Ep #28 Self Development

[00:00:52] Is episode number 28, you versus you podcast, all about self development and working on those goals. All right, A lot has happened since episode 27. And in that time, I think the biggest thing was realizing that I was starting to get out of shape again. And it's nothing extreme, but it was enough backsliding to say, no, I'm going to put my foot down and get back after it. And I always tell every single person who wants to start a new routine or develop a new habit to do the six week test. And that is where you put up the parameters, the boundaries, and then you're focused for six weeks, and then you can gauge what you're able to do in a more accurate way. And it's not wishful thinking anymore. It's dedicated time of focus and intensity and then reassessing where you're at. [00:01:53] Nothing in life is static. And that was the thing that hit me the most because I was lulled into a false sense of being average without even realizing it. And then it just took a couple comments and a, oh, those clothes don't fit as. As well as they used to. And not anything dramatic, but. But it was enough where I was like, man, I used to love this shirt. Now it doesn't fit so well. And then a moment of, kind of a funny moment was I stuck my foot through a hole, a slight hole in my knee, the knee area of the pant. My foot went through it. So I sabotaged a pair of pants that I loved and said, oh, man, it's gonna be hard to get these same pants again. And they were, they were fitting the way I'd like them to fit. But it was enough to say, all right, I lost my favorite pair of jeans. [00:02:50] I'm starting to get out of shape. Let's. Let's get back after it. I step on the scale and it says £260. I'm like, Dang. All right, that's beyond what I talked about saying the limit be 245. And I said, how did this happen? [00:03:06] Well, just looked at my fridge, looked at how I was living, and said, oh, because I lost focus. I got off that, that pattern, and now it's just time to go back to it. So doing that assessment, looking back at the peak level of fitness after having lost £100 was 20, 22. And revisiting that, what was I doing? How was I eating? How was I going to the gym? What was that mindset? What am I doing now? Compare and contrast. It all had to do with the intentionality of why I was going to the gym, and in the past year, the backsliding came mostly from lifting heavy and eating whatever I wanted and then not doing cardio. In 2022, it was 10 minutes after every single meal, no matter what, and then still doing cardio at the gym. All right, well, I can bridge the gap between that divide real easy. And so I wrote it down being September 29, 2024, was the day I started, because that was the day I said, this has got to stop. So on October 1, 2024, I was officially in the gym to be doing six, six times a week to hit that goal of 235. Did it look like that flawlessly? Of course not. But I don't want to jump the shark. I'll tell you those results soon. [00:04:35] All right? If I could go back in time and do things differently, I would not have eased off the gas pedal. I would have had a couple days, maybe a week of tapering off just to let the body reset, recover, and then I'd go back at it again. So that's what I say to everyone, whether you're starting, whether you're in the middle, or whether you're just floating around the gym, not doing anything, but you're still there, you're still in the gym with the intention of maintaining. [00:05:07] I'd say just recalibrate just a little bit and say, why are you there and are you improving? Are you writing this down or is it just more of a feeling it out? [00:05:18] I, I would urge you to do it for six weeks and see how you feel, record the results and then get back after it. Because when you see changes or improvement, that is its own form of self motivation and momentum. So go for it. Instead of having a lopsided routine with zero cardio and just gravitating the thing that you like most. For me, it was just lifting weights that is not really able to be sustained in the long term if you want to have the balance that your body requires. So I'm always going to be gravitating to the pushing exercises, but you need to keep that in balance with the pulling exercises and the carrying exercises. [00:06:05] If you're new to lifting weights. Push, pull, carry, I will swear by it. But you can, you can do bro splits or circuit training however you want. All right, so this all came down to going back to the basics. [00:06:20] What does that look like for me? Six weeks of training revisited. Share it. Share what those results are with a friend, post it online if you want to, and then that is there as a. [00:06:37] An Anchor for humility. Right. If people ask you about it, you can say, this is where I'm at. This is what I'm doing currently. [00:06:45] I knew I had said I was going to be doing this, but I didn't do it right. So for me, it's this podcast. I can keep myself accountable by reviewing these episodes and then being like, dang, I can't believe I said I was going to be pushing for 185. 185. 