10km - NDO January

And I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this tension I feel - between ambition and simplicity.

I’ve always been driven. Always wanted more. More success, more money, more momentum.

That part of me is still there. I still like setting personal goals. Fitness goals. Feeling good about myself at the end of the day.

That kind of ambition energises me.

But the performative side of ambition - the idea that I should be building bigger things, earning more, proving something - that does absolutely nothing good for me.

Physically or emotionally. I feel it in my body when I sway that way too much.

I’m 37 now, and I’m craving calm.

A simpler, more intentional life. Less stuff. Less noise. Slower pace. More intimacy with my family. More presence with my kids. More peace in myself.

I’ve always had a thing with clutter.

It genuinely stresses me out. Physically.

I walk into a room in our house and my brain just starts scanning - picking out things; we don’t need that, that needs clearing, that’s in the way.

It slows my thinking. Distracts me. Makes me feel heavy and burdened.

I’ve always believed that everything you own, owns a piece of you. And I feel that more than ever lately.

If no one could see my success - if it was just me - what would I still want to build?

And honestly… my health.

My fitness.

My relationship with my family.

My creative side. Expression.

Feeling confident in my body and my mind.

Time freedom.

Choice.

I don’t need much. I really don’t. I actually feel like I have more than enough right now.

Money matters, of course.

But I want my kids to know that money has its place - it’s not the point.

A rich life, to me, is freedom of time, freedom of choice, confidence in who you are, and being healthy enough to enjoy whatever you have.

I think I’m letting go of a lot of ego as I get closer to 40. And that feels like a good direction.

I still want to create. I still want to do meaningful work. I just don’t want accumulation to be the cost of it anymore.

Maybe ambition doesn’t have to mean more.

Maybe it can mean enough - done well, done slowly, and done on purpose.

— Chris

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Until the next run…

MOOD FOLLOWS ACTION