The Machine Mentality: What Erling Haaland Teaches Us About Becoming the Best Version of Ourselves
Erling Haaland. The machine. One of the greatest goal scorers on the planet right now. If you really watch him play, he might touch the ball six times in a half and still walk away with two goals. He does not waste movement. He does not waste energy. He puts himself in the right places. Over and over again.
Recently, Haaland started posting what he does for his physical fitness on YouTube. And honestly, it has been one of the coolest and most informative things I have watched in a long time. Not because his workouts are flashy. Not because his training is complicated. But because his life is simple, connected, and intentional.
One thing that stood out to me immediately is this belief he lives by: you are a 24-7 athlete. Everything you do either moves you closer to becoming your best self or pulls you further away. Your sleep. Your food. Your relationships. Your routines. Your recovery. Your mindset. All of it matters.
Now listen, most of us are not elite professional athletes. But we are humans. And our bodies work the same way his does. Systems still matter. Food still matters. Sleep still matters. Movement still matters. Connection still matters.
One thing that really hit me was his pride and joy in cooking. He cooks because he creates. And because when he creates, it creates positivity. It creates connection with his wife. And I always say this because it is true: the opposite of addiction is connection. Cooking is not just cooking. It is community. It is routine. It is being present. It is purpose in simple form.
He buys real food. He buys local. Again, connection to community. Connection to what he puts in his body. Connection to where it comes from. All of this matters. This is why he is called a machine. Not because he is robotic. But because he is disciplined, structured, and deeply intentional.
He is routine oriented. He does his dailies. He does his non-negotiables. He does things in order. He does things for a reason. He has a coach. He has guidance. He has someone helping him refine himself, not just physically but mentally.
And lately, I cannot shake this thought: every single day is a life. You wake up and you live a whole life in one day. And you either choose to build it… or you choose to drift through it. Haaland wakes up and gets to work. Every day. With clarity. With focus. With direction.
For him, it is very clear. He is a professional athlete.
But for us, we are fathers. Mothers. Leaders. Workers. Builders. People trying to get healthier. People trying to recover. People trying to become something more than who we used to be.
And I can promise you this with everything in me:
If you start doing the simple things, everything changes.
Eat real food.
Control the first 10 minutes of your day.
Build a simple system for your physical health.
Build a simple system for your finances.
Build a simple system for your mental health.
Physical health and mental health are not separate. They are deeply, deeply connected. When one starts to rise, the other follows.
You will start to see conscious and intentional change.
You will grow in confidence.
You will grow in energy.
You will grow in discipline.
You will grow in resilience.
You will grow in clarity.
You will grow in belief.
And if you find the right balance, I truly believe this:
physical fitness is for life. It will carry you through seasons of chaos, seasons of grief, seasons of failure, and seasons of massive growth. It is the greatest therapeutic return you will ever make in your life.
Here is a line from my book that captures this perfectly:
“When I finally learned to take care of my body, my mind stopped running from itself. Structure gave me peace. Movement gave me clarity. And doing the work daily gave me my life back.”
You do not have to be Erling Haaland to live like a machine.
You just have to be willing to do the work.
Daily.
Intentionally.
Without excuses.
The machine mentality is not about perfection.
It is about showing up.
