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Go From Surviving To Thriving

Go From Surviving To Thriving

by | May 22, 2025 | podcast

Listen:

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Transcript:

Open Transcript:

Cori (00:00):
Welcome to the Redefining Strength Podcast. Everything you need to succeed on your health and fitness journey, even the stuff you don’t want to hear. If you’re taking pride in being able to do it all on your own, you’re actually taking pride in staying stuck. So we have this image of the lone wolf thriving on its own, but the lone wolf is actually just trying to survive. So this realization came to me that we keep ourselves stuck by trying to do it all on our own. When I was up at three 30 in the morning, and I was thinking through this conversation with this woman that I had had on email, and she was very proud of herself for I know it all, I can do this on my own, and I’ve been there. So I get that ego in feeling like you can do it on your own.

(00:49):
You are strong enough, you’ll find a way. And again, it goes back to I’m a lone wolf. Well, I actually then had this idea at three 30 in the morning, why do we have this image that the lone wolf is this strong successful thing on its own? And I was like, is it even? How did this come about? So I went and Googled it because that’s what you do when you don’t know what something is at three 30 in the morning, of course. And I realized that the lone wolf is actually trying to find a pack. It is not trying to survive on its own. It doesn’t want to. It wants that pack to really thrive. And it made me realize, do we sort of do the same thing? We go out on our own thinking, we’ll be better off thinking we’re strong enough to do it on our own and ultimately hold ourselves back because we aren’t utilizing the knowledge of others, the perspective of others.

(01:36):
And so we’re not going as far as we really can and we’re limiting ourselves and it’s ego that’s getting in the way. So if you’ve been sort of saying, I’m a lone wolf, I can do this on my own. You need to question if you’re just trying to survive or if you really want to thrive, potentially leaning on others. And it’s hard to be vulnerable in that way. This is where really showing ourselves our own strength, our own ability to be receptive to feedback is so key. So I wanted to go over some strategies to help because I think the shift from feeling like we should or need to do it on our own and getting our ego out of the way is really what ultimately leads us to see better results faster and avoid so many pitfalls. I can tell you that the more I’ve embraced help from others, the further I’ve actually seen myself go.

(02:21):
So I wanted to share some really big, important tactical ways to give yourself that perspective shift. Because accepting help, accepting support is what will ultimately get you further. And if you even think about it, and this is something that really helped me because I was like, well, I know a lot knowing isn’t doing. And also we often can’t know what we don’t know. If you think about Olympic athletes, they’re often technically more skilled, more talented, even than their coaches are. Yet they have coaches to give that perspective. Anybody who’s succeeded at something, if you look down their path, you’ll see all the mentors. They talk about having all the different perspectives they’ve done, all the different they learned from some, gave them really positive experiences and some not so positive experiences. But even the things we do that don’t feel as positive in the moment, that feel like they set us back, we can learn something from.

(03:11):
So the more experiences we have, the more perspectives we get, the more we grow. So I wanted to go over some steps to help you embrace putting that ego aside and getting help. And number one, our step number one is stop overestimating your self-awareness. We simply don’t know what we dunno. And I can tell you that even the more I seek out contradictory opinions, I will literally say, I believe in tracking macros. I want to go read everything on why you shouldn’t track macros. I still am looking for all these things that contradict what I believe from my own perspective and lens. And often in this, we miss the little nuance of things, the little tweaks that could really add up. Maybe it isn’t that I should be finding perspectives against tracking macros, but maybe it’s that I should find perspectives against my belief that X person needs higher carb or this food is important and that’s really what adds up.

(04:01):
But I can’t see some of those things because I don’t know what I don’t know. And so by having outside help to see those opportunities and the nuance, I can start to question what I believe and even improve and grow. When we think about even our movement patterns, you’re focused on what you feel working and how the movement is going. There might be one little way you can cue something differently to get yourself to have an even better result from it, or you might be able to do a little heavier weight or slower tempo in a different way if you do a slightly different posture or position. But all these different things are just things we might not have been introduced to yet. And by putting ourselves out there and asking for help and asking for perspective and looking to constantly learn and grow and be receptive to that feedback and even normalizing feedback, we’re going to ultimately move forward faster.

(04:46):
But I would really encourage you to take a step back and say, I think I’m very self-aware. I think I know all these things about myself, but in what I’m perceiving as the self-awareness, where am I actually missing strengths and where am I missing flaws? Because in that too, we think about our weaknesses just as weaknesses, but a lot of times they’re attached to our strengths as well. And we can’t necessarily change the weakness without a detrimental impact on our strength. However, we do try going to changing the weakness. But what if you just double down on the strength? Instead, all these things are perspective shifts that we might not be able to see because we don’t see where things are attached, and we need that outside perspective. That’s step back to really help. So step number two, to putting yourself out there, being more vulnerable, risking the support of others.

(05:33):
And I say risking because sometimes it can be really uncomfortable is borrowing perspectives before you break. Often we do only seek out help when we’ve really fallen down, when we feel at the lowest of low. And instead of getting to that point, instead of failing, be like, Hey, I’m making great progress. How could I make better progress? Because I think too, we hesitate, our ego pushes back against asking for help because we’re usually asking for help at an uncomfortable time, A time we don’t feel like enough. And if we instead are asking for that perspective shift when we do feel great, when we do feel like enough, we’re going to be way more receptive to it. It doesn’t feel like that negative. It doesn’t feel like that thing that’s a ding to our ego or pride, our knowledge. So instead of saying, oh, I don’t know, be like, I do know all these things, what more can I learn?

(06:21):
Or because I know, I realize all that. I don’t know. If you think about Bruce Lee’s comment about I more respect and I more fear the person that’s practiced one punch a thousand times than the person that has practiced a thousand punches one time, or it might have been kicks if I butcher the quote. But it’s that ability to recognize that the better we get at something, the more we’ll realize there’s more opportunity in it. The more we can improve upon those basics, the more we even have to take ourselves back to those basics to keep improving. And so the more receptive feedback we really get, so instead of seeking out perspective when you failed at your highest of highs, say, what more can I do? Because that’s really where you launch even further faster. So borrow perspective before you feel broken. It shifts your whole mindset.

(07:10):
And even thinking about it that way of like, oh gosh, I’m not looking for support because I don’t know. I’m looking for support because I realize all that there is to know because I know a lot in this area. The more I learn about macros, the more I realize there is to learn and the more nuance I see in the things. So there’s always more to learn. And the more we have that positive association with asking for support, the less our ego pushes back. Step three, learn to love the pushback. The more I’ve almost seen getting feedback and pushback as a good thing, the more I seek it out, the more I want to do it, and the more I realize how much it’s pushed me forward. So think about the last time you did start a new program. You did ask somebody for help and how much you learned from that experience.

