I still remember something my AP biology teacher once said:
“Each step forward in evolution required a sacrifice in efficiency for a new world of opportunities.”
Single-celled to multi-celled. Cold-blooded to warm-blooded. Stationary to mobile. Every step was an immense energy investment—inefficient, at first—but those steps created possibilities that had never existed before.
That concept has stayed with me, not just as a theory, but as something I’ve lived. It perfectly describes the two primary pursuits that shape my life: guiding people to better strength and health, and building a homestead for my family.
The Inefficiency of Beginnings
Progress is never efficient at first.
In strength training, every beginner experiences this. It takes time, effort, and consistency to learn proper form, build a base of strength, and start seeing results. Early on, it feels like you’re pouring in far more energy than you’re getting back. The soreness, the time spent learning, the frustration of small improvements—it can feel like an uphill climb.
The same is true when you set out to improve your nutrition, prioritize recovery, or build an active lifestyle. Change feels hard because it is hard.
But something happens when you stick with it.
The person who always had to ask for help with their bag of dog food starts effortlessly tossing it in the cart and car. The person who was constantly tired begins to feel energized. The person who doubted they could stick to a routine now finds strength and stability in their daily habits.
Those inefficient first steps lead somewhere. They open doors to a stronger, healthier life—one where you’re no longer sidelined by pain, fatigue, or weakness. You get to be in the game.
Building a Better Life
I feel this truth just as strongly in my efforts to build our homestead. It’s not easy raising animals, growing food, and managing the land. It requires knowledge, time, and physical labor—an immense energy investment for returns that aren’t always immediate.
But much like strength training, the work creates opportunity.
A world opens up where I can be sure of the quality of the food my family eats. I can be confident in the sustainability of our lifestyle. I can be an active participant in our lives, not stuck on the sidelines. Yes, there’s inefficiency in the beginning, but over time, it becomes something greater—something lasting and real.
Feeling Like an Outsider
Sometimes, choosing this path—whether it’s prioritizing strength, improving your health, or building a more intentional life—makes you feel like an outsider. While others settle for comfort, convenience, or shortcuts, you find yourself taking a harder, less-traveled road. You cook real food when everyone else orders takeout. You spend time in the gym when others are binging Netflix. You value effort in a culture obsessed with ease.
It’s not always easy to feel out of place. I know that firsthand. But when I start to feel like an outsider, I think about the fish who first crawled onto land. It didn’t fit in where it came from, and it didn’t yet belong where it was going. Those awkward, inefficient steps must have felt foreign—maybe even pointless at the time. But those steps opened up a whole new world. They made everything else possible.
The same is true for us. Real progress often begins by stepping outside what’s comfortable or familiar. You might feel like you’re swimming against the current when you choose strength over weakness, sustainability over shortcuts, and resilience over ease. But here’s the thing: the outsiders are the ones who lead the way. They’re the ones who inspire others to see what’s possible.
So, if you ever feel out of place in your efforts to live better, remember this: the struggle you feel isn’t proof that you’re wrong—it’s proof that you’re moving forward. The first steps are always the hardest, and progress always feels inefficient at first. But every ounce of effort you invest brings you closer to a life where you don’t just survive—you thrive.
Being an outsider doesn’t make you less. It makes you a leader. Keep moving. A new world is waiting.