Part 6: Blind Spots

When I started this journey, I knew one truth: I didn’t just want to survive—I wanted to thrive. And there is a massive difference between the two.

Survival mindset vs. Thriving mindset:

1. I need to avoid dehydration → I need to hydrate optimally

2. I need to move my body → I need 10–15 minutes of intentional, higher-intensity movement

3. I need to get sleep → I need deep, restorative sleep with quality REM

Most of us can survive on 5–6 hours of sleep, or even 8 hours of broken sleep. But to thrive, we need roughly 8 hours of uninterrupted, high-quality sleep. I thought I was doing fine in this area—after all, I consistently give myself an 8-hour sleep window. But with more awareness and a little data, I uncovered blind spots I didn’t know I had.

And that’s the point: Self-awareness is the beginning of growth, but even the most self-aware people have blind spots.

Creating more space and paying attention to recovery led to some surprising insights:

• Too much phone use during the day → less REM sleep

• Going to bed after 10:30 PM → harder time falling asleep and more waking at night

• Skipping workouts → less deep sleep

• Even one drink → HRV tanks and recovery plummets

This is why coaching, accountability, and honest feedback matter. I’m not a big fan of obsessing over wearables—data alone can create stress and confusion—but used correctly, it can reveal meaningful opportunities. For me, it helped me improve my habits around recovery and sleep, not just my workouts.

I’m currently focusing on improving:

• HRV

• Breaths per minute

• Resting heart rate

• Recovery vs. strain balance

• VO₂ max (with 3–5 extra minutes of cardio per workout)

The Whoop data reminded me of something simple: as I reduced intensity over the years, my output decreased. Not shocking—but it was motivating to see it clearly so I could challenge myself again.

I’m now in month two of this focused plan, and I’m already making tweaks. The goal hasn’t changed. The process just keeps getting better. Just like great teams in the NFL—they don’t abandon the system after a slow start; they adjust, commit, and hit their stride. That’s where I feel I’m headed.

No, I’m not shredded. No, I’m not “there.” But I’ve built a process I believe in—and that matters more than any single metric.

You can’t control the outcome, but you can control the process. And when you stay curious and committed, the outcome eventually takes care of itself.

So—stay curious. What’s possible? What do you really want? Where is your blind spot? Who is coaching you?

No one grows alone.

Last night my Whoop recovery was 19%—my daughter decided 3 AM was morning. That’s life. I’ll recover, reset, and show up again tomorrow.