How High Is Your Willingness Score? (2395)

What if the real gap between success and stagnation comes down to what you are willing to do once growth stops feeling comfortable?

In today's episode, Kevin and Alan unpack the idea of a willingness score and why it may be one of the most overlooked predictors of long-term success. Talent matters. Intelligence matters. But neither goes very far without the discipline to stay in the process when it gets inconvenient, repetitive, or hard. Drawing from their own experience building the business and coaching hundreds of clients, they explain why meaningful growth often comes down to priorities, trade-offs, and the ability to keep choosing the goal over the easier option.

This episode pushes back on the belief that motivation is the main driver of progress. More often, progress is built through commitment. Press play and take an honest look at what your goals are really asking of you.

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

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Show notes:
(2:18) Integrity and the limits of sacrifice
(6:26) Short-term pleasure vs long-term results
(9:13) Work ethic and competitive advantage
(11:06) Goals in conflict and hard trade-offs
(14:56) Long obedience in the same direction
(18:19) Priorities, relationships, and responsibility
(27:26) The real question how willing are you
(28:46) 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) If I was going to sit Kevin down in 2017 and that version of Kevin said, look, I don't feel like I'm that smart. (0:08) I don't think I'm that consistent. (0:09) I don't really know what I bring to the table.(0:11) I would say, brother, what you lack in intelligence, what you lack in consistency, what you lack in knowledge you can make up for in your willingness to just do hard shit. (0:21) I know it's not sexy. (0:22) I know there's no trophies for that, but some of the most successful people on the planet are just the ones who are the most willing.

Alan Lazaros

(0:29) We did an episode not long ago about having a timeline and a target and how when you have a timeline and a target, you risk failure. (0:36) The willingness score is underneath whether or not you're actually going to hit that target long-term.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:41) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:44) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:46) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:49) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:56) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:02) 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

(1:18) Self-improvement, in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:24) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:30) Next Level Nation today for episode number two thousand, hold on, three hundred and ninety-five, which is crazy to me. (1:39) How high is your willingness score? (1:42) I was talking to somebody recently, recently, it was a while ago, and they said, I'm turning it to Alan.(1:50) I was talking to somebody yesterday, actually, I think it was 1998, I think it was. (1:58) I talked to someone the other day, 1998. (2:00) 1998.(2:01) And this person was talking about how they, they just didn't feel like they deserved a lot of the results that they had in life. (2:09) And they just didn't understand how they got there. (2:12) It's like, I'm not that smart.(2:13) I'm not, I don't, I don't feel like I'm that incredible. (2:15) I don't feel like I'm that next level. (2:17) I don't feel like I'm this, I'm this.(2:18) And I said, you are just somebody who tolerates the recipe of success. (2:26) You just have a very high willingness score. (2:27) You just do what it takes to succeed, and you don't complain about it.(2:31) And even if you do complain about it, it doesn't matter because you still do it. (2:34) That is a master skill that almost nobody wants to practice. (2:40) It's like, I think, I think so many people see people online who have it all, and they, they talk about how easy it was, and that makes them feel like they don't need to have a willingness score.(2:54) Define willingness score.

