Good morning Reader—

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And welcome to the 19th issue of The FAM.
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It was day 40 of 75 Hard, and the weight of my commitment was starting to press in.
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I had just finished my second 45-minute workout of the day—this one outside, in the dark—and as I took off my running shoes, a heavy thought crept in: “Before I know it, I’ll be lacing these up again for tomorrow.”
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That’s when the question surfaced: “Do I really want to keep doing this?”

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That was the moment I felt the cumulative weight of doing something hard.

Because here’s the truth most people don’t talk about—It’s not just about showing up once. Or even sticking with it for a week. It’s about realizing that every single step forward is followed by another step.

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And that next step? It’s going to be just as hard—maybe even harder. The hard doesn’t stop coming.

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Let me explain…

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Last week—on a lonely country road outside a LOVE’s truck stop in Alabama—I stepped out of my RV and completed my 150th 45-minute workout in 75 days.

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I wrote about that moment the next morning (after another 45-minute walk, by the way) and shared on LinkedIn this simple truth I learned through the experience:

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This is your life. You make the rules.
​You can read that post here.​

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If you’re not familiar with 75 Hard, here’s what it requires every single day for 75 days:

• Two 45-minute workouts (one must be outdoors)
• No alcohol
• Follow a specific diet
• Take progress photos
• Read 10 pages of nonfiction
• Drink one gallon of water

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And today, I want to share the real lesson I learned—the one that showed up somewhere between lacing up those shoes on day one… and finishing that final workout on day seventy-five.

What percent of your potential are you actually living into right now?

Chasing Your Potential

Back in July, I was toying with the idea of doing 75 Hard… again. I’d considered it before—more than once, honestly. But I’d always pulled back. Too much going on. Too many excuses. Too many voices saying, “Now’s not the time.”

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But this time felt different.

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So I grabbed my journal and asked myself two questions:

1. What would I need to cut out, change, or say no to in order to truly commit?
2. WHY?!? Why do I want to do this?

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Here’s what I wrote, word for word:

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“I owe it to myself to see what I’m capable of.”

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That was it. Eleven words. And they sealed the deal.

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That question—What am I capable of?—reminded me of a story John Mayer once told about attending Drake’s 60th birthday party. He did the full rock star thing. He partied hard and landed himself a six-day hangover. And it forced him to ask himself a question: “What percent of my potential do I want to achieve?”

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His clarity came fast. If he only wanted to live at 60%, he could keep partying. But if he wanted to chase 100% of what he was made for, something had to change. He’s been sober ever since.

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I’m now on Day 75 + 9 of my own journey. And I keep coming back to that same question:

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What percent of my potential do I want to live into?

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Because when you start chasing your potential, something unexpected happens…You start to examine your identity. Not just what you do. But who you are and who you’re becoming.

Identity Is the Starting Point

Questions like “What am I capable of?” and “How far can I go?” pull you deeper into self-examination. You come to a realization that you owe it to yourself to see what you’re capable of, which invariably leads you to assess and define your identity.

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Who am I, really?
Who do I want to become?
What kind of person does that version of me act like, think like, live like?

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Those questions have a way of bringing you back to your foundation. They pull you out of the noise of performance and productivity and into something deeper. They invite you to look at how you’re showing up in the world… and how you want to show up.

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That’s where the work really begins.

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Socrates called it simply: “Know thyself.”

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And Friedrich Nietzsche concisely stated it; “Become who you are.” Nietzsche also told us to “Live as though you would want to live this life over and over again,” when he introduced us to his Eternal Return philosophy.

Identity is Also the Fuel

For me, 75 Hard wasn’t about workouts or willpower. It wasn’t about drinking a gallon of water or reading another personal development book. Those were just the tools. What it was really about… was identity.

It was about putting my energy into becoming the version of me I wanted to be.

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Let me show you something from my Health app. On one side, you’ll see the physical change—my weight. On the other, my VO2 Max moved from below average to above average.

But here’s what matters most: I didn’t set out to lose weight. I didn’t chase a fitness score. Those outcomes happened as a byproduct of choosing to live in alignment with who I wanted to be.

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That’s the real lesson.

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Identity isn’t a concept. It’s the core from which momentum and transformation arise. It’s the fuel.

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We spend so much time asking, “How do I get unstuck?” But the better question might be: “Who do I need to become to live fully alive?”

That shift from fixing yourself to becoming yourself brings the truth to light: Change begins with a redefinition of self, not just external effort.

Identity Is a Revolutionary Act

The journey of self-empowerment is a radical revolution of self. It demands we overthrow old, limiting beliefs and societal conditioning to reclaim our autonomy and purpose.

