The Maximal Life: Recent Episodes
YOUMAXA
With YOUMAXA’s™ proven formulas, Mazen Baisa has identified and found solutions to the energy leaks in your day-to-day grind. The YOUMAXA™ formulas teach you how to tap into the abundance of energy we all remember having, but can’t seem to find any more. When you live YOUMAXA’s Maximal You, Maximal Life programs, your energy leaks cease to exist, whether they are at home, at work, with family, or with friends. Mazen proves and practicalizes the science of change.
When your body doesn’t get enough rest at night, you are more likely to eat unhealthy food the next day. Even missing one good night’s sleep can destabilize your blood sugar, which reduces
your physical and mental stamina. Maximal Achievers play the long game. When we work hard, we know we need to rest just as hard.
According to a study published in May 2017, people who don’t get enough sleep, eat significantly less protein and more fat. They also also show or experience a heightened motivation to seek food for reward. So the bottom line is if you don’t get adequate sleep, you can expect an increase in temptation for more unhealthful foods than you typically experience.
Now you know what to expect, and you can be prepared to break the cycle. Making positive choices for food input requires a strategy, an actionable plan made in advance. Let’s start with three simple motions you can use to keep you on point: One is Amp Up Your
Hydration. Two is Use Caffeine as a Tool, Not a Crutch. Three is Stabilize Your Blood Sugar. We cannot always be where healthy food choices are accessible, but now we know, we can lay down the blueprints for making healthy food and drink options accessible in the environments where we often find time to eat. Maximal Achievers use the three motions to make a plan in advance, so they can shield themselves from the negative consequences of short term sleep deprivation. It is always possible to fuel our bodies with the Positive Input we need to live The Maximal Life!
As the only resident inside your body, only you have access to the ancient wisdom within yourself. No one else knows better than you what is going on inside your body. Getting in touch with the physical dimension of your being is the single most powerful way to ground yourself in the present moment, and retain agency over what is being read by others.
There is a simple body awareness exercise, to assist in focusing your full attention on your physical and emotional body. This technique is called REPORT and stands for: Responsibility, Exhale, Pay attention, Outline, Recognize, and Take action.
Responsibility. It your responsibility to place ALL of your attention on yourself for just the next two minutes.
Exhale. Take three slow, deep, full breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Pay Attention: Close your eyes, and mentally visit every part of your body. Really pay close attention to each individual area within yourself, and when you are ready, open your eyes.
Outline: Create a verbal outline of all that you notice; Start with your feet and work your way up.
Recognize. Sometimes when we declare the truth of our body, the sensations shift as a result of our new awareness. Simply to recognize your body’s reaction to being acknowledged.
Take Action. Take an action that benefits you in the present moment. If your shoulders are tense, relax them.
Whatever you experience anytime you practice REPORT, you will encounter a conscious, whole- body experience. And help you lead your Maximal Life.
Consider how your routine can suffer a setback due to something simple such as one red eye flight, anoddly timed conference or just an unusually long day. Your well settled day can get disrupted. Suddenlytime management is difficult, you feel groggy in the middle of the day, tired for no reason!
According to statistics, about 40% of Americans don’t get enough sleep at night and as many as 44%between age 30 and 49 sleep less than six hours in a day. This hampers your personal success, cognitivefunction, energy levels and ups disease risk.
Here are a few simple tasks for how do you bounce back from short term sleep deprivation.
Resist the urge to hit ‘snooze’ after a late night. Get out of bed and take a cool shower to really wake up.Drink some waterto rehydrate. Don’t miss your workout if that is a part of your morning routine.Remember to eat a proper, nutrient rich breakfast to stimulate the brain and offer sustained energy. Getsome sunlight to send the wakeup message to the body and brain.
Begin with the most important tasks while you are fresh. Instead of coffee, sip on green tea or an herbalconcoction such as Ashwagandha, which supports the metabolism and acts as a tonic. If you feel sleepy inthe afternoon restrict the nap to no longer thana 20-minute power nap.
A Maximal Life isn’t about sprinting or short spurts of activity; it is about a steady speed that can remainconstant over time–it’s about developing the endurance for a marathon.
Our brain and gut are connected by an unimaginably dense network of neurons that constantly take information back and forth. Because there are just so many neurons and neurotransmitters in the gut, scientists now call it the second brain. Just as the brain can make the gut feel wrenched, likewise the gut can make the brain feel peace or pressure.
