Optimize Your Energy: The Science of Daily Vitality

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Welcome to the Optimizing Beyond podcast. I'm
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Josh Negron, and this show's all about sharing
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lessons, ideas, and strategies that sharpen your
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thinking, strengthen your habits, and push you
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to grow beyond comfort zones. Let's dive in.
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We live in a strange time. We're overstimulated,
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underslept, and under -recovered. The spare time
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we once have had... decades ago that might have
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been consumed by TV, are now gobbled up by screen
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time, arguably even worse. We're pounding caffeine
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to keep pushing through, scrolling to distract
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from a stress or anxiety problem, and weekend
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warriors in short bursts when things reach critical.
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It's no wonder we feel like we're in a hamster
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wheel. Here's the truth I wish someone had told
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me sooner. Energy isn't created, it's managed.
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Of course, that's a law of physics we all learned
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in grade school, but I've come to understand
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that this applies to so many other areas as well.
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Daily vitality isn't a mystery. It's disciplined
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stewardship over four pillars in a simple hierarchy.
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The first one is sleep. It's the master regulator,
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and it is the foundation of the health pyramid.
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The next one is the circadian rhythm, which is
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timing, light, and consistency. The third one
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is inputs. What's your food, movement, and even
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audio -visual consumption that affects your energy?
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And last, recovery, the rhythms that refill what
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you spend. When you honor the body God entrusted
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to you, it gives you back clarity, strength,
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and focus. When you don't, it politely sends
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you invoices like fatigue, anxiety, brain fog,
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injury risk, and irritability, and so much more.
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Today, we'll explore methods and strategies you
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can implement one at a time, no matter where
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you find yourself. We'll talk stories, science,
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and practical application. Today's goal is to
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give you some things you can implement as soon
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as today and start stacking when you see progress.
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We know our bodies will treat us as well as we
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treat them, so let's explore some ways we can
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leverage that for our benefit. Let's get into
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it. As a cereal optimizer and recovering perfectionist,
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I've tried many things over the years. With just
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fuel, as an example, I've tried many crazy diets
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like vegan, carnivore, keto, gluten -free, all
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for specific purposes and goals in mind. I was
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trying to learn what fuel and routines actually
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made me feel clear and steady. For diet, specifically,
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sadly, it's no one -size -fits -all, which is
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Extremely frustrating. What makes one person
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feel like a million dollars might make another
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person feel sluggish and worthless. When I went
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plant -based for a year, it was perhaps the most
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disruptive, difficult diet I've ever done. But
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it did not have the positive effect on me that
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it has on some, and that's why I stopped doing
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it. But I did keep the habit of incorporating
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more plants into my diet and some of those lessons
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I learned along the way. I would say I eat more
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balanced now more than ever. Through these kinds
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of things, I discovered two things. One, inputs
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change outputs. Your body is like a high -performing
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machine. Cheap fuel and random timing equals
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unpredictable energy and performance. Number
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two is daily rhythm beats heroics. I love layering
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growth and tweaking one thing at a time. Of course.
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I want it all now, just like everyone else. But
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I realized early on that the all -or -nothing
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approach to life changes is often not sustainable.
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It feels productive in the moment, until the
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inevitable crash comes. What actually works is
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small, repeatable upgrades that compound over
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time. Anytime someone asks me for nutrition advice,
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for example, they always get annoyed when my
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suggestions steer them away from declarative
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statements like, I'm going to give up sweets
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for a year, or for good even. I believe that
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instead, small, sustainable habits beat massive
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overhauls and declarative statements every time.
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Today, I want to take you through my lived practice,
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coupled with helpful research while still keeping
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the tone simple. We're not just after today,
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but to help you win tomorrow too. Because health
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isn't something you can hustle to. It's finding
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rhythm, harmony, and rest. Good luck hustling
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your way to that. So I want to cover some common
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misconceptions and myths that I hear a lot around
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this topic. The first one is that discipline
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limits freedom. I used to believe that too. In
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reality, I believe that discipline and established
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habits expand freedom. When things like sleep
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and meals become rhythm and pre -decided, you
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actually free up mental bandwidth for your actual
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life. Freedom is the byproduct of accumulated
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discipline. Discipline doesn't have to be a cage.
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It's a friction removal that allows you to stick
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to your commitments more because you're already
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decided instead of leaving it up to the moment.
