Full Transcript for 5 year plans don't work. Here's how to build a routine that actually helps you achieve your goals with Dr Rangan Chatterjee | Future Self Se

Beverley and welcome back to Working Hard, the 41 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:02.459 podcast-shaped guidebook on how to improve your own life and 42 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:04.840 achieve what you actually dreamed of doing. Because life's too 43 00:02:04.890 --> 00:02:10.479 short for boring podcasts and bad advice. What is up, guys, 44 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.000 and welcome back to Working Hard. If you have been 45 00:02:13.020 --> 00:02:14.919 following the series so far, you will know that we 46 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.039 are coming to the end of part one, where we've 47 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:19.599 been getting really, really clear on what your ideal life, 48 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:22.620 like the one you are working towards, actually looks like 49 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:24.969 and what your plan looks like in order to be 50 00:02:25.030 --> 00:02:26.830 able to get there. So today we're going to be 51 00:02:26.870 --> 00:02:29.629 moving into the mechanics of how to build routine and 52 00:02:29.650 --> 00:02:31.909 a plan that actually works, or in fact, how to 53 00:02:31.949 --> 00:02:36.370 build any plan with a specific long-term horizon. Long-term plans 54 00:02:36.409 --> 00:02:39.090 can actually be quite controversial. And when we were planning 55 00:02:39.129 --> 00:02:40.900 this episode, I was a little hesitant to give a 56 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:43.000 number on how long I think you should plan ahead 57 00:02:43.219 --> 00:02:45.340 when you're reverse engineering your life. Because I think it's 58 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:48.199 so personal to everyone. For some people, a five-year plan 59 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:50.610 is the perfect timeline to look ahead. And for others, 60 00:02:50.710 --> 00:02:52.629 it is far too long and there are far too 61 00:02:52.689 --> 00:02:55.610 many variables for it to actually make sense. So essentially 62 00:02:55.689 --> 00:02:58.439 that dichotomy is exactly what today's episode is about. And 63 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:00.419 the person I wanted to bring in to talk about 64 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:02.759 this is someone who can hold the nuance of it 65 00:03:02.819 --> 00:03:05.840 and still give you a great actionable answer. Like we 66 00:03:05.870 --> 00:03:07.849 can all poo-poo the five-year plan as much as we want, 67 00:03:07.870 --> 00:03:09.750 but what should we actually be doing? How do we 68 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:11.490 build a plan to build our ideal life? 69 00:03:11.590 --> 00:03:11.830 Dr. 70 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:14.449 Rangan Chatterjee is one of the most influential doctors in 71 00:03:14.469 --> 00:03:17.150 the UK and he's dedicated his career to working out 72 00:03:17.210 --> 00:03:19.379 how we actually live well. So what he's going to 73 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:20.900 do in this episode is he's going to walk us 74 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:23.840 through why most five-year plans don't work. So the specific 75 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:27.400 traps people fall into and then

also the practical mechanics 76 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:30.120 of reverse engineering a vision, that vision that we've kind 77 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:32.560 of developed, all the way back to what you actually 78 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:35.979 do this week because I think that is so important. 79 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:38.180 And as always with these episodes, episodes rongan has given 80 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:41.270 me his top planning frameworks for your homework for the 81 00:03:41.310 --> 00:03:43.370 working hard newsletter this week so that means you can 82 00:03:43.409 --> 00:03:45.930 actually action what we talked about in this episode in 83 00:03:46.129 --> 00:03:48.789 a very practical way so that you know you're actually 84 00:03:48.830 --> 00:03:50.509 learning things you're not just listening to them on your 85 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:52.219 commute and never coming back to it again and again 86 00:03:52.300 --> 00:03:54.360 because we like to create actual change over on this 87 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:55.680 side of the internet so i'll put the link for 88 00:03:55.699 --> 00:03:58.300 the newsletter in the description box i hope you enjoy 89 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.639 making the plan for that ideal life that you will 90 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:02.400 be very much achieving once you put this all into 91 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:04.500 action and i'll leave you with dr rongan. 92 00:04:04.289 --> 00:04:11.349 Chastity So there are some really common mistakes that people 93 00:04:11.389 --> 00:04:14.110 make when it comes to planning out their lives. And 94 00:04:14.169 --> 00:04:18.170 this episode is for anyone looking to reverse engineer their future, 95 00:04:18.269 --> 00:04:22.889 but in a healthy, balanced way without the overlap and burnout. 