What No Shave November Taught Me

Growth is ugly, uncomfortable, and slow…but it’s how I start my preseason for the new year.

Every year, right around Halloween, dads everywhere start telling themselves the same lie:

“I’ll get back on track in January.”

You know the drill…

the candy,

the pies,

the drinks,

the leftovers.

Six straight weeks of what I now call The Great Justification Period.

We tell ourselves we’ve “earned it.”

That extra slice of pumpkin pie.

That “just one more” glass of wine.

That late-night raid of the kids’ Halloween stash.

And sure, it’s festive.

But it also leads to bloat, guilt, and that annual “mystery cold” we swear is just the weather.

Maybe it’s not the weather.

Maybe it’s the fact we’ve been stuffing our faces with food that could survive a nuclear blast…

filled with ingredients we can’t pronounce.

We call it “celebration,” but it’s often self-sabotage in disguise.

Then comes January 1st, the annual dad delusion:

“This is the year I’ll drop ten pounds in 30 days through keto, CrossFit, and dry January!”

Fast forward:

• Jan 6: injured.

• Jan 9: sick.

• Jan 13: regretting that discounted gym membership you swore was “a steal.”

What No Shave November Taught Me

For years, I treated No Shave November like a joke…

a reason to be lazy about grooming and blame it on “solidarity.”

But over time, it’s become something different.

Now, it’s my reminder that growth is

ugly,

uncomfortable,

and slow.

That beard, patchy, uneven, itchy, mirrors every habit I’ve ever tried to rebuild.

It doesn’t look good right away.

It takes time.

It makes me want to quit halfway through.

But that’s also when growth is doing its real work…

under the surface, quietly, stubbornly.

And somewhere along the way, this month became my preseason.

A trigger to start my reset before the new year.

Not after.

The Myth of “Ready”

Every time I’ve said I’ll start “once life slows down,” it’s backfired.

Because life doesn’t slow down, it just changes tempo.

You don’t get more hours; you just get different interruptions.

So instead of “ready,” I’m learning to look for something else: available.

Not perfect time, just open space.

Not perfect energy, just willingness.

The 10-Minute Reset

This week, I’ve started walking again. Ten minutes.

I’m still lifting. Still running. But this walk is different…

it’s a blend of things I actually need right now.

No headphones. No podcasts. No multitasking.

Just me, my thoughts, and whatever weather Michigan feels like throwing at me that day.

I call it the 10-Minute Reset:

• Part Body Reset from moving and breathing.

• Part Mind Reset from letting the sounds of nature hold my attention.

• Part Spiritual Reset as I thank God for the chance to slow down and start again.

It’s my version of habit stacking, blending small habits that matter into one short rhythm.

It saves me time, clears my head, and keeps my priorities aligned…

body, mind, and spirit working together instead of competing for attention.

It’s not impressive. But it’s available.

And that’s the point.

Faith in the Small Starts

Scripture says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10)

Maybe that’s what this season is about…

Not the finish line, but the willingness to begin again.

The gym can wait. The plan can come later.

But the Reset? That starts now.

Because this preseason is more about building a foundation and less about the gluttony hiding in the holidays fattening up before next year becomes “my year to get healthy”

This isn’t to prove something, I gave that up when I realized that wiping a kids butt would inevitably wind up with the occasional poop covered finger. This is to prepare for something.

To become the kind of dad who shows up with more energy, more patience, and more presence…

because you started building it before January.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be ready.

You just need to start.

Because this year, instead of binging and regretting, maybe we finish strong by starting early and steady.

It’s like a preseason for that January 1 reset we all love to plan… but rarely finish.