#1826 - Do You Prioritize Your Goals Or Your Lifestyle First?

Want to achieve long-term success? Kevin and Alan explore the trade-offs between short-term comfort and long-term success in this episode. They offer practical advice and real-life examples to help you rethink your priorities and decide what matters most. Ready to find out if you’re holding yourself back from achieving your goals? Listen now!

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Show notes:
(2:08) Why successful people prioritize goals over lifestyle
(4:57) Results-driven vs. experience-driven people
(6:17) Aligning daily habits with long-term goals
(8:45) At NLU, we want you to win! So, we’re giving tools and resources to ensure your success. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month at 5 PM.
(9:22) The trade-off between short-term lifestyle and long-term success
(13:40) Example of long-term success through sacrifice
(15:28) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

Next Level University is a top-ranked daily podcast for dream chasers and self-improvement lovers. With over 2,100 episodes, we help you level up in life, love, health, and wealth one day at a time. Subscribe for real, honest, no-fluff growth every single day.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

if you decide . Okay , I'm going to focus on fitness . There are some places in your lifestyle that are going to take a hit , just like if you're trying to save money .

Speaker 2 0:10

There are going to be some places in your lifestyle that have to take a hit If you choose lifestyle in the short term , it's going to take you longer to get to your results in the long term . If you sacrifice lifestyle in the short term , you can have a bigger and better lifestyle in the long term .

Speaker 1 0:26

That is a mathematical scientific fact , welcome to Next Level University . I'm your host , kevin Palmieri , and I'm your co-host , alan Lazarus . At NLU , we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers .

Speaker 2 0:43

Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life , love , health and wealth .

Speaker 1 0:50

We bring you a new episode every single day on topics like confidence , self-belief , self-worth , self-awareness , relationships , boundaries , consistency , habits and defining your own unique version of success Self-improvement in your pocket every day , from anywhere , completely free .

Speaker 1 1:12

Welcome to Next Level University , 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 wealth . Today , for episode number 1,826 , do you prioritize your goals or your lifestyle first ? This is going to be a quick episode . Alan and I had a half hour to record this .

Speaker 2 1:39

Speaking of prioritizing your lifestyle over your goals .

Speaker 1 1:43

We met and we're like , oh , I got to catch up on this . I did this happen , this happened , cool , cool , cool . So much happens so fast , which is wild and it's hard to keep a handle on and the next thing you know it's 15 minutes later and we have 15 minutes to record this episode . Before our next thing , we are trying to figure out the best way to go about this moving . I know we've been saying this next episode is going to be longer . We're on it . I promise , Stick with us , we're going to figure this out . We always figure something

Why successful people prioritize goals over lifestyle

Speaker 1 2:08

out .

Speaker 1 2:08

Okay , I was thinking today , if somebody said Kev , what is the simplest one line you could give that explains why more people aren't quote unquote successful ? It would be this it would be the people who are most successful prioritize their goals over everything else . The people who do not ultimately accomplish what they want prioritize their lifestyle , pleasure and time , freedom and all that stuff over everything else , over their goals . Excuse me , am I saying that's what's best for you ? No , that's not what I'm saying , but just a simple fundamental awareness . A lot of people say they want something and when you think to yourselves , how intentional are they ? All it is is this what can I ?

Speaker 2 3:03

effing do for you . I just thought about we were on the monthly meetup yeah and I think we were talking about grit yeah it was the five of the consistency . I'm not gonna get into it , but please don't . I wanted you to . Yeah , because we don't have time . I asked if you would tell the story and I keep thinking about that story because I had never even thought that that was weird we're gonna have to .

Speaker 1 3:28

I can't tell it because I need . I need to tell it in its full beauty . We'll have to save it . It's so unfortunate there was a turd .

Speaker 1 3:35

There was a turd under alan's chair and we were recording . He I don't know it was like third or fourth call of the day and he's like dude , it smells like shit in here . In my office we hopped on and recorded an episode . He's like dude , it smells like shit in here . I don't know why . And I was like dude . I don't know what to tell you , man , we've got to record this freaking episode . And then he looked down and he said Kev , there is a turd under my desk . There's been a turd under my desk this whole morning and I just noticed it . And I said you've had a full turd under your desk the whole day and you haven't noticed it . And Alan said no , it's just smelled in here . I didn't really think of it . If that doesn't explain how focused you are and also just unaware of your surroundings , I don't know if anything would .

Speaker 2 4:19

Well , this episode is about . That's the story the goal versus lifestyle . And I really like what you said there , because the amount of times I've had to prioritize lifestyle , the goal or the achievement or the result over the experience Shout out to Amy Lanius . We had this conversation . There's results driven people and there's experience driven people . Kevin is an experience driven person . He does things that he wants the experience to be enjoyable for the most part . Not always Okay , but for the most part part . Not always Okay , but for the most part .

