You Can’t JUST Live In The Present (2196)

In this episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros share why chasing the now without learning from the past or planning for the future can leave you stuck. Hear fresh insights on goals, discipline, and the science of flow, all designed to help you build a meaningful, successful life. Catch the full conversation today.

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Show notes:
(3:09) Ignoring future consequences is risky
(6:02) Short-term thinking leads to regrets
(7:52) Anxiety as a helpful signal
(11:00) Goals keep meaning alive
(13:44) The need for new lighthouses
(18:14) What flow really feels like
(22:04) The science behind flow’s benefits
(24:51) 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

• 3:09 Ignoring future consequences is risky
• 6:02 Short-term thinking leads to regrets
• 7:52 Anxiety as a helpful signal
• 11:00 Goals keep meaning alive
• 13:44 The need for new lighthouses
• 18:14 What flow really feels like
• 22:04 The science behind flow’s benefits
• 24:51 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) 

There is a book called The Power of Now, and Alan told me about it, and then very quickly said, honestly dude, do not read that, that will take you right off the freaking rails.

 (0:10) 

The Power of Now can be detrimental if you take it the wrong way.

 (0:15) 

Welcome to Next Level University.

(0:18) 

I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.

 (0:20) 

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

 (0:23) 

At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

(0:36) 

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

(0:52) 

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

Kevin Palmieri

(0:59) 

Welcome to Next Level University.

 (1:04) 

Next Level Nation, today, for episode number 2,196, we're doing one of our favorite things, where we kind of talk about a success principle that is widely used that is not helpful, probably.

 (1:19) 

You just said, about.

(1:22) 

You said about weird.

Alan Lazaros

(1:24) 

About.

 (1:24) 

About.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:25) 

Did I say it like that?

 (1:26) 

I don't know.

 (1:28) 

I don't remember.

Alan Lazaros

(1:28) 

It was different than that.

 (1:29) 

It was different than you've ever said about before, in my opinion.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:32) 

I appreciate you recognizing that.

 (1:36) 

It was like a boot.

 (1:37) 

A boot.

(1:38) 

That's my Canadian style.

 (1:40) 

Can I get to the fucking episode now?

 (1:41) 

Yeah, sure.

(1:42) 

All right.

 (1:44) 

This is one of those episodes where we take something that is out there all the time, stay in the present, live in the present, the power of now, the power of the present is all we have, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

 (1:55) 

And I made a joke before we recorded this.

(1:57) 

I said, honestly, you don't really have to worry about the future or the past.

 (2:01) 

If you're like a bajillionaire right now and you're just cool with floating around in your money, you don't really have to think about anything other than nothing.

 (2:07) 

You just think about what you're doing right now.

(2:08) 

And I also realize that is none of you listening because there's no such thing.

 (2:12) 

As a bajillionaire, it doesn't exist and it won't for a while.

 (2:15) 

I'm sure it will eventually.

(2:15) 

So yeah, what is your perspective on this?

 (2:19) 

Is bajillion an actual word?

 (2:20) 

It won't be eventually.

(2:21) 

It's an actual word.

 (2:23) 

Is it a number?

 (2:24) 

I don't know.

(2:25) 

But it's a word.

 (2:27) 

Are you sure?

 (2:27) 

It's not like a made up number?

Alan Lazaros

(2:31) 

I'll check on it.

 (2:32) 

Okay.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:33) 

What's your perspective on this?

Alan Lazaros

(2:35) 

I think that you and I were talking earlier about proactivity and how we've been more proactive in business and life lately.

 (2:43) 

And for all the listeners, I'm just going to say a bunch of things that you've heard.

 (2:49) 

Oh, school is starting soon.

(2:51) 

You know, Q3 is ending.

 (2:54) 

Or 2026 is coming up.

 (2:56) 

The holidays are on their way.

(3:00) 

All of those sayings are basically saying, hey, something's coming in the future and we should probably prepare for it now.

 (3:09) 

Living only in the now.

 (3:11) 

I heard a clip that was saying the present is all you have.

(3:15) 

So just stay present.

 (3:17) 

That is just so wildly untrue.