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Moments that, let's face it, are usually laced
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with more weakness and less resolve. Here's another
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myth. I sleep eight hours and still feel tired.
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Well, first off, great job. You're already ahead
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of most people. But I want to say two things.
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One, not everyone needs eight hours. We'll talk
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more about that later. And number two, regularity,
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timing, and quality. They matter a lot too. Is
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eight hours normal for you? If not... It's like
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trying to work out for four hours in one day
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instead of spreading it out throughout the week.
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We all know which one's going to produce results.
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So why would sleep be any different? You can't
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do terribly all week and expect one to two days
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of eight -plus -hour sleep sessions to make it
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all right. I tried to do this in the past, trust
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me, and it didn't work. And lastly, quality matters
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too. How's your sleep hygiene? Are you getting
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morning light? Do you have a cool room? Is it
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dim the last hour? Is your phone down an hour
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before bed? No TV in the bedroom? Do you have
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a wind -down sequence? A few weeks of practices
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like this usually changes the feeling of those
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eight hours. Another myth is that blue light
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blocking doesn't work. You know, statistics will
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show anything to prove your point, yet I believe
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that context matters. Morning versus evening
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split is basically the point. You don't have
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to be a cave person at 6pm, just dim the lights
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or turn on ones that are warmer over the last
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hour. That's a heavy hitter consistently over
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time. Some people might say, well, the all or
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nothing approach motivates me. Well, yeah, short
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term for sure. Long term, I've seen it crash
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and burn too many times. even with high performers.
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It's the best way to burn out something good
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you've got going. Try to use that fiery motivation
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to change just a few things, then start layering
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one habit at a time for keeps. What I love about
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this approach is the snowball effect. It creates
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confidence as you start to see increasing compound
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changes. Another one I've heard is that faith
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and fitness don't mix. Now this one's rarer,
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but I've heard it. Some people are concerned
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about vanity and pride, especially with fitness.
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Now, clearly, I disagree. An investment in your
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health is a version of stewardship, and stewardship
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is both spiritual and biological. Caring for
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your body is part of caring for the things you're
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responsible for in this world. When you honor
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this, I believe you compound clarity, peace,
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and purpose. So, let's start where you need...
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So, let's start with the foundation. Sleep is
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first. It is the master regulator. We've already
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let the cat out of the bag a little bit, which
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is the massive importance of sleep. If you only
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change one thing, let it be this. Let it be sleep.
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I'll be honest, this is one of the things that
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I dialed in much more recently than so many of
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my other habits. Sleep should be the foundation
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that makes the grind possible. But oftentimes,
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sadly, it's the last thing people tackle. This
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hit me hard in three different ways over the
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last five years, and fundamentally, they transformed
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my view on sleep. The first one was I was pushing
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my wake -up time earlier and earlier to continue
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beefing up my awesome morning routines. Five
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minutes here, ten minutes there, I just kept
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pushing my wake -up time earlier and earlier.
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At some point, I noticed cognitive decline. Things
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like consistent foggy mind, irritability, wild
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mood swings, increased anxiety, and more. It
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felt like I was on the edge and I didn't want
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to fall off. The only thing I had changed was
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decreasing my sleep. The beefed up morning routine
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was not worth the sleep sacrifice. The second
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time was when a dear friend, Trey Frisbee, critiqued
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me on how well I had so many areas of my life
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in line. And yet sleep and even hydration, two
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massive pillars of health, undisputedly so, were
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such low priorities for me. That challenge hit
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me hard and got me focusing on these habits even
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more. And finally, the last one was one of my
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mentors, superhuman Danelle Delgado, had a dear
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friend start to help her get her fitness and
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health in line. His approach was much different
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than mine, and he knew what an epic hustler she
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was and that she would likely crush her body
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into powder if he didn't pave this path correctly.
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He made some rules around sleep that really got
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me thinking. He said if you want to work and
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work out on the same day, you have to sleep at
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least eight hours the night before. Okay. And
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if she only slept seven hours, She only gets
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to do one. She has to choose between working
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or working out. And then lastly, if she gets
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six hours or less, she can't do either. Now,
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if you commit to that, that'll make you shift
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fast. This was the final step in reframing sleep
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in my mind forever. Sleep is what allows all
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other things to be possible. Now, sleep does
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so much we don't have time to discuss, but some
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of the major highlights that I want to talk about
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is... Firstly, hormones and mood. Now, listen
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up men considering TRT. I'm middle -aged, I'm
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nearing my 40s, and TRT is all the rage of the
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conversation of anyone even over 25 right now.