(07:53):
But the more you see that pushback is a good thing, the more you’ll find opportunities that weren’t even meant by the initial feedback that you got. But if no one’s pushing you, you are not going to grow. If you really think about everything in life, it’s kind of forged out of a hard, it’s forged out of a pushed, so to speak. We don’t often succeed because we don’t have any struggles. We succeed because of those struggles. If you think about the last time you became more confident, stronger, you saw results or progress, it was often hitting a hard and pushing through anyway, legitimately. Our muscles grow because we tear them down. They hit this hard, we force them into the struggle, and that’s what makes them adapt and grow stronger. That’s how everything sort of works. And the more we see that opportunity, the more we can embrace that pushback and realize how much that pushback is why we ultimately leap forward faster.

(08:47):
So I want you to really change your perspective to recognize that it’s your ego. And I say this, having had lots of ego and trying to do it on my own, but it’s our ego that wants to keep us in the comfort, keep us in the safety, but also keeps us stuck, right? We don’t want to feel bad at something. We don’t want to feel like we failed. But support and seeing opportunity in that support in that perspective isn’t failing. It’s believing in ourselves that we can achieve so much more. We don’t want to just be the lone wolf surviving. We want to be that wolf that finds its pack and really thrives. So I would love to hear how you are stepping back and embracing support, embracing perspective, how you made that mindset shift to allow yourself to see opportunity in the different perspectives. Because again, we can’t know what we don’t know. And only through asking for help, asking for support, seeking to see other vantage points and viewpoints, can we grow and prove to ourselves what truly is possible beyond our own limitations or beliefs?

 

*Note: This transcript is autogenerated there may be some unintended errors.

5 Golden Rules To Lose Fat (Without Losing Muscle)

5 Golden Rules To Lose Fat (Without Losing Muscle)

by | May 18, 2025 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Mindset

Most of us don’t just want to lose weight – we want to lose fat.

We want to look leaner, more toned, more defined.

We want to fit back into our skinny jeans or that dress in the back of the closet we can’t bring ourselves to give away because we desperately want to wear it again…

We want body recomp. We want to lose fat without losing muscle.

In this video I’ll share the 5 Golden Rules to help you do just that so you can shed those inches and see fabulous muscle definition.

Golden Rule #1: Commit To The Change You Hate The Most.

Ever jump into a new program and change everything you’re doing dramatically at once?

Which thing are you then most likely to blame if results aren’t happening fast enough and the effort starts to feel “not worth it?”

The change you least want to make…and probably need to make the most because it is the most outside your comfort zone.

We don’t want to adjust the hard workouts we’re “enjoying.”

Or the extra fats or carbs we justify as healthy and quality food that also taste good.

No….

Instead we research why high protein is bad or not needed to resist the protein increase we’ve made.

Or we resist the reduction in cardio because we love our long runs even though we’ve heard the work against building muscle.

Or we resist the push to eat more and create a smaller calorie deficit because we fear gaining weight and slashing our calories lower is what we’ve always done…

We resist trusting the full SYSTEM. And that makes it break.

We can’t only make the changes we are comfortable with.

Honestly only being willing to make those changes we are comfortable with is what has kept us stuck.

We repeat the same changes that “work” to get to the same point where we end up falling off again to start back over.

So while you may see some initial progress staying with something familiar or seemingly easy…It’s not really working if you’re constantly looking for a new fix.

This time, embrace the hard. It means that is the change you truly need!

And one hard change most of us want to resist is Golden Rule #2: Track EVERYTHING.

Tracking is restrictive. It’s hard. It’s boring. It’s tedious. It’s annoying.

It’s obsessive.

You can FEEL this way about tracking, but we have to recognize that these are FEELINGS. And feelings and attitudes we’ve created toward a tool because of how we’ve even used it in the past.

But tracking isn’t restrictive or obsessive. It may be hard or boring or tedious or annoying to start as you’re learning, but so many things are.

And you can make it worse by repeating those feelings to yourself. Or you can choose to see the opportunity in it.

You can also recognize WHY you feel this way about it.

Have you usually turned to tracking in the past when you hated how your clothes fit or the weight you saw on the scale?

When you slashed your calories super low and cut out all the foods you love?

No wonder you don’t like tracking if that has been your experience with it!

But tracking is just you recording what you’ve done. It doesn’t have to mean cutting calories lower. It doesn’t have to mean eliminating a food group.

It can even be about adding in MORE. It can be about making sure you’re fueling well. It can help you assess even food intolerances and meal timings that help you perform better to build muscle and feel more energized.

Tracking gives us data to make accurate adjustments and SMALL ONES that truly address where we are right now. It gives you the power to strike YOUR balance…if you give it the chance.

And recognize that tracking doesn’t have to be done in one form. You can use hand portions as a guide, take pictures, log just protein and calories or do full ratios.

But if you’re sick of not feeling like anything is sustainable or you aren’t sure what is working, tracking can fix all of that.

Nothing is off limits. And you know what you’re doing to adjust.

What gets measured gets managed.

You want to stay within your budget? You track it.

Well, tracking your food helps you stay within your food budget.

Golden Rule #3: Diet for fat loss. Train for muscle.

Adjust both together and that’s where the magic happens.

Because, while most of us have heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”…

Fabulous ab definition is really REVEALED by the kitchen.

The muscle we want to show is built through progressive overload and pushing ourselves in the gym.

But too often to burn more calories in our training and create that deficit to lose faster, we turn to cardio.

This only backfires, causing us to lose not only fat but also muscle.

It’s why we can see metabolic adaptations occur more quickly.

And it’s why we can feel like we’re working so hard, adjusting our diet yet not looking any leaner!

We can’t just turn our workouts into killer cardio sessions. We need to stop thinking, “I should do more cardio!”

And instead we need to think about our training as a chance to build muscle.

If you want to lose fat without losing muscle, focus on strength training and progressing moves week over week. Don’t cut out rest to feel more out of breath. Don’t just add in more to feel more worked.

Focus on truly lifting more with quality reps, even needing MORE rest between rounds to keep using harder variations and heavier loads.

That way when you dial in your macros and your diet with what I’m about to go over in Rule #4 while training to build muscle, you’ll see the best body recomp results happen even faster!

Golden Rule #4: Create DAILY Consistency.

Have you ever wondered…Should I eat less on a day off? Lower my carbs?

Stop adding more complication. Stop trying to do more. Focus on those basics.

KISS…Keep it simple, stupid.

Simple is sustainable.

Focus on that daily consistency in those habits!

The less we add complication or more variation, the easier we make it on ourselves to create a new environment and shift mindsets and habits.

The fewer changes we make at once, the more we can know the impact they have and how they are working to then adjust habits as we go.

The less we overwhelm ourselves with more to do, the more the effort feels worth the outcome!

What we do consistently we get good at. What we do consistently builds results.

