Next Level University

Don’t Overcomplicate The Process (1863)

• Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

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In this episode, Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros share a powerful lesson: success is about consistent small steps, not overnight results. They talk about how sticking to simple, daily habits—like reading just 20 minutes daily—can lead to significant growth over time. Listen as they break down how easy routines and consistent effort can help you achieve your goals without feeling overwhelmed.

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NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.

For more information, please check out our website at the link below. 👇

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Show notes:
(3:36) Breaking down goals into small daily habits
(8:24) The impact of reading and book recommendations
(12:32) Long-term change Vs. Short-term perception
(16:18) Client transformation and personal growth over time
(21:09) 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. https://bit.ly/3BPR2B4
(22:30) Staying consistent even when progress feels slow
(29:41) Aligning goals, metrics, and identity
(39:23) Outro

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🎙️ 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.

Speaker 1

And here's the beautiful thing about growth Most of it is in time-based. You don't have to grow X amount by X date. It doesn't really work that way. How would you even quantify that? I don't know. So if you're willing to read X amount of pages, read a page a day. Cool, you'll read a book a year Awesome. Is that more than you're currently doing? Yes, awesome.

Speaker 2

So much different than the version of Kevin, who never read any books. It's exponentially different and it's so hard to explain. But you've got to go back and look at photos, You've got to look at videos. That's the key. I remember you had a client who you said take a five-minute video journal entry and then watch this next year and you'll see huge contrast.

Speaker 1

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

Speaker 2

I'm your co-host, alan Lazarus, at.

Speaker 1

NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Speaker 2

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

Speaker 1

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.

Speaker 2

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Speaker 1

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. I'm sitting across from a ripened tomato in Alan Lazarus. His face is very red because he's holding in a laugh of sorts. Now he looks regal and we're back Today for episode number 1,863. Don't overcomplicate the process. So we're recording this. On Monday. I was on my way to the gym this morning A little Monday morning workout, big back day, if you will and I looked on. What's the name of the program.

Speaker 2

Where do you listen to books?

Speaker 1

Audible. I was going to say Audacity, I was going to say Audition. There's too many odds in my brain right now.

Speaker 2

Too many odds, which, by the way, audio.

Speaker 1

Audible Audacity Audition, a lot of them A lot of audio.

Speaker 2

This is good.

Speaker 1

I was pulling into the gym and I looked to see how much time was left on my book and it said I think it said eight minutes.

Speaker 2

Now that you're a prolific author, you're going to have to specify that's not your book.

Speaker 1

Oh yes, this isn't my masterful creation. This is somebody else's attempt at a masterful creation. No, it's called the art of thinking. Clearly, bianca recommended it to alan. Alan recommended to me amazing great book, all about rationality and cognitive biases and all that and I was thinking to myself. It feels like I just started this book last week, maybe, maybe two weeks ago. How did I get through this entire book? It's an eight-hour audio book and here's how I got through it 30 minutes at a time. I've listened to that book every single day for the last 16 days.

Speaker 2

No, let me look up how many pages that is.

Breaking down goals into small daily habits

Speaker 1

One second Am I doing the math right 16-hour book 30 minutes a day Sorry. Eight-hour book 30. One second am I doing the math right 16 hour book, 30 minutes a day sorry. 8 hour book, 30 minutes a day would be 16 days correct when you break it down like that, doesn't it make it sound like it would be super easy to do it?

Speaker 2

yes, that is the concept, that so everyone out there watching or listening NLU reach your potential. That's what we always do. We break big goals into little daily habits.

Speaker 1

When I started it, I was like this is going to take me forever. This is going to take me forever, and it feels like that book is the book that I got through faster than any other book I've ever read, because I think I was more consistent.

Speaker 2

Well, you didn't miss I didn't miss and I would. Go ahead. I looked it up the Art of Thinking Clearly I don't know how to pronounce his name by Rolf Dobelli. It's 384 pages long, so that's a thick book. It's a big book. So Atomic Habits is behind me, somewhere behind me, and it's 250 pages, so that's a long book. If you were to get the hard copy, it would be thick, thick.

Speaker 1

You know I like listening to them. I know my point is no, I know what listening to them. I know my point is no, I know what you're saying. I'm picking up a split now.

