The Problem With Most Success Principles (2353)

Hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down the uncomfortable reality that real success rarely feels exciting while you are building it. Through years of personal growth, entrepreneurship, and coaching high performers, they have learned that mastery is less about motivation and more about structure, repetition, and identity. What most people call “boring” is often the exact environment where results are created.

If you want a clearer understanding of why progress sometimes feels harder than expected, this episode will recalibrate your standards. Hit play before you talk yourself out of doing the thing you know you should do.

_______________________

Learn more about:
Track the Work. Earn the Results. To know more about the "Next Level Fitness Accountability Group," reach out.

• Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
• Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Book Alan’s Business Breakthrough Session. Your first 30-minute coaching call is FREE. Learn how to prioritize success and let your quality of life become the byproduct. - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-breakthrough-session

_______________________

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, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

Website: http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Facebook:
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email:
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

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

_______________________

Show notes:
(3:36) Fun Vs. Obsession with mastery
(7:49) The boring truth about high performance
(8:59) Variety inside long-term consistency
(14:47) Fear that passion will feel like work
(16:44) Designing life around your main skill
(22:00) Wanting results more than avoiding effort
(25:30) Time investment required for real success
(30:24) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

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

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) I want you to imagine two movies. (0:03) One movie, the person, the character, the main person is trying to be the most successful person possible. (0:09) And the second movie, they are trying to have the most fun possible.(0:13) I can imagine that you can picture how different those two movies would be.

Alan Lazaros

(0:17) Being extraordinary at something requires repetition, repetition, repetition. (0:22) So it's not always going to be fun.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:24) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:27) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:28) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:32) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:38) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:44) 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

(1:00) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:07) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:13) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,353, the problem with most success principles. (1:20) I woke up today and I was thinking to myself, today just feels so familiar. (1:27) It just feels like every other day.(1:28) So there's this movie, I think it's from the 80s, Bill Murray's in it, I believe. (1:31) It's called Groundhog Day. (1:33) And the whole premise of this movie, if you haven't seen it, is every single day is exactly the same.(1:39) I've never seen it either. (1:40) I've seen bits and pieces of it and I've seen reviews of it. (1:42) I've never seen the whole movie, so I don't even know what the hell I'm talking about really, but sit with me here.(1:47) I know enough to be dangerous. (1:49) The whole premise of the movie essentially is every single day is the exact same. (1:53) Alarm clock goes off, same car drives by, everything is the same day.(1:58) Okay? (1:59) All right. (2:00) That is how I feel many days.(2:03) Today being one of them. (2:04) I woke up, alarm went off, I do not want to get out of bed at all. (2:09) Zero percent want to get out of bed.(2:10) Come downstairs, use the bathroom, weigh myself, get my gym clothes, take my pre-workout, ace comes down.

Alan Lazaros

(2:19) Oh shit.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:20) What? (2:20) I forgot to weigh myself this morning. (2:22) Ah, see?

Alan Lazaros

(2:23) Sorry, listeners. (2:23) It's not Groundhog Day.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:25) Ace rubs against my leg, I pick him up, I give him kisses, finish my pre-workout, boom, off to the races. (2:30) Every single day feels the same exact. (2:32) And then I had this moment where I thought to myself, that is exactly in alignment with success.(2:39) Because the opposite of that would be, I kind of wake up when I want, kind of go to the gym when I want, there's no set schedule, there's no consistency. (2:48) And this is the example that I use with that one. (2:50) I said, imagine if you work an eight-hour day, and then every night you get an hour to play video games.(2:57) That would probably be pretty fun. (2:58) An hour of video games to end the night, might be a good time. (3:02) Imagine if I told you for the next 365 days straight, five days a week, so for the next calendar year, out of the week, five days, you're going to play video games for 12 hours a day.(3:15) I'm willing to bet you would get sick of that pretty fast. (3:18) Even if you love video games. (3:19) I used to love video games.(3:20) I don't think I ever played for more than three or four hours at a time, because I just got sick of it, eventually. (3:25) But, if you want to be really good at video games, you're going to have to play for 12 hours a day. (3:30) If you want to have fun, you can dip your toe in and play an hour a week, or an hour a day, or whatever it is.(3:35) I think that's a good example. (3:36) If you set it up for fun, you'll dip your toe. (3:39) If you set it up for success, you're unfortunately going to kind of have to be obsessed with it, and it's going to feel like Groundhog Day.