 (3:20) 

Imagine if Kevin and I were like, hey, we want to start and grow a global business and we want to help people be more successful and achieve their goals and dreams.

(3:30) 

And then we just stayed in the present.

 (3:33) 

Wouldn't happen.

 (3:34) 

Hey man, how are you?

(3:36) 

Right this second?

 (3:37) 

Great.

 (3:38) 

Awesome.

(3:39) 

Same.

 (3:41) 

How are you now?

 (3:42) 

Can't talk about the future.

(3:42) 

Hey, can't talk about the future.

 (3:44) 

No, no, no.

 (3:44) 

You can't talk about the future.

(3:45) 

What are you up to this weekend?

 (3:46) 

Can't talk about it.

 (3:47) 

I don't even- What do you think we should do in the business?

Kevin Palmieri

(3:49) 

Can't talk about it.

 (3:49) 

I don't even think that far ahead.

 (3:50) 

Depends.

(3:51) 

We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

 (3:52) 

Oh, okay.

 (3:53) 

Depends on how you feel.

Alan Lazaros

(3:53) 

What do you think we should do right now?

 (3:55) 

What do you feel like doing?

 (3:56) 

Just this.

(3:58) 

Just this.

 (3:59) 

Do you think we should talk about- What do you want to talk about in the now?

 (4:03) 

Right now?

(4:03) 

Not, no, no.

 (4:04) 

You can't care about the listeners' futures.

 (4:05) 

You can't care about your own future.

(4:06) 

Can't talk about the past?

Kevin Palmieri

(4:08) 

Nope.

 (4:10) 

That'd probably be a lot of silence.

 (4:12) 

Probably just be us looking at each other.

(4:14) 

I realize this is coming off probably very hard.

 (4:18) 

Condescending.

 (4:19) 

It's coming off condescending.

(4:20) 

Let me break the ice.

 (4:20) 

Bajillion is a real word.

 (4:22) 

It is spelled B-A-J-I-L-L-I-O-N.

(4:25) 

And in the dictionary from Oxford language, sorry, Oxford languages, an extremely large number used for emphasis.

 (4:33) 

Example, I've got a bajillion things to do.

 (4:35) 

It's a real word.

Alan Lazaros

(4:38) 

But it doesn't actually correlate to a real number.

 (4:40) 

Not a real number, no.

 (4:41) 

It just says large for emphasis.

(4:44) 

Okay, back to the point of the episode.

 (4:48) 

Everyone out there watching or listening, just imagine for a second someone who never thinks about the past.

 (4:56) 

And you're not allowed to talk about the past.

(4:58) 

You're not allowed to reminisce about the past.

 (5:00) 

You're not allowed to ask how Kevin's weekend was last weekend because that's in the past.

 (5:06) 

You gotta stay present.

(5:08) 

And you're not allowed to talk about the future.

 (5:10) 

You're not allowed to talk about your career or your goals or your dreams or your aspirations.

 (5:15) 

You're not allowed to talk about the fact that I'm moving next year.

(5:18) 

You're not allowed to talk about what cars, what's your dream car?

 (5:20) 

No, can't talk about it.

 (5:21) 

What about your dream body?

(5:22) 

Can't talk about it.

 (5:23) 

What about a movie that's coming out in 10 months?

 (5:25) 

Nope, stay in the now.

(5:26) 

Don't worry about it.

 (5:27) 

Don't worry about it.

 (5:28) 

I'm really excited for Avatar 3.

(5:29) 

I don't give a fuck.

 (5:31) 

I don't give a fuck.

 (5:32) 

You can't talk about Avatar 3.

(5:33) 

But where am I gonna see it?

Kevin Palmieri

(5:35) 

I don't know.

 (5:35) 

Don't worry about it.

 (5:35) 

Let me ask you a question.

(5:37) 

Do you think...

 (5:38) 

So this is my thought because I was thinking of...

 (5:42) 

There are a lot of things happened in high school.

(5:45) 

For sure.

 (5:46) 

A lot of things.

 (5:47) 

I can think of at least one.

(5:48) 

Happened in high school.

 (5:49) 

That's a good hook.

 (5:51) 

And there were some people that I believe were only thinking about the now.