185 pounds. To weigh in would look something like this six week program focused on the intensity of cardio and just doing that back to back to back to back. And that probably take two and a half, three years with not really any easing off the gas. So I still have that as something on the back burner. But it's not the highest priority now. Right now the highest priority is to get back to £235 and then stay there, adjust to it, and then push harder and harder again. All right, so the, the first thing I would say is, what's the target you're going for? [00:07:50] I know what mine is. £235. All right, well, where am I now? Takes the. The humility to see the force for the trees and to weigh your. Your environment and atmosphere, your headspace. I'm 265. 260 pounds. All right, well, what does that mean? From there it's simple to hit that goal. It's to drop £25 if. [00:08:21] How fast can I do it? It's not a, it's not a race for bodybuilding competition or a fitness challenge or a New Year's resolution. This is something that can be done at any, any pace. But I'm going to test it by marking it for six weeks and then seeing what that is. [00:08:44] Spoiler alert. I did not finish the program. The program finishes, it commences, concludes as to say on the 9th, which is in two days. So I'm, I'm almost there. And then that'll be the. The big reveal is stepping on the scale, seeing how I feel. The good news already is the recomposition that's happened in the last six weeks. I already feel more firm. The cardio has definitely gone up. Just running around with baby girl, I'm like, oh, I can do this all day. And she's the one getting t. [00:09:17] All right, how do I hit that target? [00:09:21] All right, give it the six week test. Well, what does that look like? [00:09:27] 45 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of lifting weights. Standard. That's what the gym routine will look like. There are moments to account for, like unforeseen consequences of schedule, baby girl schedule, or an emergency that comes up. But those aren't things that happen every day that couldn't be taken into accountability and as a factor. So the 10 minute after eating a meal is a great backstop if I'm not going to the gym. [00:10:04] If you're those people who track their steps, this would be a really good moment to start turning that on for whatever app that you use or whatever device that you have plugged in, say, okay, I'm gonna actually stick really close to that, hitting 10,000 steps, right? [00:10:20] If in this moment of doing the six week test, I have a restricted diet and that is being very selective with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not the problem, but it's the thing that goes into excess when I'm not on my P's and Q's. So for me it's overnight oats and toasted Ezekiel bread as the main staple. And then everything else being using extreme discretion upon consuming a huge fan of carbs before, working out carbs afterwards. And then instead of doing a normal portion, either doing a half portion or subbing it out with something else like more meat, more veggies. When it comes to the specific carb source, I'm saying jasmine rice and no second helping of it. And that's so hard to do, right, because it's so delicious. Indian food and Thai food will be the biggest thing to focus on because that's when I'd have the rice and the bread, you know, the naan. So if I know that for six weeks, then I'm not touching other stuff, I'd be more conscious, conscious of what I am consuming. And this is because I'm reminding myself of the goal every single day. I'm reviewing it in the morning and I'm looking at it before I go to bed. [00:11:52] The next thing I would do is deep sleep and take more naps and treat it as something sacred. [00:12:02] This is, at least for me, it's seeing if I, if I want to take a nap, I can justify it as wasting time and not doing something productive, but the movement doesn't necessarily mean it is productive. And in this case of pushing yourself harder at the gym and you're already on a restricted diet, it becomes a moment of great recovery that is also a mood stabilizer. So my lady will tell you immediately when I'm on when I've been doing a six week program because I'm usually A little bit more irritable unless I've been taking naps. Right. [00:12:42] So that is a very Western mentality thing to, to say, oh, if you're, if you're resting, you're being lazy. If you're taking too many naps, you're. You're not doing something that could be otherwise used to work on things. [00:13:01] That is a new phenomenon because in other cultures around the world, it's a moment of being able to touch the divine and have that communion with, with your creator. That's what dreams are. Right. So I would. [00:13:17] And everyone knows I'm a prolific dreamer. So that's seen as a time of, of prayer and communion. Right. So why would that be ever wasted? Right. Well, there you have that. [00:13:33] The next thing is the RICE technique. [00:13:36] The acronym rice. Rest, ice, compression, elevation. [00:13:41] Huge deal in terms of recovery. One of the things that I love doing on daily is to lay on my bed and throw my feet up against the wall, like way higher than. [00:13:54] The whole point is that you're above your. Where your heart is. And when your lower extremity is that high and it's such a deep stretch and the way the blood moves, it puts everything back in order. So hit it with the rest. Ice, compression, elevation. If you're resting, it's just off, off your body. Ice, if you really need it, on the joint or the muscles sore. Compression, if there is an ache or