96 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:25.939 Why might you want to listen to me? Well, of course, 97 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.899 Grace gave me a really lovely intro. But the thing 98 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:31.100 I want to sort of focus on is the fact 99 00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:34.779 that I have been a medical doctor for over 25 100 00:04:34.779 --> 00:04:37.920 years now. I have seen tens of thousands of patients 101 00:04:38.139 --> 00:04:41.199 over the course of my career. My podcast... has been 102 00:04:41.220 --> 00:04:43.660 going for over nine years. I've spoken to some of 103 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:47.120 the most influential voices around the world when it comes 104 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:52.550 to health, happiness, mindset, longevity, productivity, whatever you might want. 105 00:04:52.990 --> 00:04:57.089 And I've helped many people change their lives, not just 106 00:04:57.129 --> 00:04:59.730 in the short term, but for good. So I feel 107 00:04:59.750 --> 00:05:02.670 I have a lot of experience trying to do this 108 00:05:02.709 --> 00:05:06.170 with people and That experience is what I'm hoping to 109 00:05:06.290 --> 00:05:09.399 offer you today. If you have ever made a plan 110 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.800 that you were genuinely excited about, but then found that 111 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:15.779 you were unable to stick to it, this is the 112 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:20.230 episode for you. Okay, so as Grace mentioned at the start, 113 00:05:20.649 --> 00:05:24.389 should we even be making five-year plans? well I think 114 00:05:24.410 --> 00:05:26.689 that's something for us all to reflect on I mean 115 00:05:26.709 --> 00:05:30.110 for me I would say possibly not I think it's 116 00:05:30.250 --> 00:05:33.540 perhaps a little bit too far away in the future 117 00:05:33.629 --> 00:05:36.199 but I also have to acknowledge that for some people 118 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:38.740 it seems to work okay and that's the kind of 119 00:05:38.819 --> 00:05:41.800 nuance I hope you get from me throughout this episode 120 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:45.680 I don't believe in one size fits all approaches because 121 00:05:46.060 --> 00:05:48.550 having seen so many patients over the years I've realised 122 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.959 that There's no one right approach that works for everyone. 123 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.980 So let's assume that you do want to make a 124 00:05:55.019 --> 00:05:59.040 plan for your future. Whether it be a one-year plan 125 00:05:59.259 --> 00:06:02.680 or a five-year plan or even a 10-year plan, I 126 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:06.399 would say that the same principles apply. Okay, so first 127 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:08.899 of all, have a think about what you want your 128 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.230 plan to relate to. Is it your health? your well-being? 129 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:18.370 Is it your mindset, your relationships, your career? Is it 130 00:06:18.509 --> 00:06:20.709 to get your hobbies into your life in a much 131 00:06:20.790 --> 00:06:22.870 more sustainable way? You know, whatever it is, that's up 132 00:06:22.910 --> 00:06:25.689 to you. But these core principles I'm going to go 133 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:28.899 through work no matter what the topic is, okay? So 134 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.240 let me start off with these traps that I have 135 00:06:31.300 --> 00:06:34.819 seen many people fall into. And truth be told, I've 136 00:06:34.899 --> 00:06:38.300 fallen into myself in the past, okay? Number one, They 137 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:41.379 plan too far ahead, right? Let's say you made a 138 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:45.060 five-year plan. Here's the potential issue. You don't know who 139 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:48.339 you're going to be in five years, right? I know 140 00:06:48.379 --> 00:06:53.730 that sounds quite obvious, but through life, with each day, week, month, 141 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.410 and year, we start to change. As you try and 142 00:06:56.449 --> 00:07:00.129 put a plan into action, in doing the actions that 143 00:07:00.149 --> 00:07:02.589 you said you were going to do, you start to 144 00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:05.019 change as a person. So one of the traps is

145 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:09.079 they plan too far ahead and they get very, very 146 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:13.009 rigid as to sticking to a plan that they made. 147 00:07:13.069 --> 00:07:16.019 But one year into your five-year plan, you might realize that, oh, 148 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:18.639 Maybe what I want is different now. And that goes 149 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:21.459 into my second trap, which is we're too rigid, right? 150 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.300 As I just mentioned, we make the plan based on 151 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.610 what we think we want at this current moment in time. 152 00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:29.490 And then we just, we know we have to stick 153 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:30.990 to it because I said that's what I was going 154 00:07:31.009 --> 00:07:34.509 to do. But any plan for any goal in your 155 00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:39.500 life needs constant reassessment and tweaking, okay? So these first 156 00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:43.379 two traps kind of relate to each other. We plan 157 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:46.740 too far ahead and then we get too rigid. The 158 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.519 third trap I often see people fall into is that 159 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:55.259 they are overly reliant on motivation. Now, motivation does not last. 160 00:07:55.300 --> 00:07:59.079 In fact, you potentially could fall into that after this episode. 