Personal Development Isn’t A Phase… (2519)

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The habits that work are the ones you can sustain. In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan discuss why personal development, fitness, financial awareness, and meaningful relationships cannot be treated as temporary phases. Real progress is built through repeated action, not a short burst of motivation followed by a return to old patterns.

Drawing on their own years of training, coaching, and building Next Level University, they explore the role of momentum, measurable goals, and long-term consistency. They explain why extreme challenges can create short-term results but often fail to build lasting habits, and why the most important work is usually not exciting or glamorous. If you want sustainable self-improvement, the goal is not perfection. It is to create routines you can repeat, track what matters, and continue showing up long after the novelty wears off.

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Visit our website and socials through the links below. 👇

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Email:
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Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

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Show notes:
(2:07) The four rules for building momentum
(5:36) Why healthy habits must continue for life
(9:24) Changing your life through regular action
(13:43) Sustainable habits versus short-term challenges
(16:18) Goals, measurement, and focused accountability
(25:30) Consistency as the foundation of health, wealth, and love
(29:10) Start small and build a sustainable identity
(33:38) 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 you want a result in something, forever, you have to do the process forever. (0:07) If you go to the gym for a month and then you stop going to the gym, you are going to lose all of the results you built in that month. (0:13) Fitness is a lifestyle, it's forever.(0:15) Personal development is a lifestyle, it's forever. (0:18) You got to do it forever, unfortunately.

Alan Lazaros

(0:20) Everything's a cycle. (0:21) You can't do anything once and then expect a result forever. (0:25) Welcome to Next Level University.(0:28) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:30) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazaros. (0:33) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:39) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:46) 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

(1:02) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:08) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:14) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2519. (1:17) Personal development isn't a phase. (1:20) Fitness isn't a phase.(1:21) Learning isn't a phase. (1:22) Tracking finances isn't a phase. (1:24) Those are the things that you gotta do.

Alan Lazaros

(1:26) What is a phase?

Kevin Palmieri

(1:29) When I was in high school, I had a phase. (1:32) Remember Jenko jeans? (1:34) That, brother, was a phase for me.

Alan Lazaros

(1:37) Yeah, really? (1:38) You went Jenko? (1:39) I had the biggest...(1:40) Weren't they baggy as hell?

Kevin Palmieri

(1:41) They were so baggy, it was unbelievable.

Alan Lazaros

(1:43) And then bowl cuts were a phase?

Kevin Palmieri

(1:46) Yeah, but I don't know if I ever like consciously went to my mom and said, hey, give me a bowl cut. (1:49) It was probably just like, I don't know. (1:51) I don't know how that came about.(1:52) What are some other phases? (1:53) Pogs? (1:54) Pogs.

Alan Lazaros

(1:55) Pokemon cards.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:55) Furbies. (1:57) A bunch, a bunch. (2:00) I am very much anti-phase.(2:03) Same. (2:04) But I think this is a thing like, if you listen to this podcast every day, okay? (2:10) If you're out there and you listen to this podcast every day, you are into personal development and self-improvement and awareness and habits and peak performance more into that than 99% of people.(2:20) For sure, by far. (2:21) Because for a lot of people, we know, like we've had people in and out of our lives who are like very into something for a short period of time. (2:29) Nothing happens.(2:30) And then they're like, oh, I'm going to go do something else. (2:33) So I just think very rarely, I know authors that wrote one book. (2:38) You don't know who they are because they stopped.(2:40) They didn't understand that being an author is forever. (2:43) I know musicians that stopped in college. (2:47) You don't know who they are.(2:48) I know who they are because I know them personally, but nobody else is ever going to know because it's great point. (2:52) That's forever, right? (2:53) So that's kind of what we're jamming on today.

Alan Lazaros

(2:54) Well, maybe this, and I, this came up as an oversight for me. (2:59) I was on with a client earlier. (3:01) I coach his company and I said, these are my four rules for success.(3:08) He got all excited. (3:10) We have great conversations. (3:12) Rule one, stop the wrong trains.

Alan Lazaros

(3:17) Yep.

Alan Lazaros

(3:19) Stop doing dumb shit. (3:21) Done. (3:22) Good.(3:23) Forever too, by the way. (3:24) Forever. (3:24) Stop.(3:25) Rule two, breakthrough stuff. (3:29) Ready? (3:30) I'm familiar with it.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:31) I'm ready.

Alan Lazaros

(3:32) Start the right trains.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:35) Stop. (3:36) Start. (3:36) I see how you...

Alan Lazaros

(3:37) Interesting. (3:38) Third rule, improve the right trains. (3:42) The right trains.(3:43) Done.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:43) Awesome. (3:44) Stop, start, improve. (3:45) Got it.

