At 61, you'd think I'd have learned this by now. But some lessons keep circling back—kind of like burpees. Which, not coincidentally, is the current teacher in my life.
A few weeks ago, I made a commitment. Not a “New Year's Resolution” kind of commitment—the kind you whisper to yourself while eating the last Christmas sugar cookie. No, this was a midlife, slightly sweaty epiphany: I want to play hard with my grandkids and not die doing it.
So I picked something concrete. Something measurable. Something appropriately awful: As many burpees as I can manage in 20 minutes—every day—for 100 days.
Now, I didn't start from scratch. I had flirted with burpees before—sporadically, and only when guilt outweighed inertia. I could crank out 10 or 15 if the planets aligned.
But then I was influenced by my son Gabe, who'd first told me about his burpee routine a year earlier. He came across this guy online—Max Edwards from Busy Dad Training—and decided to give it a shot.
A few messages turned into coaching, and coaching turned into consistency. Gabe just kept going.
He's now doing over 240 burpees in 20 minutes. No, that's not a typo. And no, he's not a Navy SEAL. He just made a decision—and followed through.
A year later, he's not just in shape—he's in sync. It's like his body got the memo that his life was going to be full-on and rose to the challenge. He shows up in his body the way some people show up in a boardroom: focused, steady, ready
Not because he's chasing fitness, but because he's built a life that demands it—and delivers on it. (Did I mention he's also a busy dad with twin infants and a 3-year-old?)
I, on the other hand, get winded after 10, have to negotiate with myself to keep going, and finish the set looking like I just mediated a high-stakes hostage crisis—with myself.
But I wanted what he had. Not the six-pack. (Okay, maybe the six-pack.)
What I really wanted was the vitality. The stamina to wrestle grandkids without strategizing around my lower back. The clarity to show up in meetings, conversations, and decisions with a fully oxygenated brain.
So I started at 40 burpees—winded, sweating, questioning my life choices. A few weeks later, I broke 80. And today? I hit 120 in 20 minutes. That's a personal best—and a small miracle.
But here's the frustrating part: the only thing that's visibly changed… is my commitment.
My weight? Static. My energy? Hit or miss. My mental clarity? Still negotiating. And that post-workout euphoria people talk about? Nonexistent. (To those who say “exercise gives me such a rush of happiness”—I'm deeply suspicious you're lying or confused.)
Most days, I feel like I'm giving everything—and getting nothing obvious in return. And when that story starts playing in my head (“Shouldn't something be different by now?”), I remember something we say at the LifeApp 3 Day:
Be committed to do what it takes to have what you want.
Not until you're tired. Not until you lose interest. But until the change sticks.
Because what I want isn't just a visible result.
What I want is a life I can live fully—in a body that's strong enough to carry it.
And that, it turns out, is worth 20 breathless minutes a day.
The Science of Real Change
This tension—the desire for transformation and the impatience for results—is ancient. But it's also solvable. According to behavioral science, lasting change isn't about willpower or epiphanies. It's about systems.
Here are three key factors from the research that actually move the needle:
Design your environment to make the right choice the easy choice.
In Influencer, Joseph Grenny and his team highlight that most of us overestimate the power of motivation and underestimate the power of context. If your shoes are next to your bed, your mat is unrolled, and your phone is preloaded with a timer, you've reduced the friction that kills good intentions.
Shift from performance goals to purpose-driven identity.
James Clear, in Atomic Habits, puts it this way: Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become. But here's the thing: you don't just need a better habit—you need a better reason.
Saying, “I want to lose weight” might get you through a week. But saying, “I want to be someone who's fully alive, with the strength and energy to enjoy the people I love”—that changes the game.
The goal isn't a number on the scale. The goal is vitality. Play. Presence. Not just surviving the day, but being available to it.
This kind of identity doesn't come from gritting your teeth. It comes from remembering who—and what—you care about most. That's the kind of “why” that outlasts resistance.
Don't chase motivation—surround yourself with possibility.
Motivation is fickle. But proximity is powerful. Research shows we're most influenced not by celebrities or influencers, but by the people we respect and relate to—those close enough to touch, close enough to watch. Seeing someone we know do something extraordinary rewires what we think is possible.
I didn't change because my son gave me a motivational speech. I changed because I watched him live differently. Day after day. He didn't ask me to rise to the occasion. He just became the occasion.
And being close to that kind of consistency… it challenged the version of myself I had quietly settled for.
So if you want to change your life, don't look for hype.
Look for people you admire—up close. Stay near the ones who quietly live what you long for.
What Love Has To Do With It
This isn't just about fitness. Or discipline. Or avoiding death-by-grandchild-chase.
This is about learning to live love well—starting with myself and how I care for my body.
We can't claim to live lives rooted in love if we neglect the container we've been given. Love, at its core, is about attentiveness. And one of the most overlooked acts of love is being attentive to your own well-being.
Not out of vanity. Out of respect. Out of presence. Out of a desire to show up fully—mind clear, body strong, heart open—for the people and purposes that matter most.
So I'll keep going. 120 burpees at a time. Not because it feels good. But because love asks us to do the hard, faithful things that prepare us to live wide awake and fully alive.
Until next week,
Jonathan Penner | Founder & Exec Dir. of LifeApp


Additional Resources To Explore

Book
Atomic Habits
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. It is a practical guide to lasting change, showing how small, consistent actions—not willpower or big goals—lead to remarkable results. Real transformation isn’t about intensity, but about building systems that make the life you want possible. If you’re trying to reclaim energy, shift patterns, or simply show up better each day, this book offers the blueprint.
-James Clear

Video
How To Build Good Habits
In this video, James Clear breaks down the core principles of habit formation into four simple steps: make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. He explains how even complex goals—like meditating daily or transforming your health—can be built by designing a system that fits your life, not just your aspirations. It’s a reminder that showing up consistently in small, doable ways is how real change happens. And when those actions reinforce the kind of person you want to become, transformation stops feeling like pressure—and starts feeling like love in motion.
-Tim Ferris with James Clear

Music
Glorious
This song is a powerful reminder that real change doesn’t happen in a flash—it happens one gritty, determined step at a time. It’s about rising from the hard places, reclaiming your strength, and remembering why you started. Not for applause, but for the kind of life that feels glorious—clear-minded, full-hearted, and deeply alive.
-Macklemore ft. Skylar Grey

Program
Busy Dad Training
The Busy Dad Program by Max Edwards, is a simple, time-efficient fitness routine designed for real life—especially if that life includes kids, work, and zero extra hours. With just 80 minutes a week and two core movements, this program meets you where you are and builds strength through consistency, not complexity. Whether you're a busy dad or just a busy human, it’s a practical path to feeling strong, energized, and fully alive.
-Busy Dad Trainig, Max Edwards
Learn More About
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“I went from extremely skeptical, knowing nothing about what I was getting into… to wishing I had done this a LONG time ago. I've needed to show up for myself for a long time and coming here, meeting this team and these participants, has showed me that it's ok to show up for me. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for this opportunity.”