pain, especially ankles and knees. [00:14:27] I don't do that one as frequently. I don't think that I need it. Those are, those are the ones just taking the consideration for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Rest, ice, compression, elevation, the RICE technique, the new thing right now is back on that coffee. The caffeine life. I was telling my lady the other day, I don't know what I was doing, not drinking coffee before, but it's good to reset the receptors for caffeine every now and then. And just a little warning, if you've never done a caffeine detox, the first two times are terrible. First one being the worst, second one being a close second. And the third one, you get used to it. The third time your body says, oh, I see what's going on. You go, you go without it. And then you're able to take it in like you had it the first time. Right. [00:15:30] So with that, I'm sensitive to caffeine anyway, so I actually don't need that much coffee. But in the morning, it is such a great way to have the feeling of firing on all cylinders, shooting on all pistons, ready to go closer to the afternoon is not good for me or I'll be wired. I'll be wired and be hard to go to sleep. [00:15:53] There's a great window of being in the morning, having coffee and then working out. Even if I, even if I don't actually set up to go to workout before the afternoon, to have that as a pre workout is such a boost. So if you don't know the benefits of coffee, all right, this might be a time to experiment. If you've been doing. If you've been drinking coffee for years and have never detoxed from it, try it. Try and be wean yourself off or my fan is going cold turkey. Cut it out completely for six weeks and then go back into it. See how you feel. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how shocking the results are. When you reintroduce coffee and caffeine back into your life, the next thing Point six is the cheat day. [00:16:53] And I'm sure everyone has that in their lexicon just from how people talk, YouTube, life, gym gym lingo. But this would be having parameters around that. And with me it's scheduled. So I treat the date night with my lady as the cheat day. And that's where I have in mind not to be over the top and indulgent, but not to be so strict that it sucks the fun out of the day. Oh, I can't touch that. I can't touch that. No, for this one day of the week it is. Keep the comments, keep the critical comments to myself about whatever the thing is and then just indulge. But not to be overindulgence, it's to find that that balance in it and not see it as a free for all. And right now I'm bracing myself because holidays are approaching. We got Thanksgiving, Christmas, we just went over east went over Easter, Halloween, Easter is not for a while in terms of the dessert and alcohol. [00:18:00] I also have an update. [00:18:03] For four months without drinking alcohol found that the level of, of irritability has gone through the roof. [00:18:13] Who would have thought Alcohol is a depressant and a way to reset is, is noticeable if you don't have that. So this is a moment where just in terms of the long term, the long haul, I have a two drink limit and pretty pretty much treat it like I don't drink. Right. I think those days in the 20s, in my 20s are dead and gone. Everyone is married with kids or not in the not in the same state as me. So it's definitely a different mentality if you are imbibing alcohol by yourself than if it's a party situation. And you know, as a 38 year old, it's way different than a long time ago and that's been something that's been hard to just put to put to rest. But I accept it now and able to move on. All right, the Sunday Sabbath rest in my mind, I only have a couple priorities on Sunday it's public worship, going to mass, teaching catechism for the teens, and then it's football season, baby. So eagles fly. Eagles fly. [00:19:28] Another point on that is my daughter and my lady, they, they rotate what they, they make as baked goods and it's such a great moment just of expanding baby girls experience in, in cooking and in baking and measuring and just finding out the things that she likes to do and the things that she doesn't like to do, what she likes to eat, what she doesn't like to eat and then having that as bonding time with, with her and my lady. So, so great. [00:20:00] You know, it's delightful just to see her experience and the joy of completing a process and then reaping the benefits of, you know, making cookies, making cake. [00:20:14] You know, there's no alternative ulterior motives. It's just I definitely get to reap the benefits of that. And that is probably a, a, a hidden gem in terms of rest and recuperation. Is looking forward to not focusing on work and obligations of upcoming week, but instead to really take it in as family time and then have a little, have a little bit of sugar, have a little touch, right? Because I know most likely Monday through Friday there's going to be very low to no sugar. So that's, that's one for me to put it up. One of the other things is have a reminder of what the target goal is. [00:21:09] I just had a walk you through what I would do, where I'm going for what I'm aiming for. But then in a very specific way it's write the vision down. And I will harp on this to the day I die for anyone who starts going to the gym or doing some new