Eric Decker

I’ll be honest, I’m not naturally good at resting.

My default setting is action.

Train. Work. Write. Run. Build. Push.

If there’s something to do, I generally want to be doing it.

Lately, I’ve had my foot on the accelerator pretty hard.

And while there’s certainly a time for that, I’ve been reminded of something important:

Rest is necessary.

Not optional.

Necessary.

The funny thing about rest is that you can choose it willingly, or eventually your body, mind, or circumstances will choose it for you.

You can take a day off.

Or exhaustion will take one for you.

You can slow down for a weekend.

Or burnout will slow you down for much longer.

That’s why rest isn’t laziness.

It’s maintenance. It’s recovery. It’s preparation for the next push.

So if you’ve been grinding lately, give yourself permission to ease off the gas for a moment.

Take a day. Take a couple days.

Read a book. Take a nap. Go for a walk. Sit on the patio.

Tag in your inner Zen Slacker.

The work will still be there when you get back.

And when the tank is full again? When your energy returns? When the fire starts burning hot?

Push that accelerator down.

Build. Create. Train. Work. Go after it.

Just remember that even the hardest workers need a pit stop once in a while.

Guiding Principle

Take your rest, or it’ll take you.

Something to Ponder

When was the last time you truly rested? And what hobbies, interests, or simple pleasures have you been neglecting while you’ve been busy pushing?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

You may have a lot.

You may not have much.

Either way, you need to be thankful for what you have.

Because it’s easy to focus on what you don’t have.

To scroll through other people’s lives. To compare. To feel behind. To think life handed somebody else a better deck.

That mindset leads nowhere good.

It breeds resentment. Bitterness. Misery.

But on the flip side, gratitude doesn’t mean complacency.

It doesn’t mean settling. It doesn’t mean shutting off ambition and pretending you don’t want more out of life.

There’s a balance to strike.

You should be able to look around and say:

“Yeah, I’m doing pretty good.”

While also saying:

“But I can still do better.”

That’s healthy. That’s growth.

That’s the way we live life.

Be grateful for where you are—while still building toward where you want to go.

Guiding Principle

Be grateful for what you have. But don’t get complacent.

Something to Ponder

What do you already have in your life that you’ve started taking for granted?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

Lately, I’ve been reading up on Cristiano Ronaldo. The guy has an incredible story, and I love stories like his.

(Seriously. Give him a Google. He came from almost nothing and became one of the greatest soccer players to ever do it—not to mention wealthy and famous beyond belief.)

If you don’t know, Ronaldo is known for his intense training regimen and ripped physique. I like finding inspiration from places you wouldn’t normally expect.

One thing that really struck me was something Lionel Messi said. It was something along the lines of:

Ronaldo trains because he loves it. Messi trains because he has to.

That hit me hard because I realized:

I’m absolutely a Ronaldo in this area of life.

I don’t just love the end result. I love the process.

I love being in the gym banging out sets. I love the feeling of my muscles working. I love seeing what I’m building over time.

I love the lifestyle itself.

I train six—and sometimes seven—days a week. I have home gym equipment and a gym membership. You could say I love training.

I eat plenty of whole foods, protein, and fiber. Do I indulge? For sure. But it’s not an every meal thing.

I prioritize sleep, and do my best to sleep well every night (life sometimes has other plans, but I do the best I can).

You could also say I’m a little crazy. And maybe I am.

But I also believe that’s why I’ve been so successful at this part of my life.

Now, do you have to love it this much to get results?

Not exactly.

I take it further because it’s naturally part of who I am.

But you can also be like Messi. You can train because you have to. You can train for the end result.

And honestly? Sometimes the end result is enough.

It’s not that hard to get results, either.

Almost anyone can find five hours a week for the gym.

Get off social media. Turn off the TV. Cut down the bar nights. Make training convenient.

Almost anyone can make better food choices.

Eat a few more whole foods. Get a little more protein. Eat more fiber. Cut back on some junk.

Almost anyone can improve their sleep.

Go to bed an hour earlier. Shut electronics off before bed. Cut caffeine earlier in the day.

It helps to love it.

But it’s not required.

Here’s the truth:

Some people are obsessive craftsmen. They genuinely love the process. They could train for hours, talk about it endlessly, and happily structure their entire lifestyle around it.

Others are disciplined pragmatists. They may not love every workout, every meal prep session, or every early bedtime—but they love what training gives them.

Both approaches can work.

The end result is ultimately why you do it.

So if you love it? Great.

If you don’t?

That doesn’t mean you stop training.

You just use a different strategy.

Guiding Principle

Whether you’re an obsessive craftsman or a disciplined pragmatist, the work needs to get done.

Something to Ponder

The areas where you’re an obsessive craftsman are probably your strengths. But where are your weaknesses? How could those weak areas improve if you decide to become a disciplined pragmatist in them?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.