161 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.259 On the assumption that you like what I have to say, 162 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:04.709 that you find it inspiring and you think, yeah, I'm 163 00:08:04.730 --> 00:08:07.949 going to go and do this. your motivation at the 164 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:10.949 end of this episode may be actually quite high. And 165 00:08:11.009 --> 00:08:14.209 so you make your plan based on high levels of motivation. 166 00:08:14.250 --> 00:08:17.670 But we know from the scientific research that motivation goes 167 00:08:17.970 --> 00:08:20.829 up and motivation goes down. So you actually have to 168 00:08:20.970 --> 00:08:25.019 plan for the fact that your motivation will drop. And 169 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:27.879 when I talk about the practical things that you can do, 170 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:30.579 I'll cover this in a bit more detail. But for now, 171 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:34.019 the third trap is that we're often overly reliant on motivation. 172 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.679 The fourth trap is It's an all or nothing mindset. 173 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:40.909 Certainly in my job as a doctor, I've seen this 174 00:08:40.950 --> 00:08:44.309 when it comes to health so many times, particularly in January. 175 00:08:44.389 --> 00:08:47.110 You may have experienced this yourself as well. This idea 176 00:08:47.149 --> 00:08:49.470 that I'm either on the plan or I'm not on 177 00:08:49.490 --> 00:08:52.419 the plan. This sort of black and white thinking. So 178 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:54.980 often I would see this and I used to do this. 179 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.419 First

two weeks in January, I'd be locked in and 180 00:08:57.460 --> 00:08:59.100 what I wanted to do. Doing it every day. Then 181 00:08:59.139 --> 00:09:01.470 I'd miss a day and I'd beat myself up. the 182 00:09:01.549 --> 00:09:05.409 negative inner voice would start in the past and before 183 00:09:05.470 --> 00:09:08.110 I knew it, the plan was something that I used 184 00:09:08.149 --> 00:09:10.799 to do. Okay, so this all or nothing mindset is 185 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:14.480 something you really need to get away from because no 186 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:17.519 plan really works like that because life will get in 187 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:19.590 the way and that's okay, but we need to plan 188 00:09:19.629 --> 00:09:22.009 for that. And the fifth and final trap I wanted 189 00:09:22.049 --> 00:09:24.990 to mention Before I get into what you can actually 190 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:29.659 do is the fact that we're too focused often on 191 00:09:29.740 --> 00:09:33.820 the outcome. Okay, we're too focused on the future and 192 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:37.159 that takes us out of the present. but you're only 193 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:41.100 ever in the present, right? You're planning something for the future, 194 00:09:41.379 --> 00:09:45.279 but the future only currently exists in your mind. This 195 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:48.259 is a really, really important point. And it will become 196 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:51.409 quite clear when we get to the practical application very shortly. 197 00:09:51.610 --> 00:09:56.129 But the way I see goals now, really the goal 198 00:09:56.190 --> 00:09:59.090 is there to be a compass. It points you in 199 00:09:59.129 --> 00:10:02.340 the right direction. right? So you're coming into this episode 200 00:10:02.379 --> 00:10:05.330 and you're thinking about a plan that you want in 201 00:10:05.409 --> 00:10:08.850 your life for a particular goal. Okay, let's think about that. 202 00:10:09.169 --> 00:10:12.899 Think about it, imagine what it is, and then you 203 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.019 gotta put the goal out of your mind and start 204 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:18.440 to focus on the process. And honestly, this is what 205 00:10:18.460 --> 00:10:21.340 the best athletes in the world will do. This is 206 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:24.639 what people who make sustainable health change will do. This 207 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:26.730 is how I live my life these days. Honestly, I 208 00:10:26.850 --> 00:10:29.870 used to be very goal-focused, very outcome-focused, and it was, 209 00:10:29.909 --> 00:10:32.629 it didn't really help me. And these days, I find 210 00:10:32.649 --> 00:10:36.169 it very, very easy to lock into the behaviors that 211 00:10:36.210 --> 00:10:39.029 I want, whether it's on my health, my mindset, my career, 212 00:10:39.169 --> 00:10:42.350 because I'm not focused on the outcome in the future. 