Speaker 2

So for anyone watching or listening, the point of this episode is I was asked earlier. They said something along the lines of the news is full of fear, and what do you recommend to young people who are consumed by a lot of sensationalism? And I said books Drink deeply from great books. It sounds fortune cookie, but Stephen Kotler, we interviewed him. There's a book called the Art of Impossible I keep talking about because it's one of my favorite books of all time.

Speaker 2

He breaks down the benefits of books. He said it took me 15 years to write this book 15 years of my life. Now, this is assuming you pick a really good book, by the way. Right, so there are some books that are hot garbage, genuinely. Of course, it's been actually challenging to find books that I think are great, and the bigger the appendix, the better means, the more research. But his book, he said it took me 15 years of my life and you can get 15 years worth of my life in five hours. That's a great return on investment. Now, obviously, it's knowledge, not experience. You're not actually living the 15 years, but that's why I love TED talks, because you can condense a 30 year career of research and then get the very best of it in 18 minutes, and I really enjoy TED Talks.

Speaker 2

I used to do a TED Talk a day for a while. That was actually probably one of the best things I've ever done, honestly, and I do TED Talks every now and then I'll binge for a day. But whether it's TED Talks or books, having a book, I always ask this to my clients constantly, and this sounds overly simplistic, but I always ask what are you reading? Andrew shout out to you. Brother, You're reading High Performance Habits. Bianca, she's always asking me what books to be reading. I ask Emilia all the time what books are you reading right now? And this is something that came up earlier now, and this is something that came up earlier. Bianca recommended it to me. I recommended it to you. That's the power of your peer group.

Speaker 2

I call it your five-pointed star. If you drew, drew a star and you were at the center, so kevin at the center, who would be on your five-pointed star? The books you read, the movies you want a lot of this stuff comes down to what your peers recommend, and so without bianca, you and I wouldn't have read that book. And then a 384 page book. If I dropped that in front of you and said, all right, brother, you have two weeks to read this, you'd go, oh no, but you did, without even thinking about it, just from doing mobility for a half an hour a day.

Speaker 1

And in the car on the way to the gym. But the gym's six minutes away, so it's not like, but that was my routine. My routine was every day I'd get up, I'd go do mobility, I'd listen to the book and then when I got in the car, I would listen to the book from my house to the gym and then from the gym back home, and then that was it. I didn't think about the book for the rest of the day, other than, obviously, all the stuff that I'm learning from, but I didn't. I didn't do it in the middle of the day. It was that. It was that, and it's very strange to me that I finished it as fast as I did, but it makes sense well, that means that you can imagine a version of kevin that finishes 26 great books a year.

Speaker 2

It's a different 52 weeks a year two weeks per book on average, and that's a long book, so probably even more than that 26 books a year. It's so interesting. And again, kevin and I do lose sight of this Me in particular. I won't put that on Kev, but I do. I lose sight of what it's like because I didn't used to read books all that much.

Speaker 1

And then I just started devouring them. Let me tell you something. There was one day where I was recommended a book and it was Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki, and I said I'm going to give this book a shot. So I loaded up MLB the Show in my PlayStation 4, and I said I'm going to multitask, that's what I'm going to do. So I listened to Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad, Poor Dad while playing PlayStation 4. And that was the first time I ever intentionally listened to an audiobook. Isn't that unbelievable?

Speaker 2

to think about.

Speaker 1

It's wild yeah.

Speaker 2

I don't want this to come off as us on our ivory tower. I genuinely want to go back to a place where I didn't read books. 26 individuals I'm coaching right now. What books they're reading are literally guiding their life. You literally said I need a new book and I sent you one today. And one of my clients recently he said do you think I should read this? And I said, honestly, you can if you want, but I've already gone through hundreds, if not thousands, of books. Why don't I just cherry pick the ones that I know are really good, particularly for what your goals are right now?

Speaker 2

Everyone out there watching or listening what are your goals for Q4? We've got 72 days left in the year. What are your goals? They don't have to be clear, specific, measurable. They don't have to be written down. Just think of something you want to achieve in the next 72 days this year. What's one book that's in alignment with that goal? If you're trying to sell more, what's a sales book? If you're trying to be a better speaker, what's a communication book? Start there.