Alan Lazaros

(3:00) In an effort to define willingness score, we did an episode not long ago about integrity. (3:06) And what are you willing to give up? (3:08) And the one thing we're not willing to give up is our integrity.(3:11) Albeit we blurred those lines at times, but we, we stayed true. (3:15) I'm grateful. (3:16) We didn't sell out, and we were close at times.(3:20) When I think of willingness score, I think of, I am willing to do anything and everything other than giving up my integrity. (3:32) Now, there's a lot of things that fall into that bucket of integrity. (3:36) I am unwilling to be a bad intimate partner to Emilia in order to achieve my goals, but that's a very evolving thing.(3:49) So I have to check in with her and see if I'm on that path. (3:53) And I remember when I first met Emilia, this will, this will explain it. (3:56) I first met Emilia, there's three things I promised her.(3:59) I only talk about the first two typically, but for this, I'm realizing I need to talk about the third one. (4:04) The first one is I'll always help you shine as bright as possible. (4:06) The second one is I will always protect your heart.(4:11) And the third one is I will do anything and everything that I can to help you shine as bright as possible, which is the first one, within, within alignment. (4:20) I had to put within alignment. (4:22) I wrote her a letter.(4:23) We talked about it when I asked her to be with me. (4:25) In the letter, it says within alignment, because if there ever becomes a time when I, my highest self is saying, Alan, you have to go this way. (4:34) And that negatively affects her shining.(4:37) I'm going to have to choose the mission and my highest self, my highest potential. (4:42) Now, I don't think that's going to happen because what's aligned with my highest potential, I think is also aligned with her highest potential, which is why the relationship is so magnificent. (4:50) And I had some awful ones in hindsight.(4:53) Willingness. (4:54) What are you? (4:55) I think it's the pros and cons conversation.(4:58) Every pro comes with a con and you have to be willing to accept both that person you're referring to. (5:03) I think I know who you're talking about. (5:04) She has a very high willingness score.(5:06) You also have a very high willingness score, but how do you articulate willingness score? (5:10) It's, it's, what are you willing to sacrifice trade in? (5:14) Like one of the things I talked about candidly recently is I had to be willing to give up certain friendships to get to my goals and dreams.(5:24) That for me has been the hardest part. (5:27) Sailing away from certain relationships that did mean a lot to me has been to this day, the hardest part. (5:34) And I don't think I'll regret it because the alternative is worse, but if I, if I look at what I've had to trade, give up to grow up, that would be the one that stings the most.(5:47) Go ahead. (5:48) How would I define it? (5:50) Yeah.(5:53) Your willingness score is higher than almost anyone I've ever met. (5:57) The only thing you haven't been willing to do is sell out. (6:01) You've pretty much been willing to do almost everything else.(6:05) Like what I mean by that is dude, early mornings, late nights, work weekends, you know, give up Xbox, give up, give up. (6:13) We give up PlayStation things.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:16) It was PlayStation PlayStation. (6:18) I think it's, I think it's a man. (6:26) It's, it's you giving up the things you want.(6:30) Do you think you want for the things that you actually want? (6:34) Like that, that is what it is to me. (6:36) Let's you and I debate, please, please.

Alan Lazaros

(6:39) All right. (6:40) Discord debate discussion, the things you think you want for the things you really want. (6:48) I'm going to call bullshit on that.(6:51) I do want pizza today. (6:56) Weigh-in is on Saturday. (6:57) Okay.(6:59) However, I would rather weigh-in than eat pizza. (7:02) That's what you're referring to? (7:03) Yeah.(7:03) Same. (7:03) Okay. (7:03) But you, I don't think I want pizza.(7:05) I definitely want pizza.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:06) No. (7:07) Yeah. (7:07) But you think you want the momentary feeling of pizza, but you actually want to hit the weigh-in so you can be on the fucking episode.(7:12) I don't know if that's true for everybody. (7:14) Cause it's going to be a banger. (7:15) If you don't show up, it's going to be a fucking banger.(7:19) It might be the best episode that ever gets published.

Alan Lazaros

(7:22) Let's explain that for a second. (7:24) Kevin and I agreed. (7:25) You actually said recently, not long ago, you said we didn't agree on the not showing up to the microphone.(7:30) If we don't weigh in, I said, let's do it. (7:32) I don't, I don't, I want that. (7:33) That's, that's tradition.(7:35) We're gonna do this every night for the rest of our life. (7:36) I'm in. (7:37) I just, we just never said it.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:38) So I didn't know if it was happening.

Alan Lazaros

(7:39) No, it's happening. (7:40) Which is, which is, you know, I've been doing some, I've been giving up pizza. (7:45) I, I like, you know, proteins.(7:47) I have my whole morning routine. (7:48) I have to give the whole thing up. (7:49) Give it all up.(7:51) 27 days in a row of a mile a day. (7:53) Okay. (7:54) Sacrifice baby.(7:56) Let's debate here for a second. (8:01) There's another layer that you're missing. (8:02) I think you give up what you think you want for what you really want.(8:08) I got to call BS on that because I don't think people think they want it. (8:12) I think they actually want it. (8:13) If you could eat pizza and weigh in.(8:16) I can. (8:18) God damn it. (8:20) You know what I'm saying?

