MONK MODE.

Errr…what do you mean Dad??

My kids ask as they look up at me with confusion. I tell my kids this all the time whenever I give them advice. “Remember, I’m not necessarily smarter than you…I have just failed more”.

“I’ve lived on this Earth longer than you, I’ve failed more, which means I’ve learned more…”.

I don’t think we all realise the power of failing. Failing means that you tried…you didn’t succeed…you learned…you tried again…you succeeded. I call it the Super Mario Bros. effect. Remember when you were a kid playing Super Mario Bros. and you pretty much had to die to move forward in the game. You had to fall down that hole to realise how far you had to jump, you had to get eaten by that huge plant to realise that you couldn’t land on that pipe, and finally, you had to get killed by Bowser at least 30 times to figure out how to jump over him and save the princess…those were the days!

The same applies to this game of life…

I can still remember the major failures in my life like they happened yesterday. And along with them, I can always remember the positive changes that happened afterwards. Whether it was that job interview that I bombed, only to perform great in another interview and be offered a better job, losing in sports to really hammer into my brain what I had to work on in the off-season, or simply just learning and growing from the experience to shape me into the man I am today.

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

– Michael Jordan

I’m here to tell you about my journey that began over 2 years ago. My journey into being a better husband, better dad and an overall better man. My advice is for the 1% dad. The dad’s that want to do better and be better. In fact, just by reading this article, having an open mind and a willingness to learn and improve has already put you in a great frame of mind to get there! But to be the 1%…you have to do what the 99% aren’t doing.

So many men go into ‘settle mode’ when they get married and have kids. Who has time to go to the gym? Who has time to eat right? I’m married with kids now; I don’t need to do all that stuff…right? This is exactly where dads lose their way…

Yes, my advice is generally for dads around their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, however this platform can greatly assist anyone who wants to make change….any age, sex, children or no children. Here you will learn about fitness, nutrition and wellbeing…I believe these are the 3 pillars of self-improvement for your mind, body and soul. I’m hoping that my journey from a beginner to where I am today, including all the failures in between, can help you along your own journey.

But before we get started…my first advice is to fail. Try and fail again and again and again…because that is where real growth lies!

Welcome to MONK MODE.

If you’d like to hear about my journey, please subscribe to MONK MODE and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X. A new article goes live soon!