Tag: wellness

Day 20: Why DDP Yoga (And Why This Time Is Different)

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Twenty days into the 7-40 Challenge, and I’m realizing something: I’ve been doing DDP Yoga on and off for years. But I’ve never done it like this.

Let me explain.

Why DDP Yoga?

When I started looking for a yoga program that fit my life, I had a few non-negotiables.

First, I needed something approachable. Yoga is incredibly good for your health, but I’m a 47-year-old married man. I don’t need to do yoga with young women in spandex. I need to hang out with a guy in his 60s in gym shorts, focusing on nothing but the physical benefits. That’s exactly what DDP Yoga gave me.

Second, I remembered Diamond Dallas Page from his WCW wrestling days in the ’90s. I was a bit of a fan back then. But what really caught my attention was when he went on Shark Tank to get funding for his business.

That’s where I saw Arthur’s story.

The Arthur Story That Changed Everything

Arthur was a veteran who used to jump out of airplanes. He did a lot of damage to his body through his service to the country. By the time DDP met him, Arthur was using arm canes just to move around. He was much larger than was healthy. Doctors didn’t know if he’d ever walk normally again.

But on Shark Tank, Arthur stood next to DDP—a fit, trim man full of vitality. There was a video of him running. Full speed.

It’s hard to argue with those results.

Why That Story Mattered to Me

Around the time I picked up the DDP Yoga app in 2019—after spending the back half of 2018 healing up from surgery—I felt extremely broken.

During my cancer surgery and recovery, I lost 50 pounds. Then I had all the lymph nodes surgically removed from my abdomen—a massive abdominal surgery with a huge midline scar running down my stomach.

I didn’t know if I’d regain my core strength. I didn’t know if I’d ever feel normal again.

Through DDP Yoga, I’ve been able to regain a lot of my core strength and flexibility. And I did it in a way that’s uplifting and positive—because that’s who DDP is. The program is low-impact. It doesn’t overtax my muscles, but it definitely works them out. I get my heart rate up without hurting myself.

There are different workout programs on the app for people at every fitness level. I’ve gotten much more flexible and stronger over time.

But here’s the confession: I’ve never actually finished a full 13-week cycle.

Why This Time Is Different

I made it through one 13-week cycle once, but I didn’t do all the prescribed workouts. I’d push things off. Rearrange the schedule. Skip one here and there. Just mess around.

This time, I have my workout plan already established. I know exactly what days I’m doing things on. I look at my phone, see what’s up for that day, and that’s the workout I do.

Part of the beauty of DDP’s app is you can set the workout schedule to be what you want it to be on the days you want. It was very easy to take the 3-4 yoga sessions I wanted per week and arrange them around my lifting days.

So I’m lifting, doing yoga, and walking—without overburdening myself on any specific day. It’s balanced. It’s sustainable.

But here’s the real difference:

I’ve decided to be completely transparent with myself and the world.

I need transformation. I do not want to wait any longer to step into this.

The best time to start is now. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Arthur went from arm canes to running. I went from post-cancer brokenness to regaining my core strength. But both of us had to actually show up and do the work.

Day 20. DDP Yoga Energy 2.0 is up next. I’m not skipping it. I’m not rearranging it. I’m doing it.

Because this time, I’m not just trying to finish a cycle. I’m building a foundation that lasts 280 days—and beyond.

Day 20 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (Walking) ✅ Reading ✅ Calories ✅ Water ✅ Gratitude ✅ Creative hour ✅ DDP Yoga Energy 2.0

Twenty consecutive perfect days. No skipping. No rearranging. Just showing up.

The best time to start is now.

See you tomorrow for Day 21.

Day 12: More Than Just Checking Boxes (Why This Challenge Is Emotional)

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

I’m in the Emotional chapter of “Made to Stick” this morning, and something caught my attention.

The Heath brothers tell a story about a soldier cook. He had retired, but when offered an opportunity to cook for soldiers in Iraq, he jumped at the post. When asked about his job, he didn’t say “I prepare food.” He said: “My job is morale.”