Speaker 2

And if you want book recommendations it's my favorite thing, one of my favorite things I love book recommendations. You can WhatsApp me, you can Instagram, dm me, facebook, message me. My links will be in the show notes. Instagram is probably best, honestly. So Instagram me at alazaros88, a-l-a-z-a-r-o-s-8-8, and just DM me and say, hey, this is my goal. What book would you recommend? Because I'm doing that with clients at all times. I can't even remember a time where I wasn't recommending books to my clients. And if any clients are listening and I haven't recommended a book to you, I don't think. I don't think that's even possible. To be honest, I probably have. But if you're not listening to a book or reading a book right now that I uh talked to you about, let's talk about it, because ultimately, what's in your ears or your eyes if you're reading the physical book is determining a lot of what you think and feel and do.

Speaker 1

I love audiobooks yeah, man just makes it easier to do everything else I listened all day.

Speaker 2

Yesterday, sunday, I did house stuff kitty litter, watering hole uh, went around and did all the trashes, did the recycling in the trash, said that twice. Uh, I went and changed all the towels out, just got the week set up for success and emilia was gone and her and I were kind of weirdos with this, but we share a car, and so she took the car and I did. I had home workout and I was doing hill sprints in the backyard, but the whole time other than the hill sprints, because I needed music for that, come on. Uh, I was listening to different interviews and or listening to books and I just learned all day, all day. Because I do so much pouring out, I need to replenish it's just wild to me.

Speaker 1

How so the don't over, don't over complicate the process is the title of today's episode. And I I think we're very human beings in general. Again, myself included, I'm a human being, I'm not a robot. We're very quick to say, ah, this ain't working, let me go try something else. And I'm convinced if we spent as much time just doing the unsexy fundamentals as we did looking for shortcuts, I think more of us would accomplish our goals. I really do. Did that book change my life? You wouldn't be able to tell if it did or not. Nothing has happened in the last two weeks.

Speaker 2

I have nothing to show for it. What did it change inside of you? Because it changed your belief system, Beliefs awareness. What's one thing that it did change? You'll never go back the version of Kevin that has read that book versus the version of Kevin that didn't read that book what's the difference?

Speaker 1

I don't know if I know yet I don't know if I know I have to.

Speaker 2

I would say one thing is you're more focused on thinking rationally. Or better, yet you're more focused on not thinking irrationally. I've noticed a shift in you.

Speaker 1

It's hard to know. It's so new, it's such a new awareness and there's a hundred chapters, right, there's a hundred biases, so I can't.

Speaker 2

If you said, give me your top five, I don't even know if I could give you what's your the one that blew your mind. Some people don't even know the cognitive biases I didn't.

Speaker 1

I didn't know them until I didn't know that many Like when. 2020 is when I first learned about cognitive bias, about cognitive biases biases describe what that is.

Speaker 2

A cognitive bias is a blind spot in the human brain. You, what's the best way to describe a cognitive bias?

Speaker 1

oh, okay, here's one.

Speaker 2

Let's say, kevin and I bought 500 reviews all five stars on the podcast. You would think this podcast is more valuable, even though it's not actually more valuable.

Speaker 1

That's a cognitive bias.

Speaker 2

It's called social proof. Social proof.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I think that's probably that one I've known about. I mean, I've talked about that, but how much that one is running the world. I told Alan. I said, hey, if you, I know a thousand percent how we could be more successful, you go get a really, really, really nice car and just let me take a bunch of pictures near it. Now, we didn't want to do this, but all that is is just social proof. You have to imagine, I know something to have such a nice thing, such a external result. Yeah, you know how to rent a car. Well, that's that's true, that's true. But nobody knows I rented it. That's the. That's the thing.

Speaker 1

And there's so many people that are doing that. There are so many people doing that. That's so depressing. Which then it goes to.

Speaker 1

There's a lot of, unfortunately, there's a lot of people that are more focused on looking good than being good. And I got off a call today. I was doing a podcast breakthrough session with someone and sometimes, depending on the person, if it's a very unique case, a half hour is not enough, so I'll book an hour for free. And we chatted today and we were talking about how he's better behind the scenes than he is online. And I said, while I love that, you need to work on the first one, because nobody knows how good you really are and they won't unless you kind of show them.

