The Sad Clown’s New Year Resolution Ritual:

Picture the sad clown: slumped in his favorite worn-out recliner, late-night infomercials flickering in the dark, fueled by stale chips and good intentions. At the stroke of midnight, he scribbles a vague and wildly ambitious resolution on a sticky note: “Lose weight,” “Get rich,” or “Be happier.” With all the enthusiasm of a man trying to change a flat tire in the rain, he sets out to conquer the world…for about a week. By the third day, he’s “rewarding” himself for doing half a workout with an entire pizza. By mid-January, the gym membership becomes a donation. And by February, he’s back in the recliner, lamenting that “next year will be different.”

The sad clown chases vague goals and quick fixes, relying on fleeting motivation and convenience, only to end up in the same place: stuck, tired, and discouraged.

The F3 HIM’s Accelerated Year with the 8-Block:

Contrast this with the High Impact Man (HIM) of F3. As the calendar turns, he doesn’t dabble in resolutions; he strategically plans his life with the 8-Block, a proven tool for intentional living. He starts by defining the key areas of his life on the front page of his 8-block: concentrica, fitness, fellowship, and faith—core pillars of acceleration.

In his first quadrant, he documents his concentrica – clearly prioritizing his M at the center, with subsequent focus areas of 2.0s, Shield Lock, Blades, and lastly Mammon.

The 2nd block dives into his faith (3F)—his ultimate purpose and drive. Whether through daily quiet time, regular service projects, or leading others in the Circle of Trust, he intentionally prioritizes spiritual growth and giving.

The 3rd block focuses on his 2nd F relationships, planning which other men in his life that he will focus on for the year. These members of his family, shield-lock, or community will be intentionally connected with in order to deepen bonds and strengthen relationships.

The fourth block addresses his 1st F – where he sets clear, measurable goals for his physical fitness, challenging himself with races, rucks, or personal records. No vague “get in shape” nonsense here—he’s training for something. The physical fitness and diet related commitments, habits, and time management required to live like a HIM. He identifies the number of posts he will attend, the CSUAPS he will participate in, the mileage goals, the weight lose amounts and generally the routines and resources to keep the machine running efficiently, rejecting the chaos that derails the sad clown.

On the back page he delves into a deeper more challenging set of goals and reflections which will only be shared with his closest confidantes.

The 1st quadrant of the back page is allocated to identifying the Jester – a HIMs kryptonite that is holding back maximal acceleration. Identification of this is no trivial task and often requires deep reflection and conversation with those closest to you. You will need to be ready for hard truths and honesty – this will likely be your most challenging quadrant to accurately address.

Next comes the personal development quadrant – which books, podcasts, training sessions will you commit to this year? Don’t continue to wait – focus on areas you need improvement and accelerate.

3rd quadrant of back page is for committing to Date nights. You probably outkicked your coverage when finding your M – don’t let the fire fade, plan and follow through with consistently dating your M. Also commit to dedicated dates with your 2.0s – show them how a true HIM treats others.

The final quadrant of the 8-block is for identifying those for whom you will seek mentorship. Ask – Listen – Remember. Seek out experts and then make plans to effectively utilize them for bettering your understanding. Be ready to pay this forward once you become the expert.

By dividing his year into actionable, prioritized segments, the HIM sets a course for sustained acceleration. And when life throws curveballs—as it inevitably does—he doesn’t crumble. The 8-Block helps him adjust course, stay accountable, and keep moving forward with purpose.

The Result?

While the sad clown spends December 31st regretting another wasted year, the HIM closes out a year of challenges, growth, and impact. The 8-Block isn’t a resolution—it’s a way of life. This difference between floundering and accelerating ensures that the HIM lives intentionally, not just on New Year’s Day but every day. And with that, he turns to his brothers in the gloom, ready to inspire others to do the same.

So, brother, the choice is clear: Are you scribbling on sticky notes or mapping out your 8-Block? The new year is yours to accelerate—don’t waste it!

WARMUP: yog and IC exercises including SSH, WM, IW, MNC, planks/broga

THE THANG: Use soccer fields to mimic an 8-block

Discuss each quadrant while holding plank. Follow each discussion with IC exercises including merkins, low slow squats, Hillbilly walkers, Freddy Mercuries.

Lunge walk between each quadrant.

MARY: Finished 8-block workout by returning to “center” of front page and performing burpees and various ab lab exercises IC.

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COT: yup