There are many things that we cannot control in life. However, our diet is one aspect that is within our control. By carefully choosing what to put into our gut and rejecting that which is toxic, we not only control our physical health but our mental wellbeing as well.
Choose foods that are high in nutrition such as seasonal produce, plant-based protein and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Choose probiotics and prebiotics to keep your gut healthy. Choose a healthy protein shake with L-Glutamine, an amino acid that’s absolutely essential for peak physical and mental performance.
Make one positive change today. Replace a gut destroying food item with a gut enhancing alternative.
As Maximal Achievers, we cannot accept sub-optimal energy levels and a compromised immune system as a way of life. Do what it takes to build a strong, healthy digestive tract.
We have all seen how advancing age seems to rob people of vim and vigor and strength.
Sarcopenia is a condition in the elderly where the muscles seem to shrink in size and loosen, the body loses strength, and energy levels are no longer what they used to be. One's quality of life and range of activities deteriorate as the body becomes frailer, weaker and less mobile.
Researchers have found a connection between diet and lifestyle and muscle mass later in life. Researchers have recommended a daily dosage of quality protein, but more importantly a per-meal protein recommendation. Seniors should aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. This would help to compensate for the way that protein uptake is blunted when carbs are consumed along with protein.
Don’t wait until you experience the debilitating weakness of old age. Start to bolster up your body’s muscle stores with high quality protein right now. Find realistic ways to make sustainable changes to your lifestyle. The goal of healthy ageing–a process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well being in older age–starts right now. Maximal Achievers invest in your healthy tomorrow, today! Keep living the Maximal Life.
The first and last hour of everyday has a tremendous impact on the quality of our overall lives.
For this reason, we refer to those hours as bookends. They are the pillars on each side that stabilizes everything in between.
Let’s focus today on that final hour of the evening, right before you go to bed. Maximal Achievers think about that last hour as a way to reflect on the day and a means to set up for the next day.
The first key to developing a Maximal evening ritual is determining what time you want to fall asleep each night, and keeping that time like you would keep any appointment. That entire hour before bedtime, is your evening bookend.
The second key to a Maximal evening routine is to disconnect. Switching off your technological connections to the busy world of tomorrow will settle your senses in to a much calmer and peaceful present moment. Read a book, take a hot bath, or have quiet time with your spouse.
The third key to a Maximal evening routine is to reflect on what was good about today and explore what will be good about tomorrow. Keep a gratitude journal on the nightstand and make that list a part of your evening routine. Be patient with yourself and be willing to start slow. If you can be consistent with just one nightly ritual, you will soon be confident to add more later.
Maximal Achiever, Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers neighborhood once said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from hard work, but for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
In past episodes we have discussed the value of bringing humor in to the workplace. Now we know, that when we share a laugh in the midst of a hectic work day, we groom our minds for living in creative possibility. Taking time to engage in playful banter, having a lively conservation at lunch, or taking a
leisurely stroll outside during the workday, diffuses difficult, stifling energy, and inspires the mind to find creative solutions to challenging situations. When we appease that child within us (Our Creative Genius), when we delight ourselves with a bit of play, we induce a state of mind that feels challenged, focused, and alive!
We all have a focused, excited genius within us. It lies dormant within us, waiting like a child waits at the door, wanting to go outside. Unlock the door and unleash your Creative Genius, with daily intentional playtime. As Maximal Achievers, we play. Here’s how we play to win the long game: Put the fun back in your day and play wherever you are
Being with family nourishes the soul. Prioritizing family time is so vital that it influences the health, wellbeing and success of each person in your family. Including YOU! According to an ongoing Harvard study spanning over 75 years. Where 60 people of the original participants are now in their 90s. Close, happy relationships protect us from the problems of old age. The quality of your relationship helps your longevity. People with strong family connections live longer. Decline in brain function is slower. Memory stays sharper for longer. Even satisfying financial success at work seems to depend upon warm, close relationships.
When you win at home, you win at work! Don’t let your work gobble up your time, Find ways to put family first. You see, as Maximal Achievers, we are all crafting big business lives and creating happy family lives. It’s all about paying attention. Finding the time to play together, dream together!
As Maximal Achievers we work smart to give our loved ones what they desire. The coolest gadgets and the trendiest clothes may offer transient satisfaction but what we really strive for is to make lives better! It’s with our time that we need to be most generous! Protect your time for family and watch how success,
satisfaction and sheer joy provide time for YOU.
Our brains are keenly tuned into scent. An adult can distinguish between over 10,000 different smells. Scent is the only sensory system that does not have to pass through the complicated circuitry of the brain before being processed.
