#1827 - The Word Sacrifice Hurts But…

Can you truly succeed in every area of life at the same time? In this episode, Kevin and Alan discuss the challenge of juggling health, wealth, and relationships. They explore how chasing career goals can impact personal life and why setting realistic expectations is essential. Alan shares a simple water metaphor to explain how investing your time and energy wisely can lead to long-term success. Tune in for helpful insights on how small sacrifices today can lead to big rewards in the future!

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Show notes:
(2:32) The struggle of balancing health, wealth, and love
(3:18) Practical advice on making time for relationships an

🎙️ 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

I think that opportunity can mess up expectations. That would be my. I guess we got there after a long-winded rant.

Speaker 2 0:10

But I think with opportunity comes the struggle to set proper expectations and I'm thinking just keep investing in the right accounts, just keep it. I was downstairs putting away the recycling and I was like just keep investing. Okay, I got a podcast. Podcasting, training and coaching are my things. Those are the plants for me for a career. Just keep investing in the right accounts. Just keep investing in the right accounts, because those are the accounts that I know will pay dividends forever.

Speaker 1 0:39

Welcome to Next Level University. I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.

Speaker 2 0:44

And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.

Speaker 1 0:47

At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers. Our goal with every episode is to help you level relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits and defining your own unique version of success.

Speaker 2 1:16

Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free.

Speaker 1 1:22

Welcome to Next Level University from anywhere, completely free. 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 1,827, the word sacrifice hurts, but you gotta do it. So we're kind of doing a part two to Sunday's episode on do you prioritize your goals or your lifestyle first.

Speaker 1 1:50

And the reason I wanted to do a part two is I was on a podcast right before this and the host said they were struggling because they are struggling to prioritize things based on the limited amount of time that they have. And they said and they didn't mean this in a derogatory manner but they said all you do is the podcast, right? And I said no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And they explained kind of what they did and they said what does it look like? And I said there's the podcast and there's the production company and there's a social media company and I go on a bunch of other podcasts and there's one-on-one coaching clients and there's business meetings and it's mayhem there's, it's absolute mayhem over here.

Speaker 1 2:32

And the host said well, what do you do to prioritize stuff? And I said I, I think you have to have. And I said this is my experience, this is what's worked for me. I think you have to have. And I said this is my experience, this is what's worked for me. I think you have to have the understanding that if you are succeeding in health and wealth, your love is probably lagging behind. Going to what we were talking about before, about prioritizing your goals, your lifestyle first, it's kind of the same when it comes to health, wealth and love, and I know we've talked about this a lot, but I don't know.

Speaker 1 3:04

I thought it would be valuable to dig deeper into it because it was honestly, alan, it was very hard for me to answer the person's question because my answer was you have to prioritize your business less.

Speaker 1 3:18

If you, okay, you're single this host was single and you want to find a relationship this host was single and you want to find a relationship you have to find time, and the only way to find time is either to be more efficient in everything that you do, which you probably want to do anyway, at some point you want to increase that. But if you're spending 15 hours a day in your business and you're sleeping for the other nine hours, you have to take the time from one of those two places. That's the answer. There is no hack. I don't think there is any hack that I'm going to give you that's going to be beneficial. I said you have to pick and then you have to take the time from that bucket, unfortunately, and I said I'm blessed where I'm already married, so I don't have. I'm not in the pool of dating trying to figure out what restaurant are we going to go to? What's the earliest I can get there rolling at 8.30?

Speaker 2 4:10

absolutely not.

Speaker 1 4:11

So I said I'm privileged in that I'm privileged in that and that's kind of I got lucky the way that all happened. But there are. I said this. I said I'm going to Vermont.

Speaker 2 4:25

You don't actually believe you got lucky, though. You became the man who could attract.

Speaker 1 4:28

Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean the timing of it works nicely. Yeah, and I'm that. I mean that more than anything. The timing of it works nicely because it would be really hard to cultivate a relationship right now. Yeah, from a seedling, I said I'm going to Vermont with my wife this weekend. Here's the truth. That will hurt the business because I'm not working 12 hours every day, or 12 hours on those days, like I did when I was sitting in my office. Truth be told, it will be really good for my relationship. Yeah, nice.