You can’t know if a macro ratio or workout or meal timing works if you’re not doing the same thing weekly. You can’t build habits and routines if things are constantly shifting.

And at the most basic level, your body can’t repair and rebuild on days off if it doesn’t have the fuel. You aren’t just eating more to train hard, but to recover.

Inconsistent energy sources are what can lead to us feeling extra frustrated, confused and hangry! It also adds more precision in numbers we have to have as we cycle.

Instead, keep things simple. Allow yourself to build those daily routines and get confident in them. Then adjust.

But focus on a set macro and calorie goal you maintain for a few weeks. Plan ahead to hit those numbers. Dial in your precision with them. It will pay off.

And Golden Rule #5: What You Put First Gets Priority.

If you’re struggling to prioritize a habit change, put it first in your day.

Add protein to that first meal

Drink water when you first get up.

Do your workout before the day gets busy.

When a new habit can fall by the wayside when life gets busy or we get worn out, the best way to make sure we complete it is to do it first in the day.

That way we leave things we know we will do no matter what till later because we’ll do them anyway.

But this rule also applies to cardio vs. strength work and eve the order of exercises in your routine.

What you put first in your training gets you when you’re freshest. You’re giving a more true 100% intensity and effort.

Want to lift heavier for your glutes? Prioritize a lift for them first in your lower body workout day.

Or if you’re wanting to include some cardio because you love it while still focusing on losing fat without losing muscle?

Put your strength work first in your session and ideally first in your day if you are doing a second walk or cardio session for any reason.

That way you are freshest and can truly push hard to create that challenge to build muscle. And you can still get in movement with cardio you may put after.

Even consider timing a walk or sprint interval session at the end of workout where you work muscles near stubborn fat to help utilize mobilized fatty acids.

And don’t include steady state endurance cardio after a workout where you’re working a muscle group that you struggle to build as this can hinder those muscle gains.

But consider the order to things you include and what you need to prioritize.

While we don’t want to stress over details first, we want to note that how systems are designed together has an impact.

We need to embrace those hard changes, track how things are going and our consistency in implementation and then review all aspects of our lifestyle to make sure things complement!

Because we can lose fat without losing muscle, but it isn’t as simple as eating less or doing more cardio. It’s a strategic process and we need a clear plan to push through the hard!

Break free of the change loop keeping you stuck losing the weight only to regain it, and MORE, later…

–> Busting The Change Loop

Build Habits For That Shredded Summer Body

Build Habits For That Shredded Summer Body

by | May 15, 2025 | podcast

Listen:

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Transcript:

Open Transcript:

Cori (00:00):
Welcome to the Redefining Strength Podcast, everything you need to succeed on your health and fitness journey, even the stuff you don’t want to hear. Life is constantly evolving, and at every new season we have to sometimes step back and assess what do we need now to meet ourselves where we’re at, to keep rocking those results and own lifestyle changes. So I’m super excited to be joined by Sierra, one of my fabulous coaches today to talk about how we can shift with the seasons to make sure that we’re always moving forward towards our goals. Sierra, welcome. Thanks for joining me today,

Sierra (00:37):
Cori. I’m so happy to be here and happy to talk about what the summer will bring.

Cori (00:42):
So with that being said, potentially we’ve started a new habit. We’ve built a new lifestyle. Starting in January, we’re feeling good with our progress, and then we hit the summer and all of a sudden it’s like, ooh, margaritas. Ooh, beach vacations, right? There’s all these different shifts that happen and trying to force the same old habits can backfire. How can we really start to assess what we might need to change to make sure that we’re meeting ourselves where we’re at and not losing everything that we work so hard for?

Sierra (01:15):
Great question. One of the first things I look at is planning to succeed. So you’ve probably heard the quote before, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, right? And we can’t underestimate that. The summer is an entirely new season. So what we do then is assess the entire summer in total, and then we dive into what that looks like, taking everything into account and I mean everything. So one of the first things that we consider is what does your summer look like? When is your actual summer is what I like to think of. Is it May through August? Is it kind of a calendar summer? Or I’ll ask about careers. Are you an educator where your summer is actually specifically designed into your career? Or who are you actually taking into account for summer as well? Do your kids dictate your summer? Does your spouse dictate your summer?

(02:12):
Are there graduations? Are there elderly parents? Are there parents that know that you have some time off, so they’re going to take advantage of that? We take a lot into account, but it’s really more about the planning than anything that will make a summer as successful as possible. So if we can take environment into account, take your people, your loved ones, your family, your friends into account, if you take even your environment in terms of school zones or summer schools or changing populations in the gym, that’s some factors that may not be as big until you get into the situation. Lastly, we can take even climate into account and weather changes. So for example, if you are kind of prone to sickness when the seasons change, it’s going from cold to warm or if you have pollen, allergies, anything like that. If climate changes, does that affect your workouts too?

(03:17):
Does it affect when you work out outside? Are you a runner? Do you need to now work out earlier in the day to avoid the heat in the afternoon? I know in my example, I live in southeast Louisiana and we have to prepare for hurricane season, and so anytime that happens, we have to figure out how our nutrition plays a part, how our evacuation zones play a part as well to keep up with reality. The reality of planning, so I’ll put it this way, there’s not too much to plan, but we have to be realistic in what our goals are and how that can play a part in a new season.

Cori (03:55):
It’s owning the reality, as you mentioned, so that our priorities, our needs don’t also become our excuses because a lot of times it can be like, oh, well it’s too hot now in the afternoon to work out. Okay, well you can own that. You can plan for it and then you can work out in the morning. Or I have dogs stepping on my face, which wake me up way earlier in the summer because it’s all of a sudden light out. Or even as you mentioned other people, as you said that, I was like, oh, I’ve never thought about the fact that my summer extends a little bit. Because Ryan’s birthday in September is usually a time we want to celebrate. And so the more we do consider vacations, which is something we usually jump to as the only thing, but when it’s light, the weather, all these different things, the more we can make sure that we’re meeting ourselves where we’re at. So those excuses don’t pop up because that’s often the problem. We haven’t owned that. Something’s changed, and then we get to this time where we’re like, what do I do now?

