You wake up tired. Again. Grit is gone. Is it Groundhog Day?

Your gut is pudgier than it used to be. Your joints ache the second your feet hit the floor. You chug coffee like it’s a survival tool on Man vs. Wild, yet you still feel drained. Your kids pull at your leg, your wife asks for your help, your job demands your attention—and you feel like you have nothing left to give.

You tell yourself this is just what happens. That this is dad life. And much of modern society would agree with this. But deep down, you know that’s a lie.

You weren’t made for mediocrity. You weren’t built to survive. You were made to LEAD. To PROVIDE. To PROTECT.

But somewhere along the way, you lost yourself. Your fire dimmed. You put everyone else first—your family, your work, your responsibilities—until there was nothing left for you.

Enter famous Rocky Inspirational Speech:

Enough. It’s time to take back what’s yours. It’s time to RESET.

10 Brutal Truths Every Dad Must Face to Reclaim His Grit

No more excuses. No more feeling like a shell of the man you used to be. This isn’t about a quick fix. It’s about building yourself back up—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

And it starts with the basics. The fundamentals of being a high-performing man. The things you KNOW you should be doing but have let slip through the cracks.

1. Eat Like a Man on a Mission

Your body is a God-given temple built for a greater purpose in this life, and you’ve been feeding it like an afterthought. No more garbage. No more convenience-over-quality meals. You need real fuel. Whole, nutrient-dense foods that power your body, not drain it. Protein to rebuild. Fats to fuel. Carbs to perform. New to fatherhood and struggling with nutrition? Epic Dad has some great nutrition tips for all the newly minted dads out there.

2. Sleep: The Most Overlooked Performance Enhancer

Burning the candle at both ends is not an achievement—it’s a slow death sentence. Your body regenerates when you sleep. Your hormones balance. Your brain resets. Prioritize sleep like your life depends on it—because it does. Aim for at least 7-7.5 hours a night which is a sweet spot for many adults.

3. Hydration: Stop Running on Empty

You can live weeks without food, but only days without water. Yet you walk around dehydrated, foggy, and fatigued. Water isn’t optional – it’s a weapon. Start drinking like your body actually matters. Do it from the moment you wake up. 

4. Grounding: Get Out of the House

Your ancestors didn’t spend their days locked inside, bathed in artificial light, hunched over screens. Get outside. Feel the ground under your feet. Soak in the sunlight. Breathe fresh air. Do something daily or for at least an hour a week that will restore your spirit and bring you peace.

5. Mobility: Move or Be Broken

Tight hips. Locked-up shoulders. A stiff back that groans every morning. You weren’t designed to move like a rusted-out pickup truck. Stretch. Breathe. Open your body up before it locks you down for good. Start injury-proofing your life with things like break falls and shoulder rolls.  

6. Strength Training: Train for Function and Longevity

Your body is a fortress—start treating it like one. Lift. Carry. Push. Pull. Build the strength that makes you resilient. The kind of strength that adds years to your life and life to your years. The kind of strength that lets you hoist your kid onto your shoulders, handle the grind of daily life, and still be the man your family depends on.

 

7. Cardio & Conditioning: Train Your Heart Like Your Life Depends on It

Because it does. You don’t need to run marathons, but you need to MOVE. Sprints. Rucks. Rows. Assault bike sprints. Get your heart pumping. Build the engine that keeps you in the game for decades to come.

8. Develop Grit: Forge Mental and Emotional Strength

Physical strength means nothing if you’re mentally weak. Life will test you. Your kids will test you. Your marriage, your job, your purpose—it will all push you to the edge. Grit is the difference between breaking and pushing forward. You build it by choosing the hard path. By leaning into discomfort and doing hard things. By refusing to quit when everything in you screams to stop.

9. Show Up for Your Family

Your kids don’t need a dad who’s “there.” They need a dad who SHOWS UP. Who leads by example. Who sets the tone for what it means to be strong, disciplined, and full of purpose. Be that man.

10. Strengthen Your Spiritual Foundation

Without faith, you’re drifting. Without a foundation, you’ll crumble. Take time to pray. To read. To connect with the Almighty who made you. A man without a spiritual foundation is like a house built on sand—unstable, vulnerable, and one storm away from collapsing. Fathers like Inky Johnson and Nick Vujicic are great examples of men with strong spiritual foundations who overcame great adversity. 

This Is Your Wake-Up Call

You don’t need another pep talk. You need action. The man you want to be—the one you were BORN to be—is still in there. Buried under years of neglect, exhaustion, and complacency.

Dig him out.

Take back what’s yours.

RESET.

Ready to go deeper? The Dad Grit Reset is a time-efficient no-BS battle plan to help you rebuild yourself—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Get it today at jerrybair.com/dad-grit-reset