Kevin Palmieri

(8:21) I know, I know. (8:22) If you, if you could weigh in without a deficit. (8:25) Okay.(8:25) So let's do this. (8:26) Let's do this. (8:26) It's short-term pleasure for long-term certainty.(8:32) You're giving up short-term pleasure for long-term certainty, fulfillment, and accomplishment. (8:37) But more than all of that, I think it's, you don't, there's just, I try not to make excuses. (8:45) I, I have a client.(8:47) I'm like stress to the max. (8:50) They are spending $60,000 for a specific opportunity. (8:57) And we have like three days to turn around all the stuff they need in order to actually be a part of this $60,000 opportunity.(9:06) And it's like, it's mayhem and we're, we'll, find a way to make it happen because that's what we do. (9:13) Right. (9:14) But there's a lot of other people that might say like, Oh, I don't work.(9:18) I, Oh no, no, I don't answer emails on the weekend. (9:20) Or like, you can't, you can't email me after 6 PM. (9:22) It's like, well, I can't win that way.(9:25) I'm not going to win like that. (9:26) Who can? (9:28) I think that almost no one can win.(9:31) So we have, we have client, how do I keep this as anonymous as possible? (9:36) We have client. (9:37) We, we have some, and I love these clients.(9:39) They're amazing, but they're, they run more as a traditional business. (9:44) They subcontract work to us for audio editing and video editing and podcast stuff. (9:48) And I just know a lot more than they do about podcasting, right?(9:51) They're really good at building connections. (9:52) They're amazing. (9:53) So if they're listening, you're amazing.(9:54) I don't mean anything negative by this, but after 6 PM, no responses till eight or nine the next day. (10:03) You can't beat me. (10:05) You're not going to, you can't beat me with that.(10:07) There's no way. (10:08) There's no way unless you only have clients who work nine to five and they don't work, but that's not going to be the majority of people, especially globally with time differences.

Alan Lazaros

(10:17) Okay. (10:18) Willingness score. (10:19) So their willingness score is lower than yours in this specific area.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:23) Yes.

Alan Lazaros

(10:23) Okay. (10:24) Yeah, but it's higher and they're older. (10:27) I'm assuming they're older.(10:29) They're talking about, so they're much older. (10:30) They're going, you're their age. (10:31) You might have a lower willingness score possibly, but it depends on your goals.(10:40) One of the things that I wanted to push back on, but I, but I know this is a value is trading in short-term pleasure for long-term certainty is, is layer one, but I want to go one step further. (10:53) And I want to talk about goals and conflict. (10:55) Not only am I trading in what wanting pizza now for 10 pounds in 10 weeks, I'm trading in other goals that I also want.(11:06) Goals in conflict. (11:08) It goes, willingness is, I would love to snowboard. (11:11) I would love to play basketball.(11:14) I would love to tutor kids on the side. (11:17) I'm not joking. (11:18) I would adore that.(11:19) Doesn't matter. (11:21) My goals, the discernment, yes, is not saying yes to the thing you need to focus on. (11:28) It's saying no to everything else.(11:30) It's giving up the good to go for great. (11:32) It's giving up the great to go for extraordinary. (11:33) It's giving up the extraordinary to go for world-class.(11:36) I think that that's the conversation I want to go to, which is willing to, I have, you, you say I've traded in parts of me. (11:44) I'll never get back. (11:45) And I understand what you're saying.(11:47) I've had to trade in all my other dreams to go for the one that is I think the most important. (11:56) And that happened through getting wiser and older and realizing over time that I can't be world-class at 12 things. (12:04) I have to decide.(12:07) And that has been extremely humbling to realize that you get one life and you can only basically be world-class at one thing is it's mind-blowingly, alarmingly awful. (12:19) I hate that to my core. (12:21) Like if I had 15 lifetimes, I would 100% have tried the pro gamer.(12:26) I would, you know, and I know it's a privilege to be able to say I'm going to be world-class best on earth at any one thing. (12:34) I understand that's a privilege. (12:36) And people always think, well, it must be so nice to be able to be so good at what you do and top of your industry, 1%, whatever.(12:44) No, no, no. (12:45) You don't understand what I've given up. (12:47) I've given up all the other opportunities.(12:50) I've given up all the other friendships. (12:51) I've given up all the other industries I've given up. (12:54) One of the reasons I think I love being a coach is I get to coach an actor.(12:57) I don't have to give up on my dream to be in show business. (13:00) I get to be in show business. (13:02) And that's, I think why I like coaching because I get to study every industry and every type of person from every culture, from every country, not every country, but a lot of them.(13:10) And so I think that's a thing that maybe some people out there might resonate with is 10 pounds in 10 weeks. (13:17) Great. (13:18) That's the goal timeline and target, but you also have to give up building muscle during that phase.(13:24) You have to give up having dinner with your family during that phase. (13:29) You have to give up cereal every morning that you want to eat or honey. (13:34) Emilia didn't get honey.(13:36) I love honey. (13:37) She didn't get honey on purpose for our cut. (13:39) These are small, tangible examples and I'm not complaining.(13:42) I just think that a willingness score goes far beyond, I'm not willing to eat pizza.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:48) Well, yeah. (13:49) I think you're constantly realigning with the goal. (13:52) I think that's what it is.(13:53) You're just constantly, I had a very humble, it was a sad, it was genuinely a sad moment where I was thinking the other day, one of my buddies was like, dude, I'm so excited. (14:04) Maybe this year we can go on a golf trip. (14:06) It's like, no, not a chance.(14:08) There's not a chance. (14:10) Can you unpack that though? (14:11) Because you could, well, I will, I will unpack.(14:15) Please. (14:16) And again, it's kind of a chess game. (14:20) My wife values travel.(14:22) If I'm traveling with anybody, it's going to be my wife. (14:24) Exactly. (14:25) If I get one trip a year, every 10 times out of 10, I'm going with my wife.(14:29) That's called priorities. (14:32) It's a very mature conversation. (14:34) But then there's under that, it's like, well, I'm not going to be doing a European trip every year.(14:37) I can't do two weeks away. (14:39) I did that. (14:40) Can't do that every year.(14:41) That's maybe, I don't know, you tell me, you're the boss. (14:44) You tell me how, and I'll do it smarter and I'm learning from it. (14:49) But the willingness, what was Michael Burt's quote?(14:56) Long obedience in the same direction. (14:57) I think that is a really good piece.

