The Truth About Getting Older

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I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

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Getting old isn’t always fun.

Let me rephrase that: getting older isn’t always fun. 

I’m only 53 and don’t consider myself old by any means. 

But my body is definitely starting to feel the difference.

I decided to take on a 100-Day Challenge a few months ago. 

I made it to Day 16, running six miles. Not bad, right?

I started the challenge and stopped and then I started the challenge again and stopped again (for the record: the challenge is currently in progress).

Why did I have to stop?

Because I started dealing with a collection of physical issues that caught me off guard.

My ankle started hurting—it turns out I broke it (in two places) when I was younger and I only recently found out.

My left knee, which had extensive surgery, started acting up again (for the first time in decades).

The Achilles tendon in my right foot started acting up. 

My left forearm and elbow? Something’s off there too. 

On top of it all, I haven’t been sleeping well and was sick at one point.

But, before you ask, these issues aren’t from the 100-Day Challenge (I’m speaking to you Iceman). 

I spoke with several doctors and they all agreed that the 100-Day Challenge wasn’t the culprit. 

These issues are just the natural wear and tear from a well-lived, physically active life.

Honestly, I’m surprised this didn’t start happening in my 40s. Because my 20s? Those were years of intense physical exertion. 

Daily physical training, parachuting out of airplanes, and I walked, ran, or rucked more miles than most people log in a lifetime.

And that knee surgery I mentioned?

I had it when I was 17.

But I didn’t let it stop me from joining the Army or finding a way (technically against regulations) to become Airborne qualified. 

Army regulations clearly state I was not eligible for Airborne School. 

But I found a way to circumvent that regulation. What can I say? I was born to be an attorney.

So yes, I have some bumps, bruises, and chronic reminders of a physically demanding past.

But will I let that stop me from setting and pursuing new goals? 

Absolutely not.

Instead, I’ve adjusted. 

I’m finding ways to work around the pain, the limitations, and the aging joints.

I just have to remember: I’m not as agile, resilient, or quick to recover as I used to be. 

And that’s okay.

What’s the point of all this?

The point of all this is to remind you that getting older has its fair share of challenges.

But it doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goals. You just have to adapt. You have to approach your body with a little more grace, a little more patience, and a lot more strategy.

Too many people let age become their excuse. 

They tell themselves they’re too old to start something new. Too out of shape to get back on track. Too tired to chase another goal.

But here’s the truth: Age isn’t a barrier. It’s just a factor. 

You can acknowledge it without surrendering to it. 

You can modify your approach without abandoning your ambition.

The real danger isn’t aging…

It’s quitting on yourself.

Your body might not move the way it used to. It might take longer to heal. It might ache in places you never thought possible.

But as long as you’re breathing, you have the ability to grow, to move, and to push forward.

Don’t use age as a reason to stop. 

Use it as a reason to prove what’s still possible.

Because where there’s a will, there’s always a way.

Quote that caught my attention:

“Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

—Dylan Thomas

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