Hey guys, and welcome back to another episode of your Brain's Coach podcast. My name is Angela Shurina, I'm your host, I'm your Brain's Coach and it is my job here to bring to you, share with you, discover for you all the best cutting edge, recent, most useful, sometimes fun and adventurous brain body tools so you can take better control of your thoughts, of your emotions and, most importantly, of your actions that shape your life. Folks, today I'm back. I'm making this podcast the Back Home, russia, siberia, where the nights are almost non-existent during summer. We have daylight right now, somewhere around 2.30 am to like 10 pm. Can you imagine this?
Speaker 1And I learned by transitioning from South African winter, where the nights are long and the days are shorter than usual, transitioning from there to Siberian summer, where the sun almost never sets. It's such an energy upgrade this daylight and you can't really put your finger on it and notice because it's usually gradual that you're experiencing it. But it's so much fun to travel from southern hemisphere, where it is now winter, or Sweden, where the change in daylight time is so dramatically different, and I noticed right away like I'm just in my most energized state, even right after flight, when I didn't have that much sleep and my patterns and time difference were all over the place. I went to the gym and lifted the heaviest and had no recovery needed and no soreness, et cetera. I was oh, that's very, very interesting. And then my productivity, my learning ability all got an instant upgrade and I realized how much for our results, our productivity, our daily focus, everything we are, how we feel, the amount of energy we experience, how much of it is actually driven by our environment that we don't notice that much again unless we experience this dramatic change, this dramatic difference. So daylight and energy upgrade for sure.
Speaker 1So if there was like an artificial way to make it happen, I think that would actually work much better than any coffee. In fact, on the first day when I spent here and on the first day here in Russia, siberia, I didn't even drink any coffee. I think I couldn't find one and I needed to go shopping, and so I didn't do that and I didn't have any coffee and I'm like, yeah, but I'm still so energetic, just amazing, decided to share with you experience and making you realize how we humans are still like I talked about on one of my recent workshops kind of like plants, just able to walk and having a brain and by that I mean the quality of the plant depends on the quality of the soil. If you want to improve a plant, you want to improve the environment, the soil, the sun conditions, the water. So, believe it or not, humans are pretty much the same.
Speaker 1Our emotions, our energy, our productivity to a huge degree depend on how well you set up your environment. And the beauty of being a human being is that you actually have a lot, a lot of leverage about how, what environment you are in, the light, the food, the amount of movement, where you sit, how you sit, where you sleep, how you sleep, all these rituals and things and relationships, and even geographical location and what you look at when you look out of your window. Right, all of these things you can shape, and that is a beauty, such a privilege of being a human being that you can change your environment, understand how it changes you, and this is a never ending, never stopping loop that you can influence and intervene at any point. So let me pause here and help you realize how much freaking leverage and control and power that is. The sad thing about that is that our world set up not for the best of human nature, but we stand and learn and we make it better. That's what we human beings do. First we screw it up and then we fix it and make it better. So from this intro and a warm hello from Russia, siberia, let's get into the topic of our conversation today Maintaining top shape physical, mental, spiritual, business-wise and eating right, while changing countries, time zones, all kinds of conditions.
Speaker 1What is the secret to doing it right? What is the secret to keeping your pens size right? What is the secret? The underlying three-point system that defines the successes in almost every area of your life, which requires you showing up consistently and taking consistent actions. You know, it's like with shower, with all of those things. If you want to keep yourself clean, like with brushing your teeth, you want to have great teeth. It doesn't work like that, that you brush your teeth once a month, a lot like for an hour, and then you can just hope that they're going to last. The effect is going to last. No, you kind of have to show up daily, and so is the same with most of the areas of your life for them to be mastered, to flourish, to give you success and desired results, whether that's your pen size, your fitness, your health, whether that's your relationships, whether that's your finances and business. The same system, the same three keys work, and when you miss one, usually it's not going to work that well over time, especially when you are working on getting a result in one specific area. So let's talk about pen size, because most people can relate to that.
Speaker 1Most people lose, gain weight at some point or experience some health issues that require certain habits in order to improve and stay improved. So, traveling from South Africa to Russia, siberia, where I am, it took me two and a half days of flying in airports. By the time I was taking my last third flight, I was exhausted, could barely think or really do anything. Just got myself on the plane and not get lost. That's the only thing I was capable of. Two nights of barely any sleep on the airplanes does it to your brain? Like your prefrontal cortex is very sensitive, your thinking part of the brain is very sensitive to sleep quality, duration, sleep deprivation. And I still made the best choices. I still stayed hydrated, I still kept moving. Well, maybe not the last night of no sleep before arriving in the morning to my hometown, but most of the time, yeah, made the best possible choices Ate broccoli, green beans, turkey breast, drank some berry tea that's high in vitamin C, no sugar added. Ate fruit, kept my calories in check. I even lost a kilo while traveling.