Sierra (04:55):
That’s absolutely the problem, and what helps so much is drafting and creating that calendar because like you said, we take into account vacations, but we might forget that a birthday is here, that someone’s graduation is then here, and then things will come up possibly. Or you might have to do some travel that you weren’t initially thinking of. And Corey, how many times have you done it? I’ve done it myself where I then look at my schedule and say, oh my goodness, there’s a birthday this weekend and then I have to go out with my girlfriend in two weeks and then the next weekend has something and the next weekend has something. So even planning and realizing that those long weekends, like Memorial Day weekends or even 4th of July, that even those two to three day weekends do play a huge part in how you,

Cori (05:57):
But the more we own that, the more we can find different strategies to navigate those things. Because I can tell you if there’s multiple weekends back to back, it’s easy to get in the mindset of like, well, does it even matter if I do anything during the week between because I’m basically going to be bad these other times? But it’s like, no. And how you even handle that might be based on your goals, your needs at the time where maybe you do a mini cut in between those two things, or maybe you just go back to normal habits or maybe because you know won’t be as motivated. You set some minimums and there’s no right or wrong, but by having that clear calendar where you can see everything, you can determine what might be the best course of action for you. And then even in that say, oh, that didn’t work out the way I planned. I had all these great intentions to do a mini cut, but I’m actually not motivated, so I realized that it didn’t work for me. How can we navigate that to help ourselves make the most educated decisions when it comes to how to handle the in-betweens, I’ll even say

Sierra (07:00):
Great question. One of the first things I would say is research, research, research, research. A lot of times, and we always think of vacations first, but I do want to also stress that it’s all the events that I’d recommend creating a calendar and putting all together throughout the summer months, but researching your environment and where you’re going to go and what that environment has is going to be a big first step. So for example, just some that I think off the top of my head, if we’re going on a vacation, will it be hot? Will it be cold? Are you in a hotel or in an Airbnb? Are you in some place with a microwave and refrigeration that will play a part in how your nutrition comes together? Do you even have control over your nutrition or are most of your food and drinks, will they be out?

(07:50):
Is something already planned? Is it an all you can eat buffet? Is it a resort, is it a cruise? Or do you have control of maybe one to two meals that you can go grocery shopping for? Are you going internationally? Is customs going to be something to plan for, especially if you’re bringing food items. So just all the things to research and know and don’t be afraid to delegate this research by the way. I would say don’t take it all on your back. If you can delegate that research and say, Hey, I need your help to look up this country or look up these cuisines, make it fun, make it family filled so that everyone can have an idea of what you’re about to embark on. So the research is going to be super important, but that also not only plays a part in nutrition, it plays a part in workouts as well.

(08:42):
What environment are we going move in? Are we close to a gym far from a gym? Is it a hotel gym or is it a hotel gym? We know the difference. Is it a hotel room floor that we’re looking at or are you able to walk with others? Is it going to be a trip where it’s a lot of steps? Disney World looks different than a cruise. So just all the different research that is kind of the first piece of putting those plans together. And then after you research, make sure to communicate. A lot of times we’ll do the research and then we’ll think that this journey and our goals is just by ourselves, but especially with unicorns, tell your wrangler what you researched so that we can help. We have all the different tips, tricks and plans to make sure that one vacation may not look like the same as another.

(09:36):
Vacation may not look the same as a three day weekend. So everything looks different. And so we want to help you navigate what’s realistic. And then also the people around you. Like I said before, you should not be the only person with all the research in your head. Make sure to let your trip mates know what you plan to do. I’m going to work out. I’m going to walk on a beach. Would you like to join me? I’m going to moderate my alcohol intake. I’m going to have a couple because guess what? I want to have a couple. We have a lot of Wrangler classes talking about alcohol, and the big key is if you want to choose to drink, then choose to drink because you want to choose to drink. But don’t be afraid to let people on your trip know that at the end of the day.

(10:22):
So it’s going to be that communication after that research plan, how your movement works. And then lastly, create an exit strategy. How many times do you get home and nothing’s in the refrigerator? How many times do you get home and you’ve eaten a lot of salt or had some alcohol and then all I want is a salad and some broccoli and none of it’s there. So creating that exit strategy, return home with a plan. One of our coaches, Lynn actually talked about this all the time, is schedule food delivery in advance. Make sure there’s food delivered when you’re at home or have some frozen options so that you can pop in the oven, pop in the microwave, the air fryer, and then maybe go grocery shopping after that. But you can prepare with protein and fruits and vegetables, make sure you have something. So at the end of the day, that was a lot, but it’s a lot to say, do the heavy lifting beforehand, research it, communicate and plan how you’re going. Move, come out with an exit strategy and know that all of that is to benefit you and your goals.

Cori (11:32):
It’s coming back to not only what your schedule is for the summer, but what your goals are, what your priorities are, how you want to strike balance. Because I brought up the in-between and I love that exit strategy because that leads back to the in-between and how we’re handling it and how we’re getting back on track because sometimes we just go right to the vacation, right to the holiday and we think, I can’t do something on this to reach my goals. And we try and white knuckle our way through, which ultimately sabotages us. Instead of saying, Hey, I’m a cocktail girl. I want my cocktails on vacation and I’m not going to have access to a gym, so I’m going to work out on the patio that’s there, which I’ve done patio workouts, I’ve done bed workouts, I’ve done any sort of workout, I need to figure out ways to do stuff.

(12:14):
But sometimes it’s just not possible and sometimes you don’t end up wanting to do it, and that’s okay, but owning that balance to then know how you’re going to have that exit strategy, how you’re going to get back in a groove, there is no one right way. And you might even determine that how you’re handling a vacation right now when you’re really driving hard towards a goal is not how you handle it later on. And I think the more you research, the more you see the opportunity or even see some of the struggles you’re going to face, right? Because if something is too hard to do and we’re ultimately assessing it and we’re not going to do it, then plan for it, right? Even if you ideally wanted to maybe cook more meals or work out consistently or do different things, if it’s not going to be possible, the more you can own that, the more you can then strike that balance around it.

(12:58):
And I do think you hit on something so key in the communication because we need to manage our expectations, and this also means managing the expectations of those around us. If you’re going on vacation with a spouse and you’re making changes to how you’ve usually vacationed, the more you have that clarity with them and that conversation, the more they’re also going to be on board and they can find their own balance versus you both wanting to do different things and then being on vacation and be like, oh no, we’re not on the same page. And then someone ends up giving and then there’s not happiness with something. So I think communication is almost the missing piece that we don’t see people utilize enough to find their balance on vacation even or through the summer or new season. Would you say that that it’s a key component,

Sierra (13:42):
Massive component. Corey, I cannot stress how many times have we been on a trip with others and we don’t want to be the buzzkill, we don’t want to be the person that wants to be the health and fitness person. We have our goals, we know what we want to do, but we know that everyone else might have different goals in mind. There’s no reason, especially if we are traveling with loved ones who know that we are on this journey, we’re on this goal trek, we want to make sure that we’re the best beast at ever. If that’s the case, why not share it with the other people around us? It’s not to be a bus kill, it’s to own your own journey, but also find the balance. And you touched on that recently, balance is going to be key because you still want to have fun at the end of the day, you’re going on a vacation, you don’t want to squander it an entire vacation if you realize that tracking to a complete macro ratio to a normal calorie range, if you’re all the way, for example, if you’re in a caloric deficit, if we’re focusing on fiber, if we’re focusing on a bunch of different things while not on vacation, and if that is just too much to focus on while you’re on vacation, own that reality, realize it, and then we talk about how to find the balance, then do we need to set a calorie cap?