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Sleep quality quietly tunes your hormone panel,
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the stuff that affects stress tolerance, appetite,
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willpower, confidence, and patience. If your
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testosterone is low and your sleep is garbage,
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just... Think about that for just five minutes.
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I was able to double my testosterone with just
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getting my sleep in line, and that blew my mind.
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Number two is cognition. Attention, memory, decision
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quality all rise and fall with sleep quality
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more than most people realize, like I said earlier.
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And number three, training and recovery. You
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don't get stronger in the gym. You get stronger
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when you recover from the gym. Sleep is the runway
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to do that, fundamentally. When I used to steal
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sleep for early workouts with five or six hours
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of sleep, I thought I was being disciplined.
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But the ROI was backwards. More body breakdown,
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less gains, and more plateaus. What changed everything
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was a boring move. Adding 30 minutes of time
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in bed and protecting that hour before bedtime.
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Now, notice I said time in bed, not time asleep.
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Remember, we want to control what we can control.
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Time in bed is the number one metric you can
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control. So I committed to adding 30 minutes
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at a time for six month periods. Once my daily
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average was 30 minutes higher for several months
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at a time, I added another 30 minutes. I didn't
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overhaul my life. I just insisted on small progressive
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increases every few months until my baseline
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felt stable. My labs improved. Mood stabilized,
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energy evened out, and I started feeling better
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in many ways, and even my performance in the
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gym improved. Now, that wasn't without struggles.
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Like I said before, everyone is different. I
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know healthy people that don't need very many
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hours of sleep. My wife, for example, her Whoop
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and Oura Ring both tell her that she doesn't
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need much beyond six or six and a half hours
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of sleep, whereas the same devices tell me I
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need eight to nine hours of sleep. especially
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depending on how hard I push myself in the gym.
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And I push myself hard often. This caused some
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difficulty because when I'm needing to go to
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sleep, she's not even tired and she doesn't have
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to go to bed. But we worked hard to find a rhythm
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that can work daily for both of us. So think
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of your bedtime as a boundary with the future.
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You're not just going to bed. You're preparing
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for tomorrow the way you set out clothes for
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the night before. It's the most generous thing
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you can do for your future self. Aim first at
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consistency, like the same sleep window most
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nights. Make it feel good, switch to warm light
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in the last couple hours, dim the lights, reduce
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digital inputs that spike your brain. And create
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an anchor, things like configuring your phone
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to turn on DND after a set time, maybe the phone's
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parked in the kitchen after a certain time, lamps
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only after another time. or a good wind -down
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process like a shower, stretch, prayer, meditation,
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and then sleep. But Josh, I use my phone as an
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alarm. Okay, I know, this comes up a lot, but
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many of you already have wearables you can use
00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:03.779
as alarms, and if you don't, well, alarm clocks
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are super cheap nowadays, so you'll be fine.
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Don't get hung up on perfect techniques. Just
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change something in a proven way you can execute
00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:16.629
it. Let's take blue light, for example. People
00:14:16.629 --> 00:14:19.590
love to talk about what's best, glasses, phone
00:14:19.590 --> 00:14:22.470
settings, or special apps. It's less about the
00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:26.129
specific how and more about timing and intensity
00:14:26.129 --> 00:14:29.830
and ensuring you can execute daily. Morning bright
00:14:29.830 --> 00:14:33.610
light, late evening dim lights. There's so many
00:14:33.610 --> 00:14:36.389
ways you can explore how to do those things.
