Time To Grow Up Dad

Every night I ask: what if today was our last? My take on 3 Stoic ideas that made me calmer and more present: planning for the worst, loving what happens, and remembering that time is short. Covered: Premeditatio Malorum, Amor Fati, Memento Mori. Book mentioned: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. Free resources:Fat Loss Calculator: https://www.iamchoong.com/fatloss-calculatorFree Consult: https://ww...

Most of us measure consistency the wrong way. Especially once kids arrive. Before I became a dad, consistency looked like just locking in, no excuses and just doing the work in the gym and with food. With kids, your responsibilities don't just double, they kind of quadruple as you are not only trying to fend for yourself but for the family. And that weekly scorecard starts making you feel like...

Look I haven't gotten fit in the last three years or so. At least not actively trying to improve my health. And it's weird as a sports nutritionist, personal trainer and strength coach to say that. With two kids in the last three years, the reality is I, like many others, don't have the opportunity and no one in the fitness industry wants to tell you that. This episode is for new dads...

It was 2 AM, I was holding my firstborn, completely exhausted ,and I ‘dropped’ him, audible thud. That moment broke something open for me and I just have not been the same since.  This episode is about the identity shift nobody warns you about as you enter the super early stages of fatherhood, some type of conflict internally of trying to hold on to who you might be prior to being a father and wha...

I had to record this twice. The first time, I forgot to press record lol. Sat through the entire thing , tears and all only to realise nothing was captured (ahh how tech fails me!) So here it is, take two: 10 things I want my boys to know before they turn four. 00:00 Intro 01:21 # 1: You need to be reminded more than you need to be taught 04:00 #2: Before you fall, know we love you 06:17 #3: Time...

Most parents don't want to be average. But somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we learned to hide the very things that made us special , and now we're teaching our kids to do the same. In this episode of the Time to Grow Up podcast, I break down why authenticity isn't something you force, it's something that emerges through exposure, experience, and the courage to stay weird...

Doing the bare minimum is an advice that sounds wrong, yet it might just be one (of the many) advice I would give my kids. In this episode, I break down why hustle culture is a coping mechanism disguised as ambition, and why the real skill isn't grinding harder , it's knowing when to shift into maintenance mode and do the bare minimum. A lot of the episode draws inspiration from Sahil Bloo...

Purpose and passion have a huge intertwine yet they are not the same. In this episode of the Time To Grow Up podcast I break down why many burn out chasing passion and not true purpose and now how to start to view things differently which helps to put life into perspective.  Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 Following your passion is bad advice  6:20 Finding purpose can be a lonely journey  9:29...

So I truly believe the idea of balance is a lie. Its something many would like to achieve yet I dont think its something we can do in this modern world. I wish that I am able to tell my kids that they can find balance, or dad is living a balanced life but in reality its not going to happen, and I doubt it will ever be. In the episode I cover things about how I view balance , why do people like to...

So a lot has happened over the last year since the last episode came out in June. Thankfully while I did , intend to throw in the towel in this podcasting escapade, I came to realise why I started it in the first place, and I would like to share just some quick insights and updates on the last year since I last recorded an episode. I send out 1 weekly email a week on a Wednesday covering topics fr...

What a cool chat with Sarah! I could sit back and process my conversation with her after a few days. Hearing it from the point of view of a parent whose kid is on the other side of the world helps to put some things into perspective regarding my situation with my parents and what could be going through their minds. It was also interesting to hear her talk about her experience as a surrogate mother...

Sarah has such a unique story, and I am so glad we cross paths to allow me to gain some insight on what it is like to be ‘on the other side’ of the coin when it comes to being a parent, where you have a child that is studying in a completely different country. I was very much (and still am) that child to my parents, and of course, I have my views, but it was terrific to get a perspective from some...

They say as you grow older, your views change, and in the case of Mike, that was the vibe I was getting. Honestly, I give all the credit to him because for someone who might be old, being receptive to change is important, especially as a parent, and always being able to adapt to the situation. The conversation opened up my eyes to see that we need to ensure we let our children be who they want to...