He understood something deeper than the task list. Yes, he cooked meals. But his real job was building the strength soldiers needed to keep fighting, to survive, to stay mentally sharp in war.

That hit me hard. Because the 7-40 Challenge can’t just be about checking boxes.

The Real Job

Bible study. Exercise. Reading. Water. Calories. Gratitude. Creative work.

Seven habits. Forty days. Repeated seven times.

On the surface, that’s what I’m doing. But here’s the truth: my job is to be living proof that change is possible.

I was made to help people. To make their lives better, easier, more purposeful. I feel that call deep inside me—the need to take care of people, to build them up, to show them what’s possible.

But I can’t do that and ignore myself.

I have to fill my cup so I can fill others.

Why This Is Emotional for Me

This isn’t self-improvement for self-improvement’s sake. If the goal were just about me, it would be much too small.

I’m doing this because:

My family needs me healthy and strong. Fewer illnesses means less stress on my wife. More energy means I can be active, do the home improvement projects we love, spend time doing whatever activities we choose. Better mood means better interactions with everyone around me.

My son needs to see this. Not hear about transformation someday—watch it happen in real time. So when life gets hard for him, he knows it’s possible to choose differently.

The 1,000 people I want to impact need proof. By clearly defining the transformation I’m undergoing and letting people watch it play out in real time, I’m demonstrating the courage they need to name their own transformation—which may be completely different than mine. But watching mine unfold might inspire them to face theirs.

The Ripple Effect

When I’m healthy, strong, and energized, my world improves. And everything my world touches improves.

My marriage gets stronger. My parenting gets more present. My work gets sharper. My ability to help others grows exponentially.

That’s not narcissism. That’s stewardship.

I can’t pour from an empty cup. And at times over the past twenty+ years, I’ve run on fumes, talking about “someday” while my cup stayed empty.

Not anymore.

Motivation and Movement

The soldier cook understood: his real job was giving soldiers the strength to keep fighting.

My real job? Giving people stuck in “someday” mode the courage to actually move. To break from routine’s gravity. To start now instead of waiting for perfect.

And I can only do that if I’m doing it myself.

Day 12. Twelve perfect days behind me. Not because I’m special, but because the mission is bigger than me.

Day 12 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (Workout B – back, biceps, legs) ✅ Reading (Made to Stick – Emotional chapter) ✅ Water ✅ Calories ✅ Gratitude ✅ Creative hour

The best time to fill your cup? Now. Not for yourself alone. For everyone who needs you at your best.

My job isn’t just the habits.

It’s to be living proof that change is possible.

See you tomorrow for Day 13.

Day 8: Why I’m Still Walking (And Why You Should Too)

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Seven days down. One week of perfect execution.

This morning I laced up for my walk thinking about something unexpected: I never saw this coming.

When I was younger, walking was what old people did. Real exercise meant running, lifting, sweating buckets. Walking? That was just… transportation.

At 47, walking is one of my favorite parts of the day.

Not the lifting (though Workout B yesterday destroyed me in the best way). Not the yoga. The walk.

Here’s why that matters for the 7-40 Challenge: Simple works. Sustainable beats intense.

Hippocrates said it 2,000 years ago: “Walking is man’s best medicine.” He was right then. He’s right now.

Three reasons walking wins:

Fresh air. Whether it’s scorching summer or crisp winter, stepping outside and filling my lungs pulls me away from screens and routines. It resets my energy in a way indoor workouts can’t match.

Audiobook time. I’m working through “Made to Stick” while walking. Physical movement + mental input = how I learn best. Double productivity.

My brain needs motion. I’m still that energetic kid who thinks better while moving. At 47, I feel it every time—blood pumping wakes up my brain. Nietzsche nailed it: “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”

The practical magic: Walking is low-impact. Easy on joints. No jarring bounces or overuse injuries. It strengthens your heart, aids weight management, releases endorphins that lift your mood. And it’s accessible—no gym required, no equipment needed.