workout or some new training routine is remind yourself of why you're doing it, but have it written out. [00:21:34] Something changes internally when you write down a goal and this is, I'm gonna be a stickler on this and say don't just put it on your phone, don't just write it in a program. Get out a pen, another piece of paper, write it down and have it nearby, have it near your desk, near your workspace, put in your wallet. Whatever the case may be. But something happens when you write it down and then you review it. Something just clicks in the mind and in the heart to have that as a high priority. And this might be something that separates those who want to be in shape or to work on a goal on their bucket list than to those who do the small things every single day that will eventually build up to it, no matter what, no matter how long it takes. [00:22:29] I swear by it. I'll probably mention in every podcast, and this is the. At least the 20th time that I've said it, write the vision down. Write it down. [00:22:41] All right. [00:22:42] If you have written it down, review it. [00:22:47] Anytime your. Your mind goes on autopilot or you start to have thoughts of that people call boring. I actually am not a fan of saying bored means your soul's asleep. If you're bored. [00:23:01] If you're bored, it's because your mind has gone to an aimless place and there's a time and place to not think about anything. But if it happens during the day, something in your heart is saying you're working towards nothing. So in that moment of realizing it, look at that, what that goal is. All of a sudden you're back on track. If you find an interest or a hobby or a role model or someone who stokes that fire within you, think about what they did to get there, how they did it. Maybe they have a book. Go get a book. Maybe they have a podcast. Follow them. They have a YouTube channel. Listen to them. Follow those people. That'll stoke it for you. And then look at what your goals are. That's how you stay on track. [00:23:51] Do that when you. [00:23:54] When you wake up in the morning, before you go to bed at night, and at any moment your brain goes to autopilot. Instead of just looking at the emails or the DMs, look at what your goal is. This is six weeks. And you'll find it becomes something that is integral to who you are and how you. How you operate. [00:24:16] The seventh thing I would do is have an honest review of the past six weeks. [00:24:25] Celebrate the process, taper off like it's the end. Like you. You hit that goal. I'm at 2:35 again. Woo. Right? But instead of completely going on vacation, do three times a week just to reset and taper off. Let your. Your muscles stay. How do I even say that? Let your muscles recoup, but then not atrophy. Don't let. Don't have any backsliding there. But it's not going to be a moment where you're trying to Outdo a pr, a personal record or a personal best, right? [00:25:08] When you've reset, start, start it over again, start a six week program, do it again, keep your eye on the prize, keep your eye on the target, see what you've done, celebrate that win and then get back at it. [00:25:22] All right, so here, here, here's the ugly part. All right, so looking at the chart, I have it from October 1, 2024 to 11, 9 24. You know, November 9, 2024, I have it broken down on a graph, X and Y coordinates. You got day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six. And then I have it on the other side going week one, week two, week three, week four, week five, week six. [00:25:56] When I'm, when I've hit that, I'll put it on Instagram, I'll put it on Facebook, I'll push it on the, on the socials for you to see. But it looks like this, this is what the reality looks like. [00:26:10] Hit it. Week one, I went five out of six times. Week two, I went three out of six times. That's, that's half. [00:26:19] Week three was full. It's the only week that I went to the gym every single day for the time that I committed day one through six. [00:26:29] On week four, it was willy nilly. I went two, I went three out of the six times, but was either did cardio one time or weights another time. It was kind of really wonky. Oh, I see why this was birthday weekend. All right, the truth comes out. [00:26:49] Week five, I went two out of six times. And then we are now in week six and I'm shooting from the hip, shooting 100% three out of three and have three days left. [00:27:04] As previously stated, I feel the recomposition more than any other time. And I think that's because of the 145 minutes of cardio. Practically every single time that I've gone to the gym. And I made that the, the main priority. The second I step out of the locker room, it's straight to elliptical machine to do interval training for 45 minutes. [00:27:33] From there, it dictates what I'm doing. If I don't have enough time because of whatever the schedule was, I know I can check it off as a success because I did the 45 minutes, which would be the improvement from not doing any cardio at the gym and just lifting weights. From previously, we'll say from October 1st prior. Prior to October 1st. Right. [00:28:04] This was. This hearkens back to. I don't remember what episode it was, but I was talking about Cs get degrees, but a D will get you where you're going if you're consistent in terms of consistency. And so if this is the first time