The “True” Measure Of Success? (2445)

Success has a sustainability problem. In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan examine fulfillment as a deeper measure of sustainable success. They break down alignment, identity, productivity, contribution, quality of life, and self-respect through real coaching patterns and personal experience. Kevin reflects on how his relationship with work is changing, while Alan clarifies why meaningful progress must connect what you value, what you build, and how you contribute.

This is a grounded reminder that success only lasts when it is aligned enough to keep living, building, and improving with intention. Listen now, because success without meaning is just a very polished trap.

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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

Join the "Next Level Fitness Accountability Group" – Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

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

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

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

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Show notes:
(3:32) Fulfillment versus quality of life
(8:03) When productivity becomes identity
(9:32) Designing work around alignment
(13:01) Investing daily in self-respect
(22:01) Merging success with meaning
(24:30) Why success alone falls short
(26:47) 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 was trying to explain this to somebody the other day. (0:03) I said, if you are not fulfilled, it most likely is not going to be sustainable to be doing what you're doing for a long period of time. (0:14) And I do think for some pieces of the journey, you're going to be wildly unfulfilled.(0:18) And I think that's just par for the course. (0:19) The goal is always to get a little bit more fulfilled, a little bit more fulfilled, a little bit more fulfilled. (0:24) And this is the question, well, I'll save it.(0:26) I'll save the question that I asked them for the actual episode, but I think that's the goal. (0:29) The goal is to be more fulfilled than you were yesterday. (0:32) And you're going to have down days where it's like this blows and I don't want to do this.(0:35) And then hopefully the next day is more fulfilling. (0:37) And I think that's probably the truest measure of success.

Alan Lazaros

(0:40) Nine years ago, when Kevin and I first started working together, I talked about fulfillment and he didn't really even know what that meant. (0:49) Meaning fulfillment alignment is a by-product of, no, fulfillment is a by-product of alignment. (0:57) What does that mean?(0:59) And how do you be really successful at achieving your goals while also staying fulfilled along the way?

Kevin Palmieri

(1:05) That is the question. (1:06) Welcome to Next Level University. (1:09) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.(1:11) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazaros. (1:14) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(1:20) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:27) 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

(1:43) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:49) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:55) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,445, the true, and that's in quotations for those who aren't seeing it, measure of success. (2:04) It's supposed to be the true measure of success because there's a question mark at the end, so you have to do the up voice at the end. (2:10) I was talking to somebody the other day, a client of ours, mine and yours, and essentially, I said, the question Alan always used to ask me was, are you the most fulfilled you've ever been?(2:24) Did you ask her who's the better coach? (2:26) You're the better coach for sure, but I'm more jacked than you are, so that's all that really matters.

Alan Lazaros

(2:29) If you're listening, what's the verdict?

Kevin Palmieri

(2:32) Yeah, we don't have to, I mean, there's no vote needed. (2:35) I'm definitely funner to hang out with, that's for sure. (2:37) Funner?(2:38) More fun-ish, more fun-like to hang out with. (2:42) I said, the question Alan always used to ask me was, are you the most fulfilled you've ever been? (2:47) If the answer was yes, essentially keep doing what you're doing, as long as what you're doing is building, are you?(2:54) Nah, probably not, no. (2:57) Seriously? (2:58) No, probably not.(2:59) That sucks. (3:00) I'm going through an identity thing with what I'm doing in the business now, it's different, stuff's just different. (3:07) Yeah, but I think that's the point of this episode, is just like you're not always going to be happy, I think there's going to be days where you don't feel fulfilled.

Alan Lazaros

(3:15) Well, that doesn't mean you're unfulfilled, it just means you're not the most fulfilled you've ever been. (3:19) Well, you said, are you the most fulfilled? (3:20) And I said, no.(3:21) I know. (3:21) I didn't say I'm wildly unfulfilled, eight and a half. (3:26) Ten is the best you've ever been, most fulfilled you've ever been, not best you've ever been.(3:32) I used to say, fulfillment is a byproduct of reaching your full potential and greatest level of contribution, thoughts. (3:38) Bullshit.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:40) I think there is some measure of quality life in that equation, more than we ever used to talk about, for sure.