Speaker 1Obviously, with all this craziness, I kept again squatting and doing push-ups and stretches, and even though I didn't have much sleep, I did feel like my body was actually really good and when I did my workout it felt really good in my body, not like I had a huge break. I only didn't work out for a couple of days, but still so. How was I able to maintain that? And what's the secret that all people know who get the results in one area and keep getting more return on investment? Going up and up and up and up, versus going up and down, up and down, up and down. That happens to a lot, a lot of people. That happened to me with my business for the majority of my adult life, and now I'm on the upswing, which I intend to keep, and I realized that all I needed to do is to do exactly the same thing I do with my health and fitness. And ta-da, here is the secret to getting the results you want and keeping them, no matter how many things change in your environment, flying through many time zones, many airports and sometimes days, changing your location from one end of the world to another, going through many, many different changes, how do you still keep growing, keep getting the results and keeping them, no matter what happens in your life? So three keys the secret to doing all of that and keeping your pants size right for life without willpower and struggle. The secret has three points and they are intention, systems, tracking. So let's talk about each of them individually through examples.
Speaker 1So intention you know, before any vacation or a big celebration dinner or many dinners, I always tell my clients the key to staying in shape is simply deciding to do so. Before each meal or occasion, rehearse in your mind what options you're going to go for, predict as many things in your mind as possible. So rehearse as many options, as many actions you're going to take as possible, as many actions you're going to take as possible and understand, get back, connect, reconnect to your idea why it is important. So what goal are you pursuing? If getting healthier and staying healthy and vital and able for a life, fit and just, vibrant, powerful, confident, strong, if that's your goal, then certain rituals and choices come with that goal, every desire we have, it has a price tag and usually that is choices, hard choices, easy life, easy choices or taking it easy hard life. One of the best quotes that all of my clients absolutely love Sipping on water, keeping my voice hydrated, right.
Speaker 1So intention, be intentional. The word decide comes from Latin decidere, to cut off all other options. When you truly decide to go for a certain thing and you realize that it comes with this price tag of certain actions taken consistently, there is almost nothing you cannot achieve. Number one and number two it gets easier and easier and easier. Like one of my clients shared with me, she was struggling with routine a lot, especially with her sleep routine, and she told me you know, angela, I realized that the most important thing I was missing, why it was so hard for me to build my routine, is that I wasn't actually committed. I didn't understand why I was doing that and that I was doing that, that I was committed and the moment I made a decision about who I am, how I'm going to show up, what I'm going to do, the moment I made this decision, that's when it clicked, became easy, and the rest was history Intention.
Speaker 1So step number one if you want to change a certain area of your life business relationships, health if you want to maintain the change, the result you kind, you kind of gotta be committed. You kind of gotta decide and have the intention before each occasion like, again, dinner buffet full of food, on vacations you just gotta decide okay, this is the occasion that's going to happen in a day or two days and this is the choices that most probably going to be there. And this is what I commit to. When it comes to alcohol, I'm going to drink one glass of wine, not whatever, but just one, and believe it or not. But when you rehearse it in your mind and you make those decisions and rules in advance, that's been my lifelong mastery and I can assure you it works and confirmed by scientific research. When you make that decision, when you are intentional about what you're going to do, when and where, you are I don't know how many percentages, but so freaking much more likely to follow through with action, even in the most difficult situations with alcohol in your mind, although I do not recommend drinking any alcohol. That's personal and science-backed preference and opinion. So now step number two, not so much step, but something you gotta have in place Intention number one, and then systems.
Speaker 1And here also I want to share something from my work with my clients who work on their health, on their weight, on their eating habits, fitness habits, sleeping habits. As I always tell my clients, you might have the best plan, the best intention, but if your fridge has no healthy options to back it up, the hunger and the need for convenience and speed will eventually win. The hunger and the need for convenience and speed will eventually win. When we prep for the trips, daily life, shooting movies, I always ask do you have everything prepped to succeed? The food, the plan for workouts, supplement box? No plan is a plan to fail. And when I fly, I always have a plan. That's my secret. I pack up some healthy options full of proteins like, for example, beef jerky, tim Ferriss favorite. If you're a fan of Tim Ferriss, say hello sometimes. I even organized a fan meetup official for his podcast anniversary, but that's another geeky side of me Speaking. So Tim Ferriss recently posted on his Instagram check it out what he takes.
Speaker 1I think it was four flights bananas and some venison. Yes, so some basically dried meat, some fruit for potassium, fiber, vitamins and minerals and to give you energy and keep you from snaking on crap at airports and I have the version of that. You know, from South Africa to Russia I traveled with bananas, guavas. Guavas are amazing for vitamin C and protect your immune system, which needs protection while traveling, so you don't pick up all of those germs and don't get sick on arrival. Nothing worse than to spoil your vacation or time with loved ones and adventures, right? So I got guavas, I got bananas. I actually bought a couple of apples at the airport as well.