Alan Lazaros

(3:46) We live in a competitive world, and so, whether it's sports, or video games, snowboarding, basketball, tennis, podcasting, being a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, whatever it is, the more you get great at the thing, there's a very strong correlation between how much you earn, and how good you are at the thing. (4:12) And so, if you want to be successful at something, you're going to have to compete with people that are, this is a good metaphor, if you play football way back, there was the Bellingham Falcons, you remember? (4:25) I was, when is this?(4:28) You and I were children.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:30) Bellingham Falcons? (4:31) No, I don't.

Alan Lazaros

(4:31) Pop Warner football, way back? (4:33) I never played Pop Warner. (4:35) We played, I ended up doing flag football instead.(4:39) But, it's tackle football for like, little kids. (4:41) Sounds like a terrible idea. (4:42) Yeah.(4:44) And, you have to take it a certain level of serious. (4:49) You have to do it a certain amount. (4:51) Then, you go to JV in high school.(4:56) And then, you have to take it a little more seriously. (4:57) Then, you get to varsity. (4:59) You have to take it a little more seriously.(5:00) Now, you're a starter. (5:02) Now, you take it more seriously. (5:03) Now, you're actually the main player on the whole team's counting on you.(5:09) Now, you have to take it a little more seriously. (5:10) Then, you go to college. (5:13) D3, take it a little more seriously.(5:15) You get promoted to D2. (5:16) D2, D1, obviously, if you go to D3 school, typically, you don't move. (5:19) But, you might.(5:20) You might. (5:20) Some people do. (5:21) Some people play D3, crush it, and they go to D1.(5:25) Then, they get drafted. (5:27) Now, you're in the NFL. (5:29) Okay.(5:29) Now, you're on the bench in the NFL. (5:31) Okay. (5:31) Now, you're a starter in the NFL.(5:32) Okay. (5:33) Now, you're a starter on one of the best teams in the NFL. (5:35) Okay.(5:35) Now, it's the focus. (5:42) It increases exponentially. (5:44) We've said this before, but I want to really hammer this home.(5:48) I don't know if you can get world class at something without putting in insane amounts of effort. (5:55) Is there anyone at the top of any game that doesn't? (6:01) Well, let's try that.(6:02) Let's try that on for a second. (6:04) Is there anyone you or I can think of that is the best in their industry who doesn't dedicate a significant portion of their existence to that thing?

Kevin Palmieri

(6:15) The only thing I would say is somebody that crosses genres like was an actor and then becomes a musician or a comedian that becomes an actor. (6:28) That. (6:29) I don't think Kevin Hart is one of the best actors in the world by any stretch of the imagination, skill wise.(6:34) Yeah. (6:34) The Rock is not either. (6:35) The Rock is not a good actor.(6:37) But, they're not trying to be good actors.

Alan Lazaros

(6:38) They're trying to be funny.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:39) Well, I know. (6:41) But, is he? (6:41) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.(6:42) But, I don't know. (6:43) I think that's probably the best example.

Alan Lazaros

(6:45) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:45) And then like J-Lo when she's an actress. (6:47) I think there are certain people. (6:48) Like Anna Kendrick.(6:49) You know who Anna Kendrick is? (6:51) She's an actress. (6:53) But, also in her ...(6:55) There was a Pitch Perfect, a couple or three Pitch Perfect movies. (6:58) I think she can sing very well also. (7:01) Okay.(7:02) I think Ryan Gosling can sing and act and dance. (7:06) So, I don't ... (7:06) I think some people just they just got it.

Alan Lazaros

(7:11) Wolverine? (7:13) Hugh Jackman. (7:13) Hugh Jackman.(7:14) He was impressive in The Greatest Showman. (7:18) But, that's the thing is like ...

Kevin Palmieri

(7:20) I mean is he like world class at singing or is he world class at singing for somebody who's not a singer who's an actor? (7:27) I don't know. (7:28) I don't know if the perception of him is different because people don't expect much.(7:32) You know? (7:34) That's a whole different conversation.