Alan Lazaros

(3:50) Well, we used to teach it, the triad of fulfillment was potential, contribution, and quality of life.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:01) I think it's directly connected to the order of those, the order of importance and the percentage of the order. (4:07) I think that is, this person I'm talking about cares more about quality life than they were willing to admit for a while. (4:13) I said, look, I was there too.(4:15) I understand. (4:16) I understand. (4:17) And I said, if you did things exactly the way you were doing them forever and nothing changed, what would you think?(4:23) And she said, this would be fucking terrible. (4:25) I said, all right. (4:25) And right now that's where you are.(4:28) So it's not, it's not going to change overnight. (4:31) It's just an awareness thing. (4:32) It doesn't mean anything's going to change.(4:34) There are, there have been parts of this journey where I was fucking miserable and I wasn't fulfilled at all, for sure. (4:41) Less fulfilled than you used to be though? (4:44) Because the trend line should be up.(4:46) Yeah, but I mean, I started pretty low. (4:48) The trend line was up, but it, you know, from zero, it's all up.

Alan Lazaros

(4:53) Agreed, you know. (4:55) Isn't that the conversation though? (4:57) Is, I was on with a client earlier and what did I say?(5:03) I said, I'm not working hard so that I can work less. (5:08) And I think to some extent you are. (5:12) Freedom is his most important core value.(5:15) Time freedom. (5:16) And the paradox there, the irony is that how do you get time freedom? (5:22) Create income.(5:23) How do you create income? (5:24) Give up your time. (5:26) I think this all depends on each individual's syntax of those three.(5:35) Yeah, like you said. (5:37) So potential, contribution, quality of life. (5:42) I have come to accept that I don't think I care that much about quality of life compared to the statistical norm.(5:51) Yeah. (5:52) Which allows me in this weird way to have a higher quality of life than other people. (5:58) It's, that has been really blowing my mind lately of, I have a higher quality of life than people who value quality of life?(6:09) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:10) I think the hard part is, yeah, because you have to be willing to sacrifice quality of life to create and generate the revenue.

Alan Lazaros

(6:18) It's all gift. (6:20) And I think that's why I used to say this and you used to hate this fucking thing too, which is when you learn to need nothing, you'll have everything. (6:28) I think it's, I learned to need so little that now it's just all gravy.(6:32) It's awesome. (6:33) Yeah, but I need very little too. (6:34) I just like stuff.(6:37) Yeah. (6:37) But isn't, that's a superpower. (6:38) I think needing very little is a superpower.(6:40) I think so too. (6:41) And this person you're referring to, who we both coach, needs less than she used to need. (6:46) For sure.(6:46) When you need very little to be fulfilled, you will be fulfilled.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:50) Yeah, but I do think there's like a baseline. (6:53) Yeah. (6:53) Yeah.(6:54) I think anything above the baseline is just like... (6:56) Not gravy, baby. (6:57) I don't mean greed, like in a bad way.(6:59) Yeah, yeah. (7:00) It's like, as long as you're getting the minimums met, anything above that is just extra. (7:08) It's like, fuck yeah, awesome, great.(7:10) But I think it takes time.

Alan Lazaros

(7:12) Do you feel like you have a surplus of fulfillment? (7:16) You living in abundance?

Kevin Palmieri

(7:18) Yeah, yeah, but I don't know. (7:21) I'm just going through a weird thing where I'm like, I don't feel like I do anything.