Speaker 1

But now that I understand social proof at a deeper level, I see it everywhere and I'll never unsee it. So now I'm not as likely to fall for it. Right, it's just not the same as it was before and I want to dispel that. I want to help people become aware of that. That's like my thing. I don't. There's a lot of BS out there. There's a lot of BS out there. What's a good of BS out there? There's a lot of BS out there. What is a what's a good example of an experience that a client had, where they felt this Something that seemed like a mountain ended up being a bunch of little molehills for a long enough period of time.

Speaker 2

I was on with a client this past week and I want to do this with all my clients. I actually reached out to another client and said I can't do this because you don't have any content on publicly, but if you do have any photos, it's really important to go back. So I went with this client and live together. We looked at her podcast two years ago. We watched it together on Zoom and it was insane to see the contrast. It was crazy. It's like not even the same person. It's the same person in essence, but she's a grown-ass woman now. It's like not even the same person. It's the same person in essence, but she's a grown-ass woman now. It's so different. It's not close, it's not, and that's two years, it's only two years.

Speaker 2

She couldn't believe how insecure she was. She could not believe how much worse of a speaker she was. She didn't even look the same. Her energy was different. Her backdrop was different, everything was different. Her backdrop was different, everything was different. And it's just like those transformation photos that we see online. I have one that I was 160 pounds, skinny fat, drank too much and too often miserable, unfulfilled, and then, two years later, I was a ripped fitness model and it looks like a different species. It looks like a different human. But the two years in between, that's 730 days of every day eating differently, and even that's pretty drastic. That was quick, but these little things compound and it on the day-to-day. It doesn't feel like it's working. It's. It really doesn't feel good. I'm not even kidding, it genuinely never once were you. Oh go, kev for reading 30 minutes a day. You're not pumped about it.

Speaker 1

If anything, half the time you listen you're no, I enjoyed it I enjoyed it, but did you always want to do it?

Speaker 2

Didn't you want to listen to music?

Speaker 1

No, it's never. This is the interesting thing that's never been a habit. I've never listened to music while I've done mobility, so it's never been a habit. So it's not even a thought. I don't even consciously think about it. What about driving to the gym, though? Yeah, but I consider that bonus. In my mind, it's like this is bonus learning. I'm gonna get better, faster. So, yes, yes, but I thoroughly. I look forward. I don't look forward to getting up. I don't enjoy waking up. I don't really want to. I want to stay in bed. It's warm there, but once I'm out of bed, I enjoy doing the mobility and I enjoy listening, and then I enjoy, I'm excited to journal. I enjoy the morning routine once I've gotten my ass out of bed.

Speaker 2

Nice. Well, I think that can be a little dangerous because I think most I was on with a client earlier today, a different client, and we were doing morning routine. I said just don't overcomplicate. What's three things? And he wanted to put breakfast on there. I said it's got to be three things that normally don't happen. Breakfast is going to happen, no matter what, true or false. He said yeah. I said what are the three things? Okay, hydrate, journal. And then there was meditate. Okay, those aren't guaranteed to happen, right? He said no. I said that's the key. At the beginning you might not want to do it, but I digress.

Speaker 2

You asked me that question, this person from two years ago. I said okay, now here's how's what's the difference? 10 X, a hundred, x, thousand X. What did she? She's like okay, now here's what's the difference 10X, 100x, 1,000x. She's like oh, at least 10X, probably 100X. I said okay, now, two years from now, I want you to feel the same way. That's hard. I do that all the time and I know I'm a weirdo, so I'm just calling that out.

Speaker 2

But Allen 3.6, it's not going to be close. I'm going to be embarrassed by Allen 3.5. Straight up, embarrassed. I want to be embarrassed by Allen 3.5. I need to be, I want to be way more capable, way smarter, way more rational, way more intelligent, way more virtuous, way better leader, way more rational, way more intelligent, way more virtuous, way better leader. So everyone should be embarrassed by them at 16. There's no one is not embarrassed by them at 16. Right, I am for sure. Right, and and I don't mean you should feel bad about yourself and get stuck in regret, and that's not what I'm saying. All of us have an embarrassing moment that, just like I can't believe I said that I can't believe I did that, but I. That's not what I'm talking.