The "16 ounces" water metaphor: how to invest wisely in life

Speaker 1 5:01

It's an equation of how far is too far. If it's a grind season and you're not spending any time with your partner, then maybe there is a season coming where you spend a little bit more time than average with your partner. I don't know, that's up to you. If you're crushing it in business and your relationship is strong, but your fitness has taken a back seat, maybe that's for a season. But it's really hard to put 100 effort into all of them. It's really really, really, really challenging unless your life is designed around those three things.

Speaker 2 5:38

It's metaphor time. Let's see what you got. My voice is going metaphor time, so I have this water. If you're on youtube, you can see water we have. I have 16 ounces in this. 16 ounces of water. Let's imagine today I only have 16 ounces left in this bottle and there's three plants in my office there are no real plants in my office?

Speaker 2 6:01

there aren't. I think there's a fake one. Yeah, okay, but let's imagine hypothetically there's three live plants in my office. One of them represents physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, personal development, self-improvement, me Taking care of the asset, me, alan, in this case you Listening Collective you. Number two is love, collective view. Number two is love friends, family, intimate relationship, clients, colleagues, associations, acquaintances, love. And then the third plant is career, business, wealth, how much money you make, how you make your money, increasing, decreasing expenses, all that finances. I only have 16 ounces of water today. Now, here's the cool part about the human condition if I pour this all out today and I put it all on the court and I invest all of it in the right person's places, things and ideas, the right plants, I might have 17 ounces tomorrow oh shit, yeah, and then 19 ounces next week and then 24 ounces the week after.

Speaker 2 7:09

And the metaphor there is kevin and I, in the beginning, did one episode a week and it felt really hard at the time, which is laughable now because we've done 21 in a week and that felt really hard, but the version of us that did one a week could never have done 21 in a week. No chance. I think we did 28. 28 a week, okay, we did 28 a week. That's ridiculous. It's a lot, by the way. It's ridiculous. Thank you, listeners, for being with us on this ridiculous journey. Okay, so, but I also think we're really really good at this. All right, so 16 ounces today, I have to. I have 16 ounces and I got to make sure none of the plants die, but one of the plants this metaphor is getting complex One of the plants. I need fruit to eat tonight and if I water the health plant more than the other plants, I'll get more fruit tonight to eat Again. The metaphor, really really falling apart.

Speaker 1 8:06

It's falling apart slowly.

Speaker 2 8:08

However, I think of myself as an investor. I told Kevin, right before we hit record here, I said we're doing a really good job of cranking the flywheel. What I mean by that is we're in momentum. Despite how challenging it is, despite things not being perfect, despite the fact that health, wealth and love are hard to harmonize, we are really cranking. We're doing it. We're out here doing it, doing the important things. We're focused, we're prioritized, we're getting better, we're improving, we're doing it.

Investing in the "right accounts" for lasting rewards

Speaker 2 8:34

So I think all the time and I say this to myself when no one's watching, I'm just behind the scenes. In between sessions, I'm going to the bathroom, I'm doing whatever and I'm thinking just keep investing in the right accounts, just keep it. I was downstairs putting away the recycling and I was like just keep investing. Okay, I got a podcast. Podcasting, training and coaching are my things. Those are the plants for me, for career. Just keep investing in the right accounts. Just keep investing in the right accounts, because those are the accounts that I know will pay dividends forever.

Speaker 2 9:03

And for those of you who don't understand the financial analogy, if you don't, dividends mean it'll pay off forever. Being in shape and focusing on your health right now will pay off forever. Your future self will thank you. Investing in your marriage right now will pay off forever. Your, your future self will thank you, assuming that that's your person. Even if it's not, you'll learn and grow career-wise. Same deal your career. Statistically speaking, it has highs, lows, ebbs and flows, but over time it's supposed to improve and that's why, statistically, the average 16 year old makes a lot less money than the average 40 year old.

Speaker 1 9:38

It's hard because I know sacrifice is not a it's. It's potentially seems like a negative word and whatever you can call it, whatever you want seems like a negative word and whatever you can call it, whatever you want Reallocation what's the difference between sacrificing and reallocating? It's the same thing, kind of.

Speaker 2 9:58

Yeah, very similar.