Alan Lazaros

(3:45) There's one more. (3:46) There's one more. (3:48) And this is the one that I got intense.(3:49) And I think it was the first time I've sworn in front of this man. (3:53) He's 69. (3:54) 69.(3:55) This last one's the most important. (3:59) Never, ever, ever fucking lose momentum. (4:03) Ah, the old snowball.(4:04) He said, can you send me those? (4:06) I sent them to him. (4:07) He knows because he's...(4:10) I said, isn't it so unfortunate that it takes a lifetime to become wise? (4:16) He laughed his ass off. (4:17) He's 69.(4:18) And we're talking about things that when he was my age, he didn't have any fucking clue about. (4:25) And I'm coaching a 23 year old. (4:27) Shout out to you, brother.(4:28) And it's like, oh my goodness. (4:30) If I could just have had this at 23. (4:34) Oh, oh, some good stuff.(4:38) Anyways, I know that's not the point. (4:39) Those four rules, trains. (4:41) Why do I say trains?(4:42) Because they go forever. (4:44) Forever. (4:45) Long-term.(4:45) Trains. (4:46) No one ever got on a train. (4:49) Actually they have.(4:50) I'm going to get off at the next stop. (4:51) That's fair. (4:51) That's fair.(4:51) I like the metaphor of train because of momentum. (4:55) Here's the key. (4:56) Ready?(4:57) Takes a lot of energy to get it going. (4:58) For sure. (4:59) A lot of energy, tons of effort, tons of steam to get it going.(5:03) Once it's going, let's say 80, 90 miles an hour, that thing will blow right through a brick wall. (5:08) Like it's nothing. (5:10) We are in momentum right now.(5:13) As a company, we're in momentum. (5:15) And that's why we're so overwhelmed. (5:17) Every other episode, Kev's like, ah, I'm struggling.(5:20) I'm not sleeping well. (5:20) I'm traveling. (5:21) It's like, yeah, we're in momentum.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:23) Don't fuck this up. (5:24) Well, even today I was like, Hey man, we gotta do, we're going to do two 15 minute episodes because I have to be up at 3am to go to a client. (5:30) Like I need to get my, I need to get my sleep.(5:32) I need to get my sleep. (5:33) The, uh, I'm reading a book on longevity. (5:36) Uh, and it's interesting because there's a lot of things in it, but very few of those are like, I don't know, 50% shifting activities that you're going to see in any meaningful amount of time.(5:53) It's just like, if you want to live longer, you just have to do this until you die. (5:59) It's pretty much it.

Alan Lazaros

(6:00) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:00) That's like walk. (6:01) You gotta walk. (6:03) But you could start, start walking today.(6:04) It doesn't, it's not gonna do anything. (6:06) It's not gonna do anything. (6:07) I think that is one of the most misunderstood things is like all of the stuff you're doing today, if it is positive and if it is beneficial and if it is good for you, you kind of just have to do that forever.(6:18) It won't really ever get to a place where you're like, well, I'm good. (6:22) I don't even have to diet or exercise or walk or worry about my sleep or worry about my finances or anything. (6:27) Like I've done it so well for the last 10 years that I don't even have to do it for the next 40 years.(6:34) It doesn't exist. (6:34) It doesn't exist. (6:35) It doesn't exist.(6:36) And if you did it well for 10 years, it'll only take two to destroy it all. (6:39) Well, that's the part that's broken because I think what's happening on, I think what's happening very commonly on social media is people are like, you just work for 10 years and you take the next 60 off. (6:49) It's like, well, that's not really the way it works in the real, real world.

Alan Lazaros

(6:53) You know that five minutes a day correlates to more than 30 hours a year?

Kevin Palmieri

(6:59) That's five minutes a day.

Alan Lazaros

(7:02) How much? (7:03) 30 hours.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:04) 30 hours.

Alan Lazaros

(7:06) I have a client who got a robotic vacuum, five times 365 divided by 60, 30.4 hours. (7:17) I said, how much do you make an hour? (7:19) I think it was 34 average.(7:22) It was a thousand bucks. (7:23) I said, does the robot cost a thousand bucks? (7:25) She said, no.(7:25) I said, what is it? (7:26) Like a third of that? (7:27) Okay.(7:27) So in four months, you'll have your money back. (7:29) Assuming you actually work with that time, right? (7:32) If you're sitting on the my point is, is, is the long thing like you're, Oh, now she's done saving time.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:45) No, but even like, I understand why people get Jeffed on that because there is, I think there is, because I do think many people get to a point of like, what seems like maximum, maximum optimization.

Alan Lazaros

(7:57) No such thing.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:58) I don't, I know I agree, but I do think some people do get to a place where they think it's a thing.

Alan Lazaros

(8:02) Yeah. (8:03) That's all. (8:03) Do you think the 19th iPhone will be done?