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

What I'm talking about is the contrast between the version of you now based on so you and I. You didn't even like reading, you never really liked reading that much and you've read hundreds of books. The version of kevin that's read hundreds of books is so much different than the version of kevin who never read any books. It's exponentially different and it's so hard to explain. But you've got to go back and look at photos. You've got to look at videos. That's the key. I remember you had a client who you said take a five-minute video journal entry and then watch this next year and you'll see huge contrast. 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.

Speaker 1

One of the benefits of being podcasters is we have audio and video content time-stamped, and I can go back and say, oh yeah, I remember that. I remember what I was going through at that point and I know a lot of other people don't do that. So I always say and I say this on other podcasts all the time take out your phone, record an audio or a video of where you are in life. When it comes to health, where are you? Are you confident in your body? Are you self-conscious? Do you feel like you're making progress, do you not? Do you not feel like you're making progress? Are you overcoming something? Okay, cool, Wealth where are you? Do you feel like you're scarce? Do you feel abundant? Did you just get a raise? Did you just get a pay cut? Whatever? And then love where are you when it comes to self-love? When it comes to friends, family, intimate partners? Where are you? And then go look at that in six months. Something has changed, something is going to change in the next six months.

Staying consistent even when progress feels slow

Speaker 1

I'm willing to bet it's going to change in the next two weeks, probably because nothing stays the same. But if you don't have the time stamps it's really easy to lose sight of that and say, ah, nothing really happened this year.

Speaker 2

How do you stay consistent, even though it doesn't feel like you're making progress?

Speaker 1

I don't know. I think I have enough proof at this point. I think I have enough proof that.

Speaker 2

I said this to Kev earlier. We did. I coached Kev earlier and yeah, let's use that, let's use that phrase lightly. Alan was having a small midlife crisis. I yeah, let's use that phrase lightly. Alan is having a small midlife crisis. I want it.

Speaker 1

And I'm not saying I don't get coached. Alan coaches me all the time. I was 11 am coaching session with a kid. It's going to be great. Yeah, it wasn't.

Speaker 2

More venting than anything. But I looked over his entire system goals, metrics, habits and I said, dude, best it's ever been, best system you've ever had. And it should be, because obviously you get better. But it's really strong and I'm not saying that lightly, because I've created, I've co-created hundreds at this point of of peak performance trackers and yours is one of the best I've ever seen, including mine. And I said to Kev I literally said this if you do the things on that tracker every day, you'll succeed. If you don't, you won't.

Speaker 1

And that's it.

Speaker 2

I don't really have anything else for you. Oh, and I said and you got to get better at doing every single one of them every day, but if you do that, you will win. You'll crush it. You'll absolutely crush it. However, it will never feel like you're crushing it. That's the duality. That's what I need to make clear. It's not going to feel like you're crushing it. If anything, it might actually feel like you're losing.

Speaker 1

That one's hard because it, I don't know. I feel like I I'm crushing it and some, when it comes to learning and morning routine, off the charts, crushing it. Nice, best ever. I think, covid, I probably had the best morning routine ever because there was nothing else to do. I woke up early.

Speaker 2

You're also coming off a pretty bad morning routine, which is no morning routine. Yeah, I know it feels like a lot of progress, because you went from no morning routine to any morning routine, is gonna, I think, the worst morning routine is no morning routine.

Speaker 1

Nice or cigarettes and whiskey, either one. Probably close one and two, you wake up ripping darts and drinking whiskey.

Speaker 2

That's probably not gonna be a great day he was anonymous, but I had a relationship, talks the, the male in the relationship we were coaching. Uh, and he, he quit smoking, drinking, and he quit all these things all at once and I was good for you.

Speaker 2

And he said I gotta say coffee and a cigarette, I miss it so much, I miss it so much first thing in the morning coffee and a cigarette, I don't know, but uh, that made me think of that and ultimately, the only wrong thing in a morning routine is to not have one. I think you got to have one, whatever it is, and make sure you keep it positive. Kip, keep it positive. Emilia's family has that. Kip, keep it positive and you're not going to always want to do it. You're not going to always want to do it. You're not going to always want to do it. I don't anyways, maybe some people do.