Speaker 1 9:59

So maybe we just say that Reallocation it's reallocation of time, it's reallocation of energy, it's reallocation of focus, it's reallocation of just intentionality, but it is, yeah, it's going to require you to do something different and I understand it sucks, I understand it.

Speaker 2 10:24

Can I ask you, why Never, never? What is your take on this? Can I ask you, why Never, never? What is your take on this? Okay, I'm going to think of. There's someone that I know, who I can tell I'll keep it anonymous I can tell doesn't have a good relationship with sacrificing. It's almost like they want to believe that they shouldn't have to.

Speaker 1 10:51

Yeah, I think we all want to believe that.

Speaker 2 10:54

I don't, so that I don't agree. I don't have that, whatever that is, that's why I'm asking you what is that about? And I'm not trying to come off as self-righteous here, I'm really not, no, no, no.

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Speaker 2 11:05

I actually want to understand, 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, I believe. I think it's the math part for me, but go ahead.

Speaker 1 11:34

I think it is the exposure to so many people that seem successful that tell you it wasn't hard it? I think it messes with your expectations. I, when people say what's different about nlu, we talk about the real stuff. I think that's, that's all. That's different, as opposed to the fake stuff. Well, no, no, no, no, I know, dude. Seriously, though there are some people I, as a podcast coach, you would think kev wants everybody to start a podcast, I do not. I do not think starting a podcast is good for most people, in fact I but there are some people out there that would say tell me why, if you're trying to make money as a podcast coach, tell me why it's so important for everybody to start a podcast. It effing isn't, it isn't. It isn't. Just like it's not great for everybody to start a business, not like. Just like it's not great for everybody to run marathons, like why does it have to be great for everybody in order for me to value it?

Speaker 2 12:36

it doesn't I know so true well played.

Speaker 1 12:40

I appreciate it. I just think it's that the same reason why I feel out of shape, even though I can see my abs. But then I go on social media and everybody is like a comic book character, like I'm in really good shape, but not compared to these folks.

Speaker 2 12:54

One of my clients is sponsoring a woman for his YouTube videos and he sent me her Instagram. He's like what do you think? You think she'll be good for my? I was whoa, yeah, absolutely, and I remember thinking, I've thinking is that even real?

Speaker 1 13:10

Where do you find someone that looks like that? Where do you?

Speaker 2 13:12

find someone like that. He's like that's the most attractive girl in my gym and this is a big gym and good for him, but I get it. The comparison thing is so.

Speaker 1 13:24

I don't really follow. Gary Vee has a place in my heart for some of the stuff that he does like sometimes. I like his content. I think he's a little brash but he wants to add value and I respect that.

Speaker 2 13:35

I respect the fact that he is committed to help people for sure 100.

Speaker 1 13:38

He did a post one time where it said in the 70s, you, when you started something, you just expected it to be hard and to suck, I know. And then, just over time, yeah, the internet makes it easier. We couldn't do this in the 70s unless we were on tv and do you remember when we watched his thousandth wine library video?

Speaker 2 14:00

his thousandth or his first? Thousandth, that was his thousandth wine library wasn't good. No, it was terrible. Yeah, I remember when I was in college I had one of my friends and business partners for a short time said, oh, that's the wine guy. I had no idea who the hell gary v was the wine. People didn't at that point I know, and we, kevin and I, we went back to joe rogan's very first episode how atrocious was that, yeah, terrible, terrible.

Speaker 1 14:28

Yeahan's very first episode.

Speaker 2 14:28

How atrocious was that? Yeah, terrible, terrible. Yeah, it's very important that perspective, but I am with Gary on that and again, I wasn't around in the 70s. He was. I think about that all the time. I think about that all the time. I think it's important. It's so important to remember. I was watching an interview and I was like it might have been a real. Jennifer Aniston said this and I thought it was really valuable. I think it was when Matthew Perry passed away and Jennifer Aniston said I came up in this career when it was awesome to just have any any work at all. She said, friends, was I got lucky? I didn't, I was just grateful to have any work at all. I think it's hard to keep that perspective in the 21st century. It's harder. It's harder the fact that you're on tv at all yeah, is wild.