(5:57) 

And I can give you two different examples of how unfortunately that was not good for them.

 (6:02) 

I know many people that had children way too young.

 (6:06) 

Not many people.

(6:06) 

Several people that had children way too young.

 (6:08) 

How did that happen?

 (6:10) 

Would we say?

(6:11) 

They were probably only thinking about the now.

 (6:14) 

I also know people that were in very bad car accidents due to drinking.

 (6:20) 

How do we think that happened?

(6:22) 

That was a very unintelligent decision based on not thinking of what the consequences are.

 (6:27) 

When you think of the consequences, you're thinking of the future.

 (6:30) 

You're thinking of what could go wrong.

(6:32) 

And I think that if nothing else comes from this episode, because I know we're very jokey in the beginning of this, but that I think that is something super powerful.

 (6:43) 

If you've ever made a bad decision and you can go back and trace it to, I was only thinking about the present.

 (6:48) 

I wasn't thinking about the consequences.

(6:50) 

That debunks this whole thing right here.

 (6:52) 

And I also understand that people aren't saying you just have to be present all the time.

 (6:56) 

You can't ever think about the future.

(6:57) 

But I think what people are trying to get to land is.

 (7:01) 

I've heard this before.

 (7:02) 

If you're depressed, you're thinking about the past.

(7:04) 

If you're anxious, you're thinking about the future.

 (7:06) 

The only way around that is to live in the present.

 (7:08) 

I don't agree with that.

(7:09) 

I know it's not true.

 (7:10) 

I know.

 (7:10) 

I understand.

(7:11) 

I don't.

 (7:11) 

I think it's just blanket statement.

 (7:13) 

I said, I've heard it said.

(7:15) 

I've heard that said.

 (7:16) 

I don't agree with that.

Alan Lazaros

(7:17) 

I know.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:17) 

As somebody who has dealt with both depression and anxiety.

 (7:20) 

It ain't that simple.

Alan Lazaros

(7:22) 

No, as a matter of fact, your depression and anxiety was because you were enjoying the present too much and not concerned about your future at all.

 (7:29) 

Because pretty soon the future becomes the now.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:32) 

I would say that was a piece of it.

 (7:33) 

I think there was also other stuff.

 (7:34) 

There was stuff that I didn't face from the past.

(7:37) 

It all connected.

 (7:38) 

It all connects.

Alan Lazaros

(7:39) 

You didn't face the past or your potential opportunity in the future.

 (7:43) 

And so then you were depressed and sad and worried in the present.

 (7:47) 

If you don't ever think about the past or the future, your present is going to be fucking terrible.

(7:52) 

Especially in the 21st century, things are moving so fucking fast.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:56) 

Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(7:58) 

And again, I'll give an example.

 (8:00) 

There's some people that I know that don't have any computer skills.

 (8:03) 

They don't know how to use computers.

(8:07) 

And they're in some trouble in the future when it comes to the job market.

 (8:12) 

If you have tremendous computer skills, you're very valuable in the market.

 (8:21) 

So, brother, most of my decisions in life have come from what I think is coming in the future.

(8:26) 

Emil and I are always talking about the future.

 (8:28) 

AI, all this stuff.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:30) 

And we're preparing now for it.

 (8:32) 

But it requires a level of...

 (8:34) 

It requires a lot of things to understand what's coming in the future.

(8:38) 

What's obvious to you...

 (8:40) 

Yeah, yeah.

 (8:40) 

Right?

(8:40) 

Is not obvious to me.

 (8:41) 

And maybe things that I see, you don't see because it's not in your circle of concern.

 (8:47) 

I'm sure I know a lot of dumb shit that's going to happen.

(8:50) 

I predict.

 (8:51) 

I predict a lot of stuff that's probably going to happen.

 (8:52) 

But maybe you don't think about it because it's not valuable to think about.

(8:57) 

I think about weird stuff.

 (8:59) 

Don't ask me to give you an example because I got nothing on top.

 (9:02) 

Please do not back me into a corner.

Alan Lazaros

(9:06) 

This podcast is designed to help you be more successful.

 (9:12) 

Let's talk about what is of value about staying in the present.