(15:03):
Do we make sure that instead of two drinks a night, maybe it’s one drink a night or have a space in between drinks, make sure that there is moderation there. Do we focus on hydration because it is a lot of heat, right? Do we make sure that we set a hydration goal and a protein goal so that it’s much better for you to hold at the end of the day? It’s not really the numbers, it’s the consistency on the numbers that are going to maintain your results. So all that to say the communication is going to be exceptionally important, especially when it’s a bunch of people on the trip that also have access to the itinerary too. Two,

Cori (15:47):
I love that you brought up the different macro options because I think we get very set in viewing habits in only one way and balance over the year doesn’t mean that every day has the same balance. It could mean on vacation being like, Hey, my balance is that calories don’t count. But knowing this and the impact that’s going to have, no, I’m not going to make the excuse that every day is legendary and special and I can do this every day. That’s not giving yourself grace, that’s giving yourself an excuse, but you could say, Hey, this vacation to X place is really special or this holiday does mean a lot to me and so I’m going to strike a balance around it. Going more intensive with the macro ratios, focusing on fiber, focusing on quality foods and then saying, no, maybe I’m not tracking off of that. How do you navigate different options? I know you brought up the calorie cap and the protein minimum, but how can someone be not on their phone tracking if they’re on vacation and that doesn’t feel like the right balance for them, but still holding themselves accountable,

Sierra (16:47):
That’s where their communication comes in again. So obviously talk to your Wrangler. We have different strategies, especially we want to make sure that the balance is there that you’re not having to figure out and play Tetris with macros all at the dinner table. So for example, hand portion guide comes into play. We make sure that we can see what your meals are even tracking in different ways. If it’s not on your standard tracking software, maybe it’s taking pictures. Pictures are also important, and by the way, it’s a twofer because when you take pictures, you also have pictures of your vacation and trips. And a lot of times you’ll see that a lot of foods are very nice and pretty and with a lot of accoutrements. So it’s a twofer and it’s a win-win situation right there. So you can take pictures, you can plan your meals in advance.

(17:39):
Maybe the ones that you have more control over than others if you would like, maybe it’s the same breakfasts, maybe it’s the same lunches or it’s the same breakfast, the same snack. So that dinner can be a choice. Maybe it’s the calorie range and the protein range. Maybe you only track protein. I would say make sure that you at least track or do something. If you track and do something, you can then have reflections afterwards as opposed to an entire vacation, an entire weekend or an entire trip, kind of just going over our heads. Maybe have something tangible and some data that you can then return back to a year from now, maybe 20, 27 in the summer and say, Hey, this is what worked and this is what didn’t. So now I’m going to use what worked and I’m going to go 1% better and still be able to enjoy myself. So at the end of the day, I make sure to track something, make sure that you have a plank on what to track. But there are tons of ways to follow macros. Hit protein without having to go completely in your phone and miss out on all the beauty of your vacation trip in summer.

Cori (18:54):
Please, we know you’re taking pictures of your food anyway to post to Instagram. I mean, we all do it. We’re all guilty of it. But I love that because it’s even a memory for future plus. It’s that accountability, and I think what you touched on in there is so important of even the 1% improvement for next year, but meeting yourself where you’re at right now was something you’ll feel successful with because I do think a lot of times we think in ideals of ideally what we’d like to do and we don’t own. Again, this goes back to doing the research planning ahead and the more we say, Hey, what would make me be 1% better this summer? The more we meet ourselves where we’re at, and we do those improvements and then because we feel successful with them, we even want to do more. Because we might say it’s not possible to track on vacation, but if you’re taking a lot of trips, maybe there are some vacations that aren’t meant to be as much as food trips.

(19:46):
Or maybe there are days in that vacation where you’re like, Hey, I have more control. I can be a little bit more consistent and every day doesn’t have to be this legendary day and it makes the other days even more special. But there’s different ways to really strike that balance and make those 1% improvements so we can keep moving forward. So off of this, thinking about the different seasons, how would you, again, summarizing all the great tips you’ve given, how would you really tell someone to get started making the assessments? They need to understand that stuff does shift with the summer. That’s not a bad thing, but we’ve got to focus on meeting ourselves where we’re at.

Sierra (20:26):
First things first is you have to know where you’re, so especially things like roadmaps and how do we know where we’re going? If we don’t know where we are right now, make sure that you understand. Are you in a caloric deficit? Are you trying to lose body fat? Are you at maintenance? Are we building? Are we bulking? Are we trying to gain strength? So know what your goal is first and foremost, and know that whatever choices you make, own those choices. Knowing that choices no matter what, have consequences and that could be beneficial or that could be not as beneficial towards your goals. So the more that we know where we are and where we want to go, we can then plan how the summer and how these months are going to impact it. Just know for example, if we want to go out of town, we want to have fun, but we also want to continue to lose weight, then there are going to have to be some choices that you might have to make.

(21:24):
And what we want to do and what we want to do, don’t always meet and agree. So for example, what we want to do with our goals and what we want to do when we’re out on vacation might clash. So then what’s our priority? Hopefully it’s goals. So we might have to make those decisions based on the research, based on the communication, based on how we put plans together. So best place to start is know where you are and then know where you want to go, especially all throughout the summer. Summer is a time where we might not be wearing as much fabric or clothes. So that’s already a great, great strategy in terms of, okay, I might need to figure out what ratios or what hydration I need to stick with to make sure that in my summer months I can wear short sleeve shirts and feel phenomenal in these summer months.

(22:20):
I want to wear a bikini and I want to feel phenomenal. So that’s where knowing where you are, also planning how you are going to go through month to month and every event is going to look different. Corey talked about it even within the same event, every day will look different too. So will there be some days where maybe you can focus on the food and then maybe there are some days where you don’t focus as much on the food, but all of that compounds and it snowballs and it snowballs. We just have to make sure that it’s not multiple setbacks in a that when you come out of the summer, now we’re five steps away from our goal. So start with knowing where you are and then know where you want to come out of the summer with, and then all of the things in the middle, we talked through the details there

Cori (23:14):
And you hit on the most important word and mindset with it is choice. We have a choice every time we’re presented with how we want to handle something and how we handle it in a specific situation or season of even our goals might be different than how we want to handle in the future. And instead of seeing that as restrictive even, or maybe even against our goals, we just see it as the balance we’re creating and recognize that we can always make a different choice at a different time. And the choice we make, this might not ultimately work, and that’s okay, but it’s making those small changes because if we do too much, we also have to recognize the sabotage that can create despite the fact that we have really good attention. So it’s always sort of balancing everything on that. Any other closing thoughts? This has been fabulous, Sierra.