213 00:10:42.370 --> 00:10:45.210 I'm focused on the daily habits that I need to 214 00:10:45.309 --> 00:10:49.019 do that if I do them consistently will result in 215 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:53.330 the side effects of the outcome or goal. Okay. So 216 00:10:53.590 --> 00:10:56.690 what can we do to avoid these traps? Well, here's 217 00:10:56.750 --> 00:11:00.980 a framework that I use myself and have used successfully 218 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.899 with many people over the course of my career. And 219 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.500 the first thing I want you to think about is 220 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.240 what is it that you want? What is it that 221 00:11:09.259 --> 00:11:11.590 you really want, okay? Have a think about that for 222 00:11:11.610 --> 00:11:15.549 a moment. Is this five-year plan or this one-year plan, 223 00:11:15.870 --> 00:11:20.269 is it for your mood? your physical health, your mindsets, 224 00:11:20.509 --> 00:11:23.549 to improve your relationships, it doesn't matter. Because as I 225 00:11:23.629 --> 00:11:26.850 mentioned right at the start of this episode, the principles 226 00:11:27.210 --> 00:11:29.529 of what we need to do to make change in 227 00:11:29.570 --> 00:11:32.879 our lives are actually very, very similar. Let's not get 228 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:36.820 blindsided by the end goal, right? Whether it's your health, mindset, 229 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:40.940 or relationships, it doesn't matter. These principles will still apply, okay? 230 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:43.940 So now that you've thought about what you want... The 231 00:11:43.980 --> 00:11:46.200 second thing I want you to think about is why 232 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:49.399 do you want it? This is something people often forget about. 233 00:11:49.720 --> 00:11:51.279 You know, in my career as a doctor, the amount 234 00:11:51.309 --> 00:11:54.710 of people who came in in January wanting to lose weight. 235 00:11:54.730 --> 00:11:56.429 They just focus on, I want to lose weight, doc. 236 00:11:56.470 --> 00:11:58.889 What should I do? But if you don't think about 237 00:11:59.409 --> 00:12:02.940 why you really want that, you may stick to stuff 238 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.480 for a few weeks, maybe a few months, but it 239 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.240 will fall away because you've got to connect the what 240 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:11.980 to the why. Let's look at that through the lens 241 00:12:12.019 --> 00:12:14.399 of weight loss, for example. One of my patients, it 242 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.899 would be, well, actually, you know what? I'm tired of 243 00:12:16.990 --> 00:12:19.190 not having enough energy or when my family want to 244 00:12:19.230 --> 00:12:21.269 go for a walk, I'm the one who has to 245 00:12:21.389 --> 00:12:23.769 stop and sit down because I'm carrying too much weight 246 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:26.330 or whatever it might be. If you can connect to that, 247 00:12:26.509 --> 00:12:29.730 I really think about that. It's much more likely on 248 00:12:29.789 --> 00:12:33.610 those tough days when your motivation

drops, as I've already 249 00:12:33.669 --> 00:12:36.360 talked about, that you're going to stick to the plan 250 00:12:36.389 --> 00:12:39.179 because you've connected the what with the why. So have 251 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:42.200 a think about why you actually want that goal, you know? 252 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.899 Is it because you like the attention you'll get when 253 00:12:45.940 --> 00:12:47.580 you've reached that goal? Do you think it will say 254 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:50.490 something about who you are when you get that goal? Again, 255 00:12:50.710 --> 00:12:52.429 for the purpose of this episode, I don't want to 256 00:12:52.470 --> 00:12:55.490 go too deep into that because we can explore that later. 257 00:12:55.909 --> 00:12:58.610 in a variety of different ways. Sometimes, actually, the things 258 00:12:58.629 --> 00:13:01.710 that we think we want, we don't really want. But 259 00:13:01.730 --> 00:13:04.169 we often don't realise it until we get there. That's 260 00:13:04.210 --> 00:13:06.399 perhaps for a different episode. But for the purpose of 261 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.159 this one, I really want you to think about why 262 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:11.659 you want that goal. And you might be out for 263 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:14.539 a walk now or doing something else, that's fine. But 264 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:17.259 maybe later on, sit with a journal or a piece 265 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:21.220 of paper and write it down, right? Sometimes, Writing is 266 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.080 the best way to process our thoughts. I do that 267 00:13:24.179 --> 00:13:27.120 regularly when I'm not clear on something, I'll start writing 268 00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:30.659 it out and the clarity comes often through the writing. 269 00:13:33.049 --> 00:13:35.750 This is David and John from the David McWilliams podcast 270 00:13:36.110 --> 00:13:38.690 brought to you by Monzo, Ireland's newest bank. 271 00:13:38.909 --> 00:13:41.429 Now we've mentioned more than once about the need for 272 00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:44.129 more choice in Irish banking. Well, now we have some. 273 00:13:44.549 --> 00:13:47.629 Monzo is a bank built for Ireland with Irish I-bands 274 00:13:47.669 --> 00:13:50.080 and a team here in Dublin. And there are no 275 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.700 monthly fees. Get a free Monzo account for yourself and 276 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.299 your kids. 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Running a 298 00:14:57.169 --> 00:15:01.090 business usually involves juggling endless moving parts across all your 299 00:15:01.129 --> 00:15:06.169 different apps and devices. Vodafone Unified Comms is here to help. 300 00:15:06.929 --> 00:15:09.870 All business managers know that it is so important to 301 00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:14.169 keep your whole business in sync. Vodafone Business Unified Comms 302 00:15:14.269 --> 00:15:17.509 brings together all your comms needs, like phone calls and 303 00:15:17.549 --> 00:15:19.370 video meetings, The third thing. 