Alan Lazaros

(15:00) One of the best quotes. (15:01) Yeah, because that's what it is. (15:04) Willingness, long obedience in the same direction.(15:07) It might as well be obedience to the goal. (15:10) I always say be subservient to the goal. (15:13) Don't be subservient to people.(15:15) I think willingness and obedience are very close. (15:18) You just- People don't like obedience. (15:19) It sounds like a bad thing.(15:21) Well, if it's to your own future self.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:23) Well, you want, look, you want your dog to be obedient to the rules, right?

Alan Lazaros

(15:28) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:28) That's called obedience training.

Alan Lazaros

(15:29) You want your child to be obedient to show up on time at school and study.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:32) I can't say it anymore because it doesn't seem like a word. (15:34) If I say it one more time, it's not going to seem like a word anymore. (15:37) Oh, it's gone.(15:37) I don't even know. (15:38) It's gone now. (15:39) One of the things I say all the time is I make a really good number two.(15:43) I'm not a good number one. (15:44) I'm not a natural leader. (15:46) Part of my willingness is like, Alan is late because he has back-to-back calls.(15:51) He's going to be late.

Alan Lazaros

(15:52) I was on with a client for an additional 27 minutes before this, and I want to share that with people. (15:57) And I told my client who knows you and knows me, I'm on with Kev. (16:02) We have to get one done.(16:04) He knows one-on-one clients are my priority. (16:06) He knows that. (16:07) And I wouldn't be upset with you because one-on-one clients need to be your priority as well.(16:11) And we've decided in advance that that's the case. (16:14) The mistakes I made in the past is not sharing that in advance.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:17) That's my Well, the piece of it just from my perspective is like that is how, how can willingness is how can you show that you're committed in ways maybe that other people don't or can't or shouldn't or like you that you have to find your specific skill set. (16:35) I'm not going to be the smartest between us. (16:37) That's not my jam.(16:38) I will be the most on time for sure. (16:41) As I should be, you shouldn't be like for a long time. (16:45) It was like, and again, I don't know.(16:46) That's up to you. (16:47) But yeah, for a long time, it was like, you should be, I don't know anymore. (16:51) What do you think of all that?(16:53) It's been interesting to see you come to my side on that. (16:56) No, I see. (16:56) There's a line.(16:57) You got to be respectful, right? (16:58) But you should, which so you're in the middle of like a deep talk with your clients. (17:01) Like, ah, time's up.(17:04) See you again next week. (17:05) Same time.