00:14:36.629 --> 00:14:39.409
Remember, you can always change or add more when
00:14:39.409 --> 00:14:42.570
you progress. Here's some way you can practice
00:14:42.570 --> 00:14:45.090
tonight. Pick one or two of the items mentioned
00:14:45.090 --> 00:14:47.529
in this section to commit to in the next seven
00:14:47.529 --> 00:14:50.769
nights. For example, schedule your sleep window
00:14:50.769 --> 00:14:54.129
like 10 to 6. Commit to parking your phone an
00:14:54.129 --> 00:14:57.330
hour before bed. Switch to dim lighting 60 minutes
00:14:57.330 --> 00:15:00.669
before you go to bed. Using an eye mask or listening
00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:04.029
to white noise. That's it. Commit and ship it
00:15:04.029 --> 00:15:07.590
for a week. Now, as far as timing and recovery,
00:15:07.909 --> 00:15:10.889
we've all got a 24 -hour internal clock that
00:15:10.889 --> 00:15:13.710
likes predictability. Picture two teammates,
00:15:14.090 --> 00:15:17.370
cortisol, which is daytime engagement, and melatonin,
00:15:17.389 --> 00:15:21.009
nighttime recovery. When we pass the baton cleanly,
00:15:21.090 --> 00:15:25.029
energy feels steady and clean. When they collide,
00:15:25.309 --> 00:15:28.889
energy feels scratchy and anxious. So here's
00:15:28.889 --> 00:15:31.389
some simple timing rules. In the morning, it
00:15:31.389 --> 00:15:34.129
benefits you to get some good outdoor lighting.
00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:37.450
Even 5 to 10 minutes helps. Move a little and
00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:40.370
hydrate. In the afternoon, if you train hard,
00:15:40.549 --> 00:15:44.350
plan a good protein -heavy meal with some carbs
00:15:44.350 --> 00:15:47.370
a few hours after training. And then in the evening,
00:15:47.549 --> 00:15:51.289
dim those lights, lower stimulation. Land your
00:15:51.289 --> 00:15:54.009
day with a wind down instead of a scroll down.
00:15:54.889 --> 00:15:57.750
And then temperature plays a role as well. A
00:15:57.750 --> 00:16:01.080
slightly cooler room for sleep. with a repeatable
00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:03.659
wind -down sequence, like we talked about earlier
00:16:03.659 --> 00:16:06.299
with shower, stretching, journal, praying, and
00:16:06.299 --> 00:16:09.600
lights out. If you go all gas, no brakes for
00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.440
a week, your body will schedule a recovery day
00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.500
by force. You'll get sick or just run out of
00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:17.700
gas. We've all been there. It's so frustrating.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.759
It feels like your body is betraying you, but
00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:23.990
remember, we betrayed it first. So it's better
00:16:23.990 --> 00:16:26.889
to plan it and own it. We can talk for hours
00:16:26.889 --> 00:16:29.710
on things that can negatively hurt sleep, but
00:16:29.710 --> 00:16:32.409
one that I eliminated years ago was alcohol.
00:16:32.830 --> 00:16:35.210
I started noticing that my sleep quality was
00:16:35.210 --> 00:16:38.149
horrible after just one small drink with dinner,
00:16:38.269 --> 00:16:41.190
and I thought to myself, I'm working so hard
00:16:41.190 --> 00:16:44.610
to get my sleep in line, and then just one drink
00:16:44.610 --> 00:16:47.710
that costs money on top of that is wrecking my
00:16:47.710 --> 00:16:50.789
progress. I'm out. And I just never looked back.
00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:53.340
Not telling you this has to be you, but this
00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:56.860
is just one small example of changes that I made
00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:58.820
in my life. It could just be that I'm getting
00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:02.980
older and less cool. Another practical application
00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:05.700
you can do with all this in mind, here's one
00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:08.319
thing you can try. Pick two nights this week
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.200
to be your gold standard evenings for a great
00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.740
wind down routine. Things like we talked. Things
00:17:14.740 --> 00:17:18.000
like warm lights, light stretching. journaling,
00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:21.079
praying, and then lights out. Set reminders on
00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:23.140
your phone or your calendar and then see how
00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:26.819
it goes. All right, we've covered sleep and timing.
00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:29.559
Now let's wrap up with inputs like food and movement
00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:33.359
and recovery. Food is fuel, not entertainment.
00:17:34.250 --> 00:17:36.690
But modern fuel does not help with disciplined
00:17:36.690 --> 00:17:39.670
commitments to health. Most commercial food is
00:17:39.670 --> 00:17:42.869
optimized for profit and palatability, not your
00:17:42.869 --> 00:17:45.990
health or steady energy. If you ride the processed
00:17:45.990 --> 00:17:48.549
food rollercoaster all day, you will get spikes
00:17:48.549 --> 00:17:51.569
and crashes over time. Your health will likely
00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:55.690
decline in the process. If you anchor meals to
00:17:55.690 --> 00:17:59.230
protein, fiber, color, like fruits and veggies,
00:17:59.450 --> 00:18:01.589
you'll get stable energy and better decision
00:18:01.589 --> 00:18:05.730
quality later. Some easy ways to do this are
00:18:05.730 --> 00:18:09.369
defaults beat decisions. So have a go -to breakfast
00:18:09.369 --> 00:18:12.789
or a go -to lunch that are boringly dependable.