304 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:39.899 I want you to think about is about really being 305 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:43.440 focused on the process. Okay, I've already touched on this 306 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:47.539 in the final trap, right? We're often too outcome focused, right? 307 00:15:47.620 --> 00:15:50.120 What is the outcome that you think you want? Okay, 308 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.850 keep that in mind. That's the compass. That's the direction 309 00:15:53.870 --> 00:15:58.070 you wanna travel in. Now, almost forget about that and 310 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:01.789 let's think about on a daily basis or a weekly basis, 311 00:16:02.250 --> 00:16:05.720 what do you need to do that all things being 312 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:09.299 well will get you to that outcome. It's a subtle difference, 313 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.519 but it's arguably the most important thing I have to 314 00:16:12.610 --> 00:16:16.690 say in this episode, okay? What is the process? Focus 315 00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:20.929 on the process, not the goal. Focus on the journey, 316 00:16:21.330 --> 00:16:24.980 not the outcome. That is honestly

the best way to 317 00:16:25.009 --> 00:16:27.019 make change in your life. And what if I give 318 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:30.299 you an example from health, right? Something that I do myself, 319 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.980 something that I've used with many patients. And there are 320 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:35.799 these three rules that I often talk about when it 321 00:16:35.850 --> 00:16:39.230 comes to behavior change, okay? One, make it easy. Two, 322 00:16:39.629 --> 00:16:44.309 stick on your desired behavior onto an existing habit. And three, 323 00:16:44.509 --> 00:16:48.879 have your environment support your desired behavior. This is really, 324 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:53.519 really important and it takes us away from outcome and 325 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:57.759 into process. Okay, so let's say I wanted to improve 326 00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:01.269 my health and well-being, right? And let's say I decided 327 00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:04.710 that I wanted to bring some more movement into my life, okay? 328 00:17:04.730 --> 00:17:06.130 And this is real because this is what I've been 329 00:17:06.150 --> 00:17:08.470 doing for many years now. I decided a few years 330 00:17:08.529 --> 00:17:11.579 ago that strength training was going to be really important 331 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.059 for me. It's something I wanted to do, that I enjoyed, 332 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:17.619 but I wanted to find a way to make it sustainable. Okay, 333 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:20.769 so the goal is I want to be a person 334 00:17:21.089 --> 00:17:22.170 who strength trains. 335 00:17:22.289 --> 00:17:22.450 Why? 336 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:26.589 Because if I strength train regularly, I'm gonna have more energy. 337 00:17:26.609 --> 00:17:30.740 I'm gonna be safeguarding my health from problems in the future. 338 00:17:30.900 --> 00:17:33.299 I'm gonna like the look of my body more, whatever 339 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:34.869 it might be. I think we can be honest about 340 00:17:34.910 --> 00:17:38.430 these things sometimes, right? But for whatever reason, These are 341 00:17:38.450 --> 00:17:41.910 the things that I want. If I'm focused on the outcome, 342 00:17:42.009 --> 00:17:44.069 I'm not going to get there. But what I focus 343 00:17:44.130 --> 00:17:46.430 on is, well, what can I do? And so every 344 00:17:46.539 --> 00:17:49.099 single morning for, I think, seven years now or so, 345 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:52.460 I do a five-minute strength workout in my kitchen and 346 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.460 I rarely miss a day. 347 00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:55.059 Why? 348 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:57.940 Because I follow the three rules of behavior change. Number one, 349 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:01.539 I make it easy. My workout is only five minutes. 350 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.000 If I said to myself I was going to do 351 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.029 30 minutes a day, well, maybe I wouldn't be doing it. 352 00:18:06.349 --> 00:18:10.380 But five minutes... is

very, very achievable. So I do. 353 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.019 I can never say I don't have enough time because 354 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:15.880 if I did say that, I'd just frankly be lying 355 00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:18.309 to myself. I do have five minutes every day, okay? 356 00:18:18.329 --> 00:18:20.609 So that's rule number one. Rule number two, stick on 357 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:24.309 your desired behavior onto an existing habit. What is a habit? 358 00:18:24.470 --> 00:18:27.339 A habit is an automatic behavior that you do without 359 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:31.140 any conscious thoughts, okay? So one of my morning habits 360 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:34.130 is that I have coffee. It's something I really enjoy. 