Picture a young sapling of an oak tree. Imagine that the oak tree can make decisions for itself. It can decide where it is planted, what it consumes, and how much it consumes. It has feelings and wants just like we do.
The oak tree consumes nutritious but good-tasting water in its early life.
Instead of absorbing good sunlight, it absorbs unnatural light because it wants to.
Unlike the other trees that want to be planted in good soil, this tree doesn’t want that. It wants to be planted in a nice-looking spot, but one that it doesn’t grow very well in. The soil is fragile, and it falls over.
You have left a wilted tree, its leaves browned and wilted, and its roots flimsy sticks. The tree regrets what it has done until it feels too late.

A challenge young men face in constant combat is the battle of experiences. In today’s fast-paced society, there is always activity going on. Events are constantly being held, new content is always being made for video games, shows, and content creators, substances are always a little purchase away, and there is always pressure to be in with the new thing that everyone else is doing.
Addiction is a terrible thing that consumes all of us. It could be anything, smoking, gambling, drinking, spending, content watching, video games, literally anything that takes us away from the things that we should be doing. It gets all of us, from the young to the old, from women to men.
Why go to work when you can drink and game? Why clean your room and go to that outing your friends invited you to when you can play games instead?
While everyone struggles with this problem, young men struggle with this problem the most. With fewer good role models and fewer people guiding them properly, there is no direction that guys can take. I should know. I am 24 and never had a great dad. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I always chased what felt good. That is both food and video games. I would game for hours and hours a day. Playing around 14 hours a day sometimes. It wasn’t healthy, and it never will be.

But my problem stemmed from a lack of direction and drive in my life. When I was in that place, I could never see the importance of developing my life, of trying to find a sense of purpose or even something to strive for. And when you are never shown that, you will never pursue it.
“Why waste my life trying to pursue a sense of purpose when I have it right before me?”
“The world out there is terrifying and hard. I don’t want to deal with it.”
Or even “I will try and take this shortcut that will make me successful.”
These were all the things I told myself, and I have seen others tell themselves when considering their future and pursuing activities and projects that will give them deep satisfaction.

Granted, I am a depressed man, and that contributes to how I respond and act to things. This can be the case for others as well. Each person has their own background, challenges, lens, and story that they have lived life through. So even though I may be saying that “Having young men have good habits will solve their problems,” it doesn’t mean that it will solve all of their problems, nor will it be the only thing they need to solve them.
People aren’t as encouraged to develop good habits and maintain good structure in our world.
That is why I am writing this post: to better encourage men and give them practical ways to feel good in their lives and full of energy to tackle challenges worth tackling.

I’ve spoken enough, so let’s get right into things.

1. EATING PROPERLY

Within recent years, there have been so many fascinating findings, all showcasing that what you eat can really affect your mental health. It refers to our “gut.” The long and short of how it works is that our gut is directly linked to our brain. So, depending on how our gut is doing, it can affect the signals it sends to the brain and cause emotional shifts depending on the health of your gut; Doctors found a link between IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and depression and anxiety. So, if your gut is doing so well, you could be having lots of problems with your mental health.

Here are a couple of things you can try to start eating better to help the health of your gut.

• Have more whole foods (stuff without a label) – many existing whole foods have essential substances for your gut. Such as (but not limited to)
• Antioxidants, probiotics, different types of proteins, essential nutrients, fiber, and even vitamins. You can find these in all kinds of whole foods. Berries, green vegetables, fermented goods, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, and lean meats. Try to find foods you like so you will stick to eating them.
• Start meal prepping – It can be super simple. Here’s an example. On Monday, cook up a lot of chicken, like 3 pounds. Make it with all the seasonings that you like. This would be your protein base. Then, you can cook carrots, onions, potatoes, asparagus, rice, and broccoli. Then, you can assort them each in 5 containers you will have throughout the week. Then all you gotta do is heat it up or even put it in your oven. It’s an innovative use of your time and stops you from ordering out whenever you have had a bad day or want to be lazy.
• Limit processed foods—This could be anything from finding better alternatives to processed foods that you already like to just flat out quitting. An easy example is that instead of grabbing McD’s or fast food, you can make some burgers. Go to your local butcher, get some beef meat (or whatever meat you want), then grill or fry to your heart’s content.

2. WORKING OUT (CONSISTENTLY)

I will never stop recommending working out. It is too good to not recommend. Training is not easy to keep up with, and I get that. So instead of trying to force yourself to do something that you don’t want, why not instead exercise in the ways that you want?

You will hear a lot of people talk about cardio and how you have to get your cardio in if you want to lose weight and increase your endorphins. But in all honesty, it’s not the bottom line. You can quickly lose weight and improve your endurance and lung capacity by lifting weights, boxing, dancing, or even doing calisthenics. There is no wrong way to work out so long as you aren’t hurting your body and exerting yourself.

Below are a couple of guidelines that can help get you started.

• How long you should work out – It’s pretty simple: train for 15 minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate to below exercise. Many people say to work out longer, but it isn’t necessary. Working out for longer than an hour can cause a lot of strain on your body, making it much easier if you take a 15 to 30-minute period to get it out of the way. In terms of days, workout for around 3-5 days. Depending on what you want out of your workouts, you may want to do more or less days. If you’re going to lose body fat, try 4-5; if you wish to exercise to reap the health benefits, you could do 3-4 or even 6 days if you really want to. Just getting out there and training is what matters.
• Understand your starting point – Many people have different starting points. You may be new to exercise or have trained previously but have lost interest or training momentum. That’s ok! But it is essential to understand your starting point. This means you aren’t doing the same things as others. If you go the gym and see those people who have been doing this for years, you will not be doing the same amount of reps that they are with the same amount of weight. And that’s ok! You don’t need to compare yourself because, at one point, they weren’t lifting those kinds of weights.
• Use time instead of reps—If time is an issue or you do not like the number of reps required, time yourself with certain exercises instead. For example, you could do 45 seconds of pushups, then 45 seconds of crunches, and 45 seconds of squats, all with a 30-second (or more) rest period in between.