Speaker 1

I don't know. No, no, it's. There is resistance in. I think there's always resistance between what you like, where you are, and what you want to do. I love, I love journaling. I'm not kidding. I love doing mobility, I enjoy it. I don't want to say I love it, I enjoy it.

Speaker 2

Do you always want to do it? That's the thing I don't always want to do, this stuff.

Speaker 1

No, I don't always want to do it. I always want to journal Straight up. I always want to journal Again. I'm only 20 days, 21 days in, or whatever. Will that change? I don't know. I used to love journaling and then I stopped doing it. I journaled every day for years and then I just stopped. So I was like, eh, it's not really. I'm not in that season. I feel like I don't need that as much as I did. It doesn't mean it wouldn't be positive, but it just there's other stuff I could be doing.

Speaker 2

Well, books, journaling, morning routine, the small daily disciplines make a huge difference. They do, they make a huge difference. The version of kev that gets up, does mobility, listens to a book, does his journaling before and then goes to the gym, that's a whole different life.

Speaker 1

It does, it's a whole different life.

Speaker 2

You're gonna start the day off in a more positive mindset. You're gonna believe in yourself more. You're gonna have higher self-esteem. It's gonna change everything. Yeah, it really will, even though it will never really feel like it's making that much of a difference. I don't think. I don't think it'll ever really feel like it's making that much of a difference. And a lot of my clients feel like they're losing, but they're actually winning because they're losing at a great game. That's what it is. Your tracker. Of course, you're going to feel trying to get a hundred percent and not miss at all. Every single day. That might feel like you're losing, but remember, you're up against that really high benchmark, so you're actually winning, even though it might feel like you're losing. Well, that's.

Speaker 1

And I look back and there was a time where I got 100% for like three months in a row. And now I look back and I thought I was winning, but I wasn't.

Speaker 2

Can you go deeper on?

Speaker 1

that? Yeah, it was, I was. Can you go deeper on that? Yeah, it was vanity metrics. Yeah, I was getting 100% every day, but it didn't mean I was maximizing. I could have done a lot more. I probably would have been better off Getting 90% in doing more things that were in other arenas that would have brought more success or fulfillment or whatever, because I don't think I had anything on my tracker for relationship stuff at that point. The business I was crushing the business, but I wasn't probably crushing fitness and my relationship probably wasn't great. That's why it's important to figure out Way back.

Speaker 2

I remember you saying I'm four months baby, I may never miss again. I said I may never miss again. I missed, I think.

Speaker 1

I've only gotten like a handful of 100 since then, but that's going deeper. It's if you make the game too easy to win, you're not actually winning. It looks like you're winning, Like playing when we do the Next Level Hope Foundation. I can play basketball with the little kids on the little tykes hoop and I'm winning. I'm not really winning. No, I'm not really winning. I probably look like a giant loser. Anybody walking by, I'm dunking on them. You know, Kobe.

Speaker 2

Get the layup, get in the post. That's a good metaphor. Get in the post.

Speaker 1

That's all I know about basketball Layup and post.

Speaker 2

Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 1

I don't know. This is my takeaway for this episode, because I know we're coming to the end here I don't know if there's anything that could possibly be considered too small. If you're going to do it consistently, that If you're building something, if you're building a house brick by brick, if you just put one brick up every day, the house will be built eventually, eventually Then here's the beautiful thing about growth. Most of it isn't time-based. You don't have to grow X amount by X date. It doesn't really work that way. How would you even quantify that? I don't know. So if you're willing to read X amount of pages, read a page a day. Cool, you'll read a book a year. Awesome. Is that more than you're currently doing? Yes, awesome.

Speaker 2

The only problem with that is it has to be, and this I stand by so hard, stand by it hard, so hard.

Speaker 1

Stand by it hard, so hard, stand by it so hard.

Speaker 2

So much it has to be, and this is unique to each of you. This is why I like coaching better than podcasting. Right here I can't tell you what's a good system, because Kevin started with five habits. Imagine me coaching that Kevin versus this one.

Speaker 1

Different.