Alan Lazaros

(7:35) Yeah. (7:35) But, then if we had that conversation like how long did it take him to prepare for that role? (7:39) That's fair.(7:40) He probably did at least six months of singing training. (7:44) That's fair. (7:44) Yeah.(7:45) Yeah. (7:46) So, the point of this is and I wrote this down. (7:49) Unrelenting tortoise.(7:50) It's boring. (7:53) Being the tortoise is boring. (7:55) It's ...(7:55) I think it's awesome to be great at things. (8:00) And, I think you can make getting better at things enjoyable. (8:07) But, ultimately and I'll use me as an example just to lead my example here.(8:13) Exercising coming up on four years March 1st. (8:16) Haven't missed a day. (8:18) And, I told Emilia.(8:19) I said I can't work out at that same gym every single day. (8:23) We have to go to another gym at least once a week. (8:26) So, on Sundays typically we'll go to like one of the other gyms in the area.(8:31) And, we went to one on Sunday that was just and we mixed up the workouts a bit too. (8:36) We did a very interesting workout on Sunday. (8:40) Kind of crossfit slash weight training.(8:43) But, yeah. (8:44) I mean some days are definitely sucky. (8:48) And, some days are like I don't want to be here.(8:52) So, this is the takeaway for me would be how do you incorporate novelty into the main thing? (8:59) There's got to be a way to ... (9:03) All right.(9:04) I'm going to share this. (9:05) Okay. (9:06) Imagine if you're out there watching or listening and you really did exercise daily.(9:09) It's almost like that would check that box. (9:11) You're going to be healthier forever. (9:13) The benefits are tremendous.(9:14) It's unbelievable. (9:16) But, you can't set it up where you do the same thing every day. (9:20) I exercised every day for four years coming up on March 1st.(9:23) But, I didn't do the same thing every day. (9:25) Sometimes it was jogging. (9:27) Sometimes it was swimming.(9:28) Sometimes it was walking. (9:29) Sometimes it was weight training. (9:30) Sometimes it was crossfit.(9:32) Sometimes it was bodybuilding. (9:33) Sometimes it was strength training. (9:34) Sometimes it was HIIT training.(9:35) Sometimes it was hill sprints. (9:37) Sometimes it was adventure races in the woods. (9:39) Sometimes it was ...(9:40) We did a 5k one time. (9:44) That ... (9:45) The vehicle stays the same.(9:48) But, the variety can be within that vehicle. (9:51) And, I think you have to set yourself up for ... (9:54) If you want to be successful and a peak performer, you have to set yourself up on a train, metaphorically, that gains momentum, that never loses momentum.(10:02) But, the train needs to be ... (10:04) I don't know. (10:04) A good metaphor would be in each cart on the train is like a different novelty, a different thing.(10:10) You can go from train to train, cart to cart. (10:12) But, you have to stay on that main rail way. (10:15) And, the truth is, if you want to be healthy, wealthy, and in love, you have to keep that ...(10:19) Exercise has to be a performer in health. (10:24) But, what type of exercise, how much and how long, how intense, all that can change. (10:28) So, I like to find variety within the mundane.(10:32) I used to be the guy who ...

Kevin Palmieri

(10:34) I don't know. (10:36) I think I was just ... (10:37) I think I was just arrogant to a degree.(10:40) I never understood how people could go to a restaurant or a cafe and work. (10:44) It just didn't make any sense to me. (10:46) It's like, there's no way you're going to get the same amount done if you were at home.(10:49) But, that's not the point. (10:50) That's not the point. (10:51) It's ...(10:52) Okay. (10:53) Think of a couple scenarios. (10:55) One, you're going to stay home, but you're not going to work.(11:01) Or, you're going to go to a cafe, and you're going to work. (11:03) Which one should you choose? (11:04) You should choose the second one, because that's more optimal.(11:07) I understand it now, but I think at the time ... (11:10) Number one, I like being home. (11:11) So, I don't really like going out.(11:13) And, it just didn't make sense to me. (11:15) But, I think to your point, it is important to have some variety in the staleness of success.

