Stop Waiting to “Get Serious”
I once heard Alex Hormozi talk about something that’s really stuck with me. He was describing how people often delay going after what they actually want. It’s that familiar pattern: “I’ll start training once work slows down,” or “I’ll sign up for that race when the weather’s better.” That whole mindset of “I’ll start when…”—it’s such an easy trap to fall into.
But Hormozi flips it. He says: Do it now while it’s hard. Because if you can execute in chaos, when life is nuts and inconvenient, then when things do calm down? You’re going to be unstoppable. That really hit me. It’s something I’ve lived and also struggled with.
I used to be a full-time math teacher, and I trained through some absolute chaos. My buddy Dylan Bellis and I would wake up at 4 or 4:30 in the morning, hit marathon-style workouts—big, gnarly fartleks—and then I’d rush back, shower, eat something fast, and be in class teaching math by 7:45. I’d already knocked out 14, 15 miles with serious intensity before most people were even awake.
And you know what? I felt like a damn superhero. That kind of effort gave me confidence—not just in running, but in life. It was empowering to know I could handle hard things.
Because here’s the truth: life doesn’t slow down. Not in any reliable, sustainable way. I’m in my 30s now—not ancient, but old enough to realize that the chaos just kind of keeps rolling. You think it’s going to “settle,” but it never really does. You’ll always be busy. There’s always work. Kids. Weather. Projects. Fatigue. You won’t always feel inspired or motivated.
But you can still show up.
We like to make these plans—“Once I get through this busy month” or “Once the weather is nice”—and those plans feel productive. It feels like we’re addressing the issue. But we’re not. We’re just delaying action and convincing ourselves that waiting equals progress.
And I get it—I’ve done it. I remember telling a buddy of mine how I was going to turn my hamstrings from a weakness into a strength. I had this elaborate, months-long plan. I kept telling him, “Yeah, I’m going to start this thing soon…” Day after day, same story. Finally he said, “Why don’t you just start doing that now?”
It was such a simple, obvious call-out—and I felt so embarrassed. He was right. My hamstrings were hurting my running, and I had no real reason not to take action. But in my head, having a plan made me feel smart. Like I was doing something.
But what actually fixes problems is action.
That’s the message. Action cures anxiety. Action creates clarity. You don’t fix your fitness slump by thinking about running. You fix it by lacing up and doing something—even if it’s not perfect. Run tired. Run uninspired. Do a hundred calf raises in your kitchen. Get a race on the calendar. Buy the new shoes if it helps get you out the door.
Plans and intentions are fine, but they can be a trap if they don’t lead to doing. Because every time you delay, you’re reinforcing this identity that you’re someone who talks about doing things but doesn’t follow through. And that eats away at your confidence. On the other hand, when you start—even in a small way—you show yourself that you’re someone who acts. Someone who gets things done. And that’s the kind of identity that builds confidence and momentum.
So yeah. Life is busy. The timing is never perfect. But stop waiting to get serious.
Get serious while life is messy.
And watch what happens.