 (9:17) 

When should you stay in the present?

(9:18) 

Why should you stay in the present?

 (9:20) 

What actually would be effective and optimal?

 (9:24) 

Because depression is when you're dwelling on the past and anxiety is when you're concerned about the future.

(9:33) 

Listen, some anxiety is actually evolution doing its job.

 (9:40) 

Some anxiety is, hey, by the way, something bad is fucking going to happen if you don't save money now.

 (9:49) 

Like, I have a trip coming up.

(9:53) 

I'm leaving on the 26th.

 (9:54) 

Emilia and I are doing a road trip and I'm going to be back on basically the next full non-trip.

 (10:02) 

Full Monday is the 6th of October and there's a bunch of nuance.

(10:05) 

But I have to squeeze so much work in between now and the 26th.

 (10:12) 

So much.

 (10:14) 

To the point where I had a lot of anxiety on Tuesday.

(10:16) 

I very rarely have this happen to me.

 (10:18) 

I had crippling.

 (10:19) 

I was sitting in my office like, how the fuck am I going to do this?

(10:22) 

I don't think I can do this.

 (10:24) 

And I just went to my whiteboard.

 (10:26) 

I drew a target.

(10:28) 

Podcasting, training, and coaching.

 (10:29) 

And I said, Alan, just stay on target.

 (10:31) 

And you don't have to do everything.

(10:33) 

You just have to do those three things.

 (10:35) 

Go.

 (10:36) 

And then I got out of it and I just climbed out of the dark hole, the dark place.

(10:40) 

And here I am and we're doing it.

 (10:43) 

But that anxiety was basically my system, my central nervous system, my brain saying, Alan, this ain't going to work, man.

 (10:52) 

You can't do 50 episodes between now and the 26th.

(10:56) 

Everything you have planned for your future needs to shift a bit.

 (11:00) 

That is an adaptive response.

 (11:02) 

That's a positive, constructive form of anxiety.

(11:05) 

I think it becomes destructive when you don't leverage that and take action.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:12) 

You and I had a conversation behind the scenes.

 (11:14) 

And I think it connects to this.

 (11:15) 

And you also wanted to talk about flow.

(11:16) 

So make sure you talk about flow.

 (11:19) 

I said to Alan, I said, this is like the first time in probably eight years where I haven't been anxious about money.

 (11:29) 

And if you were to ask Taryn, she would probably think I'm anxious about money because I am very proactive because I'm thinking about the future.

(11:38) 

Just because I'm not anxious about money does not mean I should not be thinking about the future.

 (11:43) 

I can't just live in the present.

 (11:45) 

As a matter of fact, the reason you're not anxious about money is because you have planned the future.

(11:49) 

100%.

 (11:50) 

But I think that's an important thing.

 (11:53) 

If I've learned anything, when you get to a place, when you get to the place where you have accomplished, quote unquote, whatever the goal was that you set, you have to be more disciplined than you had to be in order to get the goal in the first place.

(12:12) 

And to me...

 (12:14) 

Go ahead.

 (12:14) 

That never...

(12:15) 

I'd go deeper.

 (12:17) 

Why does that not land for me?

 (12:19) 

Great example.

(12:20) 

Buddy, I got a guy in the gym.

 (12:22) 

Shout out to Seth.

 (12:22) 

Great dude.

(12:23) 

Friendliest dude in the world.

 (12:25) 

You listen to the show?

 (12:26) 

No, but shout out to Seth.

(12:27) 

How dare he?

 (12:29) 

Does he know?

 (12:29) 

He does know.

(12:30) 

He does know.

 (12:31) 

We've had conversations.

 (12:33) 

Let him know the new tagline.

(12:34) 

I will.

 (12:35) 

He's dieting.

 (12:36) 

And he's been dieting for like six months.

(12:38) 

The end of the month.

 (12:39) 

So the end of the September, he's going to be done dieting.

Alan Lazaros

(12:41) 

Nice.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:41) 

And I said, Oh, dude, that's awesome.

 (12:43) 

Good for you.

 (12:43) 

Good for you.

(12:44) 

He said, Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous though.

 (12:45) 

And I said, Why?