you've heard this, it'd be looking at this six week test to know exactly what I mean. So if I were not, if I were to add up, tally up the math, it works out to be 21 divided by 36 is 0.58, which is about 60%, 60% max effort. If I, if I did my best right now and this is what I could do given life circumstances, this will still get me to where I'm going. It's no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater and beat myself up. Because week one I went five out of six times. Week two I did half. Week three was a flawless week of. Well, actually technically it was not. So for only one of those days I skipped cardio but did weights instead. And I think that's because I knew I should have taken better notes. I think it's because I didn't go to the gym, but use the gym at my apartment. [00:29:24] And so the, the surplus of burned cali. Calories from cardio is the, the secret sauce right there. All right, week four was three out of six half the time. Week five, last week was only two out of six. And then this is shooting 100%. So this is to put everything into perspective in what a six week program looks like. It's pushing yourself in a very dedicated, programmed manner, but then also having the space of not seeing as a loss because it was not between 90 and 100 for the consistency. There's a level of consistency that was there and then it was the output while I was at the gym that made the difference. [00:30:23] That's only half the math because of what I was eating and what I was not eating and, or drinking and constantly being reminded of why I'm there, what I'm going for and that it's very doable. So how do I feel? I feel, I feel phenomenal. I feel like I was persistent that I was tenacious with what I said I was going to do and then doing it and then having that as the habit. That was the underlying red thread throughout the whole theme of self development. [00:31:01] So this will be a follow up episode on what the results actually look like because while the scale can be forgiving, the mirror is something that is hardest to put into perspective and to accept. So that's the motivation for going to the gym. But now it's telling a different story. Because everything has gotten more firm and the resolve is also, also more firm. [00:31:34] All right. [00:31:37] When it comes to something like motivation, motivation will only get you so far. And that is a, a great boost if you're able to catch yourself slipping and say, oh, why am I here? What am I going after? Is it worth it? The answer should be yes, because this is the thing. This will be the drive that keeps you going when you don't have the motivation. And if you're writing it down for the six weeks, there was not one moment in the past six weeks where I said, I don't feel motivated to go to the gym. [00:32:20] There was, I think that you know what? There was one day, and that's because I was, my sleep was wonky. And what I did was I canceled everything for the day. Outside of what were, besides the obligations, I took a deep nap. I think it was like a four hour nap. And then I went to the gym. And I don't know which week it was. I want to say it was week three or week four. Did it. And that was the only time that I said, I don't, I don't think I have what it takes to do it. I didn't say in that language. I said, I'm walking away from going into the gym. I was in the parking lot, went home and then reset, got back on the horse, and then did it. So let that be a moment of seeing the mental hurdle to run and then use that as something that you have in the memory bank next time it comes up. Because it is a tricky thing to, to convince yourself that you're always being motivated. When the, the maturity that comes with knowing what the journey looked like is to be independent of feeling motivated or not. [00:33:46] The, the secret is having written it down, having recorded the results, having graded it, having seen it, and then seeing the change, saying, okay, no matter what comes my way, oh, environmental factors, there's a bunch of fires, seasonal allergies, blah, blah, blah. That won't be enough to take you off of what that routine is. Right. Because the dedication to it is beyond feelings, beyond emotion. [00:34:20] A thing that I was also 100% faithful to was when in the car at the gym, closing my eyes for 2 minutes and 13 seconds, actually had the timer on and visualizing what it looks like to have completed the six week program. [00:34:39] And as I'm recording this in in Collins, wonderful abode and using his equipment. Thank you. Thank you. Big shout out, Colin. [00:34:50] It was saying very similar to how I feel right now. I feel accomplished for having, being Faithful to the program, not getting knocked off and staying down but instead doing it. And when they're giving, giving it my all. [00:35:11] Caffeine helped but even more than caffeine was being well rested. [00:35:16] Knowing what it takes for recovery. Doing the, the stretches and the elevation for legs was the thing that kept me from burning out. If I were not to taper off and to do the program again, I think I would be able to do it. Of course I'm not gonna do that because we're in the, we're in. This is, this is the marathon aspect of it. [00:35:43] This is the keeping the fire burning and then being, keeping my eye on the prize. So in the last, what has it been, six years now, the