00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:16.150
This is me. I'm okay having the same repeatable
00:18:16.150 --> 00:18:19.250
meal. My wife is not, but that helps me stay
00:18:19.250 --> 00:18:22.349
consistent. Picking a protein anchor, adding
00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:25.430
two colors of produce, and then some fiber. If
00:18:25.430 --> 00:18:28.210
you're into using AI, you can prompt it. What
00:18:28.210 --> 00:18:30.849
are some ideas? Give me some variabilities. And
00:18:30.849 --> 00:18:32.589
then you can have that variability too if you're
00:18:32.589 --> 00:18:36.829
like my wife. Another one is plan to snack intentionally.
00:18:37.069 --> 00:18:39.670
This is what gets so many people. If you know
00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:43.049
you're a snacker, pick protein -forward or fruit
00:18:43.049 --> 00:18:46.990
-forward snacks. Plan for it and stay in control.
00:18:47.569 --> 00:18:50.559
And then hydration. Front load earlier in the
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.400
day and then taper at night. Your kidneys actually
00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.019
respond to hormones that slow down their function
00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:58.339
as the day winds down. Otherwise, you'll be going
00:18:58.339 --> 00:19:00.660
to the bathroom seven times in the evening. So
00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:03.599
to help with that daily rhythm, front loading
00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:06.240
hydration is a good idea for so many reasons.
00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:10.039
As always, the goal isn't perfection, it's to
00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:14.160
be predictably steady. I know, how boring. And
00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:17.789
that applies to movement as well. I love... suggesting
00:19:17.789 --> 00:19:21.289
people to find their movement. I'm a fan of finding
00:19:21.289 --> 00:19:24.809
movement you enjoy to get the habit going. Once
00:19:24.809 --> 00:19:27.049
established, then you can seek out challenges
00:19:27.049 --> 00:19:29.390
to make you stronger and shore up your weaknesses
00:19:29.390 --> 00:19:33.049
for future health, especially in fitness. If
00:19:33.049 --> 00:19:35.230
you're not into movement at all, start with walking
00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:37.789
the dog or a game that's fun like pickleball
00:19:37.789 --> 00:19:41.450
or disc golf to get you out and moving. And as
00:19:41.450 --> 00:19:44.029
you get those established, start working in things
00:19:44.029 --> 00:19:46.170
like resistance training and different types
00:19:46.170 --> 00:19:48.930
of cardio. So when you're ready to add that in,
00:19:48.970 --> 00:19:51.170
resistance training can be two to four times
00:19:51.170 --> 00:19:55.029
a week. And honestly, longevity experts say the
00:19:55.029 --> 00:19:57.470
largest predictor of longevity is muscle mass.
00:19:58.049 --> 00:20:00.630
We're not talking bodybuilder stuff here. Keep
00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:03.549
it simple. Push, pull, hinge, squat, and carry
00:20:03.549 --> 00:20:06.670
to keep muscle mass up and work on your longevity.
00:20:07.910 --> 00:20:10.869
Next would be layering in low intensity cardio
00:20:10.869 --> 00:20:14.069
that you could hold a conversation during. A
00:20:14.069 --> 00:20:16.990
lot of people call this zone two. You can target
00:20:16.990 --> 00:20:20.690
this five to seven days a week. Think 30 to 60
00:20:20.690 --> 00:20:24.750
minutes, like a brisk walk, very light jog, biking,
00:20:25.009 --> 00:20:27.369
things like that. This builds your cardiovascular
00:20:27.369 --> 00:20:31.309
system significantly over time. And then finally,
00:20:31.430 --> 00:20:34.529
high intensity or variable cardio. This is things
00:20:34.529 --> 00:20:37.740
like what I do in CrossFit. And you can target
00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:40.640
two to four times a week. This pretty much always
00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:44.059
sucks, but has so many physical benefits as well
00:20:44.059 --> 00:20:47.579
as psychological benefits. So with things like
00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:50.440
this, we're going for the long game. Think that
00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:53.420
we're playing a season, not a single game. So
00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:55.880
find where you're at and start layering in things
00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:59.859
to make you better. So with that in mind, pick
00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:02.339
one or two of the things we discussed to execute
00:21:02.339 --> 00:21:06.660
this week. So in this section, you can write
00:21:06.660 --> 00:21:09.259
one default meal you'll eat four times this week.
