Built, Not Broken: How My Son Turned Setback Into a Division I Future

One of the hardest lessons in longevity—whether in health, sport, or life—is that progress isn’t built in big emotional moments. It’s built quietly, through habits that hold when motivation fades. I saw this firsthand through my own son’s journey after a serious orthopedic injury—one that could have easily ended his athletic dreams.

His older brother had already become a Division I punter on a full scholarship. The bar was high. Then came the injury. A pelvic fracture, rehab, uncertainty—and a long stretch where his body didn’t feel like it belonged to him anymore. What followed wasn’t just physical recovery; it was an identity rebuild.

I want to discuss about four indicators consistently found in people who make health changes that last—principles drawn in part from Atomic Habits by James Clear:

• Small changes• Identity-based habits• Consistency over perfection• Tracking behavior

My son lived every one of them.

Early on, he failed repeatedly at routine exercise. Rehab was tedious. Progress was slow. He tried to “go all in” too fast—pushing daily for a week, then disappearing for two. Sound familiar? The breakthrough came when he stopped chasing intensity and started chasing consistency.

Instead of training like an athlete he used to be, he trained like the one he was becoming. Small wins. Short sessions. Showing up mattered more than how hard he trained.

That’s when identity shifted. He stopped saying, “I need to work out,” and started living as someone who doesn’t miss.

Environment did the rest. He surrounded himself with people who trained with purpose. Rehab rooms, weight rooms, specialists, teammates—each space reinforced the same expectation: show up prepared. His workout bag stayed in the front seat of his truck. If he drove past the facility, the cue was unavoidable.

To make it rewarding, he added accountability. He and his older brother compared sessions, distances, numbers. Competition turned discipline into satisfaction.

Then came reflection. Adjusting load. Adjusting volume. Keeping the challenge just hard enough to grow without breaking. That’s the Goldilocks Rule in action—habits should stretch you, not crush you.

Fast forward: not only did he return healthy—he earned a full Division I scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools as a punter, following the same path as his brother. Not through luck. Through habits.

Health works the same way. You don’t need perfection. You need systems that survive bad days.

If you’re serious about making your health improvements stick, start with the habit—not the hype. Subscribe to 10-Minute Longevity and learn how small, repeatable systems build strength for life.