Alan Lazaros

(11:22) Got it. (11:23) Maybe that's something you and I do well that we don't talk about.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:26) I don't think so. (11:28) I just started bringing my laptop out of the office, like to other rooms in the house. (11:34) I've never done that.(11:35) Almost, not in the last five years. (11:38) It lives in the office, and then it stays in the office. (11:41) I brought it up to do something.

Alan Lazaros

(11:42) I think that's good in some ways. (11:44) Again, pros and cons to everything.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:46) I think it's helped me be more productive, because I'm working more. (11:51) Am I as focused?

Alan Lazaros

(11:52) You're on, and when you're off, you're off, which is good for rest and recovery.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:55) Am I as focused? (11:56) No. (11:57) But, am I doing work that I would not have done?(11:59) Yes. (12:00) So, it really is like, there's tier one optimal, and then there's tier two. (12:08) It's almost like it's optional.(12:10) It wouldn't have gotten done if I didn't do it in this way, so let me do it in this way. (12:14) It's not optimal, by any stretch of the imagination. (12:17) I'm not increasing momentum, but I'm not losing momentum.

Alan Lazaros

(12:21) Okay. (12:22) In this metaphor, in this analogy, if someone did want to be a pro gamer, they could, let's say they have to play 12 hours a day, which I think is probably excessive. (12:34) You can probably pull off eight, six days a week.(12:35) I don't know. (12:37) You'd know better than I, but. (12:38) Yeah, I mean, a lot of the pro gamers, they do three hours on, two hours off, three hours on, two hours off.(12:45) They usually don't have a very good schedule. (12:47) A lot of times it's late into the evening. (12:49) I remember I would play competitive gaming first thing before I'd go to college, and I'd be like, oh, I got to stop doing that, because it's so intense.(12:56) Gaming is not R&R. (12:58) Competitive gaming is definitely not R&R. (13:00) It's really intense.(13:01) Anyway, my point though is, if you're going to be a gamer, the main train is being a professional gamer, but you can play different types of people. (13:12) You can do 2v2, 4v4, team deathmatch, whatever. (13:16) You can do variety within the game, and you might even do different games.(13:20) Some of the gamers that I played with back in the day, they were really good at Halo 1, then Halo 2, then Halo 3, then Halo 4 eventually, and then Call of Duty. (13:30) I think that it's just like this podcast, 2350 whatever episode this is, but we are not talking about the same exact thing, and certainly not in the same exact way. (13:42) Now, here's what never changes.(13:44) We never miss. (13:45) We do an episode every day. (13:47) Great.(13:48) We always talk about how to be successful in health, wealth, and love. (13:51) Everything has to do with that. (13:53) That's the main goal, the main theme, main through line.(13:55) However, the perspectives, the style, the topics, the titles, it all changes. (14:02) I don't know if, and maybe this is the engineer in me, you have to engineer your life for a couple main trains that never stop, and then you find variety within them. (14:15) Maybe one of the reasons, you and I have told ourselves, well, we're not that variety driven.(14:19) That is fair. (14:19) I'm definitely not. (14:21) I know that.(14:22) I can't eat the same shit every night though. (14:24) I can. (14:24) I don't like to, but I can mix it up.(14:28) We have rice pretty much every night now. (14:30) It's fine. (14:31) I still like it.(14:32) She likes jasmine rice. (14:33) I don't really like it. (14:35) Whatever, but I can mix it up with what we go with it.(14:38) Maybe that's the cheat code for our listeners is, if you struggle with consistency, maybe it's because you crave variety. (14:44) Put variety within the thing.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:47) What I was saying to you behind the scenes was I think one of the problems slash fears people have is like, I don't want the thing that I love to feel like work.

Alan Lazaros

(14:54) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:55) And I think if you do something long enough, it feels like work, but you can also, I have, I've actually started to kind of appreciate traveling. (15:08) So I'm traveling to a client two days a week. (15:10) There's a little piece of me that appreciates it now because honestly it's easier than every other day.(15:14) It's easier. (15:15) However, when you used to travel, I hated it, hated it. (15:19) Yeah.(15:19) So that's a piece of it. (15:21) Or I really, really, really enjoy days where I don't have any calls. (15:28) I just enjoy it.(15:29) I like those days better because I can get so much stuff behind the scenes done. (15:32) I don't have to be at a certain place at a certain time. (15:35) I'm always counting in my head obviously, but it's like, well, I don't have to worry about being here exactly at noon.(15:41) I can do something else. (15:42) So there is, I guess, variety in the monotony of it. (15:46) And I think everything kind of, if you really want to get good at something, it probably is going to feel like a job because all a job is, is you get rewarded for consistency, somebody else's behalf.

