Issue #116: Making New Habits Stick - Max's Story
Good morning. It’s Monday, January 30th. In 1969, The Beatles gave their final public performance. In 1996, Magic Johnson returned to the Lakers after a 4-yr retirement with HIV almost achieving a triple-double, and today Batman (Christian Bale) turns 49.
Did you miss any of our issues on NUTRITION last week? Catch up on Issues #111 - #115 here.
This week we're switching gears and talking about GROWTH - checking in on those New Year's resolutions.
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.”
From the Lab: Max's Meditation Journey
Take Action: Find a Partner & Forgive Yourself
Speed Read: Future of NCAA Sports
Monday Metabolic: Back to Basketball Practice
Monday Q: How 'bout 'dem Goals?
Number of Australian Open titles for Novak Djokovic. Next closest - Roy Emerson and Roger Federer with 6 each.
From the Lab
Somehow we’re already approaching February - that means 2023 is 1/12th over.
It also means that “many” people have already quit their New Year’s Resolutions (at least that’s the official answer from ChatGPT - see you don’t need us human writers).
But not Max - he’s on Day 31 and counting for a goal of 56 straight days of meditating for at least 5 minutes. 👏
So I asked him - how has he actually kept with meditating and what would help everyone at Thrive25 stick with their goals. Here’s what he said:
Accountability. Max signed up on this quest with a good buddy (Thrive25 subscriber Ryan F). Let’s be honest - it can be easier to quit on yourself “oh well, didn’t meditate today” than it is to have to text your partner “didn’t do it today” and leave them hanging to crush this goal on their own. 🤝
Seeing Value. He’s actually already seen an improvement in his sleep and memory - two of the top reasons he took on this new goal for 2023. His awake time at night has gone from above 10-15% to consistently scoring under 10% every night. That’s without any other change to diet or nighttime routines. 😴
Mechanisms of Forgiveness. Get a pen or open your notes app - this is good stuff for keeping new goals! 🙏
Wide Range & High Anchor: He told himself the goal was to meditate between 5-30 min per day. The high anchor of 30 min makes finding 5 min seem easy. It’s almost like he’s cheating on days he actually hits the goal.
Free Session: He schedules 2 sessions per day on his calendar. If he misses one that’s ok - gives him leeway to not have to be perfect. He just has to make sure he does it at least 5 min per day.
The How Doesn't Matter: Guided or unguided meditation would count so he could reduce the pressure of having to do it on his own. NOTE: he relies on Calm, Ryan F. uses Headspace.
Kudos on getting over halfway to your goal fellas!
Take Action
Get an Accountability Partner. If you don’t have an accountability partner, try to create a separate identity for the person doing the goal. “Hey Maximus, can’t make my 7am meditation session, but I’ll see you at 3pm this afternoon.” Yes, I suggested he take on the persona of The Gladiator - who would be your alter ego?
Build in Forgiveness. Set a bar higher than the actual goal so that it’s easier to achieve what you actually think is possible/ideal for here & now.
Write Down Benefits. The focus should be on the process, but if/when you identify anything improving thanks to that goal - whether meditating, flossing, whatever - make sure you physically write it down. It’s huge to your mindset to keep going.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Unintended Consequences: Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) - three words that didn’t mean much together until they did. NCAA athletes can now be paid to play - seems fair to me. They're the reason the fans show up and media companies buy mega contracts to air the games. But now the money from boosters that went to the athletic departments is going right to star athletes (mostly football and men's basketball players). What's the future of those other sports - tennis, swimming, wrestling, field hockey, etc.? (NYTimes)
Being Woke About Nipples: #FreeTheNipple has been a rallying cry for years, part freedom of expression, part sticking it to tech. An oversight board for Meta found that “...policies on adult nudity result in greater barriers to expression for women, trans, and gender non-binary people on its platforms.” Not exactly sure where this leaves us - maybe time to put our phone down, go outside and enjoy the physical world. (Read more)
HIIT Out, Sculpt In?: Move over HIIT, as people go back to in-person fitness classes, they’re going with strength training and flexibility. According to trainers, the focus is on managing stress and building strength over quick bursts that are more taxing on the body. (WSJ)
Monday Metabolic
Taking you back to high school basketball practice. Get down in the defensive stance and side shuffle as fast as you can. Then do some wall sits while doing shoulder exercises - and then do it all over again.
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Monday Q
How are you doing on your 2023 goals?
Product Recs
Impossible - my go-to after a week of poor sleep during my fast. A combination of magnesium and l-theanine powder with nothing else to help you sleep. Click HERE. 😴
TMAC Fitness - 20-min home workouts with no equipment that finishes with a quick meditation, what's easier than that? Try TMAC for 10 Days Free. 🧘
Thanks for joining us today! It's not Friday - but how about a little Power of Love?
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.