Speaker 2

It's completely different. It's completely different. Everything would have to be different. What 3% would be the same? It's so brutal, so it has to be enough. A page a day would work for some people, but it won't work because if their brain says, ah, not worth it, they won't do it. That's fair. It has to be a habit that is big enough to where your brain says, yes, it's worth it, but small enough to where you can be consistent. That's the key. That's enough to where you can be consistent. That's the key. That's the sweet spot. And that sweet spot is completely predicated on your skills how much you've read in the past, how much time you have available, whether or not you do or do not have kids, what type of book you're reading. It depends on everything. People always ask advice and the answer every time is it depends yeah yeah.

Speaker 2

So the habit needs to be big enough to so. For you it's 30 minutes a day of reading. Technically 20 minutes, okay. 20 minutes a day of reading Okay. That's big enough for Kev's brain to say worth it, but small enough to where you can actually do it daily.

Speaker 1

If anything, the fact that I've been doing 30 minutes suggests that I could make it bigger. I agree.

Speaker 2

However, will other things start falling?

Speaker 1

No, because I'm the gym six minutes each way. If I listen, well, then you should.

Speaker 2

In that case, if I was your coach, I would say you should, unless there's something else you should be doing with that time right yeah or, and again should, is in quotes, because it depends on what your goals are.

Speaker 1

Well, and you can, should for me, because we know.

Speaker 2

You know my goals. Should bees want to, bees ought to bees Gonna bees Used to bees, gonna bees Don't produce no honey. That's what they tell me. Should bees, ought to bees want to bees could bees, gonna bees, gonna bees, a lot of bees. There are many. A lot of B's Want to B's, could B's Gonna, b's, gonna, b's, a lot of B's.

Speaker 2

There are many. Last thing Go ahead. I know that, yeah, I don't need to preface Goal first. What's the goal? Then go from there. People say well, anthony said this Anthony came to book club Anthony, I'm talking as if anthony trucks, he wrote identity shift speaker. He came to book club because we're reading his book and he said start with the perfect day in the direction of your destiny day, direction, destiny. I thought that was cool and then I thought about it. I I was like you got to go to destiny first. You've got to go to what you want first, because what the day looks like needs to be reverse engineered based on what goal you have. Like if you woke up, imagine two versions Kevin a, kevin B. Kevin a wakes up and he has no goals. Right, okay, of course you're going to enjoy yourself, you're going to watch something. No goals, no business. There's no goals. What would you do? Hang out with Taryn, hang out with your cats?

Speaker 2

I'd be the best Go to the gym. Yeah, it would be the best quote unquote for two days, probably two weeks, maybe even two months, but after that you'd be lost and be unfocused.

Speaker 2

Alan would be calling me like hey like hey, man, are you ready to come back? Yet? It's like no, dude, I'm good man, you were wrong. This is awesome. I'm never. I'm never coming back. Yeah, yeah, I've never. You lose your car. All right, I'm kidding, so no, I would.

Speaker 2

But the thing is is kevin a has no goals, no direction. Direction is created based on the destination, and so that kevin b let's say he has a specific goal 72 days days left in Q4. I want to hit X amount of clients, I want to do this amount of revenue, I want to do this amount of workouts. Now your day has to be designed. There's no need to design a day unless you have goals.

Speaker 2

And I was with a client earlier and he does weddings, so he's a videographer ridiculously good videographer for weddings, high-end weddings, and wedding season's over. So he's about to be, you know, in the off season is what they call it and I said we got to be careful, because now you don't have any structure, the structure is gone. We got to create structure, otherwise you're going to potentially go off the rails. When you don't have anything important to do, it gets filled with Instagram and TikTok and nonsense. Every time I don't have important work to do I end up falling down these rabbit holes.

Speaker 2

And so goals create necessity toward designing your day-to-day, and so these morning routines we referred to today. Consistency if you don't have any goals, you don't have a reason to read books, and then you probably won't. And then you'll wake up five, 10, 15 years from now going, damn, I'm not that much different, my life's not that much different, right, versus what my client did two years ago. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I was like that, I can't believe I drove that, I can't believe I lived there.

Speaker 1

Two years is a long time if you're doing the right things, nice. It's also a long time if you're not doing the right things.

