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Hey Reader, I saw the message pop up on my phone and immediately held my breath. A shock of disbelief and anxiety shot up and down my back. Jagger got kicked out of the Kids Academy at Life Time Fitness for fighting. He's only two years old, but he managed to get a write-up and a ban for the rest of the day. Rats… I completely lost focus on my work. I was at a total loss on how to respond. My immediate response was to check on my wife, Courtney. It sucks when your son comes off as a bully. Because of the ban, I had to completely change my workout plan. I called an audible and worked out at the park. Courtney and I sat down to figure out how to handle this. We frantically looked up how to teach him not to hit. The coaching was rather straightforward. We practiced “Gentle Hands” and made sure to catch him doing things right. We maintained our composure and took deep breaths to model the behavior. We also changed his morning routine so he doesn't go into the kids club on full gas. Now he takes a nice half-mile walk in the morning with Courtney and our golden retriever, Kona. When he finally returned to the kids club, he was a new man. He played nicely with his friends, and his new “Gentle Hands Jagger” persona emerged.
The reason I'm sharing this with you is because of what it taught me about behavior change. When you try to make a positive change in your life, your mind tells you that giant problems need giant solutions. But big problems often require small, simple solutions. The fix is almost always asymmetric. We're officially halfway through 2026. You should be halfway to your fitness, mental, and relationship goals. If you're in the exact same spot you were at the beginning of the year, it's time to change your actions. Start with something simple and repeatable so you can feel like a winner. Losers don't change, but winners change one small action at a time. I want you to think of one specific action you can do today. Take one deep diaphragmatic breath. Carry a water bottle or have an extra drink of water. Go to bed a little bit earlier. Go for a short walk or take a couple of seconds to do a neck stretch. Eat a little bit slower and chew your food one more time. Any of these small actions will push you forward. You got this!
PS: Courtney's joking about featuring this morning's toddler crime spree on the next episode of Forensic Tales. I'll let you know if Jagger makes the cut. |