Just shoes and intention.

I never thought I’d be the guy who loves his daily walk. But here I am, Day 8, proving that the best habits are often the simplest ones.

The best time to start walking? Now. Not when you’re “in better shape.” Not when the weather’s perfect. Now.

Lace up. One mile. See how you feel.

Day 8 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (walk + more today) ✅ Reading ✅ Water, calories, gratitude ✅ Creative hour

Eight consecutive perfect days. The simple habits stack.

What’s your go-to movement? Drop a comment—let’s build a community of people actually doing the work.

See you tomorrow for Day 9.

Day 12 of the 7-40 Challenge: When Your Apple Watch Begs for Mercy

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 12 of the 7-40 Challenge—where the garden-building saga continues, and my family and I are officially running on fumes.

Today was next-level. I did something I’m not sure I’ve ever done before: my Apple Watch clocked over 150 workout minutes. That’s right—150+ minutes of pure, real-life hustle. No gym, no long walks or yoga, just me, a mountain of wood, and sheer determination.

I hauled several thousand pounds of timber across the yard. By the end, my arms were noodles, my back was whispering sweet nothings of revenge, and my watch was basically screaming, “Are you trying to kill me?!”

But here’s the thing: it was worth it.

This wasn’t some scripted fitness app routine. This was a real-life workout—the kind that builds more than muscle. It builds grit. It builds progress. It builds a garden (and a story) we’ll look back on and say, “Yeah, we did that.”

The Short & Sweet Message for Tonight:

Keep working on the goals.

Do hard things. Do them well.

Even when you’re exhausted. Even when the wood feels heavier than your will to live.

Because the best workouts?

They don’t always happen in a gym.

Sometimes they happen in the dirt, under the sun, with family beside you and a dream in front of you.

Tomorrow, we rest.

But tonight?

We celebrate the burn.

See you on Day 13.

(If I can still move.)

Day 31 of the 7-40 Challenge: When Life Reminds You What Matters Most

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey there, friends! Welcome to Day 31 of my 7-40 Challenge, where I’m sharing the ups, downs, and unexpected detours of this journey. Some days, everything clicks like clockwork. You breeze through your to-do list, check off your goals, and feel like you’re absolutely crushing it. Everything works just as you planned, no surprises, no hiccups. And then, there are other days—days when life throws you a curveball, and you realize some priorities outshine even the most well-intentioned plans.

Today was one of those days. I was powering through my seven daily habits, ticking them off one by one. I was on a roll—until I didn’t quite make it to my exercise goal. But let me tell you, the reason why is one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

We had company over tonight, which already shook up the routine a bit. But before they arrived, my son looked at me with a genuine smile and asked, “Dad, do you think we could spend some time tonight and maybe shoot around a golf game on the Nintendo Switch?” Y’all, I love my goals. I love my habits and the structure they bring to my life. But there was no way I was going to say no to that.

Sometimes, the most important goals—the ones that truly matter—take precedence over everything else. So, what did we do? We cranked up some music, fired up the Nintendo Switch, and played 18 holes of Mario Golf. And let me tell you, it was a blast. We laughed, we competed, and we made memories that I’ll carry with me forever.

Here’s the thing: I set goals and build habits so I can be my best self—fit, present, and ready for the people who mean the most to me. My family is my why. They’re the heartbeat of everything I do, second only to my relationship with God. When they call, when they need me, or when they just want to hang out and play some virtual golf, you better believe I’m choosing them over any checklist.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have these relationships in my life. My family is my treasure, and moments like tonight are the ones I cherish most. It’s a reminder that life isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about showing up for the people you love.

So, how about you? Have you carved out time today for the ones who light up your world? Have you laughed, connected, or done something just for the joy of it? I hope so, because those are the moments that make life truly rich.

Drop a comment below and let me know how you’re spending time with the people you love. I’d love to hear about it! Thanks for joining me on Day 31 of the 7-40 Challenge. I’m grateful for you all, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 32!