Results-driven vs. experience-driven people

Speaker 2 4:57

I am results . We , we all have both , but Kevin and I , let's say , we go into a coffee shop . This is a metaphor , so you don't have to correct me when I'm wrong on this . I am looking for the least , the right amount of calories and the right amount of caffeine to be most optimal for my day . Kevin is looking for something that tastes good . That's the metaphor . Now I am calories and caffeine and I would like it to taste good . Kevin is it needs to taste good and what can I do to make it optimal for my calories ?

Speaker 2 5:33

That syntax , is it one or two or two and one Meaning ? Are you results first , experience second , and I think the turd under my desk is a funny story of that , because the result is what matters first . I'm not going to can a coaching call because it smells in my office . I would never do that , ever , like if there's . I could never have gotten here if I was doing that , and that's just a funny story . But you don't miss a workout because you don't feel good , you know , at least in my mentality . So that's the mindset . So if , if you prioritize lifestyle over results , don't be surprised when you get less results . That's , that's ultimately that's ultimate

Aligning daily habits with long-term goals

Speaker 2 6:17

.

Speaker 1 6:17

The ultimate thought is you're going to get results based on what the split is . So if you have big goals and you're living 80% lifestyle and you're only focusing on your goals 20% of the time , you only can get 20% of the goals , that's . I just think it's that simple . Now , again , I'm not telling you that you have to grind your face off and not sleep and not see your family . I'm not saying that . I'm not saying that this is more from a place of awareness than anything . The reason is , I had a moment last night where I mentioned this in the previous episode , where I was getting Burger King .

Speaker 1 6:53

I already know in my mind that when I so I'm going to Vermont , it's Taryn's birthday today , actually , if you're listening to this . So I've been in Vermont for the last couple of days and I know up there I'm kind of going to let it ride . I'm , if we want a certain food , I'm going to eat a certain food . I'm not going to not eat with my wife on her birthday , right , but I know when I come back , my options are going to be more limited because I'm dialing back into trying to lose weight , my lifestyle is not going to be as good in terms of food , in terms of that stuff . The reason I'm doing it this way is because , when winter comes and Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is here , I want my lifestyle to be better than the goals that I have set . I'm going to be working on strength training . You can kind of eat whatever you want when you're trying to gain strength , it doesn't really matter as much . Right , I'll still be tracking my calories and all that stuff , yes , but I'm going to eat what I want , because I want my lifestyle . My lifestyle will be more important than my fitness goals are , or they'll be more aligned .

Speaker 1 7:59

That's really where I wanted to go in this episode . Just from an awareness thing , if you decide , okay , I'm going to focus on fitness . There are some places in your lifestyle that are going to take a hit , just like if you're trying to save money . There are going to be some places in your lifestyle that have to take a hit . You know how bad I want to go to UFC . You know how expensive UFC is as expensive as heck . That ain't going to happen for years and years and years and years , because it would hurt the goals . The goals would be hurt because of the lifestyle A lot of people are sitting there going well .

Speaker 2 8:34

of course , you could , you could .

Speaker 2 8:37

Yes , but it's not optimal , it's not what's best for the goals , and the irony is that lifestyle and goals are connected .

At NLU, we want you to win! So, we're giving tools and resources to ensure your success. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month at 5 PM.

Speaker 2 8:45

Nlu listener , what is happening ? I just wanted to jump in here and let you know . If you want to get to the next level faster , we have a free virtual monthly meetup at the first Thursday of every month . You can connect with like-minded people and become a bigger part of this amazing global community . The link to register will be in the show notes . This is the problem , brother . It's short-term versus long-term . If I created a matrix , it would be results versus lifestyle , and then it would be long-term versus short-term . And , dude , that would be a powerful four the graph guy situation you could do it .

The trade-off between short-term lifestyle and long-term success

Speaker 2 9:22

I think we probably should . I'll take a look at that this after I know we got to jump soon . So it's if you , if you choose lifestyle in the short term , it's going to take you longer to get to your results in the long term . If you sacrifice lifestyle in the short term , you can have a bigger and your results in the long term . If you sacrifice lifestyle in the short term , you can have a bigger and better lifestyle in the long term . That is a mathematical , scientific fact . I was on a podcast earlier and you were absolutely right . It was awesome .

Speaker 2 9:48

It was about a book . We talked about the compound effect . He said , dude , I don't know if it's self-belief . He said I don't know you , I'm not trying to project and be self-righteous here . But he didn't say it that way , but he said it in his own way . I said , dude , you're good , like , what is your conclusion about me ? I don't care , I'll tell you if I think you're wrong . And he said , yeah , you believe in yourself a lot , but you just know the formula . So you have mathematical certainty that you're going to succeed .