 (12:46) 

And he said, Because last time I did this, I said I was going to bulk back up to whatever it was, 180 pounds.

(12:53) 

And I just kept going.

 (12:54) 

And I said, Well, that's because all the necessity is gone.

 (12:58) 

Now you've accomplished the goal.

(13:01) 

And it's harder for you to maintain the results of the goal than it was to get it.

 (13:05) 

Because now all of the motivation is gone.

 (13:07) 

You've already got all the feel good feelings.

(13:10) 

And you don't have a very specific goal to shoot for.

 (13:12) 

Now your goal is don't, don't gain too much weight.

 (13:15) 

That's not a good goal.

(13:17) 

Yeah.

 (13:17) 

Nice.

 (13:17) 

That because.

(13:19) 

We should do an episode on that.

 (13:20) 

For sure.

 (13:21) 

I think that's the way it happens.

(13:22) 

I think now I wanted to save a certain amount of money or get to a certain level of finance.

 (13:29) 

And now that it's there, I think for a lot of people, it's easy to fall off and then just kind of fuck things up.

 (13:36) 

Well, that's why you immediately need to set a new goal.

(13:38) 

Oh, we've talked about that.

 (13:39) 

We've talked about that.

 (13:40) 

Yeah.

(13:41) 

But that requires you not living in the present.

 (13:44) 

You can't just live in that.

 (13:45) 

You literally have to look into the future and say, okay, in the present now, I feel like I'm starting to lose motivation or I feel like I'm off target or whatever.

(13:55) 

I need to set something into the future that allows my present.

 (13:59) 

I need a lighthouse.

 (14:01) 

Great.

(14:02) 

100%.

 (14:02) 

You can be on the boat and you're present while you're driving that thing, steering that thing, piloting that thing, captaining that thing.

 (14:11) 

Nice.

(14:11) 

And you're going towards the lighthouse.

 (14:13) 

But somebody had to go put that lighthouse there, knowing that eventually you would need that.

 (14:16) 

And I think that's what we have to be for ourselves.

Alan Lazaros

(14:19) 

Did I talk to you yesterday on the podcast about my client who said she was kind of struggling?

 (14:26) 

Keep it anonymous.

 (14:27) 

She's like, I'm not really feeling it.

(14:28) 

Hey, I'd like to explore shaking things up.

 (14:31) 

I'm at a point in my journey where I feel like I'm in a little bit of a rut, personally and professionally.

 (14:34) 

I was like, I got you.

(14:35) 

I know exactly what to do.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:36) 

I think you shared that on your story too.

 (14:39) 

I don't know.

 (14:39) 

I think you touched on it.

(14:40) 

I think you touched on it, but I don't think you said a lot about it.

Alan Lazaros

(14:43) 

Well, what I said to her is the reason you feel like you're in a rut is because you've already achieved pretty much all of your dreams.

 (14:49) 

Not long before this, this person just achieved a big dream.

 (14:53) 

She got her license to be a CNA.

(14:55) 

That was like a big goal for years.

 (14:57) 

She was working on that.

 (15:00) 

And now she's in a rut.

(15:01) 

Of course you are.

 (15:02) 

We got to aim higher here.

 (15:03) 

What are we doing?

(15:04) 

We got to fucking crank.

 (15:07) 

And again, I know I'm unique in this, but like, if you don't have goals, you're going to be bored out of your fucking mind.

 (15:13) 

Goals, they make life meaningful.

(15:15) 

If they're not just vanity goals.

 (15:18) 

So we set a bunch of goals.

 (15:20) 

$5 million net worth.

(15:21) 

Travel two times a year.

 (15:23) 

170 pounds.

 (15:24) 

Donate $250,000.

(15:26) 

Hike the Grand Canyon.

 (15:27) 

There's meaning.

 (15:28) 

Let's rock and roll.

(15:29) 

We're here to live.

 (15:31) 

We're not here to hang out.

 (15:33) 

Complete a Tough Mudder.

(15:35) 

Read 400 interesting books.

 (15:38) 

Well, you're not bored anymore.

 (15:39) 

That's a lot of books.

(15:40) 

That's a lot of books.

 (15:41) 

Let's rock and roll.

