2026: The Year I Decided to Show Up for Myself

I've spent a lot of years showing up for other people.

Behind a bar making sure every guest had exactly what they needed. On the gym floor making sure every member felt seen and supported. In client meetings making sure every brand I work with gets everything they're paying for and then some.

Showing up for other people has always come naturally to me. Showing up for myself is something I've had to learn.

2026 is the year I decided to actually do it.

Taking Care of the Machine

I started seeing a chiropractor regularly this year. Not because something was catastrophically wrong but because I finally understood that healing your nervous system isn't a luxury — it's maintenance. Years of hard training, long shifts, and carrying stress in my body had taken a toll I'd been ignoring for a long time. Addressing it has changed how I feel, how I move, and how I show up for everything else in my day.

I also started working with a mental health counselor. Forty-two years of being human comes with a lot of material to work through — and I say that with a laugh because it's true, but I also say it with complete sincerity because it has been some of the most important work I've ever done. Understanding where you came from, why you respond to things the way you do, and how to move through the world with more intention is not weakness. It's the hardest training you'll ever do.

I changed doctors too. I needed someone who could actually see me when I needed to be seen — not six months from now when whatever was going on had already resolved itself one way or another. Having a doctor in your corner who treats you like a priority changes how you manage your health entirely. I should have done it sooner.

Training With Purpose

I'm a competitive Olympic weightlifter. Masters division, super heavyweight. I started this journey in November 2020 and it has given me more than I ever expected — discipline, community, a reason to show up every single day whether I feel like it or not.

This year the training has taken on a new level of intention. I'm not just going through the motions. I'm working toward something specific, tracking progress carefully, and approaching every session as an investment in the athlete I'm becoming rather than just the one I am right now.

Earlier this month I PR'd my total at 248kg — a 6kg improvement that felt like six months of quiet, consistent work finally finding somewhere to land. That's what this year feels like. The work is adding up.

Growing the Business

JG Media is growing and I am growing with it.

I'm taking digital marketing courses to deepen my understanding of what actually drives results for the clients I work with. I'm learning new design tools that expand what I can offer and how quickly I can deliver it. I'm taking on commercial videography projects that push me creatively in ways that social media content alone never could.

Every skill I add makes me a better partner for my clients. Every course I finish makes me more confident in the strategy I bring to the table. I am building this business the same way I approach the barbell — not by waiting until I'm ready but by doing the work until I am.

Why Any of This Matters

Here's what I've figured out this year: you cannot pour from an empty cup. It's the most overused phrase in wellness but it exists because it's true.

When I am rested, healthy, mentally clear, physically strong, and genuinely excited about the work in front of me — I am a better father. A better husband. A better gym owner. A better creative partner for every client who trusts me with their brand.

Taking care of myself isn't selfish. It's the foundation everything else is built on.

2026 is the year I stopped treating myself like an afterthought and started treating myself like someone worth investing in.

The version of me that shows up for you — for my clients, my gym members, my family — is better because of it.

And we're only getting started.