Speaker 2 10:20

I said I've been trying to explain that so much . I don't not want to eat things that are delicious . I don't not care about that , I just care about the goal more . I remember you saying one time you said , alan , you just don't value friendships . No , no , no , I do value friendships . I value goals more . I actually might value friendships freaking more than most people , but I value goals way more . So you can't tell , because I always choose achievement and fulfillment and purpose and calling and contribution and my potential over short-term friendships , and that's why I seem like such a dick .

Speaker 1 11:02

Well , I wouldn't put it that way , but I understand . Yeah , that's my thesis in this episode . It's what is the current percentage ? Is it 80% lifestyle and 20% goals ? That's on you , that's up to you . But is that amount actually going to get you the result , yes or no ? And every time you make a decision , if you run it through the lifestyle sorry , if you run it through the frame of is this for lifestyle or is this for the goal , you're going to get an answer .

Speaker 1 11:30

I told Alan the other day I wanted to stop and get coffee but I knew I was getting pizza later . I sound like I eat like garbage . I don't always eat like garbage , it's just we're talking about timestamp times where I have and I didn't go get coffee . One , because the coffee I like to Alan's point has calories , a good amount of calories . And two , it's like seven bucks for a large ice latte at the place I like to go . I'm not . It's not worth it . Those two things together are I'm literally stacking . Those are two goals . It's not the lifestyle hit for me . Drinking that coffee isn't worth it to me , so I'm not going to do it . It really is that it's lifestyle versus goals .

Speaker 1 12:10

Again , I'm convinced the reason many of us don't accomplish our goals is not because the goals aren't awesome and sexy and amazing and attractive . It's because the day-to-day life that it would require for us to live to get there is out of alignment . It's not in alignment to do this or not do this , or do more of this and less of this , and that's okay . I just think the awareness of that is important . I just want anyone who's setting goals to know am I actually willing to to track every calorie I eat ? If that's what it takes for me to accomplish my goal , or track my bank balance every day , or send a message to a prospect or whatever it is , am I willing to do that if ? If yes , awesome . If no , then maybe we change the goal or we change the approach or whatever .

Speaker 2 12:52

I have a mentor who goes to the Bahamas frequently , he golfs frequently , he drives a Porsche . He bought a very , very , very expensive home without even walking in it . He is a multi , multi multimillionaire and his lifestyle now is extraordinary . He flies private and I don't see any of that . My brain goes the 30 years in corporate that it took to grind and I I told you the story about one morning at 6 am years ago . He took a picture outside the office building and the parking lot was empty and it was a full-on nor'easter snowstorm and he said this is picture . This is why I'm

Example of long-term success through sacrifice

Speaker 2 13:40

CEO .

Speaker 1 13:40

Nothing else .

Speaker 2 13:41

That's how blanket he is . He's an engineer , so he just says it like it is . He said this is why I'm CEO , because I'm the only one here at 6 am and I'm probably the only one who's going to come in today , and that's the real reason why I got here . But here's the thing he's in his mid 50s , late 50s , probably 60 at this point , I don't actually know , but he's older and his lifestyle is magnificent now , but he drove a freaking toyota for the beginning part . That's the other piece of this equation . People do not . I want this to land . I know we're gonna jump literally right now . Okay , I'll go very , very quick with this . 60 of the world's wealth is in the hand . 80 80 of the world's wealth is in the hands of people 50 and older . It's you got to understand . People in their 20s and 30s are all broke .

Speaker 2 14:33

They're not broke , but there are no like 20 year old multi-millionaires almost none no , but it looks like it , because it looks like it exactly and I think that that's why our self-esteem gets so messed up and and here's why the people that have the lifestyle are the people who sacrifice lifestyle for the longest , almost every time . And it's hard to see that because all you're seeing now is the lifestyle right , and a lot of the people that are that successful don't have social media .

Speaker 1 14:58

That's the other thing .

Speaker 2 14:59

Yeah , that's true . This person is not on social media whatsoever .

Speaker 1 15:02

Right , a lot of very successful , like real , built-in , real life successful people don't have social media because that's not it , because that's not , it's just not part of their life , that they didn't have to have it . All right , we got to go Again . We're going to do . We'll do longer episodes . I promise we're figuring our shit out . Pardon my French . If you have children in the spot , I apologize to you and your child if they heard me say the S word . Group coaching . Alan has client spots available . I do for podcast coaching , all of in the show

Outro

Speaker 1 15:28

notes . 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 1 15:37

Please reach out . Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University . We love connecting with the Next .

Speaker 2 15:44

Level family . We mean it when we say family . If you ever need anything , please reach out to us directly . Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes .

Speaker 1 15:57

Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow .