Goal Setting Isn’t Enough (2143)

In this real and refreshing episode of Next Level University, Kevin opens up about the surprising letdown he felt after reaching his weight loss target and why not setting a new goal left him drifting. Alan breaks down how meaningful, aligned goals create momentum and why “necessity” often matters more than motivation. This episode will help you reset your focus, avoid goal conflict, and stay in forward motion, even after a win.

Free 30-minute Business Breakthrough Session with Alan -https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-free-breakthrough-session?month=2025-04
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For more information, please check out our website at the link below. 👇

Website 💻  http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

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Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

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Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

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Show notes:
(3:04) Why success needs a reset
(5:09) Meaning over motivation
(10:15) Goals that create real necessity
(14:35) At NLU, your success is our purpose. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month for tools, insight, and the spark to move forward. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NzwOxCMxTDyRJg4CLJS1qg#/registration
(19:09) The danger of conflicting goals
(22:09) How to set the right goal
(28:45) 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.

Chapters

• 3:04 Why success needs a reset
• 5:09 Meaning over motivation
• 10:15 Goals that create real necessity
• 14:35 At NLU, your success is our purpose. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month for tools, insight, and the spark to move forward.
• 19:09 The danger of conflicting goals
• 22:09 How to set the right goal
• 28:45 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) Pulled into the gym today, and I had a moment where I thought to myself, I do not want to be here at all. (0:05) And this is terrible. (0:07) And I realized it was because I had accomplished my weight loss goal and I did not reset a new goal.(0:13) So I kind of felt lost.

Alan Lazaros

(0:15) When you set a new goal, all of a sudden you have to have a new standard. (0:19) When you have a new standard, now you have more necessity. (0:22) And all of a sudden, a lot of things become obstacles and life gets way more challenging.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:27) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:30) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:32) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:35) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:41) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:48) 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.

Alan Lazaros

(1:04) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:10) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:16) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,143. (1:20) Goal setting isn't enough. (1:22) This is going to be a quick one.(1:23) The reason it's going to be a quick one is because it's 9 p.m. on Monday and I am exhausted. (1:29) And I'm going to try not to laugh my ass off in this episode. (1:31) I might, because that's my trauma response when I'm overwhelmed.(1:35) So I pulled into the gym today and- Quick question. (1:38) Please. (1:39) Can you hear my dog?(1:40) Little bit. (1:41) Okay. (1:42) I'm going to ask nicely for you to ask nicely for a little talk.(1:46) Now I heard it. (1:47) Now he's talking back to me. (1:49) No, it's okay.(1:50) It's all good. (1:51) So everyone, that's Tucker.

Alan Lazaros

(1:52) Tucker says hello.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:53) The subway has gotten here. (1:55) So the subs are outside. (1:58) Tucker's ready for dinner.(1:59) Saying, Dad, get down here. (2:00) Get your ass out of the office. (2:01) Pulled into the gym today and I said, you know what?(2:03) Fuck this. (2:04) Don't want to do it. (2:05) Not interested.(2:06) I don't want to do it. (2:07) And I was thinking to myself as I sat there in deep thought, why was I the most motivated I've ever been? (2:14) Not ever, but in a long period of time, like three weeks ago.(2:17) And why am I not motivated at all today? (2:19) And because three weeks ago or four weeks ago, I had very specific, clear, measurable goals. (2:26) That mental law, they're meaningful to me.(2:28) Accomplish the goal. (2:29) I got down. (2:30) I did my 10 pounds in 10 weeks, whatever it was.(2:33) And I didn't reset a new goal for me. (2:37) Going to the gym now feels empty because I don't have a goal. (2:40) I know Tucker's Tucker's losing it down there.(2:43) So I did a little Instagram story today. (2:45) I've been trying to show up in my story. (2:47) And I said, I don't know.(2:49) I really think the sustaining of success is harder than achieving it in the first place. (2:53) Because when you accomplish something, you get all the good feels, you get all the good vibes and you. (3:00) Forget what it was like to want to accomplish the goal when you do it.(3:04) Immediately upon accomplishing a goal, you have to set a new one. (3:07) If you don't, I'm convinced you're going to lose all your progress. (3:09) That is my thesis in today's episode.

Alan Lazaros

(3:10) Love it. (3:11) Absolutely love it. (3:12) I appreciate that.(3:13) There's a book called The 12 Week Year that I've talked a lot about. (3:15) Bradley, if you're listening, thank you for the recommendation years ago. (3:18) Bradley's a client of mine.(3:20) And the 12 week year is what if. (3:23) You could achieve in 12 weeks what most people, it takes them 12 months. (3:28) And it's based on something called Parkinson's law.(3:31) And it's spelled different differently than Parkinson's disease. (3:34) But ultimately the amount of time allocated for something. (3:39) It's essentially if you give yourself an hour, it'll take an hour.(3:41) If you give yourself 20 minutes, it'll take 20 minutes. (3:43) I think that unconsciously, maybe that's one of the reasons why. (3:46) You and I end up with these sort of shorter time blocks.(3:51) Because you and I set up an hour for these. (3:55) And then we end up always taking the hour. (3:56) And then, and then what?(3:58) You want to guess again?

Kevin Palmieri

(3:59) One of the, you want to guess again?

Alan Lazaros

(4:01) One of the reasons is one of the reasons is that I'm overwhelmed that I show up late. (4:06) That is one of the reasons.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:07) That's like somebody driving the car off the road and being like, I think one of the reasons we got here is because of you. (4:12) It's like you were driving, dude. (4:13) You were driving.(4:14) No, no, no.

Alan Lazaros

(4:15) Real talk.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:16) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(4:16) I do believe that I condense my schedule and I jam pack it because it makes me more effective. (4:23) It puts me in the challenge skills sweet spot. (4:25) I really do believe that.(4:26) Anyways, my point of this, the 12 week year, I set quarterly goals with Kev, quarterly goals with every team member, quarterly goals with almost every single client. (4:37) If you're the client out there listening, I know you listen. (4:40) We don't set quarterly goals.(4:41) She says, I'm the reason you can't say every client. (4:43) Yes, that's okay. (4:45) All good.(4:45) She has opted out of quarterly goal setting. (4:48) But anyways, team members, clients, quarterly goals. (4:53) Why?(4:54) Because you could argue, okay, well, once you get to 10 pounds, what's the point? (5:00) The point of goal setting, part of the point I should say is motivation. (5:05) And so you mentioned how meaningful those goals are for you.(5:09) You need to set a meaningful goal. (5:10) If you have goals that are outside of alignment with your core values, I think meaning is what you orient your entire life around. (5:18) NLU, it's 902 on a Monday.(5:21) It's been a long day. (5:23) Why are we here? (5:26) We are here because this is deeply meaningful to both of us.(5:30) You and I will not miss an episode. (5:33) We have a lot of meaning underneath it. (5:35) Our thousandth episode, if you go back and listen or watch the thousandth episode, Kevin and I just started getting emotional.(5:42) It was just welling up. (5:44) I'll never forget the last Samurai is a film. (5:46) And there's a quote in it that I love.(5:49) There's a lot of curtsy in Japanese culture. (5:52) And in the film, he says, but deep beneath that is a deep reservoir of emotion. (5:59) We had a deep reservoir of emotion that just started coming out.(6:02) And we just started crying. (6:04) And I tried to explain that my tenacity, there's someone on YouTube. (6:10) Shout out to you for being a dick, by the way, on YouTube.(6:14) And saying, how much fucking Adderall is this guy on? (6:18) And the truth of the matter is, yes, I use caffeine. (6:21) And no, I do not use Adderall.(6:23) But I'm very focused and I'm very intense. (6:25) And what I've tried to explain to people is my intensity is because of how much I care. (6:33) Think about something you're intense about.(6:35) Think about if one of your pets or family members or children was in danger right now, how intense would you be? (6:43) Intensity is necessity. (6:44) It's when you're ignited.(6:46) It's when you really care. (6:48) You care deeply. (6:49) And I remember back in the day, I would be called a tryhard.(6:53) Why do you care so much? (6:54) It's just a game. (6:55) I would get that all the time.(6:57) It's not just a game to me. (7:00) This is my time and effort. (7:04) I want to put my mind, body, heart and soul into this.(7:07) I don't just play Halo. (7:08) I don't just hang out just to hang out. (7:11) This is about life.(7:14) And to me, you can you can joke and laugh and have fun and be present. (7:18) I get it. (7:19) But to me, life is more meaningful when you achieve goals.(7:22) And so my question for you is, what about your fitness goals were meaningful? (7:29) And then how do we set goals that are more meaningful so that you are motivated? (7:34) Because a lot of people see us, they go, you guys are so motivated.(7:36) You guys are so disciplined. (7:37) And I appreciate it. (7:38) And we are.(7:39) Yeah, OK, I am. (7:40) Kevin says no. (7:41) And I think statistically we are.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:43) I've been very honest about that. (7:45) I'm not I'm not super motivated. (7:48) I'm not.(7:49) I'm not. (7:49) I'm not. (7:50) I don't get out.(7:50) I don't wake up in the morning and jump out of bed and say, fuck, yeah, I don't. (7:54) I drag myself out of bed every morning and go do what I know I'm supposed to. (7:57) I'm way more disciplined than I am motivated.

Alan Lazaros

(7:59) Nice.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:00) Yeah. (8:00) But you have so much meaning underneath this.

Alan Lazaros

(8:03) I would regret it if I did around this.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:05) Well, I would regret it if I didn't. (8:07) I think that's different than maybe that's the motivation from a reactive place. (8:12) I don't know.(8:14) But I always try to be honest about that. (8:16) Like, I'm not the guy who jumps out of bed in the morning. (8:18) My goals don't get me out of bed.(8:19) I don't. (8:20) That's not the way I'm wired. (8:21) I'd be lying if I said that.(8:23) I'm just very regimented. (8:25) I'm just very regimented. (8:26) I remember when I used to work, I used to do my forklift truck driver job.(8:31) I get up every day at 445 for work for just years. (8:36) And that was at like I had never. (8:37) There was a point in my life in my early to mid 20s where I had never hit the snooze button.(8:43) It just didn't make sense to me. (8:44) Like, my alarm goes off, I get up. (8:46) Being an entrepreneur has fucked that up for me.(8:48) I have hit the snooze button since. (8:50) But I was just regimented in that. (8:52) I don't know what that has to do anything.(8:54) Good goals.

Alan Lazaros

(8:55) Yes. (8:56) You feel less motivated in fitness because you hit your 10 pounds in 10 weeks. (9:01) And you've gotten as lean as you had.(9:03) Well, not as lean as you wanted, but you're you hit a lot of your goals. (9:06) So what do you do now? (9:07) And the reason I'm asking is for the listeners because.(9:11) Dude, I'm the worst person ever to explain this because I've never not had goals that mean a lot to me. (9:16) My goals have always meant so much to me. (9:18) In fact, a lot of my relationships have had challenges because goals mean more to me.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:24) I think you need to. (9:25) So what I'm going to do. (9:26) So my goal was weight loss.(9:28) And the reason that was meaningful to me is because I haven't really been in great. (9:34) My standard of great shape. (9:37) Again, you can say what you want.(9:39) You can say, Kev, you're in shape. (9:40) I appreciate that. (9:41) But this is my standard that I'm talking about.(9:43) I haven't been in. (9:46) Freakishly good shape, even though I still wasn't in freakishly good shape. (9:48) But I would consider that freakishly good shape for me based on where I've been.(9:54) In since pre covid. (9:56) That was I haven't been in that good of shape in five years, six years, maybe.

Alan Lazaros

(10:02) You know what else? (10:02) I just connected. (10:03) You had a bachelor party that you wanted to be in great shape for.(10:07) Yeah, that's gone now, too. (10:09) That's gone. (10:09) Yeah.(10:10) And this is all we used to talk about it all the time. (10:13) Why? (10:14) Why power?(10:15) People talk about willpower. (10:17) We're reading a book called Willpower. (10:18) But why power is I used to have my fitness clients write out the top 25 reasons why they wanted to get in shape.(10:25) And I said, don't don't judge it. (10:27) Just write it all down. (10:28) Everywhere from I want to look good on the beach all the way to I want to be around for my grandkids, write it all down.(10:34) And one of my clients reached back out and said, I am so glad you made me do that. (10:39) It is unbelievable how much more motivated I am. (10:41) You can't just get in shape to get in shape.(10:45) Yeah, when I did fitness shows, dude, I was way more motivated. (10:49) And when you say motivated, I don't mean rah, rah, excited for the gym. (10:52) I mean, get your ass to the gym because you're going to get laughed off stage.(10:56) I did anyway. (10:57) You're going to get laughed off stage if you don't. (11:00) That's called necessity.(11:01) I believe in necessity more than motivation. (11:02) I do.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:04) I think it's the best form of motivation because it's not it's not fake. (11:08) It's not like an emotion. (11:10) It's a it's logical.(11:11) If you don't do X, Y happens. (11:15) But right now, that's the thing I that's done. (11:18) I got to my goal early, so I didn't have to have necessity because I had too much necessity.(11:24) What I'm going to do is I'm going to set goals in the direction that I want to move in. (11:28) So I was focused on dieting and losing weight. (11:30) Now I'm focused on gaining strength by and minimizing fat gain.(11:34) I'm going to set a squat goal. (11:36) I will set a bench press goal. (11:38) And I don't really deadlift anymore, but maybe I'll set a deadlift goal.(11:41) I don't know. (11:41) I don't know if it's worth throwing my back out to try to lift a lot of weight. (11:45) I don't know that.(11:46) And I decided against deadlifts.

Alan Lazaros

(11:47) We made a joint decision. (11:49) Yeah, I just feel like it's. (11:51) Yeah, it's such a good workout for testosterone and for it's so important.(11:56) And her and I said it wasn't worth the risk. (11:58) Maybe I'll get back. (11:59) We don't want to be in our 70s struggling like we're.(12:02) And also, sometimes I get a legal on me and I try to, you know, rip more weight than I should.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:10) My for anybody who says squats don't work your glutes. (12:13) My ass is so sore. (12:15) I did squats yesterday says that people say that all the time.(12:19) What? (12:20) Yeah, people say that all the time. (12:20) It's not a good glute builder is what they say.(12:22) And it's not probably not if you don't go deep enough. (12:24) But I go as deep as humanly possible. (12:26) I went yesterday.(12:27) I went to do legs. (12:28) OK, Sunday I slept in. (12:30) Tara and I rode the lightning.(12:31) We stayed up late. (12:32) I had that. (12:33) Fuck you like I don't want to go to bed.(12:35) I'm so sick of going to bed early every night. (12:37) What are we doing here? (12:37) I need to stay up and ride the lightning.(12:39) So I slept in a little bit on. (12:41) I slept to like 645 on on Sunday. (12:44) And I was like, I'm not going to go to the gym.(12:45) I stayed up too late. (12:47) I didn't get enough sleep. (12:48) I have like a 50 something sleep score, whatever.(12:50) And then I like something I do. (12:52) I'm running on. (12:53) I'm running on that today.(12:55) I'm on our 16 right now on like a 50 out 50 sleep score on or not good solid cognitive presence. (13:03) I'm telling you, I'm used to it. (13:05) You know, when you train in the trenches today, when you when you when you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.(13:10) Do you know what I mean? (13:11) That's what I'm saying. (13:14) So I went to the gym.(13:17) I, we were watching something and I was like, honestly, I'm getting the itch. (13:20) You want to come? (13:20) And she's like, I don't know, babe.(13:21) I'm like super comfortable. (13:22) Let's go. (13:23) Whatever.(13:23) I gotta go fucking do legs. (13:24) I need to go do legs. (13:25) What am I doing?(13:25) And I went and did legs. (13:27) And when I was leaving, I was like, my hamstring is pulled. (13:31) I have pulled my hamstring somehow.(13:33) And she's like, are you going to go? (13:34) And I said, absolutely, I'm going to go. (13:35) And I'm not going to do anything different.(13:37) I'm going to pretend it's totally fine. (13:39) So I went to the gym, warm up with a bar for squats. (13:42) Forty five.(13:43) Great. (13:44) Throw, throw 135 on there. (13:47) Two sets of 20 just to get warmed up.(13:49) Cool, cool. (13:49) Throw 225 on there. (13:52) Nice, nice, slow tension.(13:55) Set of 10. (13:56) Cool. (13:56) I'll do it again.(13:57) I'll do another set of 10. (13:58) Start to feel a little twinge. (14:01) 275.(14:02) Let's see what happens. (14:03) Throw that on there. (14:04) Just like a feeler set.(14:06) Six or eight, whatever it was. (14:07) And then I threw 315 on there and I did two sets with that. (14:12) And then that was when it connected.(14:13) I have to have strength goals now. (14:16) That's what I have to have. (14:18) I was going down and I was focused on leaning out and losing weight.(14:21) Makes sense to have that goal. (14:24) Now I need to have strength goals, but I have to have secondary weight goals. (14:28) I don't want to go up to 180, 175 max, but I want to get strong as an ox.

Alan Lazaros

(14:36) NLU listener, what is happening? (14:38) 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. (14:47) You can connect with like-minded people and become a bigger part of this amazing global community.(14:53) The link to register will be in the show notes. (14:57) I got to read something. (14:58) Okay.(14:58) And then I know we got to get out of here. (15:00) This is a podcast where we are just trying to help everyone reach their potential. (15:06) What you'll never learn in school, but desperately need to know.(15:08) Change the way you think, change the way you act, change the way you live. (15:11) Those are all the taglines. (15:13) Conversations change lives of all the podcasts Kevin and I always had back in the day.(15:18) I posted something, as you know, that was, it's on my Instagram. (15:24) And I will connect this Kev, so don't freak out. (15:27) All right.(15:27) I am freaking out. (15:28) All right. (15:29) So a team member reached out in the NLU team chat, private WhatsApp group.(15:34) Team, I'm listening to episode 2138 right now. (15:37) And I've got to give a huge shout out to Kevin Palmieri for absolutely hammering Alan with questions and helping him think smaller. (15:44) Interesting.(15:45) I resonated so much with the questions Kev asked, especially around feeling safe, just having money cash in the bank slash savings. (15:51) Do you know what episode this was? (15:52) Episode 2138.(15:53) Do you remember what it was called?

Kevin Palmieri

(15:54) Yes. (15:55) Is this, sorry, this is keeping you broke forever.

Alan Lazaros

(15:58) Okay, nice. (15:58) Go back and listen to that episode. (15:59) If you haven't yet, it is super powerful.(16:02) And again, this is Brandon's words, not mine. (16:04) Alan knows so much that sometimes it can be hard for someone like me to fully grasp what he's saying. (16:10) Having Kevin there to slow it down and help Alan translate is a total game changer.(16:14) Alan Lazarus, we are unbelievably lucky to have your knowledge, but also having Kevin get into the weeds and make it digestible is the icing on the cake. (16:20) Keep crushing it, both of you. (16:22) All right.(16:22) Quite frankly, I'm going to be vulnerable here for a second. (16:24) I feel like I understand goal setting at such an unreasonably deep level. (16:31) I have never not had goals and there is never a time, there's a lot of times, there's a lot of things you can say about Alan Lazarus.(16:39) No one ever would have said, hey, this dude is just lazy and unmotivated.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:44) For some reason, when you said that, I was going to say he's a pee-pee poo-poo pants.

Alan Lazaros

(16:50) This is Kevin on a 5460.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:52) That's all I could think when you said that is, well, they could say you're a pee-pee poo-poo pants. (16:56) I'm sorry.

Alan Lazaros

(16:58) You're good. (16:59) Next time you have a thought, keep it to yourself. (17:02) Lock it up.(17:03) But seriously, there's a lot of things you could say, but no one has ever been like, hey, you should really work harder. (17:10) You should be a little more intense, a little more focused. (17:12) You should be more goal-oriented.(17:13) No one ever has said that shit to me. (17:16) And the reason why is because I've had goals my entire life. (17:19) Even as a kid, I had little goals and huge goals too.(17:23) There's long-range goals. (17:25) There's short-term goals. (17:26) There's mid-range goals.(17:27) Your short-term leads to your long, your mid-range leads to your long-term. (17:31) My point of all this, this whole tangent, at some point, we should have you interview me just about goals. (17:39) And try to get me to actually explain it well, because this is what I do for a living.(17:44) I have every, almost every single client. (17:48) I have 21 clients right now. (17:49) And almost every single one has dreams that are reverse-engineered based on quarterly goals that have metrics and habits.(17:57) And I just feel like I've never done a great job explaining it, because people think I'm so motivated. (18:04) I really do appreciate that. (18:06) You've witnessed this.(18:08) I'll have someone come into my life, and all of a sudden, they'll be on fire. (18:12) And they'll just start crushing. (18:14) They'll start posting on social media.(18:15) They'll start getting in the gym. (18:16) They'll start reading books. (18:17) They'll start going.(18:18) And yes, they burn out, okay? (18:20) Yes, I understand that. (18:21) Burns hot, and it burns out sometimes.(18:23) But the reason why is because when you can set goals that matter to you so fucking much, you just become another level human, a next level person. (18:35) And then the question becomes, how do you sustain it? (18:39) And so here you are setting a new goal, because the bachelor party's over.(18:45) You hit your goal weight. (18:46) And now you're sitting there going, okay, I got to change the game. (18:48) And you said, I want to change my goal from the weight goal that made sense when I was cutting to now I want a strength goal.(18:54) The problem is most people have goals in conflict, and they're choosing the wrong goals. (18:59) What if you were trying to build strength while trying to lose weight, while trying to minimize fat, while trying to maximize muscle? (19:07) Those are all goals in conflict.(19:09) You can't optimize for six things at a time. (19:12) I have one client who lost 22 pounds in 24 weeks. (19:16) And she says she can do it like that next time.(19:18) I taught her how to do it. (19:19) It's all based on having the right goal. (19:23) Some people have no goals.(19:24) That's the worst idea. (19:25) Some people have goals, but the wrong goals. (19:28) That's the second worst idea.(19:29) And then some people have the right goals in the right time frame for the right meaning. (19:35) And I really feel like I've just never done a great job at explaining that. (19:39) But I do understand it in my head.(19:41) It's just very hard to explain.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:42) The other thing, too, and we will, we'll do that at some point for sure. (19:44) The other thing, too, is moving closer to some goals just feels better than other goals. (19:50) The strength goal is good, but it's not as good as being lean.(19:57) No way. (19:58) For me. (19:58) It depends on, yeah, for you.

Alan Lazaros

(19:59) For me.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:00) For me.

Alan Lazaros

(20:00) I'm always pretty strong. (20:03) I love feeling bigger. (20:06) You love feeling leaner.(20:08) Yes, but that's because you're shorter and I'm taller. (20:10) And you were always more muscular. (20:12) I was always more lanky.(20:13) So everything is unique to each individual. (20:16) This is why some people, if you're out there right now watching or listening, sorry to interrupt you, Kevin. (20:21) It's if you feel unmotivated, that is actually probably because you have misaligned goals or lack of clarity.(20:29) I was on with Nina earlier. (20:31) Shout out to Nina. (20:32) She literally said to me, I kid you not.(20:33) She said, I've been working on this for a year. (20:36) You just solved it in 10 minutes. (20:38) Nina, if you're listening, thank you for that.(20:40) And I said, it's just my gift. (20:42) And I referenced how Kev always says Alan loves it when people tell them about them. (20:47) Because Kev behind the scenes, he said straight up.(20:49) He said, Alan, people don't like it when you know more about them than they know about themselves. (20:54) And I said, that's my job. (20:56) It's my job to know more about you than you know about yourself.(20:58) I study human beings and I study your uniqueness and I'm learning how it all works. (21:04) Neuroscience, physiology, psychology, all the stuff. (21:06) And with Nina, we put together clarity and she was just blown away.(21:13) She's excited to work with us in August. (21:15) So anyway, shout out to you, Nina. (21:16) And the goal thing, I don't think it's ever been sufficiently explained.(21:21) The 12-week year, the art of impossible, the compound effect, rationality, all these books, they do a decent job if you combine them all. (21:31) But there's very few books who actually can help you reverse engineer long-term goals because seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, years, decades, lifetime. (21:42) I feel like no one has done a good job explaining how to align this second to the life you want.(21:51) You're setting yourself up for a hell of an episode. (21:54) I'll hammer you. (21:55) I appreciate it.(21:56) And you've got to get me to explain it in a way that will land and or transcode it too because that's what Brandon was saying.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:02) All right, we'll put it on the books. (22:04) What is your lesson for today's episode?