 (15:41) 

The point of life is to live.

(15:44) 

And living is a byproduct of meaningful fucking goals.

 (15:47) 

Now, I know this is about being in the present.

 (15:50) 

This person who I'm talking about now can't just live in the present.

(15:54) 

Now she has to.

 (15:55) 

Oh, okay.

 (15:56) 

Well, I got to plan the Grand Canyon.

(15:57) 

Oh, no, you're not allowed to plan.

 (16:00) 

Okay.

 (16:00) 

How do I get there?

(16:01) 

Nope.

 (16:02) 

No, no, no.

 (16:02) 

You can't plan.

(16:03) 

You'll get there.

 (16:04) 

You'll get there.

 (16:05) 

You'll get there when we'll cross that Grand Canyon when we come to it.

(16:09) 

Now, at the end of the day, again, I know this is coming off condescending.

 (16:11) 

The truth is, not all those who wander are lost.

 (16:15) 

It's a J.R.R. Tolkien quote.

 (16:16) 

That quote sucks.

 (16:18) 

Most of the people who wander are lost.

 (16:20) 

You ever hear that shit?

(16:22) 

Not all those who wander are lost.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:24) 

It never resonated with me.

Alan Lazaros

(16:25) 

Most of the people who are wandering around are actually lost.

 (16:27) 

And then they're romanticizing it.

 (16:29) 

Kev, I will be honest with you.

(16:30) 

When I was the most unhappy, I was pretending to be the most happy.

 (16:37) 

There was a time in my life where it was my fuck-off time.

 (16:39) 

It was like six months where I was like, fuck it.

(16:42) 

I don't care about goals.

 (16:43) 

I don't care about dreams.

 (16:44) 

I'm just gonna fucking party.

(16:46) 

And you would have thought I was the happiest person on earth.

 (16:49) 

Behind the scenes, when I was alone, I was miserable.

 (16:52) 

I was so unhappy.

(16:53) 

I was depressed.

 (16:54) 

But at the party, of course I'm happy.

 (16:58) 

I'm drunk.

(16:58) 

We're rocking.

 (16:59) 

We're listening to tunes.

 (17:01) 

We're dancing.

(17:02) 

Of course it looks awesome.

 (17:05) 

Folks, please.

 (17:06) 

That is not fun.

(17:09) 

Those people that you see having a fucking blast and romanticizing carefree wandering and carefree lifestyle and YOLO, I'm telling you right now, I've partied with them.

 (17:19) 

I've been one of them.

 (17:20) 

They are miserable behind the scenes.

(17:22) 

The only thing that makes life meaningful is true love and meaningful progress toward meaningful goals with people you care about towards something that matters to you, with your passions, in your purpose.

 (17:34) 

And that requires planning for the future, learning from the past, building in the present.

 (17:39) 

None of that has anything to do with sitting here just in the now.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:45) 

We're going to have to do a part two, I think, because you want to talk about flow.

 (17:48) 

And I don't think seven minutes is long enough to effectively go through flow.

 (17:52) 

I think we could pull it off.

(17:54) 

You think?

 (17:55) 

Give flow a shot.

 (17:57) 

All right.

(17:57) 

While you do this, I'm going to open another tab because I am on a podcast right after this and I just have to make sure they sent over the link.

 (18:04) 

It's all good.

 (18:04) 

You do your thing.

(18:05) 

Okay, so what is the benefit of actually living in the now?

 (18:09) 

Flow.

 (18:10) 

Okay.

(18:11) 

Tell me more.

Alan Lazaros

(18:14) 

Just ask me to see if I get a laugh at it.

 (18:19) 

So flow is also known as the zone.

 (18:22) 

What else do you call flow?

(18:24) 

Getting in the zone, the deep now, a genius state.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:29) 

They call it a bunch of stuff.

 (18:30) 

The zone is probably the best example.

Alan Lazaros

(18:32) 

Getting in the zone.

 (18:33) 

So you're in the gym and you're feeling it, baby.

 (18:35) 

And you hit that heart rate and you're just, everything's, it's flowy.

(18:41) 

Seriously, it's unbelievable.

 (18:43) 

You just feel like a superhero.

