Next Level University
Confidence, mindset, relationships, limiting beliefs, family, goals, consistency, self-worth, and success are at the core of hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros' heart-driven, no-nonsense approach to holistic self-improvement. This transformative, 7 day per week podcast is focused on helping dream chasers who have been struggling to achieve their goals and are seeking community, consistency and answers. If you've ever asked yourself "How do I get to the next level in my life", we're here for you!
Our goal at NLU is to help you uncover the habits to build unshakable confidence, cultivate a powerful mindset, nurture meaningful relationships, overcome limiting beliefs, create an amazing family life, set and achieve transformative goals, embrace consistency, recognize your self-worth, and ultimately create the fulfillment and success you desire. Let's level up your health, wealth and love!
Next Level University
#1554 - One Simple Way To Know If A Habit Is Working
Are your habits holding you back or propelling you forward? Imagine if every habit you cultivated served your future self more than your current self - precisely the enlightening concept we're unpacking. In this episode, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros share insights on the hidden value of consistent habits – from exercising and reading to keeping track of your finances. They'll guide how to evaluate the worth of a habit and its contribution to personal growth by posing an important question, "Does it serve future me more than it currently serves?" Also, they share their personal experiences to illustrate the transformative power of simple habits in relationships, particularly the habit of gratitude. They'll emphasize the need to scrutinize if a habit genuinely serves you and the various ways it does.
Links mentioned:
Next Level Nation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700
Next Level U Book Club - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-book-club/
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Website 💻 http://www.nextleveluniverse.com
The best way to track your habits is here! Download the app: Optimal - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/optimal/
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Any of these communities or resources are FREE to join and consume
- Next Level Nation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700
- Next Level 5 To Thrive (free course) - https://bit.ly/3xffver
- Next Level U Book Club - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-book-club/
- Next Level Monthly Meetup: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/monthly-meetups/
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We love connecting with you guys! Reach out on LinkedIn, Instagram, or via email.
Instagram 📷
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
Show notes:
(2:22) How would you know if your actions are worth it?
(4:13) Does it serve future me more than it serves current me?
(7:52) Understanding short-term and long-term.
(11:11) Tim credits Alan's guidance and the Next Level Business Solutions for the transformative impact on his business.
(12:24) The power of positive habits
(14:45) Gratitude game
(17:25) Does it serve you, and how many ways does it serve you
(18:34) Choose positive habits
(21:30) Outro
Next level nation. Welcome back to another episode of next level university, where we help you level up your life, your love, your Health and your will. We hope you enjoyed our latest episode, yesterday's episode, it was episode number 1553. Two words worth remembering for 2024. Today, for episode number 1554 happy Monday if you are listening on Monday.
Speaker 1:One simple way to know if a habit is worth doing. The reason I was laughing, alan, is because I'll tell you, but also Tell those who are just listening. Alan, at the beginning of every episode, takes a big sip of his water or whatever beverage he is consuming, and I had a moment where I was like I might just sabotage the entire episode to see if I can get you to spit up your water. Nice, and then I was very close to doing it and then I decided against it because of time constraints. Thank you for sure. Would you have appreciated if I did make you laugh to the point where you spit up? Of course, always. I will do it in the future, for sure.
Speaker 1:All right, one simple way to know if a habit is worth doing. We were talking about this recently on an episode where Somebody had asked me in a podcast Habits take so long To come to fruition. How do you know if the thing you're doing is actually worth it, especially if it's if you're a dream chaser and you're doing something that you've never done before? Maybe it's for business or Learning something new. Whatever it is, and I didn't really have a good answer, because, the truth of the matter, is you good?
Speaker 2:I was raising my hand. Yeah, I have. I have an answer for the class. Okay, let's hear what you do. Is you think about what you value most? Okay, maybe top three things that you value most and then ask what is the most important habit for that core value?
Speaker 1:That's your answer? Yep, is that your final answer? You want to lock it in and then?
Speaker 2:you see what your brain comes up with, and Then you do that have it. You want to lock it in.
Speaker 1:Huh, you want to lock in the answer that your final answer. You want to lock it in that's. Yeah, that's my final answer. What happens if? If the habit is not something, it's not something that you really want to do, but you know you should?
Speaker 2:Well then, you have to mourn the, the loss of the result. You have to Accept. You have to accept that you'll never so it's achieved, the result, one of those.
Speaker 1:We've had this discussion many times where Alan used to say you can't want an outcome unless you want the process, and I used to say well, you can. I mean, there's a lot of people that do. That's why quick fixes are such a thing you can't expect the outcome if you don't Commit to doing the process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can want it, you just can't get it.