whole thing that I noticed was giving the, the highs and lows of life pandemic. [00:36:11] Adjusting to society again. I was still consistently losing 25 pounds a year to hit 235 with this new and improved way of doing things of sticking to six weeks tapering off for a week, going back in it. Six weeks tapering off. This is something that is manageable and doable for the next three years. [00:36:40] I, I foresee if I were to do this for the next three years, I'd probably be at 185 without having been extreme. There wasn't anything that I felt that I lacked in terms of social interactions. It was, everything was just cut down. Everything had parameters and boundaries and so it wasn't a moment of actually feeling like I cheated even on a cheat day. On a cheat day it was more like a reset day. It was closer to what life looks like on a Sunday. [00:37:15] I know there's a ton of people who refuse to change, don't think the, the effort of change is worth worthwhile. But I'll tell you from first hand experience, it's enough to harp on it every single episode to say there are small things that you can do along the way that will have huge dividends if you do and are consistent. This was not perfect by any means, but in the past six weeks at 60% showing up. Oh, I give it an A plus. Giving an A plus. [00:37:53] Okay, so you've, you already know your why, why you going to the gym? You know what you're aiming for. You have that target, you've written it down. You visualize every time you go to the gym, do your run, whatever it may be for a time you're locked in. [00:38:08] Something else that keeps me grounded and anchored is having a picture of me and baby girl and big shout out Ashley, Ash and Kevin My lady took a photo of me and my daughter as we were leaving the wedding. And there's just something about catching a door frame. All right, I'm holding hands with baby girl, and we're about to leave the reception. And Marianne caught it and sent me the photo. Right. So I have a digital one. Actually, no, I have the digitals that she had texted, but she also printed it out. So that printout is something I keep on my bed, stand on the nightstand. And when I see it, something, something gets hit. That's primal of being like, okay, this is the image that she'll have. She doesn't like. She remembers the wedding because it was very recent, but in terms of, we'll say, a five year forecast, if she didn't see that photo for five years, she'd have a vague memory of that night, could not remember that moment. The beauty of the picture is it captures us walking, walking out of the reception and going about life, you know, going home, but to freeze, freeze it for eternity and to immortalize it in this, in this picture is a, a solid reminder of one me being her father and being a father figure, being paternal, but then also the intimacy of the, of holding her hand that she can, she can grow up and grow old with and see that there was someone who was there to provide and protect and to help navigate life with her in that moment. It almost brings a tear to my eye. Well, no, it does. It does bring a tear to my eye. It doesn't make me, you know, start crying in this whole bitter nostalgia area because it's very real and there was no, no loss. It's a moment to say, this is what I actually look like. This is an accurate depiction of daddy daughter bonding time. And one of the things that I had said was I don't ever want to be a fat dad in the sea. That photo, formal attire. She's looking like a little princess. I've got my, my, my formal outfit on. Is such a moment to capture. So thank you, Marianne. [00:40:51] Thank you, Ashley and Kevin for getting married. Right. [00:40:55] All right. [00:40:57] That is a little memento that I suggest to everyone listening. Find something like that and be reminded of it consistently. Have that next to your goal and you will be golden for any, any lull, any, any valley experience while you're doing a six week test, the next thing is handcrafted playlist. [00:41:30] Whether you work out to music or your own music or you hear it going on in the background, One of the beautiful moments that I like to do is typically once a year, make a Brand new playlist with different music. [00:41:49] The thing that my man's John Raman had put me on was to have the music that gets me fired up. You know, underground hip hop, rock music, that grunge music. I have that combo, but then also sprinkle in praise and worship. And when he first said this, I was like, no, I don't know about that. This is the gym, right? [00:42:14] When I tried it out, making the playlist and then putting praise and worship in there, something hit in a very specific way. Instead of just feeding the soul, it was feeding the spirit. And I noticed with, with cardio, when I do the interval training and you know, I'm fired up to do the 22nd sprint, 32nd sprint, 10 second sprint, and then catch my breath and put the heart rate down. When that goes to praise and worship, for some reason, my heart slows down way faster and I change the track, put on something that gets me. Gets me amped, and I'm able to do the sprint portion no problem. And part of me is wondering why I didn't find that out sooner. But I guess that's part of why they call it a fitness journey. All the things you learn along the way, big shout out. John Robin, you're my guy right there. And