Speaker 1 15:23

You want to believe in the opportunity. I mean, that's the beauty of this whole thing, is there's so much opportunity, but that that opportunity is a stretch, that's what makes it a meaningful goal, that's what makes it a goal, that's what makes it a challenge. I think it's so easy to lose sight of the fact that on social media, you are kind of only seeing the top 1% of people in their given fields, because that's quite literally how social media works. You only see the best of the best, because that's the way the algorithm works.

Speaker 2 15:58

That's what's trending. You only ever see what's trending.

Speaker 1 16:00

yeah, yeah because it's social media's job to get you to watch more. So same on YouTube. Youtube, like we're not quote-unquote successful enough on YouTube, where we're getting promoted all the time. That's okay, whatever it is, what it is, but eventually, when we are, everybody will think like oh, these guys are so successful and they've been successful for so long. It's like no, we just eventually crossed a chasm where YouTube was like oh, people like this content. We're going to keep showing it to these people and now it's going to be on your feed all the time.

Speaker 1 16:33

I think that opportunity can mess up expectations. That would be my. I guess we got there after a long, a long-winded rant. But I think with opportunity comes the the struggle to set proper expectations, because when everything is an opportunity, your expectations can be all over the place. Why can't I work less and make more when all these people are telling me, well, because here's the truth. They're not either. They just that's part of their brand. They're not either, just like right now. I'm not super holistic. We were talking about how bad I'm struggling with my self-improvement. I'm still more holistic than I've ever not that I've ever been Than you used to be, than I used to be, and I would say I'm far above average.

Speaker 1 17:29

Yeah, in my level of holistic self-improvement in life and all that, but I'm far above average in my level of holistic self-improvement and life and all that.

Speaker 1 17:34

But I'm not where I want to be right now. I'm struggling. I feel reinvigorated if you can't tell with the energy on the last couple episodes, I'm ready to go. I'm back, we're good, but I have you know how many business. I told Alan this, this is weird as shit. And then we got to go because I have a client call right after this. This is weird as shit. And then we got to go because I have a client call right after this.

Speaker 1 17:54

Do you know how many times I have been brought in as a podcast coach to help somebody make money, when their entire podcast is about teaching people how to make money and get clients, and they don't have any? It is alarming how often that happens. Now, I'm not saying these people are doing anything wrong. Maybe they're early on, that's fine, but I get brought in to help them be successful in the thing that they're supposed to be helping other people be successful in. Yeah, that is a dangerous, freaking game, a very, very dangerous game, because what are they teaching you then? They're not teaching you based on what works. They're teaching you based on what they think works, and those are just drastically different things yeah, I'm grateful you share that it's important.

Speaker 2 18:41

I don't want anybody to think I'm a dingo, but that's the truth, right that's the truth of it, dude, you're, you're doing something the world needs, I think. Okay, I know you got to go three minutes.

Speaker 1 18:49

Two minutes, one second, one minute. I'm going to save 30 seconds.

Speaker 2 18:55

When I see any external success, I try really hard to look at the iceberg underneath it. Okay, fighters, it looks awesome on the pre-interview, but your brain damage potential, how many injuries they go through there's so much that sucks underneath that iceberg. I focus more on the sucky parts of everything. Football looks awesome, but it's terrible to get tackled by someone who's 300 pounds and to have your ankles nearly snap off and to feel like you're hurt all the time. And CTE and the pressure of if you don't perform, you're immediately cut from the team. I mean that to me, there's just there's an iceberg underneath everyone's success that you need to study in order to not not delude yourself, I would concur.

Outro

Speaker 1 19:47

All right, I do have to hop. I have an amazing client Speaking of helping people, an amazing new client that's starting. It is our onboarding call. After this. Group coaching starts on October 5th no, october 8th at 5 pm Eastern Standard Time. Alan has coaching slots open. I have podcast coaching and stuff and all that happy jazz. Nextleveluniversecom has all the stuff you need to know. As always, we love you, we appreciate you, we're grateful for each and every one of you, and at NLU we do not have fans, we have family. We'll talk to you all tomorrow.

Speaker 2 20:14

Please reach out.

Speaker 1 20:17

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

Speaker 2 20:23

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 20:32

Out to us directly, everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes. Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.