Alan Lazaros

(7:29) Workout every day, podcast every day.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:31) Yeah, but I said that to a client. (7:33) I said, there was a time where I was... (7:35) I think the most I did was, I think I did 30 podcast episodes in a week or something like that.(7:41) And I said, now I do seven. (7:43) And I said, this is not from a place of arrogance, but that is fucking child's play. (7:47) That is nothing.(7:48) Right? (7:48) That is super easy. (7:49) It's not that hard.(7:50) And then I had a moment...

Alan Lazaros

(7:51) Just looking around the room.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:52) Kind of. (7:53) It's like, okay, well, that's done. (7:55) Okay, we did our episode for the day.(7:57) It's just different. (7:58) So it's not that I'm not fulfilled. (8:00) I just don't...(8:03) For a long time, I had productivity equals contribution. (8:09) That's not... (8:10) My productivity now is different than it was.(8:13) So I'm just dealing with that.

Alan Lazaros

(8:15) I'm just dealing with that. (8:16) Here's the question. (8:18) Does that mean you cared more about productivity than you thought in hindsight?

Kevin Palmieri

(8:22) No, well, probably. (8:24) And I also was wired to assume that if I wasn't being productive in these three ways, I was going to be a fucking loser. (8:32) That was a big piece of it.(8:34) If nothing changed... (8:36) There's some truth to that.

Alan Lazaros

(8:37) Yeah, for sure. (8:37) I'm kidding. (8:38) If...

Kevin Palmieri

(8:38) No, there is.

Alan Lazaros

(8:39) To rephrase it, if you're not productive in these three ways, you probably won't be successful. (8:43) That was a better way to say it.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:44) You wouldn't get to the place where... (8:47) You would never get to the place where you do far less than you ever did and are far more successful than you've ever been and feel like shit about it. (8:57) It's not a bad place to be.(8:59) Wait, what? (9:00) Say that again? (9:00) I do far less output than I used to.(9:04) Yeah. (9:04) And I am far more successful than I was. (9:07) Yeah.(9:07) And you should write a course. (9:09) I should. (9:09) Well, that's the next one.(9:10) How to make more... (9:11) How to make more doing less. (9:12) No, no.(9:13) Not even less. (9:14) Nothing. (9:15) Nothing.(9:16) Make more money doing nothing. (9:18) That's... (9:19) If you enjoyed this course on how to make more doing less, you're going to love the next course.(9:23) How to make more doing nothing. (9:25) Now you're ready for it. (9:27) You weren't ready for it before.(9:27) You weren't ready for it before.

Alan Lazaros

(9:29) If nothing changed...

Kevin Palmieri

(9:30) We're joking. (9:31) We are joking.

Alan Lazaros

(9:31) We're really joking.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:32) If nothing changed for you, Alan, and every day was the same exact as it is now for the rest of your life, would you be fulfilled?

Alan Lazaros

(9:40) Assuming I am getting better at everything I value every day, then yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:45) Hell yeah. (9:45) I think that's the measure. (9:47) And I think that's why fulfillment...

Alan Lazaros

(9:48) I'm the most fulfilled I've ever been, for sure.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:50) I think that's why fulfillment is a relatively rare thing because most people don't like what consumes the majority of their time.