If you have difficulty knowing when you are exercising enough, check out these free websites that provide a good plan to follow. Don’t be afraid to make modifications to suit your body’s needs.

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/beginner-fat-loss-workout
https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/21-day-calisthenics-workout-to-kickstart-your-fitness-journey

3. PRACTICING POSITIVE MASCULENITY

What do I mean by this? Many definitions can vary wildly depending on the person, so I’ll review the definition that best assists men.

Positive masculinity isn’t just being mindful and kind to others, as some may say. It is also being wise and more than being conscious of others. It is about genuinely assisting others when they are in need or are requesting assistance. It’s about practicing being capable and not just thinking of yourself with your actions but also being able to assist fellow men and women with your skills and knowledge. It’s also about being open, properly communicating, accepting, and growing from failure.

This isn’t a definitive answer, but being a good man is not just helpful and kind. A good man is much more than that. It cannot be described in just a few words because that leaves room for error and change in what a good man should be. X

Here are some ways you can practice positive masculinity.

• Make Connections—Understanding people and being known in the community as the man you are is essential. Nothing is quite as positive or masculine as being able to connect with others, which will teach men to understand others and work/connect with others.
• Be Motivated – When you see a man with a deep drive and passion that he taps into every action he does, it commands your respect. How would other people treat us if we had such big passion? Whatever drives you to want to get out of bed the next day, understand what that is, hone it, and then use that passion in every aspect of your life.
• Be You—While negative aspects of us could be seen as not very good, many parts of people are good, which can command respect. So when you are going out into the world, be you. Don’t be afraid of it, no matter how quirky, blunt, or unenthused you are about it.

4. PRACTICE YOUR VALUES

A quote that I am sure everyone has probably heard over twenty times by now is, “What are you fighting for?” While it’s a pretty cheesy thing to ask, it is a good question. When we are young, we don’t really know what we truly value in our lives. We are too young to understand what good things we should focus on in our lives rather than just doing what makes us feel good. However, a firm understanding of what you value most in your life will make you think about things more broadly. It could be anything, too. Do you value your passions? Do you value family? Do you value making enough money to support yourself and others you care about?

Whatever it is that you value (and you hold to) will begin to make you think about the decisions you make. One of the things that I value is being able to be financially free. I didn’t spend very much money. Because I have that as a value, I have a dream to build/finance a home that doesn’t have many (or any) bills to pay. And that has been really pushing me forward towards a goal. Granted, that isn’t my only goal, but it is one of the things that pushes me forward.

If you don’t know your values, you can do a couple of things to help you find them.

• Ask yourself, “What do I value most in life?” “What things bring me the most joy and excitement to my life?”
• Practice your values—After determining your values, brainstorm activities that would bring you closer to those values. For example, an hour at the gym would be a good place to start if you care about being physically strong.

5. PRACTICING FINANCIAL LITERACY

No matter what first-world country you are in, money will always be an object that will get your place. With how the world is now (at least in the U.S.), you can’t accomplish anything without money.
Want to build a house? You can’t chop down the trees because they are someone’s or the government’s property.
Want to grow your own crop? Nope, you gotta buy land to do that.
Want to survive in this world without money? It is possible, but extremely difficult, to put yourself in a situation where you can do so without capital.
This applies to so many objects and concepts. Understanding how money works will put you leagues ahead of other people. You’ll be able to give and care for others, yourself, and your family, which is a wonderful gift.

Although practicing financial literacy isn’t the easiest thing to do or understand in some aspects. So here is a brief summary of things to do to up your capital.

• Read! – If there was one thing that you took from this section, it’s this. Many people have a lot of money and share much of their knowledge back into the world. If anyone knows how to secure that income, it will be the people who have it. So, why not grow your knowledge and understand how to grow your wealth with the people who have already done it?
• Budgeting—While essential, budgeting will help you understand how much money you have to spend on things you want and your bills. It can be very helpful for people who have difficulty controlling where their money is going and having a set amount to spend on the things they need and want.
• Investing – If you are doing well for yourself, investing is great for wanting to grow your wealth while you are busy living and working. Investing will (with the right investments) set you up for success in the future and keep your mind at ease, knowing that you will have money if you are ever in need.

Here is a free PDF written by William J. Bernstein, an American financial theorist and neurologist. I recommend it. It’s a short read of only around 15 pages and is informative! :
https://www.etf.com/docs/IfYouCan.

CONCLUSION

Men always have growing to do, especially when they are young. From health to morals to being a good example and even money, every man has some growing up to do.

Hey! Thanks for reading; it means a lot to me that you did!

Are you having trouble with relationships, direction, or even needing someone to hold you to something? Then you should check out my paper bell! It’s just a scheduling platform that allows me to manage meetings with others and book consultations. Check out the link if you are interested!
https://paperbell.me/max-claunch

If you want to contact me for any other reason, don’t hesitate to do so on my contact page or at the email below!
[email protected]
I would be happy to chat and help however I can!

I think that’s all I have to say about this one. I hope you have a good day and week ahead!