Woke Up Tired of Being a Pushover
Honestly? I felt like a wet noodle last year. Couldn’t hold eye contact, mumbled when asked my opinion, let people walk all over me. My buddy Dave kinda called me out one night after I kept apologizing for ordering the wrong beer. That stung. Decided next morning: screw this, gotta change.
Started digging online. Found tons of vague “be alpha” crap. Useless. Needed real, simple things I could do today. Came up with my own 7 steps. Not some magic formula, just daily practice. Here’s exactly what I did:
My Raw 7-Day Practice Cycle
Monday: Voice & Posture
- Stood in shower for 5 minutes practicing “No.” Sounds dumb? Felt it deep. Made my voice boom off the tiles.
- At the coffee shop, ordered my latte loud enough the barista didn’t ask “what?” for once. Held shoulders back walking out, chest open.
Tuesday: Own Decisions
- Told my team “We’re doing it my way” on a project. Heart hammered like a drum. Did it anyway.
- Picked the damn restaurant for date night without asking her 10 times first. “Italian. 7 PM.” Short. Simple. She looked surprised… then smiled.
Wednesday: Push Physical Limits
- Added 10lbs to my deadlift. Grunted. Didn’t care who heard. Felt that iron bend.
- Ran that extra half-mile even though lungs burned. Didn’t negotiate with myself. Just did it.
Thursday: Handle Conflict
- My neighbor’s dog kept crapping on my lawn. Usually I’d bitch to my wife. Today? Walked over. Looked him dead in the eye. “Keep your dog off my grass. Clear?” His face went red, but he nodded.
Friday: Own Mistakes
- Screwed up a report at work. Old me would hide it. New me? Straight to boss. “My fault. Fixing it now. Done by noon.” No groveling. Boss just said “Good.”
Saturday: Protect Time
- Buddy wanted help moving. Usually I’d cancel my plans. Not today. “Can’t. Gym day.” Said it without guilt.
- Turned off phone for 3 hours. Didn’t explain why.
Sunday: Solitude & Reflection
- Sat alone for 30 minutes. No phone. No noise. Just thinking. Asked myself: Did I stand firm this week? Where’d I chicken out?
- Made a fist. Held it tight. Felt that raw willpower. Solid.
Felt Awkward At First… Then Real
Yeah, forcing eye contact with the barista felt like acting. Telling Dave “nah” when he pushed for an extra drink made my palms sweat. But week 2? Started feeling less forced. Week 3? Noticed guys at work stopped cutting me off mid-sentence. Wife said I seemed “more present.”
Biggest shift? Inside. Less chatter in my head doubting everything. When a problem hits, muscle memory kicks in now. Stand tall. Voice firm. Decide. Act. Not always perfect, but damn better than whimpering in the corner. Still grind this routine daily. Not chasing some cartoon alpha. Just being solid. Owning my space.