Alan Lazaros

(17:06) Okay, cool. (17:07) Brother client asked me, Hey, do you mind looking at my, my mom's portfolio? (17:11) Keep it anonymous.(17:12) I know you're listening. (17:13) Of course. (17:14) Nope.(17:16) Hey, fucking time. (17:18) I don't know if you know this, but I, I never stay extra for a one-on-one client. (17:22) Yeah.(17:23) And again, I could do that. (17:27) Am I willing to lose clients? (17:30) This is all priorities.(17:33) And I appreciate your humility in, in knowing that your value is predicated on reliability and consistency and being on time and all that stuff. (17:42) And I think that it is entitled. (17:46) I work from noon to eight o'clock Monday through Saturday front-facing.(17:51) If our biggest client comes to me and says, I can only do 9am. (17:55) I am going to do it. (17:57) I'm going to try my best not to, I'm going to try to move and reschedule and all this stuff.(18:02) That's what we're talking about here. (18:04) And, and I think that what you're willing to sacrifice can shift and can move. (18:10) I don't want to sacrifice my longevity.(18:11) I don't want to sacrifice my sleep. (18:13) I don't want to sacrifice my health. (18:14) I need to play the long game.(18:16) And sometimes you've got a priority. (18:19) And I think that this comes down to the priority order. (18:21) Like the truth is, and this is very hard for a lot of people to swallow myself included.(18:27) If you go on a trip with your best friend golfing that is instead of with Taryn and yeah, you could bring Taryn, but she doesn't give a shit about golf and you know it and she shouldn't. (18:39) And the truth is you'd rather hang out with Taryn than that person. (18:43) True or false?(18:45) Yes. (18:45) I want to golf though. (18:47) I do.(18:48) Yeah. (18:48) I do. (18:49) Wake up early golf in the morning, Taryn gets up at nine.(18:52) You're going to be good. (18:53) The truth is though, that's the problem is we want our cake and we eat it too. (18:57) I hate that saying because I had a girlfriend in the past that used to say that all you want your cake and eat it too.(19:00) It's like, no, it's integration for fuck's sake. (19:02) But at the end of the day, the willingness piece, you're not willing to sacrifice priority one for priority four. (19:14) And if your friend can't swallow that, they're not going to be friends with you for very long.(19:17) And they're probably immature if that's the case. (19:19) And I know that's not the case.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:20) No, no, no. (19:21) Yeah. (19:21) Yeah.(19:21) But, and, but that's, that's an opportunity for me to just be very honest and say like, look, that ain't it.

Alan Lazaros

(19:28) Maybe it's going to be offended that you prefer your wife over him. (19:31) If he is, then it's time to grow up.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:33) Well, I think it's more of the fact that people want to spend time with you. (19:36) Right. (19:36) And like the, the, I just have less, the more I have more quote unquote freedom, but less time to invest the freedom forever.(19:44) Uh, willingness, according to dictionary from Oxford languages, the quality or state of being prepared to do something readiness. (19:53) I don't like that. (19:54) When something is done with willingness, there is no sense of resentment or hesitation.(19:57) I also don't agree with that. (19:59) Like I resent a lot of shit I do. (20:00) I like the hesitation piece.(20:02) I like the hesitation piece. (20:03) It's like, okay, how willing is somebody? (20:07) Okay.(20:08) How much money would you bet on them to do the thing? (20:10) If you have a friend who's always willing to party, you're calling them first. (20:15) You're calling.(20:15) If you have a friend to party, if you have a friend who's always down for a walk, who's always there for a good vent session, who knows the restaurant recommendations that they are willing to do the thing. (20:26) I had a moment recently where I was thinking about how jealous I am that you get so much more sleep than I do. (20:38) And then I was like, yeah, but everything is reverse engineered for that.(20:42) Like that's the most important thing. (20:44) Like, so everything is reverse engineered. (20:47) It's priority one.(20:47) That's not priority one for me, but I'm, I started sleeping with a sheet, just a sheet and my sleep score. (20:57) Nice.

Alan Lazaros

(20:58) That was too hot before. (21:00) Priority one isn't sleep for you though. (21:02) No.(21:02) It might be becoming. (21:04) I don't think it ever will be. (21:06) We should do an episode at some point about micro priorities and macro priorities.(21:12) Done. (21:13) Because my macro priority is longevity. (21:16) Yeah.(21:16) Because I don't, people come, you're going to burn out. (21:19) No, I'm not. (21:20) I had an entrepreneur recently go brief with this.(21:23) I know we got to go say I've, trust me, this entrepreneur is in his sixties. (21:28) Trust me. (21:28) I've seen a lot of guys like you burn out.(21:34) Really? (21:34) Can I show you my sleep, hydration, nutrition, training, mobility, breathwork, and supplementation tracker that I do every week? (21:41) Can I show you my DEM score?(21:42) I would love to see these guys. (21:44) Can I see the physical fitness levels of these men that you're referring to? (21:48) Again, that's internal.(21:49) At the end of the day, it's like, I'm good. (21:52) Burnout is on my radar. (21:53) Do you think?(21:54) Is burnout on my radar?

