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You’re hitting PRs. You’ve dialed in your nutrition. Your check-ins are consistent, and you feel stronger than ever in the gym. But outside the gym? Something still feels... off. You’re busy, maybe even productive, but not fulfilled. You’re checking all the fitness boxes, but the deeper sense of health, just feels just out of reach. That’s because true health isn’t just about workouts and nutrition. It’s also about how you connect, recover, and think.
These often-overlooked goals can be the key to feeling more whole, not just more fit and capable in the gym.
1. Start or Join a Small Group that Meets Monthly
Despite the progress in the gym, there’s this lingering sense of isolation. You’re surrounded by people but still feel like you’re doing life solo. The text threads are dry. Conversations stay surface-level. You miss deep, real connection—the kind that challenges you, supports you, and makes life feel more meaningful.
The solution?
Intentionally build community outside of workouts. Start or join a small group that meets monthly. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or ultra-structured—it just needs to be consistent and intentional. Whether it’s a group of friends who gather over coffee, a book club, a faith-based group, or a few gym buddies talking about life, the goal is simple: deeper connection.
Why? Because you are hardwired for belonging. A small group gives you space to be real. To talk about things that don’t come up between sets in the gym. To listen and be listened to. Over time, you’ll feel less isolated and more anchored. You’ll laugh more. You’ll feel known. And that sense of connection, of being truly seen, can be as powerful as any PR in shaping your quality of life.
You don’t need more acquaintances. You need intentional relationships. This is how you build them.
Need help? I've been leading a small group of friends for the last 3 years and I'd love to help you get started! Here's a link to my calendar, pick a time to chat!
2. Block Off One “White Space” Hour Per Week
This is my new goal for Q3. I need time for my brain to stop spinning!
If you're like me - you train hard, you have a busy work schedule and you are trying to be the best husband and dad you can be. Often, I fall into bed exhausted, only to wake up feeling behind. My nervous system is stuck in go-mode, even during rest (which I'm not doing well).
Does that sound like you too?
And eventually, that low-level tension builds into burnout, impatience, or even physical fatigue. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling it!
The solution?
Create margin. I'm blocking off one hour every week with no agenda, no phone, and no productivity goal. Just space. “White space” is a buffer for your mind, a time to slow down, be bored, think, walk, breathe, or do absolutely nothing. It feels uncomfortable (to say the least) at first, but it’s truly restorative!
When you give your mind a break, everything else works better: your workouts, your relationships, your ability to make decisions and handle stress. It’s the rest your body can't get from sleep alone.
Tips to get started:
- Put it on your calendar like a workout or meeting—treat it with the same importance.
- Leave your phone behind. The goal is to be unreachable.
- Go for a walk, sit outside, journal, nap, breathe—without multitasking.
- Start small: even 20–30 minutes can begin to reset your system if you can't commit to an hour right now.
Want to join me in this goal? Reach out and let's come up with a strategy for you to unplug for an hour each week!
3. Read for Leisure and Read for Growth
You love to grow. You devour podcasts, audiobooks, and non-fiction that challenges your thinking. (I know who you are!) But somewhere along the way, reading became another form of self-optimization. Every book has to teach something. Every chapter has to be productive. And so, correct me if I'm wrong, but reading now feels like a chore, a to-do item, or even worse; work.
What’s missing is leisure. Reading for the joy of it. For the story. For the escape. Leisure reading gives your brain space to breathe. It lowers stress, improves empathy, deepens focus, and strengthens your imagination. It’s not just a break from screens, it’s a reset for your nervous system.
The solution?
Build a rhythm of reading both for growth and leisure. You don’t have to abandon self-development books, but pair them with something that sparks wonder, curiosity, or rest. A novel. A biography. A book that makes you laugh or cry or lose track of time.
Tips to get started:
- Choose fiction, memoir, or a genre you loved as a kid—fantasy, adventure, mystery.
- Set a boundary: alternate between growth books and leisure reads, or set aside specific days/times for each.
- Read with no agenda—no highlighter, no note-taking, no “key takeaways.”
- Reclaim bedtime or mornings as screen-free, quiet reading time.
You’re already growing. Now allow yourself to rest, imagine, and enjoy. Leisure reading isn’t wasted time—it’s a powerful way to think better by thinking less for a moment.
Let me know what you decide to read!
Final Thought
Sometimes the next level isn’t found in doing more. It’s found in slowing down, creating space, and reconnecting with what really matters. These overlooked goals: building intentional relationships, protecting mental recovery, and reading for joy, aren’t flashy, but they’re powerful. They help you reset, refocus, and feel more whole. And when life feels better, your fitness does too.
Schedule a Goal Review Session with me to talk about implementing your goals!
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