Kevin Palmieri

(8:07) Well, no, but what percentage of people have ever worked on an iPhone? (8:13) Okay. (8:13) What about the, uh, maybe it'll be windows 10.

Alan Lazaros

(8:16) That's the last one.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:17) Yeah. (8:17) But again, as a consumer, you don't think about that. (8:20) Yeah.(8:20) But you're talking about things that you got to, why don't you think about that? (8:23) I know. (8:23) No, no, I'm saying, let's argue.(8:24) I'm saying, yeah, we can argue. (8:26) We can argue. (8:28) Um, this is why I don't want an old house.(8:32) Completely. (8:33) Same, same new brand. (8:35) Fucking new one.(8:36) If you don't understand the actual value of your time and opportunity costs, none of this is enough necessity for you to do anything in your mind. (8:46) It's very simple. (8:47) Here's why, because it only takes me 10 minutes to vacuum.(8:50) Why the fuck would I pay $300 for something that you had to do the math? (8:55) I don't know how much I make. (8:58) And $300 is a lot of money.(8:59) Like, I don't know how I'm going to make that. (9:00) I don't have the self-belief to know that I'm going to make that back. (9:02) I'm going to make that back 300 bucks.(9:04) You don't know how much you make. (9:06) No, I'm saying in this example, well, I know how much you need, you need help.

Alan Lazaros

(9:11) You need a mentor. (9:13) If you don't know how much you make, you need a mentor.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:15) But do you, but do you see the breakdown of, of course, you're not going to focus on overly optimizing if you don't understand why you should optimize the first.

Alan Lazaros

(9:23) Yeah. (9:24) Optimization, time management, discipline, self-respect, all these things. (9:28) I don't want to self-respect because that's something that's a by-product, but the things you do, like there's this quote, you cannot change your life unless you change something you do daily.(9:39) Yeah. (9:39) Well, you can, but it has to be weekly or monthly. (9:42) Like a better quote, a more accurate quote would be, you cannot change your life in a deeply meaningful way without changing something you do regularly.(9:52) You know, like, yeah. (9:56) Quality time. (9:56) Oh, we're good now.(9:57) We hung out a lot last week. (9:59) We're good now. (9:59) You imagine it is silly thinking.(10:01) And, and dude, I know I'm being playful. (10:03) I'm probably coming off like a dick. (10:05) I, I never understood.(10:08) I mean, you know how I always say there is no candy land. (10:11) Retirement is a very dumb idea. (10:12) It's very silly.(10:14) Like, not only are you more likely to die when you retire, statistically research that, but don't take my word for it. (10:19) Research that, but like, what are you going to do?

Kevin Palmieri

(10:23) We happen to produce a very big channel. (10:26) That's all about retirement. (10:27) And I've watched hundreds of videos on retirement at this point.(10:32) And they have the sightings of all of their studies. (10:36) And I there's, yeah, there's a lot of really good evidence that retirement transformed. (10:40) Yes.(10:40) Meaning it's a terrible idea. (10:43) For sure.

Alan Lazaros

(10:44) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:44) You, but I also understand if you've done a career that you hate for 60 years, the last fucking thing you want to do is keep doing it. (10:51) So I think that's a piece of it is like first find something you love, but that's, that is the harder path.

Alan Lazaros

(10:58) Uh, that is the perceived harder path. (11:02) Well, when you say find something you love, you mean we gotta, we can't just throw that out there. (11:07) Yeah.(11:07) Yeah. (11:07) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:09) Find something that you don't hate.

Alan Lazaros

(11:11) Start there.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:13) That's where you should start. (11:15) I think you should. (11:16) Yeah.(11:17) But then try to find something that you can get meaning and purpose in. (11:19) If you can find something where you get meaning and purpose, I do think you're able to connect it to a greater good than like, it's just a paycheck.