 (18:44) 

It's the best.

(18:45) 

Nothing hurts.

 (18:47) 

You're just cranking.

 (18:49) 

You're focused as fuck.

(18:50) 

It's awesome.

 (18:51) 

I love flow.

 (18:52) 

I designed my whole life around flow.

(18:53) 

Point of flow is being in the deep now.

 (18:56) 

But by the way, no one gets into flow just to get into flow.

 (19:00) 

I do think some people do when they listen to music.

(19:02) 

I think this is what a concert is for.

 (19:03) 

It's called group flow.

 (19:06) 

So when you go to your favorite concert, it's designed to get you into flow.

(19:11) 

Or when you're fully immersed in a movie.

 (19:13) 

I love that.

 (19:14) 

When you're in a movie and it's so good that you just don't want anyone like, everyone stop talking.

(19:18) 

This is the scene.

 (19:20) 

I love that.

 (19:21) 

So movies, concerts, this podcast, hopefully, gets you into flow.

(19:28) 

A good book that you can't put down.

 (19:31) 

You're in flow.

 (19:33) 

That's called the deep now, which is basically nothing else matters.

(19:36) 

You're fully immersed in what you're doing.

 (19:38) 

Painting, whatever you do.

 (19:42) 

Sports, play basketball.

(19:44) 

I get into flow.

 (19:45) 

I love playing basketball.

 (19:47) 

I challenge myself out in the sun.

(19:50) 

It's unbelievable.

 (19:51) 

So flow is basically a state of consciousness that provides all of the best neurochemistry.

 (19:59) 

So people who struggle with depression and anxiety when they go surfing, or they go snowboarding or skiing, or they go on a trip and they get into flow, they feel amazing.

(20:14) 

And there's basically all these neurochemicals, serotonin, oxytocin, norepinephrine, all these different neurochemicals that our bodies are always producing.

 (20:25) 

Flow gives you all of them at once.

 (20:28) 

Also, dopamine is the main one.

(20:31) 

Dopamine is the one that cocaine activates.

 (20:36) 

So when you go to a concert and you're feeling it, you basically get all these chemicals.

 (20:43) 

It's the best feeling in the world.

(20:45) 

And that's why drugs are so addictive because basically they do that without having to do anything.

 (20:51) 

And so another good example that I think will relate to everyone.

 (20:54) 

We're watching Chief of War on Apple TV, I want to say.

(20:59) 

You know what Chief of War is?

 (21:00) 

No, I've never heard it.

 (21:02) 

It takes place in Hawaii.

(21:03) 

It's got Jason Momoa.

 (21:04) 

Oh, okay.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:05) 

I haven't seen it, but I saw the cover of him.

 (21:10) 

Okay, yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(21:11) 

So it's actually dope.

 (21:12) 

Slower paced.

 (21:13) 

I like it a lot.

(21:15) 

Okay, so the season finale is tonight.

 (21:19) 

That show gets you into flow.

 (21:23) 

And it makes you feel really good.

(21:25) 

Here's the danger zone.

 (21:26) 

We didn't accomplish anything.

 (21:29) 

So ideally, you would use flow to be productive and actually achieve something meaningful.

(21:35) 

Whereas if you go to a concert to get flow, or you travel to get flow, or you get flow from a Netflix show, or Apple TV in this case, we don't...

 (21:46) 

Emilia and I are going to watch that episode.

 (21:47) 

We're going to get into flow.

(21:48) 

We're going to love it.

 (21:48) 

It's going to be great.

 (21:49) 

We're going to get all the brain chemistry.

(21:51) 

We're going to share the experience together.

 (21:52) 

It's going to be wonderful.

 (21:52) 

We're going to have delicious food.

(21:54) 

Date night's going to be great.

 (21:56) 

But when we're done and we get off the couch, we didn't grow.

 (21:59) 

We didn't learn.

(21:59) 

We didn't do anything.

 (22:00) 

We didn't develop any skills.

 (22:02) 

We simulated all of that.

(22:04) 

So flow makes you 500% more productive, 240% more learning and memory, creativity and innovation increases by 400%, meaning and purpose increases by 100%.