Alan Lazaros

(22:09) If you don't have goals right now, set a quarterly goal. (22:12) We've got 65 days left in this quarter. (22:15) So from now until October 1st, set a goal that matters to you.(22:20) It has to matter to you. (22:21) You can't, it can't be, oh, I really wish this mattered. (22:24) It has to actually matter.(22:26) And usually what matters is connected to desire and pain. (22:30) So Kev really didn't want to be out of shape for the bachelor party. (22:33) That was good necessity.(22:34) He really wanted to be leaner and be in the best shape since COVID. (22:38) That was necessity. (22:38) So don't, don't kid yourself about what you care about.(22:42) If you don't care about being jacked, you're not going to get jacked. (22:45) You have to really care about it.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:48) I'm gonna, I'm gonna squat four or five this year and get back under, under four plates. (22:54) Nice. (22:54) You heard it here, folks.(22:55) That's my, that's one of my goals. (22:57) What would I say? (22:59) My next level lesson would be this.(23:01) If you just accomplished a goal and you feel like shit and you're like, why do I not feel good? (23:06) It's because you got all the good feelings of accomplishing the goal and now you feel lost. (23:11) And it's time to reset a different goal.(23:13) And this is coming from a guy who's going through that right now. (23:15) And I've gone, how many times have I gone through that? (23:17) I've gone through that so many times.

Alan Lazaros

(23:19) Last piece. (23:19) As someone who used to think, because Kev, I used to say the goal of the goal is never to get the goal. (23:24) And you'd say, no, no, I just want the goal.(23:25) Yeah. (23:26) What is your new take on that?

Kevin Palmieri

(23:27) I still want the goal.

Alan Lazaros

(23:28) I still want the goal. (23:29) Of course. (23:31) But what did you used to think back in the day when, because you used to think when you got the car, when you got the, you know, the wife, when you got the house, when you got the a hundred million, a hundred million, a hundred thousand dollar a month.(23:42) A hundred million. (23:43) Yeah. (23:43) Nice.(23:44) Well, you still think that when you, when you reach a hundred million, then.

Kevin Palmieri

(23:47) Less, less than I ever.

Alan Lazaros

(23:48) What's your truth now?

Kevin Palmieri

(23:48) Less than I ever have.

Alan Lazaros

(23:51) Man. (23:56) Like why? (23:57) Go back to, to young Kevin.(23:59) Say, Hey man, I know you think boom, boom, boom. (24:01) And then go through.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:01) Because it's the, it's more of the pursuit than anything. (24:05) The pursuit of it makes you do things that you wouldn't have done in a good way. (24:08) Not a bad way.(24:09) I mean, unless you're a Robin Banks, but that's not a good, that's not good. (24:12) That's bad. (24:13) That's bad.(24:14) Don't do that. (24:15) It forces you to become more. (24:17) It forces you to learn more.(24:19) It's not it. (24:20) Yeah. (24:20) It's not about the goal.(24:21) It's, it's about what happens after the goal, but it does feel good to get the goal. (24:28) And you have to have a plan after. (24:30) If you don't have a plan for the goal after the goal, you're going to feel stuck for a long period of time.(24:36) You're going to feel stuck for as long as you sit in purgatory in between goals.

Alan Lazaros

(24:42) We talked on an episode recently. (24:44) I know we got to jump here. (24:45) Well done.(24:46) I know. (24:47) I know. (24:48) We talked in an episode recently how we are so excited to come up on our first hundred thousand dollar month.(24:53) I'm underwhelmed by it. (24:55) I am.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:55) Okay. (24:56) Real talk.

