Every week there’s another stat about how men in midlife are falling apart:
- 70% of men don’t work out.
- 87% don’t sleep more than five hours a night.
- 80% haven’t read a book in the last year.
- Most drink too much, weigh too much, and stress too much.
Do those numbers feel accurate? Have you seen them before when you’re doomscrolling on Instagram? You feel like you have, right?
Well guess what? I just made those numbers up.
Because here’s the truth: they’re all meaningless if you’re on the right side of doing what matters.
I don’t know who these guys represented in these kinds of stats are. Sure, I see them out there. I’ve been around them. I even used to be one of them. But I don’t recognize myself in those numbers anymore. I don’t spend time with guys like that, I don’t coach them, I don’t hire them, and I don’t invest in them. They’re not backable.
And here’s why: most stats are just averages. And averages are excuses. They let men feel comfortable being mediocre.
But look closer. Those stats aren’t about different men. They’re about the same guy.
The non-workout guy.
The five-hours-of-sleep guy.
The two-drinks-every-night guy.
The hasn’t-read-a-book-in-years guy.
The overweight, stressed-out guy.
It’s not seven different problems. It’s one problem stacked on itself.
Meanwhile, you can spot the outliers instantly. Fit. Focused. Rested. These are the men who’ve opted out of mediocrity and refused to be reduced to a percentage.
Our Editor-in-Chief Jon just went to his wife’s high school reunion. Out of 100 guys, maybe five looked like they’d put in any effort over the last 30 years. Five. The rest? Overweight, out of shape, old before their time. Same thing I saw at mine. Same thing I see at Disneyland. Same thing in corporate audiences. Doing nothing adds up fast.
That’s the point. You don’t need to care what “most men” are or aren’t doing. You don’t need to drown in statistics. You need to decide which side of the line you’re on.
Ask the simplest question: Better one or better two?
- Five hours of sleep or seven?
- Two drinks every night or none?
- Skip the workout or show up?
- Zone out on a screen or pick up a book?
One choice drops you into the stat.
The other keeps you out of it.
Start making the better choice most of the time, and most of your life gets better.
Forget the statistics.
Set your own standard.
In midlife, it’s not about fitting in with the masses. It’s about becoming the best version of you. You’re the only metric that matters. That’s how you master the middle.
Need help? Hit me up.
In Health,
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Greg Scheinman
Founder, Midlife Male
52. Husband. Father. Entrepreneur. Coach.
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