Alan Lazaros

(9:57) That's because they didn't design their goddamn life to focus... (10:02) And again, you have to make a love child out of what you love to do with what the economy pays for. (10:11) You have to.(10:12) This is not my opinion. (10:13) You have to. (10:16) Like, you're gonna spend 60% of your life working.(10:20) You have to find a way to earn... (10:22) We don't trade cows for pigs anymore. (10:25) We have currency.(10:26) I was on with someone, Swiss Franks. (10:28) She's from Switzerland. (10:30) Currency is the medium in which we trade now.(10:34) And we don't trade wampum and stuff anymore. (10:37) So you have to earn money no matter where you live. (10:41) You have to find a way to earn money.(10:42) Even if it's inheriting money, that's one way to earn money. (10:45) And now you have to listen to your parents. (10:47) It's like the people who live at home and someone else pays the bills but they don't want any rules.(10:53) It's like... (10:54) Simpler times, for sure. (10:56) Well, that's what I mean.(10:57) You can't... (10:57) If you really want to be fully free and have no boss and no clients and no responsibilities, you have to be completely and utterly self-reliant. (11:07) You can't rely on the government or your partner or your parents or your parents' parents or your grandparents, which is grandparents.(11:13) But the point is, is like, everyone out there watching or listening has to, to some extent, this is a principle that applies to all humans on earth, find a way to contribute beyond yourself for an income. (11:30) Hopefully in alignment with something you enjoy doing to some extent. (11:34) It's meaningful work for you.(11:36) That meaningful work, merged with what the economy pays for, needs to happen with every human on earth if they want to be fulfilled. (11:44) That is a fucking principle. (11:46) There is no way around that.(11:47) There are no... (11:48) Like, I know wealthy people who don't work. (11:50) They are not more fulfilled than me.(11:52) Definitely not. (11:53) Not even close. (11:55) How do you know fulfillment isn't different for different people?(11:59) It is, but it has principles. (12:02) How do you know? (12:04) How do I know that it has principles?(12:06) How do you know what the principles are? (12:08) Scientific method for 37 years. (12:11) Trying to figure out...(12:12) Well, this is the truth. (12:14) I grew up in an environment that had a lot of really miserable people.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:17) Yeah, you wanted to avoid that.

Alan Lazaros

(12:18) And I wanted to make sure that didn't happen to me. (12:20) And I did. (12:21) I had a dream last night that I went back.(12:26) It was a horrible dream. (12:27) It wasn't that horrible in terms of like no one was killed or anything. (12:31) But it was like I was back.(12:35) And someone threw me a party that I didn't want in a misaligned way that I didn't want with people that I didn't really want to spend time with. (12:45) The whole thing sucked. (12:48) My point of that is, I don't want to go back.(12:52) No, no, no. (12:52) I spent my whole life focused on making sure my life got better, not worse. (12:59) I know that's not your point.(13:01) But I want everyone out there watching or listening to stop what they're doing and listen. (13:07) No, think about... (13:09) Like, I really, really actually make this land.(13:12) Really think about this. (13:13) Take a minute. (13:14) Think about this.(13:15) If you invest every day trying to make your life better, eventually it will get way fucking better. (13:24) I used to say if you spend every day investing in making sure tomorrow is brighter than today, eventually you'll wake up and your whole world will be awesome. (13:31) Your whole life will be awesome in comparison.(13:34) I mean, obviously everyone has challenges. (13:36) Like, anything can happen. (13:39) Everyone gets injured and, you know, have loved ones pass away and illnesses and all.(13:45) My point though is like there's no better use of your time. (13:48) There's no better use of your time than investing today to make tomorrow brighter. (13:54) Because the things that you do to invest in that self-respect account, it makes you fulfilled.(13:59) It just does. (14:00) And that's not universal to me. (14:02) Human beings always feel good after a great workout.(14:06) That's not a me thing. (14:08) Like, progress is a part of fulfillment. (14:11) Progress towards meaningful goals.(14:12) If you're not fulfilled, it could be a number of things. (14:16) You have the wrong goals. (14:17) You're around the wrong people.(14:19) You don't believe in yourself. (14:20) You have low self-worth. (14:21) You have trauma you haven't healed from.(14:23) Like, there's a bunch of different things. (14:24) But ultimately the path to fulfillment is the same for all of us. (14:28) It's learn from the past, build in the present toward a bigger, better, and brighter future in alignment with your full potential, your greatest level of contribution that increases your overall quality of life.(14:38) That is fulfillment in a nutshell. (14:40) And I've spent some time thinking about this, obviously. (14:42) Speaking of dreams, I'll share one of mine really quick.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:46) Real quick. (14:47) If you have kids in the room, you're gonna want to remove them. (14:49) I can promise you that.(14:51) I have some dark dreams. (14:52) I know we've said before, like, I should, I need to, like, probably see something about this. (14:55) I will at some point.(14:58) Gut shot, of course, that's often. (15:02) Twice in the back. (15:04) Yeah, nothing, that's nothing.(15:05) That's light work for the kid. (15:07) As I do in these dreams, I play dead. (15:09) Kevlar in?(15:10) I play dead. (15:11) I play dead. (15:12) You have the Kevlar.(15:13) No, no, no. (15:14) No Kevlar. (15:14) Skin and bone, baby.(15:16) They know I'm not dead. (15:19) Come up behind me. (15:21) Shotgun.(15:22) One in the head. (15:22) One in the head. (15:24) Hey, hey.(15:26) Didn't kill me. (15:26) Didn't kill me. (15:27) Of course not.(15:28) I go to work the next day. (15:30) My boss is the guy who shot me. (15:35) My fucking boss is the guy who shot me.(15:38) Your boss from your last job? (15:40) No, no, no. (15:41) In this dream.(15:42) I walk into- I shot you? (15:44) No, no, not you. (15:44) No, no, like in this dream, it was just some person I didn't know, but I walk into work and I'm like, oh shit, that's the guy who tried to kill me.(15:52) It's gonna be a rough day. (15:53) I gotta quit this job immediately. (15:54) So that was my Tuesday night dream.(15:57) Yeah, you're definitely going through it. (15:59) I'm going through something. (16:04) The thing that I would find very hard to be sold on, that I'm fully sold on, and I have said this so many times on other podcasts, is I think one of the reasons I'm not as fulfilled is because I don't feel like I'm working as hard.(16:21) I think that's all it is. (16:23) When I had those days, this is serious, I would do like eight podcasts back to back to back and I would literally have to crawl out of my office into the bathroom because I had to pee so bad I couldn't stand up. (16:36) But like, and again, I'm not saying that's healthy.(16:39) That's definitely not healthy. (16:40) If you're a doctor, please don't message me and tell me why. (16:42) I don't want to know.(16:44) But like, when I would get to the end of those days, like fuck yeah, I earned it today. (16:48) Of course. (16:49) I know I'm doing that, it's just in a different way.