Alan Lazaros

(11:27) Yeah, for sure. (11:28) Right. (11:28) But trying to get paid for something that's meaningful is very difficult.(11:31) For sure. (11:32) Yeah. (11:32) Because the things that are most meaningful and most fun are, are not what companies pay for and not what people pay for because we pay for the things we don't want to do.(11:41) However, if you love gardening, you can be a gardener, right? (11:47) Where it gets wonky is if you love tennis, the only people that get paid to play tennis are world-class. (11:52) And the percentage of that is 1% of 1% of 1%.(11:55) Like, and for anyone out there watching or listening, if nothing else comes of this episode, figure out what you love most in this world to do. (12:04) Do. (12:06) Do.(12:07) Behavior. (12:10) Like, I remember thinking Roger Ebert, he, RIP, I used to read his reviews, films. (12:16) I remember thinking like, this has got to be such an awesome job.(12:20) He used to watch movies and write about them. (12:24) Excellent writer. (12:24) Excellent writer.(12:26) And I was thinking that's, that's cool. (12:28) That's cool. (12:29) Now there's a bunch of other stuff.(12:30) And also how many critics are actually successful enough to make a living, right? (12:34) I mean, that's gotta be a 1% of 1% of 1%. (12:37) So for anyone out there watching or listening, figure out what you love to do, write a list of all the things you love to do and figure out which one actually has a Hail Mary chance of being paid to do it.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:49) Well, and then what are you going to be committed to doing the longest? (12:53) I woke up today and it was like, I was like, is today yesterday? (12:59) It's just, it feels exactly the same.(13:02) I roll out of bed. (13:03) I walk downstairs. (13:06) I make my pre-workout.(13:07) I'm like half asleep. (13:08) It's like, is today yesterday? (13:10) And it feels like there's a, there's a movie called groundhog day where every day is exactly the same.(13:17) And I, some days it does feel like that. (13:20) And some weeks it feels, I thought today was Monday. (13:22) I had no idea.(13:23) I was looking for our episode order and I was like, I can't find the episodes we did. (13:26) I think, did we miss an episode? (13:28) I was like, oh, it's Thursday.(13:29) Oh, okay, cool. (13:30) That's, that's something. (13:32) That's relevant information.(13:34) I am definitely losing it. (13:35) There's too much. (13:36) There's just a lot, but okay.(13:38) I want to make sure we put a bow on this and wrap it up in a fine manner. (13:43) Personal development isn't a phase. (13:44) Self-improvement isn't a phase.(13:46) Fitness isn't a phase. (13:47) This is why we were supposed to, I'm going to do a post on this at some point. (13:51) We were supposed to do a speech in a community about 75 hard.(13:56) Yeah. (13:57) And when we were communicating with them, we're essentially like, we'll do it, but we're not going to do, we're not gonna talk about 75 hard. (14:04) Cause that's stupid.(14:05) It's not, it's not intelligent. (14:06) It's dumb. (14:07) You literally just setting somebody up to exercise for 75 days and then be, then be done with it.(14:12) Yeah. (14:12) And then I'm sure it was like, man, good for us. (14:15) Definitely good for us.(14:16) Definitely good for us. (14:17) But I'm sure there's a subset group. (14:19) Well, fuck it.(14:20) Who cares? (14:20) Yeah. (14:21) I'm sure there's a subset of people that then do 75 hard again.(14:25) Awesome. (14:25) Love it. (14:26) Why don't we just do like 365 moderate or look, you don't want to do 365.(14:31) Love it. (14:32) Totally fine. (14:33) Let's just do like, I don't know, take the weekends off.(14:35) You can do whatever that is. (14:37) 285, 260 moderate. (14:40) There you go.(14:41) Now it is 52, man. (14:42) Five times 52 is 260. (14:46) Yes, sir.(14:47) Now you have a habit. (14:50) Now it becomes part of your identity. (14:52) Now it's not up to anybody else on whether or not the community continues or whatever it is.

Alan Lazaros

(14:58) What do you, I was on a masterclass earlier. (15:00) Thank you for those who came. (15:02) It was the name of the masterclass is exactly how to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks in the middle of the masterclass hammering on my remarkable doing it, killing it questions, boom, Amy, everybody.(15:15) And I was like, I can't remember the last time I didn't have a fitness goal. (15:17) Cause she said, do you need like a calorie goal? (15:20) Yes, of course.(15:21) Of course. (15:22) Always. (15:23) And she's like, always.(15:24) I said, I can't even remember the last time I said, yes, you can't wing it and win. (15:29) You're like, oh, it's like, can you remember the last time you didn't have a fitness goal? (15:34) Me neither, dude.(15:36) No wonder we're in shape. (15:38) That's it. (15:38) That's it.(15:39) Secret. (15:39) That's it. (15:40) We've never not had, when was the last time you didn't have a fitness goal, dude?

Kevin Palmieri

(15:43) Honestly, probably COVID for me, 11 years ago, my fitness goal was like, just don't get too out of shape. (15:50) It's not a good, not a good goal. (15:51) It's not measurable, but like I was trying to be conscious of that, you know, as, as much as I could.

Alan Lazaros

(15:56) But isn't that so interesting? (15:58) It is. (15:58) Like that's such an un, there's so much beneath this iceberg that nobody talks about.(16:05) We're going to do an episode tomorrow on this. (16:07) And it's, it's, I can't remember the last time I didn't have a fitness goal, like a conscious fitness goal. (16:13) 11 years ago was the last time.(16:14) Isn't that why people think certain things are obsessive. (16:16) It's like, it kind of, it has to be. (16:18) It has to be.(16:18) We interviewed someone and he said, well, I don't want to track my weight and my calories. (16:22) I'll be too obsessive with it. (16:23) And you and I both in our head said, not going to be in shape.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:26) Well, and it's also like, you're a millionaire who's focused on money and you are obsessed with that. (16:30) Like why?