Speaker 1:Most likely won't get it. This was my thought. A Simple question, and I told Alan. I said I want this to be a such a simple Conversation because I think it has to be, because it's such a simple concept. Ask yourself this question Does it serve Future me more than it serves currently? I think that is a beautiful question to help find perspective. Now, can you go too far into that? Yes, you could easily say I'm going to invest all of my money into my future and I'm gonna struggle for the next 20 years, but when I'm 60 years old, I'll have an amazing life.
Speaker 1:Maybe that's not the way you wanna do it, but think of most of the habits that we do that are good for us. Eventually they really suck day to day usually. Yeah, so we were Alan and I were talking behind the scenes of what are some good, relatable habits that our community practices that we could use this for. One is exercising consistently. You don't wanna do it. You might not wanna do it on the day of. Usually, you get a pretty quick hit after you do it, though, so it doesn't take years to feel good, which is beneficial.
Speaker 1:Reading when you read a book, there's a lot of potential. There's a lot of potential knowledge and potential energy and future opportunity that you're downloading into yourself. But the day after you read a book, nothing really happens. It doesn't really work that way. The day after a coaching call, nothing really happens, depending on the coach and the coaching call. When you are trying to track your finances and focus on saving money, that really sucks in the short run. When you're counting every dollar and you're counting every penny and saying, yeah, this still sucks for me. I dislike this and I understand again. I'm blessed to have this opportunity and this privilege to even have this conversation with myself.
Speaker 1:But well, we have food in the fridge that we just bought. We have chicken we could cook. We have ground turkey. We could cook Kev. The last thing you should do is get takeout. I want takeout, though I want it more than I want to cook the food. But we already spent the money on the food and if I do those small intelligent behaviors long enough, then maybe we won't have to cook food. We'll be able to order pre-made food and that'll be what we do and it'll be like I'm having takeout every night.
Speaker 1:This is an example. So that's really what we're gonna go in this episode. I think there's two things. One does it serve long-term me more than it serves short-term me? Is a question up for debate, slash up for practicing with yourself. And here's the second thing In how many ways does this serve? That's the answer I would give if somebody asked me on a podcast how do you know if a habit is worth keeping or if it's helping you? It might not be helping you in the direct way you want it to, but there are other things that it's helping you accomplish that you didn't expect it would help you accomplish that would be my answer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a really good one. That second one, you hated the first one. No, the first one was strong, the semi-strong Nice. No, it was good. We have to optimize for the future self. At all times, we have to optimize for the future self or the present self. Optimizing for the future self would be working out. We're going to go to the gym tonight, emilia and I, and we're going to be doing legs, legs. That is for the future self. We were joking last time we went and got sushi Because we passed this Chinese place.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you a question. I remember China Pea. Yeah, of course I remember China Pea. They were really delicious. Or you, somebody who gets the? You like the raw fish?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we do spicy tuna and we do spicy salmon, which is weird, because I don't like spicy food. I know that's weird. For some reason. Spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls at this place I go are amazing and we also get one of the specialty rolls, just one, and it's called the North Bridge and it's bummed. It's one of those deep-fried rolls.
Speaker 1:I love the sweet potato tempura rolls no fish, I think it's just fried potatoes. It's kind of like a fry in a sushi roll, of course Not a lico protein Avocado roll with no fish. And then I would get the cucumber roll, which is I think it's just cucumber in a roll. Those are the three I got. I do not mess around with the fish ones for some reason, but I love fish. It's not raw fish.
Speaker 2:It's not raw fish. Yeah, the spicy salmon's my favorite. It's unbelievable, real good. But anyways, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, we passed this Chinese food place and last time we were passing it I said remember when we used to get that and the reason we stopped is because Himmelia did not feel well the next day. But here's the thing it was bomb the China pea.
Speaker 1:Oh it's so good, had quite a reputation. So Alan and I went to the same high school. When there were half days, people would go to the China pea for China Pacific, the China pea for all you could eat buffet, and it was the known place in town where you could go as whatever age and just rip down my ties. They didn't really care that much.
Speaker 2:And I think something happened, I think somebody Whatever, yeah, you could do whatever you wanted.
Speaker 1:I think there was like some sort of accident or something and they got shut down and I think they got bought by new ownership or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is actually called New China Pea, so legally-.
Speaker 1:One way to re-bring yourself.