361 00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:36.589 I get up early before my wife and kids. I 362 00:18:36.650 --> 00:18:39.069 make coffee in the kitchen, just the way I like it, 363 00:18:39.329 --> 00:18:43.130 and it brews for five minutes. In those five minutes, 364 00:18:43.470 --> 00:18:45.430 I don't go on YouTube, I don't go on Instagram, 365 00:18:45.470 --> 00:18:48.650 I don't go on my emails. I do a strength 366 00:18:48.750 --> 00:18:53.049 workout in my pajamas in my kitchen. That's how easy 367 00:18:53.150 --> 00:18:57.269 I make it, okay? So the automatic behavior is the coffee, right? 368 00:18:57.329 --> 00:18:59.819 I don't need a reminder on my phone to make coffee. 369 00:19:00.329 --> 00:19:03.440 or to check my calendar. That's happening. That's a habit. 370 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:06.779 So if I stick on my workouts, which is my 371 00:19:06.900 --> 00:19:10.839 new desired behavior onto the habit of coffee, it happens. 372 00:19:11.180 --> 00:19:13.440 Those things start to work in harmony with each other. 373 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:17.180 And then the third rule is I have my environment 374 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:20.329 support my desired behavior. So what does that mean? Well, 375 00:19:20.349 --> 00:19:23.390 for me, it means that in my kitchen, there is 376 00:19:23.430 --> 00:19:27.289 a kettlebell and a dumbbell that lives in the corner 377 00:19:27.529 --> 00:19:31.200 seven days a week. Why? Because it means that I'm 378 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:35.259 being visually triggered by that kettlebell every time I walk 379 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:39.970 into the kitchen. So this process focused approach, five minutes 380 00:19:40.009 --> 00:19:43.250 of strength workouts every day is super easy. I go 381 00:19:43.269 --> 00:19:45.509 into my kitchen, I make my coffee or the coffee 382 00:19:45.529 --> 00:19:47.589 brews in my pajamas. I don't have to put on 383 00:19:47.609 --> 00:19:50.410 my latest workout gear or anything. I've kept it so easy. easy. 384 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:52.720 Pick up my kettlebell, throw it around a bit, do 385 00:19:52.740 --> 00:19:54.660 some swings, do all sorts of stuff. I used to 386 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:57.819 do body weight exercises. Now I use the kettlebell. And 387 00:19:57.859 --> 00:20:00.839 because the kettlebell is in my kitchen and not in 388 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:04.880 my garage or my car or another room, Everything around 389 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:08.500 me is supporting what I want to happen. So I 390 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:11.539 explained those three rules through the lens of health, right? 391 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:13.660 And perhaps your plan is to do with health. If 392 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:16.180 it is, you can borrow any of that if you 393 00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:18.509 think it's gonna be useful for you. And the point 394 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:21.890 there is that it's not about the strength workout. That 395 00:20:21.990 --> 00:20:24.109 may not be what you wanna do. You might wanna 396 00:20:24.250 --> 00:20:28.450 journal or meditate or do some breath work or engage 397 00:20:28.490 --> 00:20:30.910 in a hobby. It doesn't really matter, but I can 398 00:20:31.049 --> 00:20:34.240 promise you because I've experienced it myself and I've seen 399 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.640 it with tens of thousands of patients, if you apply 400 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.220 those three rules or principles, it's much more likely that 401 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.119 you're gonna stick to things, okay? So again, I keep 402 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:47.819 emphasizing this point because it's really important. Maybe your plan 403 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:51.160 is currently about your career, okay? Fine, no problem. So 404 00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:53.460 let's have a think about that, right? What is the 405 00:20:53.609 --> 00:20:57.069 process that you need to do regularly that will lead 406 00:20:57.130 --> 00:21:00.349 to that outcome in your career that you want? Okay, 407 00:21:00.390 --> 00:21:03.869 so these three rules really, really important. And I can 408 00:21:03.950 --> 00:21:06.910 pretty much guarantee if you try and apply them, you're 409 00:21:06.930 --> 00:21:09.059 going to have some degree of success in your life. 410 00:21:09.569 --> 00:21:12.829 The other thing I want to mention, which really speaks 411 00:21:12.890 --> 00:21:15.250 to that trap I mentioned at the start, this all 412 00:21:15.329 --> 00:21:19.289 or nothing trap, right? I want you to balance discipline 413 00:21:19.470 --> 00:21:23.269 with compassion, okay? Life will often get in the way, right? 414 00:21:23.289 --> 00:21:25.839 And you have to just accept that. You could listen 415 00:21:25.880 --> 00:21:28.480 to this episode. You could follow all my advice if 416 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:31.319 you choose to and make a plan that's really focused 417 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:33.359 on the process and not the outcome. And then you 418 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:37.069 know what? You might get sick. Your partner may need you. 419 00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:39.160 If you're someone who has children, you may find that 420 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:42.680 they're really busy and that you don't have time. That's okay, 421 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:45.359