Sierra (24:06):
Just one. I am no expert at the summer, but I do love to talk through and all of the wranglers love to talk through different seasons and what struggles it might create and might bring about. So not only have we gone through different seasons and how they change, but we’ve also coached others through how to navigate the seasons and how to be even realistic and celebrate the wins that come out of these seasons. So think my final words are make sure that you have the reflections out of the season once it comes to August and September, once we start to trail and transition into the fall, either have it written down or notated how this summer was, that can be based on, you can do journals in the reflections, pieces of the playbook pages. There are so many places that you can actually write down how that summer went.

(25:02):
What you never want to do is go into the next summer, make the same exact decisions and choices, and then we’re in the same place. Again, those reflections will be important. Don’t forget that, but also avoid overcommitting. And this is one that I personally struggle with is a lot of times we’ll have events that are on our calendar ready to go, and then how many times has this happened? Friend comes up, says, Hey, you want to go out for X, Y, Z? Oh, hey, we got a three day weekend. And it’s typically the friends that do not plan by the way, but they’ll say, Hey, you want to come to do this? Let’s go here, let’s go there. You have a choice to say, okay, let’s do it, but I need to do this while X, Y, and Z. You could even say, Hey, I’m good for today.

(25:51):
Let’s plan something out in July or August so that I can still spend time with you. It’s not going to work for right now. So avoid overcommitting to every single event that pops up and comes your way as I wrangler. Liz, let me know earlier this week, a great way to say it is say yes to less, and that way you can have the room to enjoy yourself without feeling like you’re always having to do something, especially in the summer that it would be a lot. And the last but not least, ride the waves. There is so much, so much, so much that can happen and there’s a lot of planning that you can do, but not everything always happens the way that we plan. And that’s okay. Ride the waves, continue to have fun. Enjoy your loved ones, enjoy the people around you. Be present in the moment. And then we come out on the other side and then we talk about how to keep trucking in 2025.

Cori (26:52):
I love it. And that reflection component does make us learn from everything. It helps us find a better and better balance. As you mentioned, we’re all constantly evolving that balance. I know my summer balance is different than it was the previous summer because I’ve learned from mistakes and things I really liked, and we are just enjoying life as we’re trying to move towards our goals. So Sierra, thank you so much. This was so helpful guys. Would love to hear what really resonated with you, how you are planning ahead for the summer months and really meeting yourself where you’re at. But thank you Sierra. Have a great rest of your week.

 

*Note: This transcript is autogenerated there may be some unintended errors.

“I Don’t Have Time To Workout”

“I Don’t Have Time To Workout”

by | May 11, 2025 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

“I don’t have enough time.”

Sorry I’m calling BS on this one.

And before your storm off clicking back, hear me out…

What we value, we prioritize.

And what we prioritize, we MAKE time for.

We FIND the time.

Yes, there are finite hours in the day, but we give up some of our endless Instagram scrolling.

Or we find a way to still do SOMETHING.

We stop focusing on an ideal and instead focus on what is truly possible where we are at RIGHT NOW.

Because something is better than nothing and 5 minutes pays off.

That’s why I want to share not only 3 tips to help you get that workout momentum building, MAKING the time, but also 3 tips to help you truly design for the time you have.

Because feeling fabulous and moving well doesn’t have to be a full time job!

So first…how can we make the time in our crazy, busy schedules?

And no, the answer isn’t just sleeping less or cutting out things you love to do even if you know they may be…well…time wasters…

Actually the first way to make time for your training is to combine your workouts with some of those mindless activities you love!

Yup.

Tip #1 is…Don’t sacrifice things you enjoy – CONNECT THEM!

Love scrolling Instagram or TikTok? Love bad reality TV shows? Use those as times to go get in a walk. Or do your mobility work. Listen to a podcast as you workout.

Use your workouts oddly as a time to multitask.

Because so often we feel like to fit in the things we know we “should” do, we need to give up things we just want to do to relax.

But we don’t have to.

By connecting these two things, you’re sacrificing something you want to do, but you’re also making potentially the training you don’t want to do something you want to do…and GET to do.

You may make yourself look forward even more to that time for YOU. And the more you value that time, the more you’ll prioritize the habit!

Tip #2: Use stolen moments. Take movement snack breaks.

Sure maybe a 30, 40 or even hour long session is “ideal.” But if that’s not possible and is mentally stopping you from starting anything, realize you don’t need it.

Use the moments you have.

5 minutes in between meetings, do a couple of stretches and a loop around your office.

Need to get up to get more water? Do 10 bodyweight squats.

Yes, we want progression to our workouts and a clear plan in place as much as possible for the fastest results, but even small actions beat a perfect plan…

Because so often we use not being able to do the ideal as an excuse to do nothing. And no action means no progress.

Not to mention, action creates more momentum and more action.

When you feel positive and good about the habits you are doing, you want to do more of them.

And even 5 minutes throughout the day can add up and add up fast.

Consider even accounting for those stolen moments to have a plan for different lengths so you can create some clear guidelines to help yourself build.

Start even setting an alarm or calendar event to get you in the habit of doing 5 minutes.

Because 5 minutes becomes 15 becomes 30 becomes forward momentum that makes you want to prioritize the habit more and more.

And suddenly, you find there is more time than you realized in your day because you’re not faced with the daunting task of setting aside an hour all at once!

Then Tip #3: Focus on frequency first.

We get good at what we consistently do. The more we have that set time daily that we workout at, the easier it is to get in the groove and habit.

This may sound counterintuitive BUT…

It may be better to do 10-15 minutes a day to start over trying to do an hour 3 times a week.

And it’s all because of the groove and habit it gets us into.

With the short daily sessions, you can have a clear pattern you create and a shift in your environment. The repetition daily for a few weeks can build that consistency to create that discipline.

From there, you can adjust maybe two or three sessions to be longer and even shift some of the shorter ones to just be recovery.

But more of less to start may be the key to helping that momentum snowball.

Now that you’ve made the time, you have to design for the time you have so your training sessions are as effective as possible.

Because often we feel like 5-10 minutes can’t pay off. But it can, if used strategically.

Here are 3 tips to maximize those minutes…

Tip #1: Set a timer.

When we don’t have clarity on how long something will take, we may skip it when we have a hard stop time or deadline. By creating timed routines, you know you’ll get everything in.

That clarity creates comfort.

If you have 5 minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes with 3 moves you cycle through during that time. Then you’re done.

If you have a minute, do a minute of foam rolling or stretching even. Heck a minute of burpees will destroy you.

If you have 15 minutes, create a circuit of 5 moves you do for 1 minute each and repeat the series 3 times.

So many ways to use that timer to help you be efficient.

And not only will you know you’ll be able to get in the workout you’ve designed, but having that set timeframe can help you strategically include moves and reps and sets to your advantage.

It can help you pick exercises that will really challenge you. It can help you decide which muscles to work to make the most of every second.