Alan Lazaros

(15:58) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:59) That's really all it is. (16:00) So it's the same thing. (16:02) You're just being rewarded for your own consistency eventually.(16:06) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(16:06) It's like career day versus career, right? (16:09) I bet you us being a UPS driver for one day would probably be pretty cool. (16:14) I like to listen to music, listen to podcasts.(16:16) All right. (16:16) I just got to go. (16:17) I see people.(16:18) Hey, how's it going for, but that's the thing is like, so let's have this conversation now. (16:23) I remember I was with someone and they love cooking. (16:26) They're really good at it too.(16:27) And they've spent years mastering it. (16:30) And they said exactly that. (16:31) Well, I don't really want it to feel like work.(16:33) And in my head I said, that's really dumb because wouldn't you, you don't like your job. (16:38) You hate your job. (16:41) This is, I think this is a reframe that I think will help our listeners.(16:44) Instead of, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, which is really just somewhat inaccurate in general. (16:51) Like I love one-on-one coaching. (16:52) I really do.(16:53) It's out of all the work out of everything Alan Lazarus has ever been paid to do. (16:58) This is by far bar none, the highest. (17:00) And yes, I've won tournaments in video games.(17:03) I've done a lot of shit for money. (17:04) That sounded bad. (17:05) I've done a lot of things that I got paid for.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:10) That might sound worse somehow. (17:12) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(17:13) But my point is I love one-on-one coaching in terms of things that I get directly paid for more than anything else I've done in 37 years on this planet. (17:23) You better believe it feels like work. (17:26) Are you fucking kidding me?(17:27) Seven o'clock at night. (17:29) It's game time. (17:30) Alan get in the zone.(17:31) Boom. (17:31) Let's go. (17:33) This is the reframe.(17:35) I would rather you design your life around a primary skill that you're good at in the right vehicle that pays you well, that you don't want to feel like work, but it's gonna, there's nothing you're going to do day in and day out 40 hours a week and not have it feel like work. (17:51) Not a chance. (17:52) I agree.(17:53) Professional athletes. (17:54) I guarantee you it feels like work a hundred percent. (17:57) And maybe it feels better than the other things they hate.(18:00) Like I personally don't like cooking. (18:02) I never have. (18:03) I'm not going to be a fucking chef and I shouldn't.(18:06) I have a client who loves cooking, absolutely loves it. (18:10) Purpose-filled kitchen. (18:11) You know exactly what I'm talking about.(18:12) Of course we have her designing this new date night idea where she gets three couples together and cooks for them and with them. (18:21) It's like a cooking class, like a private cooking. (18:22) It's awesome.(18:23) And I was like, okay, well, let's crunch the numbers. (18:25) Okay. (18:25) Well, the food will cost this.(18:26) This is how much you'll make. (18:27) This is the profit. (18:28) This is how much time.(18:29) That's great. (18:30) You're going have an awesome evening. (18:31) You're going to get to do what you love with people and you're going to have a blast and it's going to be profitable.(18:36) Wouldn't you prefer that than punching some time card at some place you hate? (18:40) Now that said, don't just quit your job and start a business without understanding what you're getting yourself into. (18:47) Because there's a thousand things around the one thing that need to get done, which you and I just talked about off air of like, if all I had to do was coach, my life would be easy, but I have to coach and run the company and that's fine.(18:59) But you, you're never going to be able to just do one thing. (19:02) However, you can reorient your existence around one thing that pays you well and then sort of build a team around it.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:09) I know we only have a couple of minutes. (19:11) Why do you think it, why do you think that's the mindset of I don't want it to feel like work? (19:15) Is it because people have such a bad, bad relationship with the fact that they don't really pick their jobs and they don't like it?(19:23) Like wouldn't you, to your point, wouldn't you rather something you love feel like work than something you hate being work, feel like work?