Odor molecules bypass the brain's thalamus and gain immediate access to the amygdala which is the supervisor of all of our emotions, experiences, and memories. Therefore, smell directly stimulates emotions. Smell is the sense most strongly tied to memory. The information from our sense of smell is fast tracked to its destination more effectively than any other sensory neurons in our body.
Essential oils have been proven to increase productivity and well-being in the workplace. Citrus is effective for boosting energy and making the mind more alert. Grapefruit can keep you from falling asleep at your desk. Lemon helps with focus while filtering stale air. Lavender is known for its relaxing, effect and provides natural antibiotic properties. Rosemary is associated with improved memory and can help with headaches, mental fatigue, and physical exhaustion. Cinnamon is a stimulant and a great choice when driving long distances or pulling long hours.
The easiest way to use essential oils to improve productivity is with a nebulizer, vaporizer or a diffuser. Curate your environment for your own personal health, productivity requirements, and your Maximal Life using essential oils. This also helps to motivate and support your team from within to feel alert and at ease while they tackle their to-do list.
In today’s culture, the word balance is widely touted as a virtue to be strived for. We are told we need to find balance between our work and our home life. Balance time spent with family and time spent with friends. Balance with food, exercise, emotions, energy, and even balanced spirituality.
The concept of having balance has been overused to the point of exhaustion. For the most part, all we really seem to know is that we're supposed to want it. And if we don’t have it we should feel guilty about not being better at keeping it.
When a scale is in perfect balance, nothing is happening. There’s no movement, dynamic, or vibrancy. Which means NO LIFE. As Maximal Achievers, We play the long game, and like a pro-athlete we are masters of rhythm; testing out one way and then the next, keeping what works and discarding what isn’t serving us, as we continue to press forward maintaining momentum.
Geniuses aren’t balanced. Geniuses maximize the benefits of the ups and the downs inside the rhythm of life. The key is to realign ourselves as rhythmic beings in a rhythmic world, By understanding your own rhythm, planning and committing to the seasons of your life, you will create a flow and rhythm that harmonizes with living The Maximal Life.
Mindfulness is the art and science of being present in the moment, of giving your full and undivided attention to the moment or the person before you. Cut out distractions, limit the hours the gadget at the end of our arm is ruling our focus. Creating healthy relationships with our phones and digital devices so that we can create healthy relationships with the people that matter most to us. This contributes significantly to the development of mindfulness or being present in the moment. This is a quality I have found to be a vital ingredient for creating the Maximal Achiever lifestyle.
Train your mind to be all there. Tweak your habits, make changes to ensure that you channel your energies in the most effective way possible. Avoid the phone and other gadget s. Nothing is more distressing than watching the person you’re speaking with flip out his phone and start staring at it while you’re still talking. listen intently, and then ask appropriate questions based not on your own opinion, but on what the other person just said. If your mind is colored by your personal biases, you will never fully appreciate and absorb the views of other people.
So, start practicing being present, being mindful today! Every conversation that you have, make it count. Do that and nothing will stop you from becoming an influential, inspiring leader, a Maximal Achiever leading a Maximal Life
We all find it exasperating to find the grocery store shelf empty. Store owners correct this situation by taking inventory to learn which shelves need replenishing. The same is true for us all. We need to take inventory to learn what needs replenishing in our lives.
This simple inventory ritual is key to ensuring the success of your business. Without it, you wouldn’t know exactly what you have, and exactly what you need. Knowing everything you have lets you know where to best invest your money and energy.
The most effective form of inventory is intentional searching and fearless self-reflection. Self-reflection provides us the opportunity to consider both our qualities and our faults. We all make mistakes. What sets us apart, is our ability to identify those mistakes impartially, as if we are taking inventory of shelves in a toy store. We do this without judgments, harsh self-criticism, or becoming defensive.
This personal inventory provides us with information and something to appreciate about about who we are being today, and identifies where we can make adjustments and improve who we want to become tomorrow.
As Maximal Achievers, we are charged with the responsibility to searchingly uncover and illuminate all aspects of ourselves. Dedicate this time to reflect upon where you are, where you are going, and what impact you are having on the world around you.
Some say their purpose is to accomplish a specific goal, or fulfill a particular dream. Defining your purpose doesn’t need to involve an existential awakening, or a profound shift in experience. Your purpose can change from day to day. Daily purpose is a fundamental component of living your Maximal Life.
