The Hard Truth About Chasing Dreams and Why I Refuse to Quit

Life Is Tough For Me At The Moment (Quit or Double Down)

I had a vision of what my life would look like by the time I turned 33. It was pretty straightforward: I thought I'd have a family, a stable career, and spend my weekends having a beer with my mates.

Funny how life doesn’t always stick to the script.

As I sit here today, my life couldn’t be more different. I live abroad, I don’t have children yet, and beers with the boys aren’t a regular part of my weekend. Instead, I’m training to run 58 marathons in 58 states.

That’s not something I could have ever predicted.

On the outside, looking at my social media, it probably seems like I’m living the dream.

I get to travel across America, do what I love, and experience adventures most people only dream of. But behind the highlights, I’m struggling. And it feels odd to admit that.

At 33, I thought I’d have my life "together." House, family, steady income.

But here’s the thing—I decided in 2014 that a stable career wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to work for myself and live life on my terms.

I’ve spent the last decade chasing dreams that don’t fit the typical mould, and along the way, my relationship with alcohol changed, and I found myself choosing adventure over nursing hangovers on the weekends.

My wife and I have been so focused on building our individual dreams that it never felt like the "right" time to have kids.

The reality we’ve now come to accept is that there’s never a perfect time for anything.

Whether it’s starting a family or chasing a goal, you just have to commit and make it work.

That’s what we’ve done with our lives for the past 10 years—decide on an outcome, make a plan, and adjust when life inevitably throws its curveballs.

I wanted to become a man I was proud of before I had kids, and I’ve done that. But here’s the kicker—every solution I’ve found in life has brought new challenges. That’s just how it is. You rise to meet them.

It’s funny when I reflect on social media. I don’t always post the perfect shot, but we’re fortunate to do a lot of exciting things, and it looks great. The truth is, I don’t jump on to share the moments when I’m stressed or anxious about the future.

Why? Because I feel like I’ve got a good life, and I shouldn’t be complaining.

But that’s a problem in itself, isn’t it?

It’s like I need to justify my struggles to myself. The reality is, no matter how good life may seem, challenges still exist.

For me, the big challenge is feeling stuck—on a spousal visa that doesn’t allow me to work in America.

And while I don’t want to give up on supporting my wife and chasing our dreams, I also need to find that next leap.

I spent years building a life where I didn’t have to stress about money. I created something I was proud of—a business that provided for my family.

To have that taken away due to visa restrictions has been tough. I can’t work face-to-face with clients, which is something I loved and something that drove a lot of my revenue.

In fact, losing face-to-face work has cost me around $100k a year. When you throw in the exchange rate, the financial hit is even bigger, nearly double.

Add to that the pressure of wanting to start a family, and it becomes a constant mental game of, "How am I going to provide?"

The most frustrating part is that there are men here in the US who I could be helping right now, men I could be coaching. I’ve got the skills, the passion, and the drive, but I’m stuck behind visa laws.

It’s hard waking up knowing I’m sitting behind a laptop when all I want to do is run workshops, coach men face-to-face, and have that impact again.

That’s why this 58 marathons in 58 states challenge excites me. It’s a shot at something bigger than the restrictions I’m under right now. It ticks all the boxes for me: travel, running, and pushing myself to the absolute limit.

This is my way of creating an opportunity where there doesn’t seem to be one.

Yes, I’m hoping this challenge will help me build an audience large enough to qualify for an 01 visa.

But it’s more than that. It’s about mental resilience. It’s about taking control of my narrative, even when the odds are against me.

I’ll be facing freezing temperatures, physical pain, and the mental grind of running marathon after marathon.

But that’s life, isn’t it? We all face challenges, we all feel pressure, and we either rise to the occasion or we surrender.

I want to inspire others to rise to their challenges. We can all do it when we really need to. And right now, I really need to. For me, this challenge represents everything I value: Health, Connection, Adventure, and Freedom.

At the heart of it all, my marriage is the most important thing to me. Moving to the US wasn’t just about supporting my wife’s career—it was an opportunity for both of us to grow and experience life differently.

We’ve had countless conversations about balancing our dreams with our reality, and we’re committed to not giving up on either. We don’t want to live apart, and we don’t want to live lives where we regret not chasing our dreams.

Starting a family is on the horizon, and that adds a layer of urgency. But we’re in this together. We support each other through the highs and lows because we want each other to succeed, and we want our marriage to succeed.

That’s the ultimate goal.

Right now, it feels like I’ve got two options: Quit and go back to Australia, or Do Something Extraordinary.

And quitting? That’s not a real option.

I don’t want to look back on my life and regret giving up when I was so close. I don’t ever want to tell my kids, "Chase your dreams," knowing that I quit on mine.

Doing something extraordinary means pushing through even when it feels impossible.

Life tends to create patterns, and a lot of people end up stuck on a hamster wheel. But the ones who break free and go against the grain—those are the extraordinary ones. I want to be that guy.

The Strong Men of Value Academy is all about helping men build a better life. If you want more from life, you need to start asking yourself the right questions and setting the right goals. 

Surround yourself with a community of men who are pushing for more, and you’ll start pushing yourself too.

Don’t wait for the perfect time to chase your dreams. Life flies by. 

Start today.

Cheers,
Lachlan Stuart