00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:12.339
For me, breakfast is the easiest, but lunch can
00:21:12.339 --> 00:21:16.119
be a close second. Maybe it's deciding two training
00:21:16.119 --> 00:21:19.220
sessions this week or planning a non -negotiable
00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:22.420
walk. Or maybe join a local pickleball group
00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:24.960
on Facebook and find out when their free playtime
00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:28.180
is. Then put it on the calendar. Here's a pro
00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:31.779
tip. Community definitely helps, especially if
00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:33.759
you're the first starting out with these health
00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.920
habits. Tell a friend, have them join you, or
00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:40.940
find a way to have them help you. As we wrap
00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:44.299
up, I want to cover a practical playbook with
00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:47.000
seven plays to help you start. In the description
00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.799
of this episode, you'll find seven ways to turn
00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:52.579
ideas into energy. Feel free to swap anything
00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:55.059
in or out, and remember to keep it low friction
00:21:55.059 --> 00:21:57.460
and repeatable. You can always adjust later.
00:21:57.869 --> 00:22:00.750
Number one is pick your pillar and set your window.
00:22:00.890 --> 00:22:03.930
Choose one pillar, sleep, nutrition, movement,
00:22:04.130 --> 00:22:07.329
recovery, to schedule in your calendar this week,
00:22:07.349 --> 00:22:10.069
like scheduling your sleep window, pre -planning
00:22:10.069 --> 00:22:13.329
meals for the week, or reminders for wind -down
00:22:13.329 --> 00:22:17.170
cues. Number two is aiming to increase your time
00:22:17.170 --> 00:22:20.210
in bed by 30 minutes, for example. Add those
00:22:20.210 --> 00:22:22.950
30 minutes, don't overthink it, park your phone
00:22:22.950 --> 00:22:25.460
out of the bedroom, and give it a whirl. And
00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:28.059
if you want, add a five to 10 minute wind down,
00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:31.099
like with a light stretch, prayer, journal, gratitude,
00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:34.519
and then lights out. Number three is getting
00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:37.759
morning light and taking a walk. Five to 10 minutes
00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.039
of outdoor light earlier in the day, and then
00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:42.420
shoot for those 20, 30 minutes of zone two walking.
00:22:42.619 --> 00:22:45.519
Number four is planning your meals and having
00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.299
protein anchors. Eat a planned meal this week,
00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:51.440
for example, a protein with two colors and fiber
00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:54.099
without debating it. And also, hydrate earlier
00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:56.400
in the day so you're not chugging late. Number
00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:59.940
five is strength you can repeat. Find a fun movement
00:22:59.940 --> 00:23:03.319
activity to start this week. A simple full body
00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:05.900
like pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting, or
00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.420
carrying. It can be a single activity like a
00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:11.200
machine in the gym or a fun activity like the
00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.400
ones we talked about earlier or some good resistance
00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:16.500
training. And then don't forget to post -session
00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:19.279
fuel within a few hours with a good protein and
00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:22.990
carbs. Number six is target. Two gold standard
00:23:22.990 --> 00:23:25.690
evenings. Like we said earlier, choose two nights
00:23:25.690 --> 00:23:28.029
this week for a warm light, stretching, prayer,
00:23:28.230 --> 00:23:30.630
journaling, and lights out on time, and protect
00:23:30.630 --> 00:23:34.150
those like meetings with your future self. And
00:23:34.150 --> 00:23:37.190
number seven, gratitude fuel. Try practicing
00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:39.650
gratitude before bed. Write 10 things you're
00:23:39.650 --> 00:23:43.970
grateful for that day. And lastly, the bonus
00:23:43.970 --> 00:23:47.049
when life happens rule. When your day gets wrecked,
00:23:47.049 --> 00:23:51.319
and it will happen, hit your minimum viable habit
00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:54.240
you committed to. If that means a 10 -minute
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.079
walk or parking your phone for at least 30 minutes
00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:59.799
of the day, don't fold and give up. Keep pushing
00:23:59.799 --> 00:24:02.880
to change one small thing. So let's zoom out.