Alan Lazaros

(19:32) Yeah. (19:33) My camera's going nuts right now. (19:35) It's a great question.(19:36) I would ask you the exact same thing too, which is I've never understood. (19:43) I've never understood that, but I'm also extremely mastery driven.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:46) I think it's because we think it's the opposite. (19:49) We think the opposite of having a job that we hate, having a job that we hate that feels a ton like work is having a job that we love that doesn't feel like work at all. (20:00) I don't think, I don't think that's true.(20:02) I don't think the opposite side of the coin. (20:04) So many of us, so many of us have jobs that we hate that it feels like it, it comes into our personal life and takes that too. (20:14) So I think a lot of us think the opposite of that is I have something that I just love that doesn't feel like work at all because it's my personal life.(20:23) And I think that's where we get it twisted because it's still, it's still paying the bills.

Alan Lazaros

(20:29) It's still a job. (20:30) It's still, that's the other piece of this too, that I think will help. (20:33) You have to understand that if you break this down layer by layer, everyone who has a job, even if you don't like it, I would argue that it's better than not having the job.(20:46) Otherwise you'd quit it. (20:48) Meaning you've had jobs you hated, right? (20:51) Of course.(20:51) Same. (20:52) Car kid, bus boy, jobs I hated. (20:54) Several others.(20:55) Painted in Maine, all that stuff. (20:57) But I wanted and needed the money. (21:00) So, so layer one is I need money to pay for my life.(21:07) So I'm going to have a job that is less than ideal and it's worth it. (21:13) Tier two is, okay, I don't love my job, but I certainly don't hate it. (21:18) And it pays pretty well.(21:20) Tier three is I love what I do, but it is starting to feel like work because I, I mean, it's my whole world is around it now. (21:30) Like podcasting for you. (21:31) You loved podcasting in the beginning.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:33) You still do, but it's, it's not the same. (21:36) No, no, it's still like, yeah, there's days I don't want to do it for sure. (21:40) I love it.(21:41) I said that, uh, I didn't say this on here. (21:44) I said that on my Instagram story, I would rather do this for 12 hours a day every single day than do eight hours a day. (21:48) Anything else for sure.(21:49) But it still feels like, yeah, it feels like work. (21:51) I don't want to have to fucking batch my WhatsApp on Sunday night. (21:54) That's the frame.(21:56) That's the frame.

Alan Lazaros

(21:57) You have to, this is what I would say. (22:00) You have to want the result more than you hate the work.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:04) The other part that's really hard about this is in when you have a career, you kind of expect, you know how much it's going to take to get to where you want in that career. (22:16) Of course, it's going to feel like a job when you start doing your own thing. (22:18) You're, you're really going to have to hold yourself more accountable than somebody else is holding you because there is no somebody else holding you accountable.(22:26) I think that's another really hard part of it is I think, I don't think treating it like a job is a bad thing. (22:30) I think that's a good thing. (22:31) I don't know whether this is true or not.(22:33) And again, I'm not condoning the man necessarily, but Eminem evidently from what I've heard, treats the studio like a nine to five. (22:41) He goes to the studio from nine to five, whether he has something to write, whether he knows what album he's doing, whatever. (22:47) I don't think that's a bad thing.(22:49) I think that's a really good way to look at it because you're treating it like a job and it's getting the time, the amount of time it actually needs and deserves in order to get the result. (22:58) And if he didn't do that, there's no way he'd have achieved what he's achieved. (23:01) I don't know.(23:02) I don't, I don't know if, if I necessarily believe that's the best way. (23:05) I don't know. (23:06) But no, no, I don't.

