The Productive Habits That Change Boys Into Men

Men master the art of being unfazed:

• Real men are not easily swept off their feet.
• While they are genuine in expressing themselves, they don’t get easily overwhelmed when taken unawares.
• They don’t get caught in the thick of thin things.

Men learn to respect everyone/everything that deserves it:

• Real men recognise everyone's dignity — irrespective of age or gender or race or religion — they don't abuse or harass anyone emotionally, physically or sexually.
• They acknowledge systems – they don’t take undue advantage of systems with their competitive advantages. They rather strengthen good systems or build better ones.
• They respect themselves – they don’t sell short or fall cheap for mundane things.
• They entertain varying opinions – because they know that 6 can also look like 9 – and are secure enough to agree to disagree.

Men are responsible:

• Real men don’t give excuses.
• They don’t shift blames.
• They don’t skip their responsibilities.
• They own up to their mistakes, and correct them.
• They don’t cheat on their convictions.
• They don’t follow the path of least resistance.
• They don’t disappoint themselves.
• They return home with solutions.

Men are smart:

• Real men don’t try to prove who they are.
• They don’t show the next cards they’ll play.
• They show up before they are fully ready and believe they can grow fast, and adapt well, and figure out the journey.
• They don’t talk too much too often.
• They don’t treat women as girls, or girls as women, or men as boys, or boys as men.
• They keep their power in their control.
• And they question almost everything.

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Men are courageous:

• Real men take risks.
• They face their fears.
• They confront their challenges.
• They embrace the unknown.
• They don’t settle for less than they believe they deserve.
• They let go of what no longer serves them.
• They make bold arguments and experiments.
• They don’t give up on their dreams.

Real men are gentlemen.

They are also amusing, and weird, and playful, and teary, and soft, and silly, and noisy, and weak, and passive, and needy, and complicated — at all the right times.

My central thought:

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” - Frederick Douglass

(So if you’re a parent reading this,) I hope you find the strength to raise your boys into men.

Achieve!