Alan Lazaros

(16:30) Oh, he looks at it every day. (16:31) Investment account, cashflow, earnings, you name it. (16:35) I, I literally coach a company that's, uh, extremely successful in the financial industry, several actually.(16:42) And I want to be accurate. (16:44) I, I coach several people in the financial services industry, one company, but not all the same company, whatever you guys get what I'm saying. (16:51) My point is he has a fund and it's doing very well.(16:57) That's awesome. (16:59) I said, if, if a hundred percent of your time and effort and focus is a pie, what percentage of that pie is making sure that fund was successful? (17:08) He said, I said 80.(17:14) He said, yeah, probably 80. (17:16) I said, well, then no wonder the other stuff isn't winning where focus goes. (17:25) What is the point of a goal focus, right?(17:29) Okay. (17:30) Here's how I change your life. (17:31) Set a goal and what you measure.(17:36) The goal determines what you measure. (17:37) Everything in between is just doing shit. (17:40) You don't want to do done.(17:43) I dude, that's all my coaching is. (17:47) It's we're going to set the right goal in the right arenas based on your priorities. (17:52) We're going to measure the right things, and then we're going to check in and make sure you're on track or off track and then adjust accordingly.(17:58) Boom, secret formula. (18:00) You and I have been doing that for me, 11 years for you, 17 years or however long in fitness. (18:07) And, and you can't be successful while winging it.(18:11) I don't think you can. (18:13) People seem like they are on social media. (18:16) You're seeing the 5%, not the 95%.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:20) What can we say long-term successful?

Alan Lazaros

(18:22) Yeah. (18:23) Yeah. (18:23) You can have a quick hit for sure.(18:25) Like anyone can have a viral. (18:27) We had someone who had a viral video, 70,000 views, like almost right away on YouTube. (18:31) But after that it was like consistency and trying to figure it out.(18:35) And he didn't track his metrics, which was fucking alarming. (18:38) Honestly, like it was crazy to me. (18:39) You remember that?(18:40) We'll keep it anonymous, but it was like, what the hell?

Kevin Palmieri

(18:43) I audioed one of our mutual clients today and said, Hey, the video is up to whatever, 65,000 views. (18:49) You can monetize now. (18:51) So this person's now monetized on YouTube.(18:53) That wasn't the first video. (18:55) I'll tell you that. (18:55) She's been going at it for six months at least.(18:59) And finally one hit, and now we can study it. (19:02) And guess what? (19:03) Now you have to do that forever.(19:05) Nice. (19:05) Keep going. (19:05) Just keep going.(19:07) And then something will shift and we'll learn something new. (19:09) And then you got to test that out and run forever.

Alan Lazaros

(19:11) I know we got to go. (19:12) I want to ask you this. (19:15) I said, social media will never go away, but Twitter might Twitter did.(19:19) Now it's X. (19:21) Why didn't you get this? (19:23) Because again, I don't want to, I don't want to crap on Kev.(19:26) I love you. (19:26) We're good. (19:27) Okay.(19:28) But back in the day, you did not know this. (19:30) You didn't understand. (19:31) Like you didn't consciously say, Oh, the iPhone 25 is going to be dope.(19:37) Like you just didn't think that far ahead. (19:39) Why? (19:41) Like actual answer.(19:43) I didn't care.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:45) Why? (19:46) I didn't understand the importance and relevance to my success. (19:51) Why?(19:54) Because nobody that I looked up to for success ever talked about the importance. (20:00) It was all, it was, that was never it. (20:02) It was always a shallow fucking answer.(20:05) Always. (20:06) And the why under that is maybe they have no fucking clue how they got successful. (20:10) Or they don't care enough to tell you how they really did it.

Alan Lazaros

(20:13) Well, honestly, I think, or how they did it.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:15) They're ashamed of or want you to think they're special. (20:18) I think that's a bigger piece. (20:19) I had a moment today where it was like, all right, interesting.(20:22) Um, what if like many of your favorite personal development people are just like multi-level marketing people that got successful? (20:31) Like go, go look up Ed Milet. (20:33) He didn't make his money from speaking on personal development.(20:37) He is in a multi-level marketing company. (20:39) Same with Patrick Pet David, Jim Rohn. (20:44) Jim Rohn.

Alan Lazaros

(20:44) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:44) There's a lot more. (20:45) So, but the only reason I'm not, again, I'm not, I am slightly talking shit. (20:49) And again, allegedly for everything, always, always allegedly, allegedly, but it's very hard for somebody to teach you how to be successful in something where they don't teach you anything about how they actually did it.