Speaker 2:One way to New China Pea, but anyways, that's an example of a short term, short term China pea. That Chinese food is awesome. I mean, come on, crab rangoons, orange chicken, chicken fangers, low-main, awesome Beef teriyaki, great. But the next day Emilia was like I don't think we can do that. I don't think we can keep doing this, which made me very sad. Now we only did it like once a month or so. I think we had a month that we did it a couple of times. But that would be an example of short term win for long-term loss. Good habits are short-term loss for long-term win, and you can't really change that. That's life. You know, if you exercise is a good example.
Speaker 2:No one really wants to exercise every day. I understand that there are times in their life where they will say that and I've been there too oh, I love working out. Okay, I'm in a phase in my life where I love working out right now. But those very people who said I love working out, there was a time in their life where they hated it. And so exercise is one of those things where, while it's a habit, you love it and you convince yourself you love it, and then you tell your friends, you love it. And then you end up a month or two off and go, you know what. Maybe I don't really love this as much as I thought that I did, and so I think it's empowering to just say you know what? I don't necessarily love exercise, but I know I should do it. I do.
Speaker 2:I'm at that place in my life where I was talking to one of my clients earlier and I said he did two interviews yesterday, he interviews and recruits and he's a leader. And he was like, yeah, man, I was. It was like four o'clock in the afternoon and I had my last cup of coffee and I swear to God I could have fallen asleep in an instant if I wanted to. And he's like the last thing I wanted to do was get on this goddamn interview. And he's like I did end up being an awesome interview and this guy's gonna be amazing. I said that's what we need in 2024.
Speaker 2:You know how many times I feel that way, kev? How many times do you feel that way before a coaching call? And we love our clients and we love coaching. I love coaching. I think you kind of like it. The point is you're not gonna wanna do it. You're not gonna always wanna do it. Sometimes you're gonna want to.
Speaker 2:I love podcasting, but I also sometimes hate it. Sometimes I just hate it. I don't wanna do it. I don't wanna be here. It's that's okay. That's called the human condition. But most of the time I do enjoy this thoroughly. Okay and, most importantly, it's worth it.
Speaker 2:So back to habits. Whether it's podcasting consistently or exercising consistently or not, eating China pee, whatever Chinese food, whatever. It is the first question I like, because it's about the future self. The second question, I think, is fire, because when you break down habits that way, you realize the really powerful ones. So, for example, learning every day. What are the benefits? The benefits of learning every day are crazy. There's so many. Okay, you're gonna be growing more consistently. You're gonna feel more fulfilled because you're growing more consistently. Now you're gonna be able to contribute more. You're also gonna be able to talk to other people and recommend books to people. You're gonna be seen as more of a leader. You're going to be more consistent, more disciplined. You're going to become more. You're going to know more. You're going to learn things you didn't even know you needed to know. They just stack these benefits, just stack, stack, stack.
Speaker 2:I have this sneaky goal, excuse me. I have this sneaky goal in life where I want to find the best, most optimal habits. And to our last episode, I know I'll never perform them optimally. Okay, that's why I only do 30 minutes of exercise a day. I know an hour and a half there's no way. But I do have this sneaky goal where I want to. I want to find the habits that long-term will matter the most. I want to find the habits that are so beneficial that long-term the benefits are so wild. And I do that with every client and it depends on the goal, the core values, that kind of thing. But I'll give you one more example and then I'll shut up. I promise I do a gratitude game, kev, before bed with. So Kevin's wife, taryn and him do a gratitude game before bed. I think you guys do one right, one thing you're grateful for. All right, we do three. That's not a one-up thing, it's actually, it's actually a two-up thing.
Speaker 2:A two-up thing? Yes, we used to do limited, unlimited. We did seven and eight and eventually it went off the rails and we stopped altogether. So don't do that. But we do three a night and sometimes we'll do a bonus like a fourth, but we'd never go past that and I'm just more grateful for her. That one habit, simple, so simple to do, has transformed my relationship and here's how I know I stopped doing it for a while. Emilia and I had like a four or five month period where we weren't doing it and I got a humble pie and I was like, am I not that grateful? And I came to Emilia and I said, sweetheart, we have got to get the gratitude game back. I feel like I'm taking you for granted and you know we got to get the gratitude game back. And she's like I know. So these habits, they're simple, but if you choose the right ones and you do them consistently, they get easier and easier because they become habits, they become ingrained and you really can change your whole future with this stuff.
Speaker 1:Well said, I like. In how many ways does it serve you? I think that's a very. It's almost like you're tricking yourself into doing it. In a way. You're putting so much proof into something that you're you feel more guilty not doing it.