Alan Lazaros

(23:07) And I'm not saying that that's optimal, but he obviously, this is, there's a professional, you have to be a professional in a thing. (23:16) Yeah. (23:16) And we live in a specialized world, like as a fairly well-rounded individual who studied a lot of different things.(23:25) There was only a couple things that I think I'm one of the best in the world at really very few. (23:33) Actually, I think growing and scaling a business on the internet, I think peak performance coaching for sure. (23:40) I would say podcasting for sure.(23:43) But that, I mean, that's where I've spent the last 11 years, almost every day, basically every day. (23:49) Yeah, pretty much every day. (23:51) And then I would say in fitness, maybe a little bit, but definitely not best in the world.(23:55) Definitely top 1%. (23:56) The, you got to pick you got to pick. (24:00) And I would rather you pick cooking that your passion.(24:03) Are you passionate about the thing? (24:04) I was thinking about this recently. (24:06) One of the things, one of the reasons why podcasting, I think has been challenging for us is because we have to figure out what the listener wants and needs and is passionate about what you are passionate about and what you're going through experientially.(24:20) And then what I'm passionate about. (24:21) And we need to find the epicenter of that, because if we're not passionate about the topic, if we're not passionate about the podcast, it's not going to be good. (24:28) Like I can think of conversations around, I don't know, the dinner table, uh, with my family or her family or whatever.(24:38) And I remember thinking like, I, I don't want to talk about this at all. (24:41) Like I don't want, this is, I'm not passionate about this at all. (24:45) I can't even pretend to be passionate about this.(24:48) So anyone out there watching or listening, don't design your life around something you're not passionate about no matter what you do. (24:55) Like, and yeah, it's going to feel like work and be okay with that. (24:58) And expect that if you want to be a professional and you want to be paid for something, I was a fitness model, fitness competitor, fitness coach.(25:04) I did 43 photo shoots. (25:06) I only got paid for one of them. (25:09) I made a good chunk of change on one of them.(25:11) And I was also on an app. (25:13) I, I was willing to fail forward in that craft long before I got paid. (25:18) And I did get paid as a fitness coach, but if you want to make a career out of something and a career means you get paid a vocation, something that people pay you for, you better be really good.(25:30) And if you're going to be really good, you have to put in a lot of time. (25:33) And if you put in a lot of time, it's going to get mundane and you're going to have to create number one, create variety within it. (25:39) And number two, do not cop out.(25:41) I think that's a little bit of cowardice. (25:43) Well, I don't really want it to feel like work. (25:45) I think the truth is they don't believe they can actually do it and they're scared.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:47) Well, I think that's a piece of it. (25:49) And I think it's just a re redefining what work is. (25:54) It's like, have you ever had a job you really liked?(25:58) Why can't it be like that? (26:00) I've had jobs I've liked too. (26:02) I used to drive a truck.(26:03) I love that job. (26:04) I love that job. (26:05) That job was fucking awesome.(26:07) The best. (26:08) I just didn't like the hours, but I could be, if you said, Hey man, this podcast thing, you gotta, you gotta come up with a completely different job. (26:15) I could 100% drive a truck for eight hours a day.(26:19) I want to be home at night if I can. (26:20) But so I think that maybe that's it. (26:23) That's the last thing we'll, we'll leave you with or I'll leave you with at least redefining what work is.(26:27) I think a lot of people say, I don't want it to feel like work because they don't like their work. (26:31) But if you did like your work and it fulfilled you and you enjoyed it and you saw rewards and you saw benefit and you knew you were growing because of it, I think we would look at it a little bit differently.

Alan Lazaros

(26:39) Yeah. (26:40) And I think meaning orient around what's meaningful, be the change you wish to see in the world. (26:44) I really mean that.(26:45) Um, your wife's a good example of this. (26:47) What she does is very meaningful to her, even though she doesn't like it every day. (26:50) And by the way, who the fuck has a job where they don't dislike some of it?(26:53) You just said it. (26:54) I love driving a truck, but I hated the hours. (26:56) There is no one on earth.(26:57) Who's like, I love the hours and I love the people and I love the job. (27:00) And I love, no, I think we'd all want to change being on the road nine months out of the year. (27:06) God, I cannot imagine.

Kevin Palmieri

(27:07) No.