There is NO purpose so small, that it can’t enrich your human experience, add years to your life, and bring success. The lesson here, is that purpose is a mindset. The good news is: You are always in control of your mindset. Studies have shown that people who had a strong sense of purpose live longer than those who didn’t. As Maximal Achievers, many of us spend a significant amount of our lives at work. We always have the power to infuse meaningful purpose into our workday.
Start connecting to your purpose by uplifting others. In the workplace, you can express gratitude to your team members. Gratitude is contagious and can uplift your entire company. In your family life, set the bar high for your family's culture, discuss each family members purpose. For young children or anyone who is still discovering their purpose, you can talk about their purpose of this year, or upcoming milestone. Let these moments of aligning with your purpose serve as a reminder that you are contributing to a greater good, that you are committed to build your Maximal Life around your highest purpose.
We all need to have Goals in our lives, professional and personal. The one important factor that determines whether you achieve your goals, is ritual. Simple, daily motions that slowly but consistently get you closer to where you want to be! It’s up to you to set yourself up for the win by building your own rituals! To put it simply, motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Goals will remain goals without positive action taken in the direction of achieving them. These positive actions are rituals you perform daily to inch you closer towards your goals over the long term. Real change happens every day, bit by bit.
There are three keys to turning a ritual into a daily habit that works. First, Keep it Small, remember 5 minutes is still better than none at all. Second, Single Focus is key. Incorporate only one new ritual at a time. Third is the Sixty-six Days key. Research shows that on average, it takes about 66 days for any new ritual to turn into a habit.
True success, a higher life, better living, lies outside your comfort zone. Inch towards your goals one day at a time; one ritual at a time until they become your new normal; until a Maximal Life becomes your way of life!
It’s a scientific fact that in the wake of stress and pressure, comes a wave of craving for comfort food. Comfort eating is a common reaction to stress. Stress hormones cause significant changes in our body chemistry. The stress hormones that naturally flood our systems when we have Grind Mind, were meant to keep us alive in true fight or flight situations. The effects of this flood could save our lives. However, triggering this flood every day, several times a day starts to wreak havoc within our bodies.
As Maximal Achievers, we know that stress IS just a word, and the way we experience stress can be transformed from a threat into a challenge,by shifting our mindset. We listen to the reports of the body, and providing ourselves with the nutrition, rest, and recreation that gives us the Incremental edge.
Responding to stress as a challenge rather than a threat, and fueling your body to meet your challenges requires a plan. Studies show the main reason people don’t like to make dietary changes is because they don’t want to feel deprived. This is a mindset, and Maximal Achievers are constantly upgrading their mindsets.focus on the positive habits you’ve already developed to support you in these high pressure times.
Keep it small, keep it doable, and never underestimate the accumulative effect of a small change for your Maximal Life.
In the past decade, scientists have entirely abandoned many widely-accepted beliefs regarding the human mind. Now, thanks to advanced neuroimaging, it is possible to explore uncharted territory of the brain while it is functioning in real-time, and without invasive surgery.
It was once an accepted fact that by the time we reach adulthood, the fundamental neural structure of the brain was unchangeable. Limited teachings have been blasted out of the water by the recent discovery of neuroplasticity, which proves the brain is not fixed and is ever-adapting to our changing circumstances.
As Maximal Achievers, we are aware of the truth of Emotional Contagion, and we set our standards high not only for ourselves, but for our life team as well. We bring the fuel, and we set the pace with our energy. It occurs to me that joy is a birthright and can be implemented anywhere.
Being a Maximal Achiever is a passionate endeavor. Everything from enjoying a meal, slaying a presentation, to tucking our children in bed at night, is an opportunity to stir our soul. Life is meaningful and miraculous.We can choose to be joyful amidst life’s inevitable variety of challenges. Joy is an attitude Maximal Achievers carry with them regardless of the challenges they face.
Neural imaging shows that expressing gratitude instantly stimulates the part of the brain associated with happiness, contentment, and determination. So essentially, saying “Thank You” is more than just polite; it’s directly responsible for neurological enhancement.
Taking a minute to reflect on the things you are grateful for today has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, renew your energy, and lighten your mood. Words inspire, enrich, and connect us. Having good manners, being polite, saying “Please” and “Thank You,” is a stepping stone toward becoming a dignified and respectable human being.
Connection is a Pharmacy of feel good hormones. How many supremely talented minds are walking out the door because no one knew how or when to say Thank You? When initiating meaningful connections with other people, we receive pure positive energy. And expressing appreciation to employees can increase productivity by 50 percent!