Alan Lazaros

(21:02) Yeah. (21:03) They're not playing because if you knew how they actually did it, you'd shut off to it. (21:05) A large percentage of you would for sure.(21:07) And I think you should agree. (21:10) You should. (21:10) Well, that's what we're trying to do.(21:12) I mean, that's, that's what I'm trying to do. (21:15) When I asked you why I knew the answer, but I didn't ask you why, because I knew the answer. (21:19) I just knew the answer as I was asking it.(21:21) It's like, well, no one really taught me. (21:23) It's like, dude, that's it. (21:24) Like, that's the issue.(21:26) Like, what if you had someone who said, yo, here's the things that I've achieved. (21:30) I'm healthy, wealthy, and in love. (21:32) Just so you know, none of this matters at all.(21:37) Let me teach you how I got it. (21:39) And let me go take you all the way back. (21:41) You and I talked yesterday on yesterday's episode.(21:44) How much did our fitness days help us with discipline that we're still using now? (21:48) So much. (21:49) Dude, I'm telling you, I think fitness is the best, the best foundation for success.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:53) I think it's, I do too. (21:55) I would take somebody who is in the gym consistently or somebody who is a math genius any day of the week. (22:02) Any day of the week, any day of the week.

Alan Lazaros

(22:04) No, you need both. (22:06) If you can only pick one, give me, give me the, give me the gym goer. (22:12) I would pick the fitness person, but only because I can coach the other person on what to do.

Alan Lazaros

(22:16) That's fair.

Alan Lazaros

(22:16) Right. (22:16) But the truth is, and I know some math geniuses, you're running circles around them. (22:22) And yes, one of you is listening.(22:23) So get your shit together.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:24) I'm joking. (22:24) Get your shit together.

Alan Lazaros

(22:25) No, but you are, you're running circles around a lot of people that, that, that are more naturally gifted than you in the intellectual realm. (22:31) And dude, I am proud of that because, because not, not, I'm not taking credit for it. (22:35) What I mean is like, dude, that means something for the people who feel like they're not smart enough or who feel like they had a bad start in life.(22:49) You can run circles around people that I know are smarter than you. (22:55) Like, and I think that's awesome, dude. (22:59) I think it's awesome because, because it's important for people to know that, because I think we need, everybody should have a fair shot at making something of themselves.(23:18) And I do feel like sometimes school, I happen to be really good at school. (23:22) So I got a good identity and things came easy. (23:25) I get it.(23:25) And at home, nothing came easy, but like in school things came easy. (23:32) I think there's a lot of people out there that are capable of so much more than they realize. (23:36) And, and they just don't think as longterm, like I convinced you somehow to do this for a decade and now you'll never go back, but you need to do that with fucking everybody else.(23:47) Not everybody else, but like people with humility and a willingness score and work ethic and grit, they can do a lot.

Kevin Palmieri

(23:53) And I think that that's, I just think people need to know, like, I don't know, man, I don't know if it's a disservice or service to tell people how bad it sucks. (24:01) There was a clip today of me on a podcast and I know this must be, I haven't been on a podcast like six months as a guest. (24:08) So I know this is at least six months.(24:09) It's probably a year old. (24:12) And, and it was rapid fire. (24:15) Great.(24:15) I wish I remember the name of the show, the gentleman's name, a great, great episode, a great interview. (24:20) And it was like, you know, what's the number one habit that you can't miss? (24:24) Like fitness.(24:25) No, I did. (24:26) I did. (24:26) It was a quick, rapid fire.(24:28) So it was fitness, like fitness gym. (24:30) And he said, what is one of the most misunderstood things about success and personal development? (24:34) And I said, it sucks.(24:35) It sucks. (24:37) I'm not going to try to sell you the diet that doesn't suck. (24:41) I'm, I'm never going to do it.

Alan Lazaros

(24:43) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:44) Cause I'm never in like, I'm almost brother. (24:47) There was a fucking post today where it was like, uh, you found this special reel and nobody else. (24:53) This is a trial reel.(24:54) It's private. (24:54) If you found this real, like you are somebody rare and whatever, comment this word, and I'm going to enter you into a drawing to win like a hundred thousand dollars. (25:02) But just as principal, I was like, this is the dumbest shit I've ever done.

Alan Lazaros

(25:05) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:06) I can't, I couldn't possibly, I couldn't, I couldn't possibly do it. (25:09) You know, you're not special. (25:11) Well, it's, it's not even that, but you can see all the people on your friends list that did it.(25:18) It's like, interesting, interesting. (25:22) Okay. (25:22) Makes me so sad.(25:23) I understand. (25:24) Like again, it's, you know, I don't think real quick. (25:26) Yeah.(25:28) Last piece, last piece.