 (22:15) 

And if you do it with someone you care about it, it increases even more, which is why it's more meaningful to watch the show with Emilia than it is just by my fucking self.

 (22:23) 

So, and at the end of the day, I want you to talk a little bit about flow because I designed my entire existence around it.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:29) 

We're not going to have time.

 (22:31) 

I predicted this.

 (22:32) 

I get on a podcast, you know, it's like, you know, you got a minute and 46 seconds.

(22:36) 

That's your synopsis.

 (22:37) 

My synopsis.

 (22:38) 

I don't, I told Alan, I said, I don't, he said, how do you get into flow?

(22:42) 

And I said, I don't really know.

 (22:43) 

I, their exercise, when I go to the gym, I put my headphones in and I put my hood on and I don't really, I get super focused and I don't really think about anything else.

 (22:53) 

And the best workouts I have are the ones where I'm not thinking about anything else.

(22:55) 

The worst workouts are when I'm checking.

 (22:57) 

I don't look at my phone when I'm working out.

 (23:00) 

There's a reason.

(23:00) 

I want to stay in flow.

 (23:02) 

I would say wrapping is another one for me.

 (23:04) 

When I write, I lose track of time completely.

(23:05) 

That's why I can't do it that often because it takes a lot of time.

 (23:09) 

I don't know.

 (23:09) 

I'm, we're going to have to do part two.

(23:13) 

Yeah, we're gonna have to do a part two.

 (23:14) 

I don't know if I have a very specific answer that I can hammer in 15 seconds.

 (23:19) 

You do not design your life around flow or, you know.

(23:23) 

No, I designed my life around.

Alan Lazaros

(23:25) 

How many people do you think design their existence around flow?

Kevin Palmieri

(23:28) 

Around flow, one in a hundred.

Alan Lazaros

(23:32) 

Less than that.

Kevin Palmieri

(23:32) 

Not many.

Alan Lazaros

(23:34) 

Last piece.

 (23:35) 

Kevin and I interviewed someone named Stephen Kotler.

 (23:37) 

He wrote the book, The Art of Impossible.

(23:39) 

One of my favorite books ever written.

 (23:41) 

This book is a great book.

 (23:42) 

It's unbelievable.

(23:43) 

He talks all about flow triggers and how to, how to get into flow.

 (23:47) 

If you want to feel good, that brain chemistry.

 (23:50) 

Like after a great workout called runner's high, getting in the zone, whatever sport you love.

(23:55) 

What Kevin's talking about, a great gym session.

 (23:58) 

You'll have brain chemicals work for you all day.

 (24:03) 

And if you're not getting into flow often, you're probably not getting the full benefits of a meaningful life neurochemically.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:11) 

Neurochemically speaking, we're going to do a part two.

 (24:13) 

We've got to do part two.

 (24:14) 

All right, man.

(24:15) 

We got to do part two because I want to be able to talk more about flow and I want to make sure I can actually, I'm, I get anxious when we get close to the time because I have to be on a podcast.

 (24:21) 

I don't like being late.

 (24:21) 

You know how I operate.

(24:22) 

So you can't get into flow.

 (24:23) 

So I can't get into flow.

 (24:24) 

When I'm producing this episode live, making sure we get off on the right time, it's very hard for me to get into flow.

(24:30) 

What are we going to promote?

 (24:31) 

We are going to promote the fact that this, the podcast tagline now is the awareness, habits, and strategies to become the most next level you.

 (24:41) 

That.

(24:42) 

And if you want to become the most next level you possible, we have book club and we have a bunch of other stuff.

 (24:48) 

So make sure you check the link in the show notes for that.

 (24:51) 

And as always, if you want to be the most next level you, and that is what you're committed to do, make sure you tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you do that.

Alan Lazaros

(24:58) 

Keep reaching for your full potential and get into flow.

 (25:02) 

Next level nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:05) 

Thanks for joining us for another episode of next level university.

 (25:09) 

We love connecting with the next level family.

Alan Lazaros

(25:12) 

We mean it when we say family.

 (25:14) 

If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly.

 (25:17) 

Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.

(25:20) 

Thank you again.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:21) 

And we will talk to you tomorrow.