wife, Jen, used to do a bunch of adventurous things together and have cool stories about backpacking in Europe when they were young LTs stationed in Germany. Now, they go on cruises.

Joe was a three-sport athlete in HS - football, wrestling, and baseball. The only "athletic" thing he still does is golf (and he ain't walking 18 - because he can't).

He hasn't walked a mile on purpose in over five years.

If you're like me, you're wondering WTF happened to Joe! Bums me out.

He succumbed to the seductive temptations of comfort. 

It was killing him.

Thankfully, it got bad enough that he reached out. Now, we’ve got Joe back in touch with the dormant badass he once was. 

Whether it’s his workouts or his mindset, he intentionally seeks minor discomforts every day—like using the stairs and mowing his lawn. We’ll have him walking a full 18 by the Spring. 

Be like Joe. Seek discomfort.