I was reading the book Atomic Habits this morning and there was a quote that hit me hard: "Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become." That is powerful and it applies to everything in life - especially when it comes to your physical fitness. I'll put it this way... seemingly small, seemingly inconsequential actions you take with your diet can add up in a big way. Let's say you decide to have a very small (one of the mini) bags of chips and a soda from the vending machine when the mid day hunger hits. I mean, that's next to nothing in the great scheme of things, right? 390 calories won't make you fat. But if you do that even just twice a week, you're looking at around 3,500 extra calories in a month. There is 3,500 calories in a pound of fat - so just doing that a couple times a week can add 1 pound of fat per month. Barely noticeable. But over a year, that's 12 pounds of fat you can add! Look at the flip side... If you decide to jump on a treadmill twice a week and burn an extra 400-500 calories, that's not a huge deal - but it will burn about a pound of fat per month, so you could lose 12 pounds a year from that. Combine those two things - eliminate the occasional junk food fix and hit the cardio a couple times a week, and just those small changes can help you lose over 20 lbs in the course of a year. That's huge! It's a microwave society we live in a people want huge results NOW! But we're playing the long game, and every action you take - or don't take - is moving you toward the man you will become. You get to decide, with tiny little daily actions, what that man in the mirror looks like in 6 months. Or 12 months. Or 2 years. Or 5 years. You get the idea. Pay attention to the small things each day, and the big picture will take care of itself.

- Motivation is fleeting... if you wait to “feel like it,” you’ll never get consistent results. - Discipline is showing up even when you’re tired, stressed, or “not in the mood.” That’s where the growth happens. - Excuses are just polished lies you tell yourself to stay comfortable. They don’t burn fat, build muscle, or forge character. - Consistency compounds. Small, repeated actions day after day build a body, mindset, and life that men who rely on motivation will never achieve. - Motivation is the spark. Discipline is the fire that keeps burning long after the spark is gone. - Men over 40 can’t afford inconsistency - your health, strength, and vitality depend on showing up daily, not occasionally. - Discipline means honoring the commitments you made to yourself, not negotiating them when it gets inconvenient.

Mental toughness isn’t motivation. It’s not hype. It’s not something you wake up with. It’s forged. Daily. Through repetition, intention, and discipline. Here’s the Ronin approach to harden your mind and dominate your days: 1. Morning Routine = Weaponized Structure Start each day on your terms. Wake up early. No snooze. No negotiation. Establish non-negotiables: - Wake time - Cold water or shower - - Make the bed - - 10 mins of mental prep (below) 2. Visualization = Tactical Foresight Warriors don’t just react - they rehearse victory. See the outcome you want. Feel the struggle. Smell the blood. Then see yourself overcoming. Visualize it like a movie every morning. 3. Journaling = Self-Reconnaissance Dump the chaos. Track the patterns. Ask: - What am I avoiding? - What do I need to do today to move forward? - What did I learn yesterday? Clarity comes from writing it down. 4. Affirmations = Inner Programming This isn’t fluff. It’s command line code for the brain. Write your code daily: "I do hard things.” “I lead myself with honor.” “I don’t wait for permission. I take action.” 5. Training = Physical Anchoring Lift heavy. Push limits. Do something uncomfortable daily. A strong body reinforces a strong mind. Movement is medicine. Pain is feedback. Discomfort is growth. 6. Tactical Solitude = Reset Button Modern men are overstimulated & under centered. Spend 15-30 minutes alone each week - no phone, no distraction. Just you, your thoughts, and brutal honesty. That’s where direction lives. 7. Code of Conduct = Honor in Action Write your personal code and live it. Mine is built on Bushido • Rectitude • Courage • Benevolence • Respect • Honesty • Honor • Loyalty • Self-Control Most men drift because they have no code. Choose yours. Live by it. 💥 You don’t rise to the occasion - you fall to your level of preparation. This is your Toolkit. Sharpen it daily. No days off from self-mastery.

Bushido isn’t philosophy. It’s a code. A set of principles forged in fire - meant to be lived, not just admired. For centuries, it guided the Samurai. Today, it guides the modern day Ronin - the disciplined man who walks his own path. Here’s how the 8 Bushido virtues apply to modern life: 1. Gi (Rectitude / Integrity) “You don’t drift. You decide.” Make your decisions based on principle, not convenience. Gi is the courage to do what’s right—even when no one’s watching. Modern men lose themselves because they have no code. Gi anchors you. 2. Yu (Courage) “Do it afraid. Do it anyway.” Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s moving forward despite fear. That hard conversation, the new chapter, the honest self-inventory - Yu is doing what’s necessary. 3. Jin (Compassion) “Strength with no heart is just ego.” True warriors protect. They lift others. They serve. Compassion isn’t weakness - it’s controlled power directed toward good. 4. Rei (Respect) “Discipline teaches you respect - for yourself and for others.” No man earns respect until he first respects himself. That starts with how you show up - on time, prepared, grounded. 5. Makoto (Honesty) “Say what you mean. Do what you say.” Lying - especially to yourself - is the first betrayal. Makoto is radical alignment between your word and your actions. 6. Meiyo (Honor) “Your reputation with others follows your reputation with yourself.” Meiyo means living in a way that earns your own respect. It’s the private victories no one sees. The standards you refuse to lower. Honor isn’t something you’re born with. You build it. 7. Chugi (Loyalty) “Be loyal to something bigger than comfort.” Whether it’s your mission, your tribe, your values - stand for something. Loyalty to your code is the only thing that keeps you grounded when life gets chaotic. 8. Self-Control (Jisei) “If you don’t master your impulses, they’ll master you.” Bushido taught that mastery of self is the ultimate freedom. Modern men are slaves to distraction, dopamine, and comfort. Self-control is the quiet superpower that separates men from boys.