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.859
The reason people burn out on health isn't lack
00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:08.339
of information. It's lack of action, usually
00:24:08.339 --> 00:24:11.559
because there's so many options. If you see yourself
00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:14.210
as someone who's consistently catching up, You'll
00:24:14.210 --> 00:24:17.049
just choose catch -up behaviors. But if you change
00:24:17.049 --> 00:24:19.710
your mindset to being a steward of your energy,
00:24:19.930 --> 00:24:23.410
your choices can begin to change. We're looking
00:24:23.410 --> 00:24:26.910
to transform discipline into devotion, not deprivation.
00:24:27.410 --> 00:24:30.250
It's no longer punishment. It's protection for
00:24:30.250 --> 00:24:33.089
what matters most. And it's your systems that
00:24:33.089 --> 00:24:36.250
automate the basics, like sleep window, default
00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:39.769
meals, movement anchors, and so on. Your decision
00:24:39.769 --> 00:24:43.769
fatigue drops, your confidence rises, and paradoxically,
00:24:43.890 --> 00:24:46.549
you actually feel freer. That's the discipline
00:24:46.549 --> 00:24:50.349
-freedom loop. Now, you're going to have obstacles,
00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:53.509
and we need to work together to anticipate them.
00:24:53.690 --> 00:24:55.750
So you're going to hit speed bumps. So let's
00:24:55.750 --> 00:24:57.769
plan for them now. What if you have a late -night
00:24:57.769 --> 00:25:00.650
event? Keep the sleep window as close as you
00:25:00.650 --> 00:25:03.950
can and protect the next night like gold. Remember
00:25:03.950 --> 00:25:07.089
what James Clear says, never miss twice. What
00:25:07.089 --> 00:25:09.250
if you're traveling? Anchor your morning light
00:25:09.250 --> 00:25:12.529
and a walk. Focus on protein and a good color
00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:15.069
option without overthinking it. What if you're
00:25:15.069 --> 00:25:18.289
feeling sore or super run down? Then drop the
00:25:18.289 --> 00:25:20.910
training intensity. Hit up zone two, some low
00:25:20.910 --> 00:25:23.430
intensity cardio, get some light mobility done,
00:25:23.589 --> 00:25:26.210
and maybe an earlier bedtime. What about if you're
00:25:26.210 --> 00:25:29.049
hit with cravings? Try drinking water, delay
00:25:29.049 --> 00:25:31.910
10 minutes, and then if you're still super snacky,
00:25:31.950 --> 00:25:36.019
let's pick a protein forward option. And then
00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:39.700
the I blew it spiral. So often this leads to
00:25:39.700 --> 00:25:41.839
an effort mentality of just like, well, I've
00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:43.980
already messed up, so I'm just going to keep
00:25:43.980 --> 00:25:47.480
going crazy. You didn't. You had a normal human
00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:50.900
day. So let's locate the minimum variable habit
00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:53.839
that you can do tonight and keep going. Remember,
00:25:54.019 --> 00:25:56.799
we're going for change over time, not perfection.
00:25:57.180 --> 00:26:00.960
So let's review. Energy isn't created, it's managed.
00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:05.400
So let's explore ways to put sleep first. analyze
00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:08.740
our habits by good protein -anchored meals and
00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:12.539
daily movement to create steady power, recovery
00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:16.980
to protect our gains, and rhythms to beat willpower.
00:26:17.140 --> 00:26:19.740
Because we know that identity drives behavior.
00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:23.099
We're a steward of our energy. Remember to review
00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:26.039
the show notes in the description to review ideas
00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:28.420
that you can try today to tackle things like
00:26:28.420 --> 00:26:31.359
sleep, evening routine, your meals, and more.
00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:34.400
Do right by your body and it will do right by
00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:37.759
you. Thanks for listening to the Optimizing Beyond
00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:40.579
podcast. Remember, growth happens when you take
00:26:40.579 --> 00:26:43.339
action. So subscribe, share this with a friend,
00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:45.920
and most importantly, put what you learned into
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.880
practice. Until next time, keep moving forward
00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:51.660
because daily anything changes everything.