A deliberate life.

Choose the man you intend to become and the life you intend to lead. Make physical training a foundation: build the strength, endurance and skill to arrive prepared for your responsibilities. Enjoy a long day in the hills or an adventure you once ruled out.

Aim beyond comfortable competence. Pursue mastery that lets you solve problems other capable people cannot solve, and character worthy of their trust. A man already disciplined and successful has greater ambitions to attempt and more to contribute.

Back your judgement. Develop a proposal, bring people into it and commit your own effort. Taking the lead means risking criticism, mistakes and visible failure. There are things worth that exposure. Strength needs judgement: stand firm, listen carefully and change course when the evidence calls for it.

Making no decision is often the worst decision available. Know what you are waiting for. When you have enough to make a considered choice, make it. Earn trust by doing the difficult work and giving others the responsibility to accomplish more.

A comfortable life can ask less of a man than he has to give. Use the security others worked to provide. Choose demands that your ordinary routine no longer supplies, and develop the capacity for a harder undertaking.

Be honest about what you avoid. A punishing physical event may be easier than an apology; another book on leadership may postpone a decision. Practise the quality where you find it difficult, with preparation, guidance and recovery suited to your circumstances.

Bring your best to the people you love. Take responsibility for the direction of your family, make decisions jointly with your partner and create greater security, freedom and opportunity together. Keep bringing affection, energy and imagination to the life you share.

Build a brotherhood through shared work, training and adventure. Let capable friends ask more of you, and give them reason to welcome your challenge. Remain present through failure or grief, receive care when you need it, and make time for the pleasure of their company.

Tell the truth when it threatens your reputation. Defend someone when doing so has a cost. Be fair when you have the power to favour yourself. Character must be equal to your ability, especially when something you care about is at stake.

Study people who demonstrate the qualities you admire. Practise alongside capable peers, accept useful correction and test your judgement independently. Understand what the work requires, make the attempt and use the result to improve. Serious thought and repeated action belong together.

Choose ambitions worthy of years of effort. Build the business, master the craft or undertake the journey you would regret never attempting. Decide what you must learn and give the work a definite place in the week ahead.

You are living that life now. Enjoy the absorbing practice, close company and new experiences. Leave room for discovery, love and the care you give and receive. Keep developing what you can bring, protect what matters and adapt when circumstances change. Keep becoming.