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When you commit to your potential and set out to find what you are capable of, you engage in a courageous act of self-rule. You take control of your own spirit, instead of letting your environment, society, and everything else pave your path. This is not a passive process.

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Our identity is formed and discovered through living authentically. It’s forged by the choices we make and our actions.

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There is this amazing sense of relief and empowerment in realizing you don’t have to “earn” your way out of being stuck. Instead, you begin by embodying the identity you choose.

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This shifts your life experience from struggle to participation, inviting presence, integrity, and small courageous steps.

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Authentic identity means being the ruler of your own life. Acting on your own authority rather than being ruled by fear, habit, or societal expectations. It is self-possession and mastery of your spirit.

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And this is when we truly are living fully alive.

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So let me ask you again, friend: What percent of your potential do you want to achieve?
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And… Who do you need to become to get there?

The “That’s Like Me!” 75-Day Self-Empowerment Challenge

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Writing this week’s essay reminded me of something simple, but powerful: Identity isn’t something we find. It’s something we prove—one decision at a time.

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As I looked at the calendar, I realized that next Saturday, October 18, marks exactly 75 days until the end of the year. That feels like more than a coincidence. It feels like an opening—a window of time to see what we’re capable of, together.

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In my own journey, I remember finishing day 75, looking back at the commitment I had kept, and saying out loud: “That’s like me.”

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It wasn’t pride in the results. It was pride in alignment. In doing what I said I would do. That’s the spirit behind this invitation.

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So I’m inviting you to join me for something I’m calling The “That’s Like Me!” 75-Day Self-Empowerment Challenge.

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This isn’t a polished program or a pre-built course. It’s not a new version of 75 Hard. It’s something simpler and more personal.

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It’s your game. Your rules.

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This is an opportunity to form and discover your identity through authentic—and yes, revolutionary—action. We’ll use the original 75 Hard framework as a starting point, with a focus on:

• Movement
• Nutrition
• Mental strength

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But how you define those is completely up to you. The possibilities are endless. What matters most is consistency and self-honesty.

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I’ll be creating our interaction in real time as we go. My hope is that this becomes a shared experiment in self-empowerment—one grounded in daily proof of who we’re becoming, not what we’re achieving.

Here’s What to Expect

1. Want to join in? Sign up here​
2. Next week, I’ll send 2–3 short emails to help you get clear on your why—and guide you in defining your own rules.
3. Friday, October 17 at 3:00 PM CT — Kickoff Zoom Call: We’ll gather to set our intentions and begin.
4. Sunday, October 19 at 4:30 PM CT — Weekly Family Meetups: Optional, but meaningful. We’ll share lessons, stories, and encouragement.
5. Throughout the 75 days, I’ll stay in touch beyond our regular Sunday newsletter with extra notes, reflections, and inspiration to keep us connected.

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This isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming more.

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It’s about the quiet power of saying, “That’s like me,” and proving it—one day at a time.

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If something in you stirs while reading this—if a part of you wants to see what you’re capable of—then I hope you’ll join us.

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You don’t have to be ready. You just have to decide.

👉 Join the Challenge​

As I reflected on what these 75 days truly revealed, I was reminded of a few lines from Alan Watts that I wrote in my journal and that have played a role in my journey.

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They speak to the same truth I uncovered somewhere between lacing up my shoes on Day One… and finishing that final workout on Day Seventy-Five. It’s the difference between chasing an outcome and becoming the kind of person who lives in alignment with who they are.

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“The human mind seeks comfort, but the soul stirs for change. It longs to grow, not stay the same. As I have said before, the meaning of life is just to be alive. And yet we resist the very currents that are pulling us into deeper awareness of that aliveness…
Joy was never in the outcome, but in the transformation.
Feed the soul, not the ego.
Choose evolution over escape.
And the life you’re searching for will no longer be something you find—it will be something you are.”​
— Alan Watts

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Damn… The life you’re searching for is something you are.

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Reading that now, it stirs my soul once again. Maybe because I understand it on a deeper level—not as philosophy, but as practice. Each time we choose to act from identity rather than impulse, we feed the soul. Each time we choose who we want to be over escape, we evolve.

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That’s the work of becoming fully alive—not chasing joy as a destination, but realizing it’s woven into the process of transformation itself.

P.S. If this stirred something in you, forward it to someone who might be ready to see what they’re capable of too. And I’d love to hear from you—what’s one identity-aligned choice you’re making this week? Just hit reply and let me know. I read every note.
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P.S.S. Let’s set the stage for making 2026 the best year of our life, by taking the next 75 days to take control of our lives, and step into our full potential. I’m jazzed to get after it again, and would love to have you by my side – and me by yours. Go on – Click here to join in.​

We’re on a mission to empower one million people to live Fully Alive, and you’re one of them!