Kevin Palmieri

(21:55) I would say so, yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(21:55) Yeah. (21:56) And trust me, I get it. (21:58) You think I'm going to burn out because most people would if they're working 60 hours a week, every week.(22:03) And you don't do it behind the scenes.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:05) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(22:05) They don't see that. (22:06) And it's all Emilia and I focus on. (22:09) I sent her my 3.9 sleep score today. (22:12) She got a 5.2 once. (22:14) At the end of the day, they're projecting. (22:17) And I understand.(22:17) My point is, priority, macro priority is longevity. (22:21) And that seems so selfish. (22:25) It appears selfish when there's a barbecue.(22:27) It appears selfish when Easter. (22:29) It appears self. (22:30) No, no, it's not selfish because I'm trying to become more so that I can give more.(22:37) That is a critical component of this. (22:39) It is selfish on the micro when I'm not at the barbecue. (22:45) But if you zoom out, which I now no longer believe that people will do, they can, but they probably won't because they're not studying my life.(22:53) They got their own stuff going on. (22:54) But if they did zoom out and see my trend line and see what I do in the world and see the, then they would understand. (23:00) But I no longer can count on them to understand that in advance.(23:03) So now I'm going to say, I understand why you're upset. (23:06) I have chosen in advance, my goals and dreams and my mission over this barbecue. (23:14) And if you're not okay with that, that's okay.(23:16) That's your prerogative. (23:17) You can be mad at me and I'm going to still do it anyway. (23:20) And I will take responsibility in advance for your discomfort and you disliking me and you not wanting to be my friend or my family or whatever.(23:27) I take responsibility for the pros and cons of my own decision. (23:31) And that's something I came to in my late thirties, that late thirties, I've never said that out loud before in my late thirties that I'm realizing I'm already 38 in my head. (23:38) I'm 37, but I'm rounding up the, the late thirties.(23:42) I've come to realize, like, I think I'm just going to tell people now, I know you're upset and I understand why. (23:50) And I, I'm not going to try to make excuses. (23:52) I'm not going to try to justify it.(23:54) Like you're absolutely right. (23:55) I have sailed away from those things. (23:58) And I take responsibility for you being upset about that.(24:02) And I'm going to do it anyway. (24:03) And you can villainize me if you want, or you can respect my decision and my autonomy and the fact that I'm a fucking human being who gets to make his own goddamn choices or not. (24:13) It's your decision.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:15) I hope they choose the first one.

Alan Lazaros

(24:17) Yeah, me too. (24:17) I don't know if they will.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:18) We'll see. (24:19) We don't know. (24:20) So yeah, that's the question out there is how willing are you to do the thing?(24:26) That's it. (24:26) How willing are willing to score with the podcast is very high. (24:29) That's why we never miss.(24:31) It's not a movie club right now for this. (24:33) No, we're going to get you there. (24:35) We'll get you.(24:35) You'll be, you'll have your half hour. (24:36) I promise. (24:37) Well, I would, I think we should do an episode on some point of like, what is the percent, like what percentage of your life is dedicated to success?