Alan Lazaros

(16:51) A lot of self-respect account. (16:52) You invest in a self-respect account.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:53) Well, and I think when you switch what the day-to-day looks like, I think it can be confusing.

Alan Lazaros

(17:01) We were supposed to switch your life in a way that was not only more optimal for the growth of the company but also for your fulfillment as well. (17:12) Have we not done that? (17:13) I think we are doing it.(17:15) I'm just redefining. (17:17) Speaking of defining, fulfillment means a feeling of deep satisfaction, happiness, or contentment that comes from achieving something meaningful or living in a way that aligns with your values or goals. (17:29) I think we read that a couple episodes ago.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:31) So that was for complacency. (17:32) Complacency and contentment are...

Alan Lazaros

(17:35) That was a word that was used for complacency is contentment. (17:39) In short, fulfillment is about feeling complete or satisfied, either emotionally or through successfully finishing something. (17:45) And this is the thing, the infinite game and finite game.(17:49) How do you feel satisfied and not? (17:53) And I think that this is something that in couples coaching, Emile and I, I'll always ask like, how's the we? (18:01) And every one of our clients knows what that means.(18:03) Like, how's the relationship? (18:04) So you picture, in this case, I'm picturing a man and a woman and the we is a bubble above them. (18:12) How strong is the we bubble is what we call it.(18:18) Meaning one of the guys we're coaching is struggle boss, not getting good sleep, having trouble. (18:24) But the we is still strong. (18:28) And just because you're not doing well, doesn't mean your relationship can't be strong on the macro.(18:40) And I think that that's a good metaphor for this, where I had a horrible day yesterday and you know that because I vented to you for at least an hour. (18:50) Not a great day for me, but on the macro, I was still very fulfilled. (18:55) On the micro, which is yesterday in particular, it was not a good, it wasn't a great experience overall.(19:04) And I don't know if I care about that as much. (19:07) It depends on what your priority is. (19:09) What does it feel like?

