Somewhere between Peanut M&M’s and better choices
I was struggling to open a bag of peanut M&M’s the other night. Leftovers from my kid’s Halloween haul. Family food, if we’re being honest. One hand was holding a glass of wine, the other was wrestling with a plastic seal that felt unnecessarily aggressive. The day had already been exhausting and defeating, and I’ll be damned if I was going to put the wine down.
There was no chance I was losing again. Not to the day, not to the week, and definitely not to a bag of candy.
With a little help from my teeth and some stubborn determination, I managed to get the bag open and turned the entire kitchen counter into my dinner plate. I stood there eating, leaning on the counter, and replaying the challenges of the day. Then the week. Then the month. Then the year. Somewhere in there, I realized how easily all of it had taken control of what used to be a pretty decent level of discipline and healthy habits I had worked on for most of my life.
Both my belt and my blue jeans would agree I have made less than stellar decisions this year.
The irony is not lost on me that my entire business is built around producing healthy food for people, yet “do as I say, not as I do” seems to be the trajectory I have been on lately.
This year also came with a torn groin, a sprained MCL, and a thrown lower back. None of which happened while doing anything overly athletic, or heroic, but I certainly milked them as an excuse to be less active. Carne asada burritos sounded better than chicken and rice, and with all the travel this year, egg whites and oatmeal slowly gave way to Bacon Gouda breakfast sandos, bagels, and cream cheese.
Truth be told, there has been a lot of mental and emotional fatigue baked into this year. Just one of those years. Exhausted. A bit apathetic. Intellectually, I know I need to get back to a better level of wellness, but it has taken some honest reflection to want to care again.
Taking a little personal inventory helped remind me why my health goals have always mattered. My ability to create and manage Spinaca Farms. My ability to be present for my family. My ability to show up with energy and intention instead of excuses.
If I listened to the wellness experts on Instagram, the path forward would be cold plunges, red light therapy, no coffee, meditation, cleanses, drains, fasting, grounding, debloating, better discipline, no excuses, cortisol concoctions, and on and on.
No thanks.
I’ll stick with the basics. Eat better. Move better. Sleep better. Pay attention to how I feel and mute the noise. Focus on what matters. Good friends, my wife who gets my back, and my kids who keep me laughing (even when they’re driving me crazy). That’s the game plan, and I’m keeping my coffee.
All I know is I have work to do. I’m not afraid to do it. And beating myself up over past choices will burn very few calories.
Here’s to making better choices in 2026.