Alan Lazaros

(24:47) So I calculated this yesterday. (24:49) I know we got to go 60 hours times 52. (24:51) I've been thinking a lot about this.(24:52) I'm glad we're on the same wavelength. (24:54) 52 times 60 is the number of hours. (24:56) So you and I work 3,120 hours.(24:59) So 3,120 hours each every year. (25:02) And honestly, sometimes it might be more or less, but I think it averages to about 60 based on the 168 per day waking hours, 112. (25:10) I want to be very, very careful with where I invest my time for the rest of my life.(25:14) Cause that's the one thing you never get back. (25:16) And I need to do that without being entitled. (25:19) But one thing I've been thinking a lot about is you and I's time, where it goes and how, cause that's such a limited resource.(25:27) You and I are so maxed out, dude. (25:28) It's nuts. (25:30) We're maxed out.(25:32) Not maxed out. (25:33) We can still squeeze more time out of our time. (25:35) It's not like we're perfect.(25:37) That's not what I'm saying. (25:38) But that is no longer the new go-to. (25:42) It's like, Oh, we'll just work harder.(25:44) Dude, not a chance that that's the actual solution anymore. (25:49) I know people say work smart, not hard. (25:51) I don't want to say we're maxed on the work hard, but we're definitely, there's not a ton of wiggle room there.(25:57) We practiced it. (25:58) And so we've done it a little bit. (26:00) The work smart or 0.1, 0.1 tools, team training, the whole nine. (26:05) I've really been thinking a lot about if we have 6,120 hours or 6,240 hours each total in this company for you and I, where are we putting those? (26:18) And what is the top leverage point to put those? (26:20) Because we're kind of, I don't know about you, man, but there's not a lot of like downtime extra.(26:29) Yeah. (26:29) I don't feel a ton of extra time and I'm going to have children. (26:33) So that's going to be challenging.(26:35) I need to fix this in advance.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:37) Yeah. (26:38) Your life is very, very different than mine by design. (26:42) I don't want to have back to back to back calls all day.(26:45) I, there's just fires I put out and that's like, it's very different.

Alan Lazaros

(26:48) Do you feel maxed out in terms of time?

Kevin Palmieri

(26:51) It's hard. (26:53) Yeah. (26:54) But it doesn't, I don't know how to explain it.(26:56) When I woke up today, it wasn't like, oh my goodness, I don't have enough time to do all the things. (27:01) But as the day progresses, it's like, I didn't, there's no chance. (27:04) I'm not, it's not even gonna be close.(27:07) You need to wake up optimistic and go to bed.

Alan Lazaros

(27:09) Almost every, almost every day.

Kevin Palmieri

(27:11) Yeah. (27:11) Because I look at my calendar. (27:12) It's like I've, I had four calls today.(27:14) That's nothing. (27:14) That is nothing. (27:16) And I'm in a hundred WhatsApp groups and I'm this, this, blah, blah, blah.(27:22) All great problems. (27:23) All great problems. (27:24) Demand is good.(27:25) Yeah. (27:25) So that's the question for you. (27:26) How willing are you?(27:27) How willing are you? (27:28) I would bet on the person with a higher willingness score 10 times out of 10 as long as they're humble. (27:33) As long as they're humble.(27:34) If they're arrogant, but arrogant people usually don't have super high willingness. (27:37) No, they don't.

Alan Lazaros

(27:37) Where does willingness fall on your betting on someone to succeed? (27:42) Super high. (27:43) Uh, it's, humility is high.(27:46) Self-belief is the highest. (27:48) Self-belief is the highest. (27:49) Self-belief is the highest.(27:51) And then I think it would be inward humility, like just eating humble pie at all times. (27:56) And then I think the third one would probably be willingness at this stage. (27:59) I would say that's fair.(28:01) Yeah. (28:02) I would say that's fair. (28:03) Growth mindset, but that's self-belief, right?(28:05) So yeah. (28:06) To be continued.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:07) This is a great episode. (28:08) Great episode. (28:09) All right.(28:09) If you're looking to increase your willingness, which that's a whole nother conversation, how do you do that? (28:12) Reach out to Alan for coaching. (28:13) Alan can help you for sure.(28:14) Again, one of the reasons I think I have a very high willingness score is I've worked with Alan for as long as I have. (28:19) I do think it was probably statistically higher than average in the beginning because of bodybuilding and all that, but it's definitely improved over the last nine years. (28:26) So if you're looking to increase that, I'm telling you, this is one of the attributes for success.(28:30) Reach out to Alan for coaching. (28:31) It is way more affordable than you think. (28:34) It's the most affordable coaching based on what you're going to be getting out there guaranteed.(28:38) And if you're looking for a group of amazing humans who are focused on becoming more willing and becoming more consistent and all of that stuff, join Next Level Nation. (28:44) Our private Facebook group will have the link in the show notes. (28:46) As always, we love you.(28:47) We appreciate you. (28:48) Grateful for each and every one of you. (28:49) 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.(28:56) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential.

Alan Lazaros

(28:58) Next Level Nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(29:00) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (29:04) We love connecting with Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(29:06) We mean it when we say family. (29:09) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (29:12) Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.(29:15) Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.