thank you again for that, that lovely present of the imperfect cell Dragon Ball Z for all my. My DBZ heads out there figurine that you sent. What a guy. [00:43:29] All right. [00:43:31] Actually, I'm not done on harping on the. The playlists. So the thing that I did recently was I make two playlists. Brand new content, brand new range, but then it was selective with what that range was. So I have Iggy, that goes that 90s R B heartbreak song, the Motown classic heartbreak song. [00:44:02] Some praise and worship to. To elevate and to have my eyes closed and to just put my. My soul at. At rest and turn the spirit up and then something that will be that workout music. [00:44:17] Two years ago, I had these playlists. You can check them out on Spotify if you follow me. On Spotify, it was called Angry Gym Fuel and it was effective, but it was not effective in terms of turning off the. The fight or flight reflex from being amped up at the gym. And that's my little warning to everyone. There is. This is a great way to compare and contrast. So I had done it the hard way and realized people are like, hey, why are you being a jerk? Why does it seem like you go 0 to 100 real fast? Oh, it's because I didn't decompress. From that music I was listening to for the past 90 minutes. Right. [00:45:02] When you, when you put the praise and worship music in there, it brings you down in the best way possible and there's the physiological response to it. So shout out Maverick City. Right? All right. [00:45:16] From there I'd say, what's something that keeps you on track and what's that motivation that keeps you on track? Track. Hopefully you found out you found some speakers on YouTube that you, you like or you admire or there's an author. [00:45:34] I'm always going to default to David Goggins. And speaking of which, I was watching an interview of his the other day where he was talking about when he was first offered the, the, the book deal he was offered 30K. [00:45:49] And he's like, no, my story's worth more. And then it became the 30 million. And he's like, yeah, that's more like it. Right. And when they, when the publishers were like, you don't have a black audience. Right. No one's going to watch this. And he's like, well, you don't know who you're talking to because most of his demographic are white men, mostly military backgrounds. Right. [00:46:12] Like, no one wants to hear about Ultra Running. Well, how wrong were they? [00:46:16] His offhanded comment that he said was that he has like three black followers. Well, you're wrong. David Goggins, you've got four. Right. I'm a huge fan. This guy is remarkable in terms of the, the change that he made and then the, the level of dedication in persistence in all of those areas. Right. So in that regards, I'd say when you are whatever the entertainment, cathartic release is that you do, going to the movies, watching, binge watching a show, one of those things I would work in, there is something that you follow on YouTube that gets you motivated for sticking to your goals and sticking to these things. [00:47:04] The easiest thing to do is to be average. Right. Then that's how you get out of shape. All right, well, what do you have to do to be slightly above average? [00:47:18] That consistency in just minor tweaks is what gets you there. [00:47:24] There are sacrifices. Yes. Not gonna lie to you about that. Is it painful? [00:47:30] I would not say it's actually painful. I'd say it's. [00:47:34] It's something that you, you have to fight against and then it becomes enjoyable. At first it does seem painful, but it's something that when you dead, the noise is not even a factor. This is what life looks like for these six weeks. Is it worthwhile? Absolutely. [00:47:55] Well, that about sums it up. And if you're dropping in for the first time to hear this podcast, hopefully it has got you thinking about what you can do, but then hooks you by saying I'm gonna write this down and do it. [00:48:15] That's what happened when I realized that I had been wallowing in a false sense of being average and needing shape. It was September 31, 2024 and I wrote that goal down. I highlighted it with a highlighter saying 235 pounds. The new goal. Current weight 260. Let's do it. Next day I was in the gym knowing why I was in the gym. Next day I was in the gym doing cardio. Right? That was what was lacking. Put it back in in in its proper orientation. The the diet was off, it was very loose. Now it's tight. Six weeks, right? That's all it takes. If you don't see results, try it one more time. [00:49:06] But I, I I think unless you're floating around in the gym aimlessly, even if you had that goal, something falls in line when you are intentional for six weeks. [00:49:22] I doubt anyone who is intimidated by the gym or doesn't even know how to use equipment, I doubt you won't figure it out in six weeks if you're dedicated and you are are about it. So whether the goal is small as drop 5 pounds or something as large as dropping 25 pounds 50 pounds 100 pounds do the six week test, rinse, wash, repeat and see where it goes. If you need more motivation besides that, hit, follow like subscribe, Comment, share and I'll see you next time. These are the keys to my success. [00:50:05] I can't open the door for you. You gotta open the door yourself and walk through it. I'll see you on the other side. [00:50:38] Sa.