Alan Lazaros

(25:30) The point of this episode, land the plane is everything is a cycle, a flywheel, a compound effect, a snowball, whatever metaphor, a tortoise, whatever metaphor you want to use. (25:50) Consistency. (25:51) Consistency is, it's hard for me to say this now because I, it's not our bottleneck.(26:03) We have a lot of bottlenecks. (26:04) That ain't it. (26:07) The biggest bottleneck statistically, if you were to take a hundred random people and let me coach them, consistency would be the biggest issue.(26:17) I'm certain. (26:18) And underneath that is self-belief and probably low grit. (26:22) So, but like, if you can't be consistent, you really cannot predictably succeed.(26:28) And with the things you value, fitness, if you can't be consistent, you can't win long-term health, wealth, and love. (26:39) One of my clients has been married for 42 years. (26:42) We have a funny, it's the same one with the fund.(26:47) I said, so you're optimizing for the lowest volatility possible, right? (26:51) And he said, yes. (26:52) How'd you know that?(26:52) It's really cool. (26:54) I like to share with people like that, that I get you. (26:59) People feel really seen when you say that.(27:01) Cause it's like, how the hell did you know that? (27:03) It's like, cause that's what I would do. (27:04) It's really smart.(27:05) Anyways. (27:07) I said, you did the same thing in your marriage, didn't you? (27:09) And he lit up.(27:10) It's like, of course you did. (27:12) Low volatility in a relationship is what you should go for. (27:17) Instead of breakup, together the next day, breakup again, together, low volatility, consistency, but guess what?(27:26) That's not sexy. (27:27) There's no drama. (27:28) There's no big, no hot air balloons in Italy.(27:32) No, you know, it's like the just smooth and consistent tortoise. (27:36) And, and it's so freaking not easy to sell. (27:40) How the hell am I supposed to sell?(27:42) No deviation from the mean, stop the wrong train, start the right ones, never lose momentum, be consistent, be the tortoise that your life's going to be boring. (27:50) It's going to suck. (27:51) Like I just, your life will be awesome on the macro.(27:56) Your day to day life will be a little bit boring. (27:58) It's going to be the unsexy fundamentals. (28:00) That's what it always comes back to.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:01) So yeah, that's, that's sometimes it's hard to coat. (28:06) It's hard to coach certain people for me because it's like, I know I sound like a broken record, but like we, this is what we have to focus on and we haven't figured it out yet. (28:14) So that's what we're going to focus.(28:15) I don't have a flashy new thing to talk about today. (28:17) We have to figure out this until we figure it out. (28:20) I don't care about anything else.(28:21) Like this is the next bottleneck. (28:22) And until that bottleneck is solved, it doesn't matter. (28:24) But I also understand that's not sexy.(28:27) That's why I like coaching certain clients. (28:30) One of our biggest client, same shit for two months. (28:34) This is the focus.(28:36) They're like, what else you got? (28:37) Here's a list of other things. (28:38) If we don't change this, none of that, just, just do this.(28:41) And we finally are there. (28:42) Like now we're going to test it. (28:44) Cool.(28:44) How'd you know that? (28:45) What? (28:46) How'd you, how'd you know that?(28:48) That it's the bottleneck? (28:51) You never used to talk like that. (28:53) I never used to look at the analytics, baby.(28:56) I'm in the numbers now. (28:57) I'm a numbers guy. (28:58) Bit of a numbers guy.(28:59) Hold on. (29:01) That's awesome, man. (29:02) A bit of a numbers guy.(29:04) Can't put on his glasses. (29:06) Myself. (29:06) I think it's just that.(29:07) That's why you got to sell it. (29:08) Cause I was always a numbers guy, dude. (29:10) I, um, I think you have to take everything we're saying and you have to distill it to the smallest version that makes sense to you.(29:16) And that's where you start. (29:17) If you're not doing fitness right now, I don't even think about 10 years from now, just start doing something that is a little bit outside of your comfort zone and then just do that. (29:25) It goes back to the sustainability, consistency, improvement.(29:29) That is it. (29:30) I did a real that's coming out tomorrow based on that. (29:33) I'm telling you.(29:34) Nice. (29:35) 75 hard. (29:36) It's not sustainable.(29:37) That's why it can't work. (29:38) It's not going to work forever. (29:40) But guess what?(29:41) Guess what? (29:43) What do we do every day? (29:44) We do 70, 75 hard every single day.(29:47) You exercise for X amount of minutes. (29:49) We learn for X amount of minutes. (29:50) We drink plenty of water.(29:52) We, I don't go outside enough, but what I could, if I wanted to, but it didn't start there. (29:58) It that's not that hard anymore. (30:02) It becomes sustainable eventually at a high level when it's sustainable at a low level first.(30:07) And I just think, again, it's not sexy. (30:09) I have to share the story. (30:10) I know we got to go.

