NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman on Daily Routines, Determination & Dad Life, Plus...

Morning, Greg here! Welcome to Issue No. 14 of Midlife Male, the lifestyle magazine for midlife men, by midlife men. I wanted to personally welcome all our new readers, and if this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe below.

This November, we’re proud to be partnering with mindbodygreen. MBG is one of our Midlife Male Approved brands and my family and I use their products daily.  I’m very picky about what I put in and on my body, and I trust mindbodygreen, as well as the people behind the products.  My personal go-to’s are the daily Multivitamin, Creatine (and I love their new travel packs), Omega 3’s, probiotics and their protein powder.

Learn more about MBG here, and use GREG10 to get 10% off your next order.

‘How I See It‘ with Troy Aikman

This week we’re revisiting our interview with Troy Aikman. Why? Because there’s more to his story that we didn’t capture the first time.

“In 2012 I attended the opening of a Flywheel spin bike studio in Dallas and found myself on the bike in the first class next to 3x Super Bowl Champion and NFL Hall of Famer, Troy Aikman. Me, just a guy in his early 40s at the time, trying to figure out middle age, sweating it out in Dallas next to a bona fide icon in the city.

And you know what I learned, other than how humbling it is to compete against a world class athlete? I learned that Troy, even with all his success on field and as a broadcaster, was also just a guy in his 40s trying to figure it out. Marriage. Divorce. Kids. Finances. Fitness. Business. He had all the same stuff going on as I did and as you do.

Fast forward ten years: I get a call from a friend who’s involved with EIGHT Beer.  I say “What’s EIGHT Beer?”...He tells me “it’s Troy Aikman’s new beer and they’re looking for guys to get involved with; ads, brand ambassadors and I thought of you.”   Next thing I know I’m doing a photo shoot in Austin, appear in their first commercial and got to be a bartender next to him at an event in Houston.  The coolest part, DM’s and text messages with Troy about plunges, saunas, workouts, experiences, sunglasses and all the stuff we’re into.  We were finally able to get an interview done a couple months ago and I’m proud to have him on the MLM podcast and to have him grace the first cover of our relaunch. Troy is the embodiment of what we aspire to at MLM, as we all constantly learn and evolve and strive to make the next year the best year of our lives.” - Greg

How I See It with Troy Aikman

MLM:  Welcome, Troy! Thanks for joining us.

Troy Aikman: Thanks, Greg. I’m glad we could finally make this happen. 

MLM: I can't relate to being a Hall of Fame quarterback, but as a man, father, athlete, and entrepreneur, you’re incredibly relatable. What does your daily routine look like now?

Troy Aikman: My daily routine has changed a lot over the years. I’ve always worked out, and I’ve always made my health a priority. But, when COVID hit, I ramped things up. I wanted to come out of it in the best shape of my life. So, now my routine is pretty disciplined. Sleep is non-negotiable for me, and I’m in bed by 8:30 PM when I can. I wake up around 6:30 AM, take a cold shower, stretch, meditate, get some sunlight, and then I start my day. I also do intermittent fasting and include red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge at night.

MLM:  That’s intense! It sounds like a real commitment. But it takes a lot of alone time to keep up with a routine like that. How do you balance your time and set boundaries?

Troy Aikman: Boundaries are something I’ve gotten better at with time. When I was younger, I had a hard time saying no to anything. But I realized that I have to set boundaries for my health and time. Through meditation, I’ve learned to let go of the guilt when I do say no.

MLM:  How has your mindset evolved from when you were the 22-year-old quarterback to now at 57?

Troy Aikman: I think it’s about valuing time differently. At 10 years old, I experienced my grandfather’s passing, and it made me aware of life’s limited time. Since then, I’ve tried to maximize every day. I’m more focused on ensuring that my health span matches my lifespan. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life and hope my best years are still ahead.

MLM:  What’s on your scorecard now? I think so often we see these milestone moments as the pinnacle, but they don't always fulfill us long-term.

Troy Aikman: Right, I’ve known from a young age that milestones alone aren’t going to fulfill me. Now, I look at goals and purchases with a sense of purpose—why do I want this? Does it truly make me happier? My new brand, Eight, and my broadcasting career keep me busy, but I feel there’s always another frontier to challenge myself. Success for me is more about continual growth rather than just ticking off achievements.

MLM:  You've mentioned meditation a few times. When did you start practicing, and what has it brought to your life?

Troy Aikman: About 12 years ago, I started dealing with social anxiety and panic attacks, which led me to Dan Harris’s book, 10% Happier. That was my introduction to meditation, but it wasn’t until COVID when I read The Untethered Soul that meditation clicked for me. It’s not about being good at meditation; it’s about being good at life. It’s helped me find joy, deal with childhood traumas, and feel lighter in general.

How to Transition from a Life of Ambition to a Life of Meaning

"Midlife is a time for moving from a life of ambition to a life of meaning…away from the relentless pursuit of external rewards and toward a focus on relationships, contribution, and inner peace."

—Arthur Brooks, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

In midlife, we're often said to be entering a new chapter—a "second phase" of life. With that comes a wave of stereotypes about what success and winning should look like. But success can—and should—mean whatever we want it to.

It’s not limited to middle age; it’s a moving target, evolving as we do. In my 20s, success was one thing; in my 30s and 40s, it transformed into something entirely different. Now, in my 50s, I’m focused on slowing down in some areas while accelerating in others. My priorities have shifted, but the drive to live meaningfully is only growing. Years of work have gone into preparing for this next chapter—into figuring out how to really live in it, not just coast through.

For me, this transition has meant designing my life rather than defaulting to it—making conscious choices to shape my days around what I value most. 

It’s about building a life that feels so fulfilling I’d do it for free, not one driven purely by the grind for financial gain. 

Rather than searching for purpose or passion outside of my work, I’ve created a life where those things are woven into everything I do.

Millions of stories are posted online every day and 99.9% are noise. We sifted through the nonsense to share standouts with actionable takeaways you can use to maximize your life in each of our 6Fs: Fitness. Family. Finance. Food. Fashion. Fun. Let’s go.

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FAMILY - Why My Whole Family Uses mindbodygreen Supplements

FITNESS - HUGE MLM Giveaway: Join Don Saladino's November Fitness Challenge for FREE

FINANCE - Die Right: The 4 Aspects of a Will Every Man Needs to Know (Guest Post by Ron Speaker)

FASHION - Erase 10 Years from Your Face & Eyes

FOOD - Try This Condiment King: Toby’s Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

FUN - 26 Takeaways from the ‘Win Where it Matters’ Retreat

You know ‘em, you love ‘em (or love to hate ‘em), and you see them everywhere: vanity license plates. So let’s do a vibe check with a poll.

Editor's Note:  We can agree to disagree, but I’d like to see this be 100% in favor of no vanity plate… However, if you’re going to do it, for the love of G-d, just make it like your initials, your kids initials and something like that. 

Don’t be the guy with the 10x MILN or TAX MAN on your midlife crisis sports car….

Listen to the audio book of Midlife Male, read by author/founder Greg Scheinman, on Audible today!

For more midlife content in your feeds, follow our new Midlife Male channels on Instagram, YouTube, and Threads.

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