Kevin Palmieri

(19:10) What is fulfilled? (19:11) I don't know how to explain that. (19:13) I can never lock that down.

Alan Lazaros

(19:18) Okay, the seemingly overly spiritual version of it is you're in the right place doing what you're meant to do in the world. (19:29) There's this feeling that I'm supposed, like this is what I'm born and bred for. (19:34) This is nature and nurture.(19:35) This is what I'm supposed to be doing in the world. (19:38) I feel that way when I'm coaching. (19:40) I do not feel that way with certain shit.(19:43) Like this weekend, I did not feel that way. (19:46) It wasn't like, oh, I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. (19:48) Do you feel that way right now?(19:50) Like at this moment? (19:51) Definitely. (19:51) One of the reasons I stopped doing Business Growth University is because for some reason, I didn't feel that way.(19:58) And I didn't understand why. (20:00) I was trying to figure out like, why? (20:02) You know, I thought for sure this would be meaningful work for me and fulfilling and grow and all this stuff.(20:10) But after a while, it was like, no, this isn't clocking in my... (20:17) If fulfillment is a byproduct of alignment with your greatest self and greatest level of contribution, it wasn't clocking. (20:24) Whereas doing some other things that seem like a bad idea actually do clock.(20:30) You and I talked about, I shared with someone recently that I paid off college debt with counting cards and I took them through how to do it. (20:39) Eight decks, you know, eight times 52 and basically a hot deck. (20:45) It means there's a lot of face cards still out where the dealer is most likely going to bust.(20:48) If the dealer is showing a six and you have a 19, you stay. (20:53) Hopefully the other people are smart enough to stay too. (20:55) And you can kind of coach them at the table, especially if they're actually coherent and not blasted.(21:01) But you say, hey, like stay, trust me. (21:03) And the dealer will most likely pull a 16 and then they bust with a 10, which means when the dealer loses, everybody wins. (21:09) My point of this is they thought that was really cool.(21:13) Counting cards is really cool. (21:14) You said that's cool, whatever. (21:15) I could give a fuck about that because it was never aligned.(21:18) I was never at the casino like this is where I'm meant to be. (21:22) I think the counting cards was cool. (21:23) I think learning the game and how to increase the probability of statistical success through doubling my bet and doubling down like that stuff was all really cool for me.(21:32) So the strategy aspect was cool, but I was never, I didn't leave the casino fulfilled. (21:37) Nobody leaves a casino fulfilled. (21:39) Like they might leave in pleasure town and like I just won three grand, but that I don't care about any of that.(21:46) That's stupid.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:46) All right, why, last thing and then we got to go, we have group coaching, next level podcast accelerator after this. (21:51) Why would you say, because this, I titled this, you didn't. (21:55) Would you say that the true measure of success is fulfillment and why?