It gives you a focus for the session to optimize it.

Then Tip #2: Use compound moves.

Work more muscle groups in a shorter amount of time to build more muscle while burning more calories.

Compound moves are multi-joint movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. These are more efficient than isolation exercises that work only a single muscle at a time, making them better to help you work your entire body when time is an issue.

You can also move heavier loads with compound moves which can help you build strength and muscle more efficiently.

When designing your workouts focus on exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, push ups, pull ups, bench press, rows over bicep curls or leg extensions.

And then cycle the areas worked over your workouts to avoid having to rest so you can get the most work done in the shortest amount of time.

While rest is key to us being able to work at a higher intensity in our training, we can use active rest to our advantage when we’re short on time.

To allow one muscle to rest as another works, make your workouts more full body and alternate moves for different muscle groups.

In your circuit, think squat, push up and row as your 3 moves over squat, lunge, step up.

The second never gives your legs a chance to rest so you’ll see your intensity dip as you even have to modify or lighten loads whereas your legs get rest in the first during push ups and rows.

And Tip #3: Don’t work to failure.

While it is tempting to try to max out the reps on a move each round, this can cause you to actually have to slow down and rest more or modify moves to keep moving.

Instead stop a few reps short of having to rest and move on to the next exercise. This can lead to you being able to push harder for each rep you do and make the work you do more quality.

It can help you even do more reps over the 5 minutes you have over having to pause because you’re tired, slowing you down.

You can also often lift heavier by keeping the reps lower. Over the 5-10 minutes, 5 reps at a time can really add up to more weight lifted than if you went lighter to be able to do 10 reps!

The key is strategically designing for the time we have over focusing on an ideal.

And all of this starts with owning that we can’t change how many hours in the day we have, but we can find ways to shift our priorities to MAKE the time to see the results we want!

For workouts you can do anywhere, and that will fit your crazy busy schedule, check out my Dynamic Strength program:

–> LEARN MORE

How To Become The Best Version Of Yourself

How To Become The Best Version Of Yourself

by | May 8, 2025 | podcast

Listen:

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Transcript:

Open Transcript:

Cori (00:00):
Welcome to the Redefining Strength Podcast. Everything you need to succeed on your health and fitness journey, even the stuff you don’t want to hear. Act as if I want to talk about four ways to help you become the person that you want to be. And I say, act as if and really differentiate this from fake it till you make it because there is a big mindset shift that happens when you think I am acting as if I am the person I want to be versus I am faking the habits. Just that word fake means that you’re not embracing them, that you don’t believe in them. And I realized the big difference between these attitudes when I was first starting redefining strength. I’ve actually noticed it multiple times throughout my life when I went to college and I was told I wouldn’t play because I was the lowest recruit.

(00:44):
And I decided I was going to act as if I was the top recruit that year and going to play, and I ended up playing. But I also saw it when I first started redefining strength. And I was telling myself, I’m not that person in front of the camera, which you might not believe now. I’m not that person to take the photos. I’m not that person to do X, y, and Z thing. And ultimately it was a big push from Ryan, my butthead and my partner in crime, my now husband who at the time I was dating, and he said, if you’re going to do this, you need to step in front of the camera. You need to embrace all these different things. And I thought to myself, that’s not who I am. I’m the nerdy kid at the back of the class. And then I realized I hadn’t been that person for a while.

(01:20):
That going to college, I decided I was going to be more outgoing, that I wanted to change the way I interacted with people, my social setting, my social appearance. So I started shifting my identity at that point, and I had embraced acting as if it wasn’t faking anything, it was just saying, Hey, this is the person I want to be. What traits, what actions does this person take? And so with starting redefining strength, I realized, okay, I have to step in front of the camera. I have to get comfortable doing these things. And it’s not easy to start, but I realized I was acting as if I was the person that I wanted to be. And at some point it becomes just who you are. And I wanted to give you some tips and perspectives to help you also embrace that mindset shift. Because change requires change.

(01:58):
And if we’re constantly fighting back against the changes, we’re never going to see the new result that we want. And in acting as if we are choosing to really create the new habits, embrace the new habits that align with the identity of the person that has the goals we want. Because when we are trying to reach a goal, it’s not just losing the weight, it is becoming the person that has the lifestyle that maintains that weight loss even long-term. So tip number one, embrace the discomfort and show up anyway. A lot of times when we are acting as if it does not feel natural, it does not feel normal, but we have to start shaping even our mindsets because that’s the thing. We a lot of times put actions on ourselves, put tasks we should do on ourselves, put habits we should do, but they aren’t aligned with what we’re actually thinking.

(02:42):
And that’s where the disconnect happens, where we don’t embrace those things, we go on another diet plan versus adjusting our lifestyle. So as you start to think who is this person that has the life, has the goals that I want, and how can I act as if you need to recognize that it’s going to be very uncomfortable times or discomfort as I like to say, because it makes you sort of smile and embrace it a little bit more. And again, mindset is key, but we want to think about how can we show up as that person every single day? How can we take those actions? How can we not mentally rebel against the changes that we really need to make? And I think it’s key that we recognize that a lot of times when we say I can’t, it’s not actually that we can’t. It’s really us saying to ourselves, I’m not comfortable being uncomfortable in that way.

(03:28):
And that’s where we have to push back. We have to challenge ourselves to be like, well, why am I not comfortable being uncomfortable in this way? Why do I believe I can’t? Where am I feeling the pushback from the hard so that I’m not wanting to embrace this habit? Not wanting to embrace this mindset. And a lot of times we’ll say, well, nothing’s ever worked before or this hasn’t worked before. And we’re dooming ourselves with doubt because we don’t truly know what’s possible and where we are right in this moment isn’t where we once tried this habit even before. And that shift in lifestyle, in mindsets, in beliefs, in anything in our environment can really make something that even didn’t work before work now or the way we approach that habit change can be different now because of other factors. So we want to think about even though the action is awkward, how can we embrace one small change and be comfortable with that small change?

(04:18):
How can we push into the hard just a little bit more? Because growth really does mean taking action before we’re ready. Then tip number two, set identity driven habit goals. So when we’re thinking about it, we want to think about, okay, what’s in line with the ultimate identity that I need that I would like to call destination be set. It is our dream identity, so to speak. Now looking at the reality of who you are, you might be like, oh goodness, that’s actually quite a far journey to the identity I want to embrace. And I don’t think I can get there in one step, but what’s one step you can take today to move forward on that path? Because often we just see the end destination and think, I’m so far from that. How do I get there that we don’t see the one clear action we can take right in front of us?