Speaker 1I had butonk ostrich dried meat, which travels so amazingly well and, yeah, so much of it is so easily available in South Africa and it's also full of nutrients zinc and iron, yeah, and keeps your salt and electrolyte balance with those bananas balance, but anyhow. So, dried meat, uh, fruit, uh, at the airport I got salad. I knew there was a cafe that served good options like turkey breast or broccoli and, uh, green beans, uh, steamed, so yeah, and that's what I was snacking on. And and then in Moscow I resupplied with a bit more fruit, some cans of seafood. There was a store well, still is at Teremetivore airport, and so I had intention, the systems I have all the prep I needed to keep myself hydrated and not hungry, protein rich and that's how I lasted throughout the whole trip and never made a choice that I regretted.
Speaker 1Systems right, Get be prepare. Intention is not enough. You can have the best intentions, but if you have no preparation, not going to work True in business, true in relationships, true in health and keeping your size right. And the last but definitely not least, tracking. How will you know, if you arrive there, that you are on the way to success? How do you know what you do and how do you know what worked, what didn't work, when you get certain results, if you don't track? When we hit plateaus with progress with my clients, I always get back to checking the numbers. First, let's look at the numbers Calories, sleep, steps, protein, fiber, minutes of fitness logged in steps, and usually you can see the patterns. When we are really great with the numbers, the results eventually come, and when the numbers are all over the place just like in business, just like in relationships the results are all over the place as well.
Speaker 1If you want to get consistent results with your health and fitness, with your relationships, with your business, show up consistently and track the numbers. Even yes, even relationships dating, romantic, family relationships you want to build a great vibe between you and another person, whether that's your romantic partner, a parent or a kid, your daughter or your son. Being a great father or mother, for example, is all about spending quality time and then let the rest unfold itself, and so, for my clients who want to improve their relationships, I simply recommend recording and scheduling time spent with the people they want to build relationship with. When you track it, you get things improved. So tracking so crucial and, again, the most important thing, I believe, is actually that it shows you that you have leverage, you have power, you can change things, and when things don't work, more often than not it's you not showing up consistently, and some people find it hard. I find it very empowering because then it means that it's on you and you can actually change things, versus thinking it's fate and it's hopeless and it's not gonna change. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel disempowered and not wanting to do much. Instead, when I feel like I have the power to change things, I feel energized, empowered, motivated. I'm like get after it, get it done and you'll get everything you want.
Speaker 1So track to see how and what actions to take to get the results you want and keep them and then, when, if at some point that result starts to not being as good as you'd like, to get back to your tracking records, see what you need to succeed and start doing that again. And for tracking guys, if you're tracking your eating habits, for example, I personally love MyFitnessPal because it has the biggest international database of foods. Super easy to do the logging. It shows you the most important stats, your macronutrients, some of the most important vitamins and minerals. Your calories obviously suggests a lot of things. You can add your activity as well, and then some of my clients really love Lose it because it's more oriented towards this weight loss goal. And then it also does give you additional metrics that MyFitnessPal doesn't show, from your blood pressure to some other fitness stuff and get tracking.
Speaker 1So this is the secret to success in health business relationships, intention, systems and tracking. And look back now to your successes in any area. Don't you have all three there, like? You know what you're after and what actions are going to take you to go there. You know what you're after and what actions are going to take you to go there. You're intentional about your choices. You know why you do and what and where you're going with it Systems. You have things prepared to help you succeed and make that intention your reality. And you probably track or tracked in some time in the past that now you know what numbers you got to do, what actions you got to take with what consistency, intensity, et cetera to get that result. And if you've never done tracking and kind of did it, naturally believe me, guys, it's just worth doing at least once in all those areas to understand how things work, so then you can replicate them consistently and, on demand, predictably when you need it. That's the power of tracking. For me, tracking and business select for quite some time, and now I'm doubling down on that and already seeing great results.
Speaker 1That's it for today, guys. Thank you for listening. More water. Thank you for joining my podcast adventures all over the world. Don't forget, guys, that I'm a certified executive and health coach, 360 health and body mindset org. So if you need some help to help you install systems of success and progress habits, routines, if you struggle with that and or you also don't have enough knowledge, especially in health, nutrition, recovery, stress management, your productivity mindset work, please do get in touch. The link is in the show notes.
Speaker 1Let's schedule your session. Let's figure out how you can consistently show up to succeed, especially if you're trying to keep your pants size right for life, with all the vitality, strength and confidence benefits. So reach out. Let's make your pants size match your ambitions. Share also if you learned something useful, something transformative, something that gave you aha. Share with people you love and people who you want to succeed and do better. That's important, this information to know it, because success leaves clues, and those three things present in all cases of lifelong success, long-term success. So please do share. Let's make the world better together and till next time, stay tuned, stay intentional, build systems and keep tracking. Talk to you very soon, out and over, angela, keeping your pen size on the right side.