Speaker 2

In two years we will all arrive. The only question is where A well-designed location or an undesigned location? My man, jim R, will all arrive. The only question is where a well-designed location or an undesigned location? My man, jim rohn rip. Yeah, I was reading a book of quotes from him last night. I did big learning day yesterday, big learning day for the kid treasury of quotes, hammering me with messages yeah I'll just do, I do that is that a pattern.

Speaker 1

I can tell what you're doing. I can tell where you're at in the day depending on the amount of messages I get. Cool, yeah, we don't text each other as much and I'm sad about it. Let's talk about it quickly Texting yeah, we WhatsApp now and I hate it. You hate it.

Speaker 2

I don't know. I try to separate personal and business. You're personal.

Speaker 1

I know you personally I know you personally, yeah, when do I get to?

Speaker 2

personally text you, you text me regularly yeah. All right, a little separation. A little separation between Trust me.

Speaker 1

Sunday again. I also understand that this isn't realistic for everybody. I some Sundays just leave my phone on the charger after I do my morning stuff. Like just get that thing away from me, let me recharge. Not all the time, but sometimes.

Speaker 1

Sometimes, I get the privilege of doing that. All right. Next, love Nation. As you know, we have a private Facebook group If you are looking to strengthen your community Alan talked about community we'll have the link in the show notes. It's totally free to join. It's private. There's posts in there every day positive humans doing positive things in the world and, as Alan mentioned several times, he has many clients and he has the opportunity and ability to take on more clients. So if you're somebody who is looking to level up your life love, health, wealth, business relationship, a lot of different things Alan can help you. So I'll have the link in the show notes for his free 30-minute business breakthrough session. But you don't have to be a business owner.

Speaker 2

You don't. You don't have to be a business owner. You don't have to be a business owner. Here's what it is in a nutshell.

Speaker 1

Tell us in a nutshell.

Speaker 2

Clarity on your goals, yeah, clarity on the metrics to measure on your way toward those goals. Clarity on the habits necessary to achieve those goals. Clarity on the identity work in order to achieve those goals. So, as long as your goals, metrics, habits and identity are aligned, you will achieve them. And now it's just a matter of time. That's really in a nutshell. All I do, how I do, that is a whole freaking thing, but ultimately that's what it comes down to is as, right now, I feel very strongly about kevin's success. Seriously, he has his goals, metrics, habits and identity very aligned. Right now. I can tell, I can feel it. I I don't know if that's a unique to me thing, but you're gonna win now. I don't know if that's a unique to me thing, but you're going to win now, I don't know. And again, and then you're going to have an identity crisis, then I'm going to lose.

Speaker 2

You're on your way to the next level. I'm certain of that. You're on your way to the next level version of Kevin and I can intuitively sense that and I feel really good about it. And if anyone wants, let me be the pain in the butt that you thank one day.

Speaker 1

Quite a sales pitch you have there. Let me be the pain in the butt that you thank one day. I respect it. I dig that. I think that's what I've been for you. I would say so, yep, I've thanked you many times.

Speaker 2

Not one day.

Speaker 1

All the time. I thank you all the time. I appreciate it. I would say the goal engineer, it would stick.

Speaker 2

You know you'll never use it, yeah you'll never use it.

Speaker 1

But like the dream engineer, goal engineer, you know that type of thing. You're an engineer. You help people with their goals and dreams. It just makes sense, you know.

Speaker 2

The goal engineer. That doesn't sound pretentious to you.

Speaker 1

No more than the rest of you. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2

Yeah, that's fair the goal engineer.

Speaker 1

We have a client Shout out to Phillip. I don't know if it's in his marketing, but he's the physique engineer. Engineer Helps people with fitness and nutrition Makes sense, you think goal engineer huh Goal dream. Yeah, goal Cool Big fan. Yeah, goal.

Speaker 2

Cool Big fan, I love engineering.

Outro

Speaker 1

Engineering goals since 2009. Whatever you know, all right, we're going to go, as always, we love you, we appreciate you, grateful for each and every one of you. At NLU, we don't have fans. We have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow. Please reach out. At NLU, we don't have fans. We have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow. Please reach out. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Speaker 2

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

Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.

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Alan Lazaros

Host
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Kevin Palmieri

Host