I read a lot. Multiple books each week. Within the Primal Potential Masters Club we have a monthly book club where we read, discuss and implement the strategies within many of my all time favorite books.
Every once in a while I do a book club episode on the podcast and share ideas from a book I’ve recently enjoyed. Today we’re talking about Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual by Jocko Willink. Though I don’t know him, I have an immeasurable amount of respect & admiration for him & his philosophies.
Jocko was a Navy Seal & commander of the most decorated special operations unit of the war in Iraq.
Since retiring from military service, he has become a successful business man & coach who lives to practice what he preaches.
From my perspective, Jocko Willink embodies mental toughness, achievement, bravery & self-discipline. I’m excited to share some of his ideas with you.
If you are looking for a swift kick in the pants, buy the book and more importantly, live the ideas within it.
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
Recently, a major publication shared my story. I’m not going to say where it was published because I don’t have a lot of respect for how they did it. I could go on about that, but I’m not going to. Here’s why:
One of my personal committments as a business owner is to be relentlessly positive so instead of critiquing their process, sharing details or problems and putting them on blast, I’m just going to clarify what I want clarified.
I’ll be honest, when I first saw the piece, my heart sank. The title is something I don’t represent or believe in. Many of the recommendations are not things I stand by or would ever recommend.
However, the piece itself might bring people here and to my podcast who might not have otherwise found it and that’s awesome. I’m grateful for that. And I’ll maintain my commitment to educating & inspiring every day.
So with that perspective in mind, let me make a few things really clear:
I strongly encourage slow, sustainable weight loss. Nine pounds in a week is not sustainable and not something I would ever promote or suggest is reasonable. It’s not. Might you lose 9 lbs in a week when first making major changes? Sure! Most of that is water and that kind of week is a major anomaly.
When I talk about the golden rules of carbs and fat loss and having your carbs at night, I don’t mean cookies or ice cream. I’m all for occassional indulgences but rest assured that cookies aren’t something I recommend for health, fat loss, energy or anything else.
In episode 195 of the podcast I talk about how, for energy, fat loss and overall health, look to get your carbs from whole food sources and gradually work towards keeping your consumption to about one serving at that meal. Examples would be fruit or sweet potato, not processed foods.
Though I’m not a purist, we will be fittest, healthiest and most energetic when we aren’t indulging in sugar & treats every day. This change doesn’t have to happen immediately, but it’s something to work towards.
If you’re new to the site and want to get a good sense of my perspective on nutrition for fat loss, here are some episodes of the podcast I recommend.
Does being disciplined mean missing out on connection?
How do you balance making great food choices with enjoying life to the fullest and reaching your goals?
That’s one of the questions we’re tackling on today’s podcast episode.
Today I’m taking you inside a clip of a bonus webinar within the Fat Loss Fast Track.
I’m sharing with you two of the questions we discussed in the Fat Loss Fast Track including one about how to translate your goals from a long term objective to a daily focus.
If you want to get on the wait list for the winter Fat Loss Fast Track, click here!
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
I don’t remember where I first heard the phrase “can’t lives on won’t street” but I hope I never forget the words. I hope it’s one of those annoying parental responses I use with my future children ad nauseum. (Oh those lucky little kiddos…)
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here.
When I first heard that, I thought about the opposite: “can lives on will street.” Also true.
Let’s break it down with some clear examples.
You say you can’t do pull-ups. What you’re really saying is that you won’t do the work to lose weight, build strength and practice regularly.
You say you can’t lose weight. What you’re really saying is that you won’t stay committed long enough to find what works for you and consistently work hard until you reach your goals.
When you say you can’t get out of debt, what you’re really saying is that you won’t cut your expenses and you won’t invest in opportunities to make more money.
When you say you can’t do something, what you’re really facing is what you won’t do.
Let’s flip the script.
When you feel like you can’t, ask yourself the following questions:
What am I saying I won’t do?
What would it take?
If this was possible, what would have to happen?
Can I break what would have to happen into small parts?
What action can I take today on one of the small parts?
What piece of this am I willing to create consistency with?
You might choose not to do the work. It might not be worth it to you. You might not be ready. You might not be willing.
But all of those things are quite different from “can’t”.
Every month I study a new book with my Primal Potential Masters Club. As an avid reader, it’s one of my favorite things. I don’t usually share the books we read together outside of our group, but there are so many awesome tactics in this one I just can’t help myself!
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here.
This month we are reading Micro-Resilience. I read it before sharing it with the group and I just finished reading it for a second time through.
One of the things that really stood out to me as I finished up this morning was:
Complain & the whole world complains with you.
It’s so true, right?
Think about this interaction that probably seems alarmingly familiar:
“How are you?”
“So busy, you?”
“Same. Surviving!“
Of course that’s a benign scenario but still demonstrates – complain and the world complains with you.
What about when you complain about a co-worker or a boss? Ever experienced the pile on effect?
“He’s impossible. He drives me crazy!”
“Me too! You won’t believe what he did the other day…“
Here’s one of many problems with these scenarios: they totally drain your energy.
They focus your attention on what is wrong and when you’re focused on what is wrong, you see more of that & less of what is right or positive.
The great news is that the reverse is true.
When we focus on what is right, what is possible and what is positive, most people will respond in kind.
I want to emphasize this goes beyond the moral pursuit of being a positive person.
Focusing on the positive improves your mood. You make better choices when you’re in a better mood.
Focusing on what is right helps you see opportunities instead of problems. It helps you find creative solutions instead of perseverating on obstacles.
Choosing to be positive increases your energy, reduces stress hormones, lowers appetite and contributes to mood stability.
Especially in this holiday season, will you please join me in not complaining?