Alan Lazaros

(27:07) And again, like being on planes and trains and they stay in nice places and they get nice food and all that, but it's great. (27:14) It's still a pain in the ass. (27:15) I'm like, yeah, of course there is no.(27:17) And that is the thing I'll end with, which is Candyland ain't real. (27:22) Everyone's job and everyone's life looks awesome from the outside, straight up. (27:26) I coach 26 people from the inside out.(27:29) It's not very good. (27:30) It's still a great life and it's meaningful and it's better than what they hate. (27:33) But trust me, I know people that literally have decided I'm going to be the best in the world at this one thing.(27:39) And I'm going to dedicate my life to that. (27:41) And every single day they're doing, I don't know, 50 freaking therapy sessions of a week, a week. (27:47) And, and they're still in it.(27:49) And trust me, their life looks dope from the outside. (27:52) It looks amazing from the outside. (27:55) And on the inside, it's pretty fucking hard and it's not that great, honestly, but that's okay.(28:01) I think that that's the internet makes everything look awesome. (28:05) Be careful.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:05) I know, I know it's wild. (28:07) All right. (28:08) Cool.(28:08) All right. (28:09) If you are looking to level up your fitness, the next level fitness, accountability group is on fire. (28:14) It's awesome.(28:15) We have a lot of groups and we've been a part of a lot of groups and we've started a lot of groups. (28:20) Very honestly, this is one of my favorites for sure. (28:22) Just because I love fitness.(28:23) Alan loves fitness and everybody in there is super supportive. (28:26) Everybody in there is getting after it and everybody wants to be more accountable and more consistent. (28:30) So if that is you and exercise, reach out to Alan and or myself, I promise I don't bite.(28:35) I don't know if Alan does. (28:36) He does do a lot of strange things for money, evidently. (28:38) So maybe biting is one of them.(28:40) I don't know. (28:40) I'm not the guy to ask, but yeah, reach out to me on Instagram or Alan on Instagram. (28:44) We'll let you in.(28:45) We've tried to just leave the link places, but bots get it. (28:48) It's this weird thing. (28:48) And I want to make sure the group is filled with real people that are really awesome.(28:51) So reach out to Alan or myself.

Alan Lazaros

(28:52) If you're listening, please DM myself or Kevin. (28:55) We want to connect with you, human connection, belonging, community. (28:58) We, you are our people.(29:01) Please reach out. (29:01) We're going to answer Kevin and I personally, not our EAs, not AI. (29:05) It's going to be us.(29:06) So DM us on Instagram. (29:07) That's the best place. (29:08) Just say, Hey, I loved episode, whatever.(29:10) You don't have to say anything else. (29:12) And if you want to be in the fitness group, say I'd love to be in the fitness group.

Kevin Palmieri

(29:14) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(29:15) Also, if you need a coach here, here's the deal. (29:19) I promise you, you will be more successful without me than with me. (29:22) I will hold you accountable.(29:24) I have people with commitment devices.

Kevin Palmieri

(29:26) I have, you said they'd be more successful without you than with you. (29:29) I did. (29:32) Damn.

Alan Lazaros

(29:33) I've lied to you all. (29:34) You will be way more successful with me than without me. (29:38) If you, all my clients and I told them this, your success is going to be a by-product of you being dialed in.(29:44) Yes. (29:44) I will be a pain in the ass. (29:45) Yes.(29:45) I will hold you accountable. (29:46) Yes. (29:46) I will make sure you're on track, but it's much better.(29:49) This is the last piece. (29:50) I always used to say this quote, the people that are grinding and growing toward their goals and dreams will always be the envy of the people sitting back feeling sorry for themselves. (30:01) There's a lot of people out there that are not grinding, not in momentum, not feeling momentum, not making progress, not achieving their goals and dreams.(30:09) Achievement is hard, but what's harder is sitting back watching other people achieve their goals and dreams while you feel terrible about yourself. (30:15) Okay. (30:15) We've all been there for at least a short amount of time.(30:17) I have for a short amount of time and I hated it. (30:19) Get in my corner. (30:20) I will help you dial in and dial up to the next level.

Kevin Palmieri

(30:24) All right. (30:24) As always, we love you. (30:25) We appreciate you.(30:26) Grateful for each and every one of you. (30:27) And if you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level, make sure you tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you get there.

Alan Lazaros

(30:34) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential. (30:36) Next Level Nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(30:38) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (30:42) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(30:45) We mean it when we say family. (30:47) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (30:50) Everything you need to get hold of us is in the show notes.(30:53) Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.