WHAT IS A FIT DAD?

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Since 2013 I emphasised my health, which is the polar opposite of how I prioritised my health for most of my adult life. My life before 2013 was one giant party. Working as a DJ full time meant I had no one to tell me enough was enough. My mental and physical health suffered.

In 2017 I started the Fit Dad Project as I saw how prioritising nutrition and exercise positively influenced the other parts of my life. I wanted to show dads that doing the same could improve their lives across the board.

Lately, though, I have been pondering what it means to be a fit dad. Being fit, healthy and strong is excellent, but it is only a small part of the picture. There is so much more to being a "fit dad".

For me, lately, being a fit dad means so much more. I am continually asking myself the following:

  • Am I fit to be a great parent and role model for my children?

  • Am I fit to be the best partner I can be?

  • Am I fit to set a great example with fitness, nutrition and my health to my family?

  • Am I fit for service to those around me?

  • Am I fit to be an adult and accept the consequences of my decisions?

  • Am I fit spiritually for my family and those around me?

  • Am I fit to have a positive impact on the world?

  • Am I fit to set the tone in my household?

  • Am I fit emotionally?

  • Am I fit mentally?

  • Am I fit financially?

  • Am I fit socially?

  • Am I fit to take on challenges and do hard shit every day?

The answer to most of these was no—queue my feelings imposter syndrome. If I'm not all these things, then what gives me the right to help others? Well, it turns out we are all a constant work in progress. By asking yourself questions like these, youre already improving and showing that you want more for yourself and those around you.

How can I improve all these areas of my life? Who are people living the way I want to live? Famed NBA coach Pat Riley said: "If youre not getting better, youre getting worse". I felt that this was me. I wasn't improving all of those things in my life outside of my physical health. So my mindset has changed of late; being a fit dad means so much more than being physically fit and healthy.

Now, I always seek new perspectives, challenging my beliefs about being an adult, a human, a father, a husband and a role model. I am building a tribe of likeminded people around me that will hold me accountable for all of the above and call me out on my bullshit. I am diving into more books on parenting, spirituality as well as health and nutrition.

I'm challenging myself to do hard things and get out of my comfort zone. I'm reflecting every day on what I could have done better. I am determined to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be a "Fit dad".

Are you doing all you can to be a Fit Dad? What does being a fit dad mean to you?

Ben MorrisComment