I had the pleasure of speaking to none other than the old bastard himself, Mr Mike Mahaffery. Mike and I connected via a little mutual group called BJJ Mental Models. While he graciously stroked my ego a couple of times on my BJJ skill (thanks, Mike), Mike gave me a few gems of wisdom as a father himself, having kids who are adults who mostly have their own interests and hobbies. He reinforces the...

So, if you did catch this episode, it was recorded a few weeks after Marcus was born. And boy, oh boy, life is different! I took a few things speaking to Gerry, and I had a lot of time to reflect on some of the things I would try to do with my kids as they grow older. It's always going to be a fine line on 'baby-ing' them VS letting them learn from mistakes. I think one of the things that I am sta...

I had the pleasure of speaking to Gerry Lynch, a jack of all trades but primarily at this point, a great business coach and even greater father to his children (biological and stepson). For context and to set this episode up, I have been working with Gerry and his wife as their coach, and I know how good their family dynamics are. It's fantastic to get some fatherly advice and general good mindset...

Based on my guess (which tends not always to be accurate lol) by the time this airs, we should have Marcus and I can imagine the chaos observed at home. While recording and doing this episode, Cliff has greatly reminded me that to be the most present parent you can be, it's vital always to spend time just to calm your mind with things like yoga. He also gave a fascinating perspective, which was th...

Woohoo, another podcast in the books. Let's see how long you boys can keep this up because, by the time this comes out, Marcus will likely be tearing up the house with Henry. I have the pleasure of chatting with Cliff about what life will be like for me when we go from a one-kid to a two-kid household. It's cool to chat with Cliff outside of what we usually discuss at work: nutrition and the best...

It is always great to reconnect with old friends, and in this case, reconnecting with my first-ever mentor, Pete shed light on how far we both have come. When I first worked with Pete, this would have been when his kids were still young and in primary school, and back then (as Pete would say), being naive, I never really knew what parenthood was like. It's pretty interesting to sit back now and ed...

I had the pleasure of speaking to my first-ever mentor, Pete Tansley. We go way back to 2018/201,9 when he was the first ever mentor/coach I hired outside of the context of sport-specific and nutrition training. Back then, I knew Pete had twins, and he shared his stories about being a father and a business owner. It feels like things have come full circle, and I am asking for his thoughts on paren...

Whew! What an episode! I sincerely thank Newton for being so open to chat about his family, especially in light of recent events. There are many takeaways from our conversation, but primarily, we reached an agreement on a few things that can significantly benefit one's mental health as a parent: Ensure you have a community behind you, whether big or small, always take time to process your emotions...

On today's podcast episode, I have none other than Newton Cheng on the show. While this could have turned into a podcast about powerlifting and work, Newton and his family received some dire news during the 2024 holiday season with one of his daughters being diagnosed with Leukemia. Since then, this is the first time he has spoken publicly about his experience in an interview/podcast setting. For...

Woohoo! I'm unsure where we stand regarding whether Marcus is here. However, my chat with Mickey highlighted some things for me. As someone who likes the idea of being as competitive as possible as an athlete (if you consider powerlifting a sport, lol), I've started to adopt a mindset shift. I try to view parenting itself as a bit of a competition, and, as corny as it sounds, I aim to compete with...

In today's episode, I had the pleasure to speak to Mickey, who is deep into the thick of things when wrangling not just an 8-month-old but two other older children. Despite all of the craziness AND being a teacher and a coach himself, he still is able to be the 'fit dad' around his little outcove of homes and strives to show up as the best version of himself as he can be. We covered topics like wh...

Man, when I realize this, I am not sure where life is at the moment but the chat with Lily did help me to put things into perspective as Clare and I gear up to welcome our second kid into the world (her mostly, I just hang around lol). But for those who tuned in to the previous podcast as well as if you spoke to me over the last two months, the primary mental hurdle I started to develop since Dece...