The 74th Edition

Recently, I’ve been thinking about drive. Restless energy that pushes us to do, improve, achieve stuff. And I’ve started wondering if getting older really makes us less driven… or just differently driven.

Something to Think About

Perhaps you’re not losing our drive, you’re just finally aiming it at the right things.

Something to Ask Yourself

Is your drive rooted in anxiety and self-worth, or in curiosity and peace?

Personal Lesson

I used to believe drive looked like control. My younger self was relentless – always cleaning, always pushing, always trying to prove I had it together. Discipline wasn’t freedom; it was a form of containment. I drove myself to do hard things because I thought they’d make me worthy. If I got up late, I felt shame. If I broke routine, I felt weak. I was constantly swinging between obsession and rebellion. Desperate for structure, yet suffocated by it.

Now, I’m doing more than that version of me ever could physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I do it differently. There’s less judgment, less noise. I still train hard, I still care deeply about improvement, but the motivation has shifted. It’s not about control anymore; it’s about connection. I’m driven to understand how my body moves, to feel strong and fluid, to build a body that will last decades. Longevity drives me. But it’s not as a fear of getting less mobile, it’s as an act of respect to my body and therefore myself.

I think that’s the real change. It’s not a softening of ambition, it’s a refining of purpose. With the right motivation, discipline becomes a calmer thing. It’s steady, composed. It doesn’t need noise or punishment, it just happens, like breathing.

Running – Life’s Metaphor

Running mirrors this shift perfectly. When you first start, you chase times, splits, validation. Later, you run for rhythm, for presence, for the deep satisfaction of simply moving well. The drive remains, but the energy behind it transforms — from proving to belonging.

Final Thoughts

Getting older changes the flavour of our drive. It becomes quieter, deeper, more internal. Less about being seen, more about being aligned.

There’s peace in that. A kind of peace that sharpens you differently. You start to realise that chaos can live alongside consistency, that growth can exist without constant striving. You learn that discipline can come from love, not fear. That’s one I could spend some time on.

Maybe that’s the real evolution: we stop trying to conquer ourselves, and start trying to understand ourselves. The younger version of us fought for control. But that’s just not the healthy option.

You’re still driven. You’re just driven right.

Thanks for reading and subscribing!

Run the Runnable!

Tommy 🙂