that's life, okay? What I try and do with my 422 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:49.279 five minute strength workout is never miss two days in 423 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:52.289 a row. So show the odd day, for whatever reason, 424 00:21:52.829 --> 00:21:54.890 I won't end up doing it. And the older version 425 00:21:54.910 --> 00:21:56.849 of me, or I should say the younger version of me, 426 00:21:56.950 --> 00:21:59.369 would have beaten myself up. No, I don't. Now I'm 427 00:21:59.410 --> 00:22:02.589 a lot more kinder to myself. I'm like, yeah, okay. 428 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:04.609 For whatever reason, you didn't do it. You were tired, 429 00:22:04.630 --> 00:22:07.319 you didn't sleep well, whatever it might be. Okay, let's 430 00:22:07.410 --> 00:22:09.539 not make it two days in a row because if 431 00:22:09.619 --> 00:22:12.259 I do, that's the start of a new habit and 432 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:15.579 it's not the habit I want. Okay, so balance discipline 433 00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:17.660 with compassion. I think it's something for you guys to 434 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:21.339 to think about. And the other thing I really want 435 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.569 to speak to in this episode before we end, it's 436 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:27.789 this idea of regular reflection. I don't think we do 437 00:22:27.849 --> 00:22:30.210 this enough in society. Again, it speaks to what I 438 00:22:30.210 --> 00:22:33.089 said right at the start, okay, about that trap that 439 00:22:33.150 --> 00:22:36.029 it's too far in the future. We don't know who 440 00:22:36.069 --> 00:22:37.750 we're going to be in five years. So how do 441 00:22:37.769 --> 00:22:39.950 we know that the plan we make today is the 442 00:22:39.990 --> 00:22:44.299 plan that the five-year-old version of me actually really wants? 443 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:47.480 And the truth is you don't. And there's no way 444 00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:52.099 of knowing. We're so obsessed with control and certainty about 445 00:22:52.140 --> 00:22:55.220 the future without acknowledging that nothing is certain in the future. 446 00:22:55.720 --> 00:22:58.269 That's one of the beautiful things about life. We don't 447 00:22:58.390 --> 00:23:01.109 know what's going to happen, right? So the way round 448 00:23:01.150 --> 00:23:04.230 it for me is to regularly reflect. You can do 449 00:23:04.250 --> 00:23:06.890 this every night, once a week, maybe on a Sunday 450 00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:10.000 if that's your day off, once per month. And the 451 00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:13.640 questions I use, if I do this most nights, I 452 00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:16.630 ask myself these two questions. I say, what went well today? 453 00:23:17.029 --> 00:23:19.829 And what can I do differently tomorrow? With respect to 454 00:23:19.869 --> 00:23:23.250 this plan that you want to try and reverse engineer 455 00:23:23.289 --> 00:23:26.910 in your life, regular reflection is really important. And you 456 00:23:26.950 --> 00:23:28.730 can borrow those two questions. You can use them if 457 00:23:28.769 --> 00:23:30.769 you want, or you can tweak them. You know, is 458 00:23:30.849 --> 00:23:32.930 the plan working for me? Maybe once a month it 459 00:23:32.970 --> 00:23:35.349 will be, do I think this is still the right 460 00:23:35.410 --> 00:23:39.990 plan for what I want? Because then you've got this flexibility. Today, 461 00:23:40.170 --> 00:23:42.839 you make the plan. You focus on the practical application. 462 00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:44.819 You think it's what you want. And that's great. So 463 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:47.720 you do it. But maybe one month in or two 464 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:50.960 months in, you might want to tweak it. You might go, actually, 465 00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:54.269 you know what? Actually, I've learned through this process that 466 00:23:54.289 --> 00:23:57.470 I actually want something a little bit different. That's completely okay. 467 00:23:57.569 --> 00:23:59.730 Do not get too rigid. 468 00:24:00.109 --> 00:24:00.210 And. 469 00:24:00.710 --> 00:24:02.990 The final thing I want to say kind of relates 470 00:24:03.049 --> 00:24:05.990 to that. We're all going into this because we want 471 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:08.859 to succeed in our plan. But here's something perhaps you 472 00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:11.680 weren't expecting to hear from me. Even if you don't 473 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:14.700 end up where you wanted to go, it doesn't matter. 474 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:19.259 It's not failure at all. It's education. This is a 475 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:24.410 key mindset shift that you can make that will help you, yes, 476 00:24:24.490 --> 00:24:27.890 for this plan, but frankly, for every single aspect of 477 00:24:27.930 --> 00:24:32.289 your life. We can't control outcomes. Things will happen. Instead 478 00:24:32.309 --> 00:24:35.539 of being a victim to the external world and what happens, 479 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.380 which many people, if not most people are, I can't 480 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.720 believe I failed again. Yeah, stupid me. You know, I 481 00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:43.200 just didn't, I didn't want it enough. I didn't try 482 00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:46.759 hard enough. This negative self-talk will not help you. 483 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:47.619 I promise. 484 00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:49.759 I had it for many years. I've let go of 485 00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:53.200 it and I'm way more able to achieve my goals 486 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:55.619 and what I want now now that I have a 487 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:01.109 much kinder relationship with myself. Even if you don't make 488 00:25:01.190 --> 00:25:03.349 the plan, you don't reach the plan in the way 489 00:25:03.390 --> 00:25:06.759 you think you want to today, you will learn stuff 490 00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:10.980 about yourself along the way. It's really about that mindset choice. 491 00:25:11.099 --> 00:25:13.759 Are we gonna be a victim to life? or

