My birthday’s on the 23rd, and I’ll be walking 52 miles to commemorate my 52nd year—so by the time you read this, I’ll (hopefully) be done, healthily and somewhat happily. My friend Sterling Hawkins, author of Hunting Discomfort, suggested the challenge, and always up for a little suffering, I said yes.

The end of the year is usually chaotic for me. Naturally, I decided to drop a long physical and mental challenge right in the middle of it (cue sarcasm). My youngest son Harper is wrapping up finals (less stressful now that he’s accepted to his top-choice college), and Auden, my oldest, is coming home during mile 28, and Kate said she’d join for a few miles. I’m also prepping for the year ahead, finishing strong, and taking the family to see the Colorado Buffalo’s in their Alamo Bowl appearance. Right after that, the boys and I head to Savannah for a father/son weekend.

Here’s the truth: life is always full of serious shit. 

There’s no graduating to a point where the shit stops—just learning to handle it better. And this year, I’ve learned there’s just as much value in curation as there is in creation. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time I hit a crossroads. Someone out there has already built the tools we need; we just have to find them and use them. In fact, here are two invaluable tools that I’ve found incredibly helpful this past year:

Cameron Herald’s Vivid Vision and Steve Schlafman’s annual review framework. 

Cameron’s book helped me crystallize Midlife Male’s vision. Steve’s framework keeps me honest—where I am, where I want to be, and what’s next. These tools aren’t just for business; they’re life tools, keeping me aligned with my 5 Rules, 6Fs, and one crucial question that drives everything I do.

This year has been a masterclass in learning and unlearning. Challenges like 29029 taught me the power of community—real support, no networking bullshit. Impact Eleven pushed me to stretch new mental muscles. And my team reminded me I don’t have to build Midlife Male alone. Iron sharpens iron. We’re stronger together.

What really moved the needle for me?

Focus over frenzy. Fewer things, done better. Vision matters, but it needs execution—quarterly targets, monthly goals, daily actions. Some days it flows. Some days it’s a grind. That’s reality.

Here’s your invitation: carve out time to plan. You don’t need to walk 52 miles, but you do need to prioritize your life. If you don’t have a plan, start now. If you have one, update it. The worst plan is no plan at all.

Let me leave you with a truth backed by sobering stats: 75% of middle-aged men feel stuck in their careers. Only 23% have a personal development plan. Men without strong social connections face a 50% higher mortality risk. Life expectancy is 7 years shorter for isolated men. The health impacts? Higher risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, and chronic illness.

You already know this—even without the stats. The voice inside you says it every day. Stop ignoring it. Find a framework, make a plan, and do the work. Nike had it right: Just do it.

We didn’t come this far to only come this far.

In Health,

Greg