"Should I end this?" were the last words I said before collapsing to the ground in excruciating pain.
The only thing I ended was my basketball career ⛹️!
On Sunday, May 18, 2025, I ruptured my patella tendon playing basketball with my boys. We were playing a game of P.I.G., and it was a simple layup but hard to replicate. But when I planted my left foot, I felt something break, and fell to my back yelling, “It’s broken, it’s broken!
The patella tendon is the one in the front that holds your kneecap to your tibia. Generally, this tendon only breaks under great pressure, such as happens in a car crash.
X-ray of my left knee
Yep, that’s my kneecap, way up where it shouldn’t be!
There’s nothing that will slow you down like a knee injury. I can do very little for myself and am basically at everyone else's mercy—the surgeon, asking my wife (and sometimes my kids) for everything else—rides, food, bathing, putting on my socks, etc.
My left knee injury - it's weird to have a 30lb appendage that is useless
Even before my injury, I was thinking a lot about hurry. It’s surprising how many unimportant tasks go by the wayside when we face urgent challenges, and the most important things come into crystal clear focus.
Unnecessary meetings are suddenly unimportant.
Your task list is reduced to the urgent and most important things.
The people you care about most become your main focus.
The surgery is scheduled for May 28th, and it appears it’s going to be a slow recovery. According to the surgeon, 4-6 months (with physical therapy twice a week) before I get full motion back, and around a year before I understand my full capabilities.
I guess I will have more-than-enough time to finish my book ✍️!
My writing set-up
What Limitations Are Teaching Me About Focus
I have my moments of discouragement, fear, and anger, but overall, I am doing well on the inside. No, I don’t want to go through this. I’m frustrated I can’t walk outside (I usually take two walks a day), play golf, go hiking with my son, lift weights, ride my bike, and so on…all summer long.
But there is excitement too—mainly because I can let go of so many time-wasting activities and focus on the people and work that really matter. That’s something I understand better now:
Limitations create clarity and focus.
The question I’m asking myself is this: What if I could live each day with the laser focus that limits impose?
As I mentioned above, there are many things I was doing before the injury that I’ve stopped and don’t plan on picking up again.
And there are other things I wasn’t doing before that I’m doing now and want to remain a part of my life when I’m better:
Gratitude for small things—the birds singing, a ray of sunshine coming through the trees, and looking at the flowers in my front yard
Morning coffees with my wife (we don’t usually have time for this, or don’t make time for this)
Of one thing I’m certain: I don’t want life to go back to normal, at least not in every way.
Don’t Wait for Crisis to Find Clarity
Which prompts me to ask you: If life came to a screeching halt today, what would you let go of and never pick up again? And what things have you taken for granted that would come into hyper-focus?
My encouragement: Don’t wait for something like an injury to drop them. Simplify your life. Let go of them now.
You won’t miss them!
And don’t wait for a life event to happen that makes you appreciate what you have.
Do it now.
It takes some work to put yourself in that place, but it’s possible.
Until next time,
PS - Whenever you're ready, there are three ways I can help you...