the 492 00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:16.430 architect of our lives. And I tell you, I've been 493 00:25:16.450 --> 00:25:19.349 a parent for 16, 16 and a half years now. 494 00:25:19.569 --> 00:25:21.779 And one of the key things I try and teach 495 00:25:21.819 --> 00:25:26.180 my children is that whenever something happens that perhaps wasn't 496 00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:29.690 what they wanted, I say, well, what's the upside of 497 00:25:29.730 --> 00:25:33.700 the situation? What have you learned from that situation that 498 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:37.099 you would not have learned had that situation not happened? 499 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:40.119 And so yes, I want you to get to your 500 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:42.970 plan and meet your goals for sure. But if you don't, 501 00:25:43.210 --> 00:25:45.670 don't worry. And perhaps it was the wrong goal in 502 00:25:45.710 --> 00:25:48.210 the first place. So guys, I really hope you enjoyed 503 00:25:48.230 --> 00:25:51.329 that episode. I hope you found... It's useful. If you 504 00:25:51.349 --> 00:25:53.690 want to learn a bit more about the way I 505 00:25:53.769 --> 00:25:57.819 think about these things, including an amazing practical exercise that 506 00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:01.759 will improve your happiness levels and therefore make it more 507 00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:04.559 likely that you'll achieve your plan, check out my latest book. 508 00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:06.920 I've written six books. This is my latest, Happy Mind, 509 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:09.650 Happy Life. It's the number one Sunday Times bestseller and 510 00:26:09.690 --> 00:26:12.549 it's 10 simple ways to feel great every day. And 511 00:26:12.589 --> 00:26:15.089 if you're interested in watching me on tour, I often 512 00:26:15.109 --> 00:26:17.990 do these live interactive shows. And this autumn, I'm doing 513 00:26:18.130 --> 00:26:21.539 seven dates around the world, Canada in September and five 514 00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:25.039 European dates, including London and Dublin in November. All you 515 00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:28.940 have to do is go to my website, drchatterjee.com. forward 516 00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:33.089 slash tour. That's episode three now complete from me, Grace. 517 00:26:33.329 --> 00:26:36.509 I hope you're having a wonderful maternity leave. Thank you 518 00:26:36.589 --> 00:26:39.700 so much for inviting me to be your substitute teacher 519 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:42.079 and I'll see you all very soon. 520 00:26:44.109 --> 00:26:45.710 Right, I'm back again and I hope you really loved 521 00:26:45.730 --> 00:26:48.470 that episode with Dr. Rangan. I feel like so much 522 00:26:48.509 --> 00:26:50.849 of that is almost maybe what we don't want to 523 00:26:50.890 --> 00:26:53.299 hear about putting things into action because you get such 524 00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:56.400 a dopamine hit from having the goals and setting the goals, 525 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.170 but actually feeding that through into your daily life. It's just, 526 00:27:00.230 --> 00:27:02.230 it's a little bit less fun, isn't it? But that 527 00:27:02.289 --> 00:27:05.309 is literally the difference between you reaching those goals versus 528 00:27:05.369 --> 00:27:07.329 just you having like a vague wish to be able 529 00:27:07.349 --> 00:27:09.259 to reach them one day. So a huge thank you 530 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:11.640 to him for contributing to today's episode. And such a 531 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:13.839 massive thank you to you for listening and supporting my 532 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:15.180 podcast during maternity leave. 533 00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:16.039 As always, we will be. 534 00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:17.839 Breaking down the main parts of the episode over on 535 00:27:17.859 --> 00:27:20.119 the Working Hard Instagram this week. Otherwise, I will see 536 00:27:20.140 --> 00:27:21.650 you next week where we are going to be talking 537 00:27:21.730 --> 00:27:25.710 about exactly what the you in your 40s wishes you'd 538 00:27:25.769 --> 00:27:28.089 done in your 20s and 30s in order to be 539 00:27:28.109 --> 00:27:30.990 the healthiest version of yourself possible to be able to 540 00:27:31.029 --> 00:27:31.789 reach these goals. 541 00:27:38.170 --> 00:27:38.900 Trademark? 542 00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:39.619 Wait. 543 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:40.900 Launch date? 544 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:41.640 Wait. 545 00:27:42.259 --> 00:27:44.140 Open bank account? Wait. 546 00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:45.220 Invoice? 547 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:46.079 Wait. 548 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:47.240 Payday? Wait. 549 00:27:48.930 --> 00:27:51.650 We spend enough time waiting in business, but when it 550 00:27:51.690 --> 00:27:54.869 comes to banking, we've waited long enough. 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