Alan Lazaros

(30:12) He was on the class below. (30:17) He had a buddy. (30:18) I said, I'm going to do 75 hard.(30:20) You want to do it with me? (30:21) He said, nah, man, I'm on Alan's system, my coach and his buddy. (30:26) And again, if I'm butchering the story, I apologize.(30:28) This is my verbalization of it. (30:30) His buddy said, what's Alan's system? (30:33) He said, 365 hard.(30:36) The truth is it's forever hard. (30:39) Like genuinely, I was so grateful when I heard that story. (30:43) I didn't think I'd ever tell it again.(30:45) I love that. (30:46) It's like, of course, 365 hard, 365 hard, 24, 7, 365 hard. (30:55) For sure.(30:56) That's how you win. (30:58) I'm serious, dude. (30:59) I know I can't even temper it anymore.(31:01) That's how you win. (31:02) I respect it. (31:03) Healthy, wealthy, and in love.(31:05) You will be healthy, wealthy, and in love. (31:07) 365 hard. (31:07) If you're out there and you're not there yet, totally fine.(31:10) Yeah, exactly. (31:11) Start small. (31:12) Start small.(31:12) All right, here's 24, 7, 365 easy. (31:16) Then 24, 7, 365 harder. (31:21) Medium.(31:22) Yeah, but it's not. (31:23) In the beginning, it's- Then 24, 7, 365 hard. (31:26) Then 24, 7, 365 harder.(31:28) Next level university, baby. (31:30) Next level, not complacency university.

Kevin Palmieri

(31:32) It starts small. (31:34) You start as an apprentice, self-improvement apprentice. (31:39) Then you get one shift.(31:43) Then you go part-time. (31:45) Then you go full-time. (31:47) Then it becomes your career.(31:49) Then it becomes your calling. (31:50) Then it becomes your calling. (31:52) Then I'm sure you've got five other- Then it becomes your purpose.(31:54) Then you transcend it. (31:56) Then it becomes you. (31:57) Then you become it.

Alan Lazaros

(31:59) Then it is everything. (32:01) No, but there is beginner, novice, amateur, expert, master, grandmaster.

Kevin Palmieri

(32:07) But when you go 24, 7, 365 lifetime hard, I got to balance it out for somebody who might be like, fuck. (32:15) Because again, talking to myself early on, that wouldn't resonate with me. (32:18) No?(32:19) Too much. (32:20) Too much. (32:21) Okay.(32:22) I don't ever- I don't want to lose sight of that. (32:24) I don't want to lose sight of that. (32:24) No, you're not supposed to- Maybe I seem like next level now, and maybe I'm definitely smarter than I was, and I've learned more, but 10 years.

Alan Lazaros

(32:33) Do you agree that every day is supposed to be a little bit hard?

Kevin Palmieri

(32:36) Yes.

Alan Lazaros

(32:37) Yeah. (32:37) That's what I meant. (32:38) Yeah, yeah.(32:39) It's like every day should be shit.

Kevin Palmieri

(32:42) But I think the rose colored glasses come off in time, I think. (32:47) That's why it's like- They get ripped off. (32:48) Well, I know, but I would like for them to get ripped off while you're in the process of doing.(32:53) Gradually. (32:54) Yeah. (32:54) Hopefully.(32:55) I don't know. (32:55) All right. (32:56) Cool.(32:56) If you want to make your life hard, but fulfilling and better on the macro than it could possibly be, if you didn't do it, reach out to Alan for coaching, for sure. (33:04) And then next level fitness accountability group. (33:06) We're in there every day.(33:07) The 10 pound in 10 week challenge is going by pretty quickly, which is wild. (33:13) Halfway there, baby. (33:14) This is the thing.(33:15) Can I guarantee that you will achieve all of your fitness goals? (33:18) Nope. (33:19) Can I guarantee you will be more accountable to yourself when it comes to fitness?(33:22) Absolutely. (33:24) Can't promise you're going to do whatever you say. (33:26) Can't promise.(33:26) I can promise you will be more accountable, for sure. (33:28) Nice. (33:29) You'll have more necessity.(33:30) You'll be more dialed in. (33:31) That I'm certain of. (33:32) It's free.(33:32) Join us. (33:33) It's free. (33:34) It's free.(33:35) All right. (33:35) Cool.

Alan Lazaros

(33:35) No disrespect in there. (33:37) No bullies.

Kevin Palmieri

(33:38) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(33:38) Put some respect on it.

Kevin Palmieri

(33:39) As always, we love you. (33:40) Appreciate you. (33:40) Grateful for each and every one of you.(33:41) If you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level, make sure you tune in tomorrow because we'll be here every single day to help you get there.

Alan Lazaros

(33:47) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential.

Kevin Palmieri

(33:50) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (33:54) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(33:56) We mean it when we say family. (33:58) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (34:02) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(34:05) Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.