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 .