Speaker 1:That's probably a fine line too but I don't like going to Jiu Jitsu. I don't like the process of going. I don't like the process of the uncertainty of who's going to be there and what if I look stupid. I don't like that process. I hate it. I thoroughly hate it. I love the actual activity of doing it. I don't hate that at all. I love that. If I could just do that, if I could just transport there and be on the mat and know who's going to be there every time, it'd be the easiest habit in the world. But that's not how it works. There's still no, there's still lessons for me in that. I think one of the reasons I like it so much is because I'm not good at it. I'm pretty good at lifting weights. I've been doing that for so long. I'm not good at Jiu Jitsu compared to the people I'm with.
Speaker 1:It's very beneficial. It's serving me in so many ways. It serves me in exercise, but it serves me in discipline and respect and self-trust and fulfillment. I think that's a really good question. Does it serve you and in how many ways does it serve you? I know the future self thing was something for a long time that I don't know. It sounded too woo-woo for me Do something your future self would thank you for. That always sounded very woo-woo to me. Now it lands at a deeper level. What's your next level, nugget, sir? Sir.
Speaker 2:Sir, I want to my next level.
Speaker 1:nugget is Eventually, your future self is going to be your current self that is something and then, eventually, your future self is going to have a future self. But your future self already does have a future self.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the rabbit hole goes far.
Speaker 1:But what I want to do for my next level.
Speaker 2:I used to say this and again I'll make it land in a different way, this time quickly. I used to say if you spend each day, invest each day, trying to make sure tomorrow is brighter, eventually you wake up and your whole life is awesome. If I work on my body, my relationship, my business team, my craft, myself, every single day, tomorrow will be brighter than today. I mean not guaranteed, because it fluctuates, but the trend line over time will be up and then eventually you wake up and it's like holy crap, you ever have those moments?
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, same Every now. And then it's like, oh my god, my life is amazing. Compared to what it used to be, it's still challenging, and that's the weird thing.
Speaker 1:It's like really difficult, still More challenging, but different challenges.
Speaker 2:Yeah, more yeah different, but it's so much more wonderful than it used to be because I remember days in the past that were just awful, just terrible. So invest today to make tomorrow a little brighter. That's my next level, nugget.
Speaker 1:My next level, nugget, would just be reiterating two questions. One, does it serve you? Two, and how many ways does it serve you? The best habits are the ones that serve us in ways we didn't even realize. That's just an extra added benefit, is what I would say.
Speaker 1:If you are trying to make a habit of surrounding yourself with more like-minded people, please join our private Facebook group, next Level Nation. That is what it's all about. I tell this to clients all the time because they always say why should I have a Facebook group? And I always say you should probably have a Facebook group because there's a lot of people who listen to your podcast that don't know other people who are listening to your podcast, and it's your job to create the community of positivity or whatever it is that you're talking about in your podcast. There's a lot of people out there that would find value in meeting other people who listen to the same podcast. So that is one of the reasons we are so active.
Speaker 1:Amy and the team is very active, and Alan and I try to be as much as humanly possible as well, but the ultimate goal is to have a community of like-minded people, and I think that's what we're all longing for anyway. So if you want to be part of it, the link will be in the show notes. We would love to have you there.
Speaker 2:Speaking of being around like-minded people, we have a book club. Whenever I'm on another podcast and they find out I have a book club, they're like, really Like, yeah, yeah, that's cool and very much so. I mean years, it's not just like a-.
Speaker 1:It's not new, it's been years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not new. So we're reading High Performance Habits by Brenner Burchard. You can see it on camera if you're on YouTube and if you are not, you can't. We are on chapter three Raise Necessity. It's just a safe space that's private. You can participate as much or as little as you want to read next level books with next level people, and you're going to get some really cool, unique perspectives. We do polls, we ask questions. The chat is on fire. It's been absolutely awesome. Shout out to Brandon for running that so well and we hope to see you there. The link to register will be in the show notes. We do it every Saturday, 12.30 pm, eastern Standard Time.
Speaker 1:Tomorrow for episode number 1,554, the unsexy part about becoming more confident. Not even going to tease it, that's what the episode is.
Speaker 2:That's what we're going to talk about Rut Ro on this one. Rut Ro, yeah, I'll go. I don't know what it's about, but I'm sure it will hit home for me, maybe.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's what you think it's going to be. Ah, yeah, yeah, it's not. When you get more confident, you become more villainized. Is that what you think it's going to be? Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's going to be different but we can talk about that as well.
Speaker 1:As always, we love you, we appreciate you, grateful for each and every one of you and at NLU, we do not have fans, we have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow.
Speaker 2:Choose positive habits. Thanks for that, Thanks realization Next one nation.