Alan Lazaros

(22:01) I would say the true measure of success is merging the two. (22:05) Merging what? (22:06) Because the problem with this is people's definition affects their ability to align with the thing.(22:16) So I do believe all human beings would be fulfilled if they all were born in a free country with the ability of autonomy and choice to increase, to reach more of their full potential, contribute to the greater good beyond themselves for an income that grows over time. (22:38) I do believe that that's a universal thing that's real and everybody needs some love and there's some other stuff too, but basically love would be a byproduct of that. (22:48) Like one of the things that I'm coaching a lot of people in dating and single people who want to attract their dream partner, relationship talks, coaching, and you're not going to be like a wildly fulfilled, healthy, happy, wealthy person who's like aligned with their goals and dreams, who like doesn't find love.(23:10) That's not a thing. (23:11) Like people want to be around people of value and you might choose to be alone and that's a different story, but like very rarely is there someone who's like unbelievably growth oriented, who's crushing life that people don't like really want to be around. (23:29) And so my point of that whole thing is I used to think fulfillment is a byproduct of alignment with your greatest self and your greatest level of contribution and I still believe that, but I think a better definition for people who haven't studied fulfillment would be like take what will make you successful and merge it with what's meaningful.(23:49) Because if you're doing what's meaningful but no one pays you for it, you're screwed because you can't pay your bills and have like a free life. (23:56) You can't build a family or a community or you can't do much of anything actually. (23:59) So isn't it purpose, profit, passion?(24:02) Passion, purpose, and profit is very good, yeah. (24:04) I actually think that's like a really good framework. (24:08) Turn your passion into purpose into profit and then rinse and repeat that as long as it's increasing over time.(24:14) Just make sure it's not a fad. (24:16) I think that's a great framework. (24:17) I think that's one of our best.(24:18) But I think people usually want success more than fulfillment and then they can't sustain it because there are some people that are successful and fulfilled.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:30) Well I think the other thing too is like you think success brings happiness and I don't think that's, I think fulfillment is what we're chasing.

Alan Lazaros

(24:37) Last thing because I know we gotta go but you didn't really, like fulfillment when I was a kid I was like I can't, I'm not gonna end up divorced like them. (24:47) I'm not gonna end up hating my job like them. (24:49) I'm not gonna end up you know TGIF Friday, can't wait for Friday, binge drink all weekend.(24:55) Like I didn't want to hate my life like these people and some of these people genuinely hated their life. (25:01) They did not value their life and I saw that all over them and there's a lot of people like that and that's the reality we live in and to me these people had a lot of things they could be grateful for. (25:11) So I studied this my whole life because I needed to figure out the formula to not end up old and miserable like everybody else.(25:16) That was my younger version of like I need, there's got to be a formula to like happiness and it turns out it's fulfillment and we obviously have several formulas now but what about you? (25:26) I mean you were winging it with all the love and I didn't really know anything about fulfillment quite frankly.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:32) No I still, I understand it and I am fulfilled but it's still very hard to explain because I, if you can't explain what it feels like I don't know, for me I need to know how it feels. (25:46) It's, I don't know, I think it's a paradox because when you're doing the thing and when you're like contributing and when you're trying to maximize your potential it doesn't feel good necessarily. (25:57) You know like the days that stretch you the most you're probably gonna be the most fulfilled at the end of them but in the process you fucking hate it.(26:05) The days I look at my calendar it's like oh Jesus there's no way I'm gonna die this is gonna kill me. (26:10) When I get to the end of the day it's like fuck yeah that was awesome. (26:12) I'm content not, I'm content with what I put out.(26:16) I'm content with the experience of the day. (26:18) I'm content with doing it again tomorrow. (26:20) That, that, that's the best answer I can give on a on with 30 seconds left.(26:25) All right if you want to be more fulfilled Alan can help you with that. (26:28) Yes he can help you be more successful but one of the ingredients in success is fulfillment because if you can't do it sustainably you're not gonna be successful for very long and if you want to be successful when it comes to fitness Alan and I are tracking our body fat percentages now. (26:40) You don't have to do that but that is something Alan and I want to do.(26:43) We're going to lead by example. (26:44) We do a lot of cool stuff in the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. (26:46) Reach out to us.(26:47) We'll let you in. (26:48) As always we love you. (26:48) We appreciate you.(26:49) Grateful for each and every one of you if you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level. (26:53) Make sure you tune in tomorrow because we'll be here every single day to help you get there.

Alan Lazaros

(26:56) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential. (26:59) Next Level Nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(27:00) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (27:04) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(27:07) We mean it when we say family. (27:09) If you ever need anything please reach out to us directly. (27:12) Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.(27:16) Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.