Alan Lazaros

(24:57) Real talk. (24:57) So that's July. (24:58) It's ending in three days and I just saw some good stuff come through.(25:01) We're doing great. (25:01) I'm proud of us in business. (25:02) Okay.(25:03) But dude, I hope this lands different for people. (25:06) The only reason we hit a hundred thousand dollar month is because we're going for something way more than that. (25:11) Has that ever landed?(25:14) It, it's in quote unquote great shape. (25:17) I used to say, listen, the only reason I'm in this shape is because I'm shooting way bigger. (25:20) Yeah.(25:21) I think this is a milestone on the way. (25:23) Okay. (25:24) Now transcode it.(25:25) Okay.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:28) If your goal is to do, if your goal is to do 100 of something, 100 podcast episodes, 100 coaching calls, 100 home renovations, 100 pushups, whatever it is, that's your goal. (25:42) I don't think you're going to, there's a pretty high likelihood that you don't do it. (25:48) But if your goal was to have the most successful, uh, whatever it'd be the best pushup person I'm losing it.(25:57) I am, I'm fucking losing it. (25:58) The best you could have the most pushups done in an hour in history and the Guinness book of world records as a byproduct of that, you're going to have to learn how to do a hundred pushups because the goal is going to require you to go way further than you would have. (26:12) So the size of the goal dictates your margin for error in a way is probably how I would explain it.(26:20) When I, when I do podcasts as a guest, people like 2,100, whatever, it's like we, this, that's just a number that is required in order for us to get to where we're getting to 100% and it essentially will be that way forever. (26:32) I just feel like most people just haven't found that thing for themselves yet.

Alan Lazaros

(26:36) I think that's a really big game versus finite game to be continued.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:39) Yeah, I can't do it because my, my, my last score two days in a row, my last three brain cells are fighting right now. (26:45) They're like, dude, you need to go to bed. (26:46) Like you really need, I'm going to bed right after this.(26:49) I appreciate the conversation.

Alan Lazaros

(26:50) I think this is really important and I appreciate that you sat in it.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:54) Well, I think it's important as somebody who has set a lot of goals and helped a lot of people set and accomplish goals like this still happens to me. (27:01) This is, I'm going, I literally sat in my car today saying, why don't I want to be here? (27:06) That's so new to me because over the last six months I haven't really felt that way and you forget what it's like and then you forget why you felt that way.(27:15) And so I think it's, it's important to share that stuff. (27:19) Agreed. (27:19) You dig?(27:20) Very much. (27:21) All right. (27:21) Great episode man.(27:23) Likewise. (27:24) I almost said thank you as if I did it myself. (27:26) I did build most of this kind of myself, but you know.(27:29) All right. (27:29) Next level nation. (27:30) If you are looking for a group of amazing humans who are into fitness, we have a free WhatsApp group.(27:36) It is the next level fitness accountability group. (27:38) DM Alan at a Lazarus 88 on Instagram, or you can email Alan, Alan at next level universe dot com. (27:45) I am at never quit kid on Instagram.(27:49) I get your email, right? (27:49) Right? (27:50) Yeah, yeah, for sure.(27:51) Or Kevin at next level universe dot com and just, just DM the word accountability and we'll send you the WhatsApp group. (27:58) We don't put it publicly out anymore because somehow people get, it's a whole thing. (28:02) Bots get ahold of it and then they try to join and it's, it's weird and we want to make sure everybody's good.

Alan Lazaros

(28:06) So we currently have 45 people in there. (28:09) So if you want to join a community and all of them have been people we actually know of, there's no one just, there's no bots, there's no spam, there's no one's promoting except for us. (28:19) And again, we're just inviting people to things every now and then.(28:21) So it is on fire. (28:23) It's awesome. (28:24) And join us.(28:26) Let us know if you want more motivation, inspiration and accountability and fitness. (28:30) This is the place to be. (28:32) There are some genuine people in there.(28:33) We got people doing weights. (28:34) We got people doing cardio. (28:36) We got people swimming.(28:37) We got people at the beach. (28:38) We got people doing Pilates, yoga, the whole nine. (28:41) It's not like just bodybuilders.(28:44) Boom.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:45) All right. (28:45) As always, we love you. (28:46) We appreciate you.(28:47) We're grateful for each and every one of you and NLUs and our fans. (28:49) We have family. (28:50) We will talk to you all tomorrow.

Alan Lazaros

(28:51) Keep it Next Level.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:52) Next Level Nation. (28:55) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (28:59) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(29:02) We mean it when we say family. (29:04) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (29:07) Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri

(29:11) Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.