(05:06):
So as you’re setting identity driven habit goals, don’t only think about where you want to go, think about that identity enough to have that outlined, but then take it back to where am I currently? What does my current lifestyle look like? Because the more we meet ourselves where we’re at to take that one step forward, the more likely we are to ultimately get there. Habits can be broken down into so many different ways and we can build upon them. If you have to eat 130 grams of protein in one day and right now you’re eating 90, maybe it’s not realistic to just go revamp all your meals because you’ll feel miserable. You’ll reject the habit so to speak, because you have to do such a big increase. Maybe you’re like, okay, I’m eating 90 grams right now. How can I eat 95? How can I eat a hundred?

(05:44):
How can I make one small shift that is towards the identity that I want to build? And that’s really where the magic happens. And this can feel weird, and I can tell you I always believed I wasn’t a goal setter. I resisted New Year’s resolutions. I’m like, oh, I don’t like setting goals. And I realized it was because they weren’t driven by action. A lot of times they were just wishes and dreams. But when you’re outlining that identity and you’re understanding the habits it takes to be in that goal identity that you have, you’re giving yourself action items and then you can list those out and break those down to really help yourself move forward. But it is about giving yourself even those micro goals so that you can see the little habits adding up. It is about really anchoring yourself in where you are now with that clear vision of what that lifestyle really looks like.

(06:29):
And remember that all of these habits that you’re taking on a daily basis, our votes for who you want to become, they’re all what truly creates the goal, even though you can’t see it snowballing right away, but the little actions and if we can celebrate those wins, they reinforce the identity we’re building. Then tip number three, create minimums so you always move forward. I am big on doing the minimum, and don’t get me wrong, I like to see results as fast as possible and complain with the best of them about how results aren’t happening fast enough, even when I know the reality of results in achieving body recomp and achieving different fitness goals. But we have to remember that the minimums are what ultimately move us forward. It’s not doing a perfect plan at the perfect time. We all do that. We all get really good at dieting down because in January we get motivated and we do these six week shreds and 21 day fixes, but ultimately we only are good at dieting down and we never learn to maintain because life shifts, we don’t have that perfect time anymore.

(07:29):
We can’t just be on this perfect plan. Life happens and we don’t know what to do. And that’s where minimums really come into play. It’s about making our lows less low because the more you can do at the worst of worst times, the more you’re going to be able to do at perfect times. And if you can make your lows less low, trust me, your highs are going to get higher. So really consider the minimums that you can do. Minimums are what make us disciplined and disciplined is what creates that identity because we’re replicating those habits without thought. So as you’re going through thinking about the changes you have to make, if you’re starting to feel that the effort doesn’t feel worth the outcome, think where am I maybe doing a little bit too much right now that is pushing you back against other priorities in my life or other things that I value, or even just the time that I have and the schedule that I have, which time comes out of what our priorities are?

(08:16):
Because our priorities, if we don’t own them, become our excuses, but consider what the pushback is against. Is it against you cutting out a non-negotiable? So how can you do the minimum? How can you do a little bit more than what you’re doing right now to move forward? How can you even scale back a habit that’s feeling a little bit too hard to stick with something that’s still an improvement? Because in those improvements, not only are we changing our habits ultimately to take steps forward towards that person we want to become, we’re acting as if, but we’re shifting mindsets because we don’t recognize that the more you do, the more you do. And that success mindset builds through what we accomplish. And when we feel like we’re not being successful with something, we doubt the habits even more. Our mindset becomes a negative one, which makes us shift into not taking the actions we need and defaulting back into the comfortable.

(08:58):
So remember that these minimums aren’t just about the habits that you’re building that are transforming you and are pushing you on that journey to the identity you want to become. They are you acting as if, but they’re also creating that success mindset and that mindset helps you more embrace that new identity, helps you truly believe that you’re acting as if, and again, not just faking it till you make it. Then tip number four, take full ownership whether you want to recognize it or not. Ultimately, you are in control of who you become. Yes, life throws things at us and we can’t always control every event that comes our way, every situation we find ourselves in, but we can always control our perspective. We can always choose to see it as obstacle or opportunity. We can choose to learn from it or we can choose to give up.

(09:40):
We can ultimately always choose how things impact us and how we respond. And again, in acting as if when you’re hit with something hard, when you’re hit with something unexpected, think about that identity that you’re building. How would that person act in that situation? When you find yourself defaulting back into your natural response, your comfortable response, the response you’ve always done, the routine you’ve always repeated, pause, assess, take ownership of this opportunity to make a change and will it be easy? Oh no. It goes back to tip number one. You’ve got to embrace the discomfort, but you’ve got to really see it as that opportunity and vote big vote for who you want to become because those hard points, the points where it would be so easy to default back into what is natural to self-sabotage when we’ve always self-sabotaged to go to the cupboard and grab out cookies or chips when we’re stressed because that’s what we’ve always done at those points.

(10:30):
That’s where we can take that big leap forward into our new identity by pausing and really pushing into the hard. But it means taking ownership versus blaming things outside yourself. Well, it was a stressful day at work. Well, this came up well, this is just the pattern I’ve always done. This is who I am. No, this is who you were. But take ownership. Take time to recognize that you have this opportunity to act as if and shift those mindsets because we are what we believe, whether we want to recognize it or not. And we don’t often realize the tapes sort of playing in our head, but it’s playing. And the more we can pause and build that self-awareness, the better off we’re going to be. But reflect on the failures, reflect on the learning experience, reflect on the good things that happen. Too often we’re like, yay, I did it, and then we just move forward versus being like, how did I do this?

(11:15):
How can I repeat more of this? How can I embrace whatever happened here? The magic to use more of this in other areas, but take ownership and really use that reflection to learn a lot about yourself, both good and bad situations. So with all of this and acting as if, I want you to really take a step back because I think in making some of these changes, we think, oh, well, I’m bad at this. I’m bad at tracking. I’m bad at being consistent with my workouts. I’m bad at this. No, you are not bad. You just haven’t practiced it yet enough. And in acting as if we are practicing consistently and we’re going to still make mistakes, but we’re practicing to learn to get it right, then we can’t get it wrong and then until it is who we really are, it’s a big part of our being.

(11:58):
But remember, you have to practice to get better at something, and that means embracing that you are going to make mistakes that you are going to have to learn. And there is no right time to start. The right time to start was probably yesterday. The next best time is right now because the more you, again, learn to do the minimum at times that don’t feel ideal, the more you’re going to be able to feel strength and confidence in what you can overcome, but also move forward when times are really good and capitalize on those perfect periods to do a little bit more to see results a little bit faster. So I want to encourage you act as if outline what that identity you have to embrace to have the goals you want to have really looks like. Then take a step back to look at where you are right now and start connecting the dots with little steps forward and little habit changes and little mindset shifts, but you’re not faking anything. You are truly embracing the habits and actions that you need to take and how your mindsets have to shift to really promote and believe in those things because that is how you’re going to act as if to become the person you want to be.

 

*Note: This transcript is autogenerated there may be some unintended errors.