The benefits and outcomes of saying Thank You, are ENORMOUS, and the turn-around is almost instant. Let the Attitude of Gratitude start with you, Say it to whoever does a kind act, anyone we see helping someone else, whoever helps us in any way; makes us laugh, brings us coffee, or holds the elevator. Just keep saying thank you and see what happens!
Our nervous systems are hardwired to let us know when we are experiencing something meaningful. We can feel a meaningful experience deep inside our bodies, as though we were an instrument that is being tuned. Sometimes we can plan for these experiences, by making time for vacations and celebrations. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, like being given a gift without an occasion. Whether these precious memories are planned, or spontaneous, they all have one main thing in common: They are being shared with others. Someone who you love. Someone who inspires you, or someone who makes you laugh, or makes you think. Memories are truly amongst the most profound of all human creation.
Maximal Achievers Invest in deep human connections. Explore the world with curiosity and enthusiasm. Get swept up in the glory of nature. Chase the most sensational sunset you’ve ever seen in your life, and feel your soul howl at a full moon set against a star-filled sky. Some of the simplest pleasures are the most rewarding. What you get in return, you can keep with you forever. Memories are like priceless heirlooms; they increase in value over time. This week, create an opportunity to have a memorable experience. resist cultural consumerism, and to continue to heed our higher instinct to create meaningful experiences.
Have you ever heard that old saying, “Choose your words wisely”? This phrase is typically used to warn a person of the impact their word choices can have on other people. However, the greater impact is on us. We speak to ourselves more than we speak to anyone else in the world. Our mind hears our words and it doesn’t matter if those words are negative or positive. Our minds will respond with the intention to bring our words into action.
You can be the champion of your own mind by carefully guarding your language from any negative self-talk. When a friend asks how business is coming along, you have a choice, whether you respond with all the reasons why it’s been difficult, or you can list all the things you feel good about and reinforce your passion for what you do. We don’t need to be perfect when practicing this technique. Progress is more important.
Make a list of the top ten words you most frequently use, and identify which of these words are not serving your Maximal Life. Then make a new list to replace those words with stronger more energetic, positive words. You will find these replacement words will make you feel more energetic, powerful, and passionate. When you feel these amazing feelings, you will do amazing things.
Our actions and life choices can and do impact health in a huge way. Our spiritual and emotional responses can bring about actual physical changes. Our susceptibility to stress varies and personality type, coping mechanisms, and social support in stressful times may also vary significantly. However, the negative impact of prolonged stress is almost universally noted; life events, stress, and illness are seen to be closely intertwined and numerous studies have supported this observation. There is a direct link between negative stress, the body's immune system, and the probability of contracting disease and infection.
One of the things I strongly believe is that “Connection is a Pharmacy.” There is much health to be found and enjoyed in our positive connections with others. look at your life team and you will see how your health and well-being are largely affected by the company you keep.
There is, of course, physical wellness that you can preserve and build upon. Create and maintain healthy eating habits, have a regular, effective and sustainable exercise program, and cut out unhealthy habits entirely. Make the right positive food choices for your body and your lifestyle and ensure that you do all you can to lower risk of disease, infirmity, and premature deterioration.
Take charge. Hold yourself accountable. And watch yourself reap the benefits of the treasure of good health and wellness.
Have you ever noticed how someone’s negative energy can permeate an entire space, inhibiting the comfort and enjoyment for everyone nearby? A positive interaction can completely transform your attitude. It can straighten your posture, put a pep in your step, and lower your blood pressure. We can feel the power of positive and negative energy from daily interactions. We can feel it in our chest, our guts, our neck, and our shoulders.
Maximal Achievers see a lot of opportunity everyday to electrify our environments with the kind of energy we want to spread around us. When we honor our need for positive interactions and trustworthy relationships, we feed our bodies and minds in a way that creates more positive energy, and energy is the antidote to any challenge you face.
A major pillar in living the Maximal Life is developing a Win/Win approach in both business and personal relationships. Win/Win is a mindset of determination to seek out the options most mutually beneficial. It allows us to expand beyond the illusion that we don’t have options. It creates allies. It rejects the societal notion that one person’s success can only be achieved at the expense of another. When you are committed to the win/win mindset, you elevate your entire team alongside you.
Investing in Win/Win takes effort and time, but the return for your connections, success, energy, and health allows you to live The Maximal Life.
Society promotes the Grind Mind, and the media constantly floods our minds with unrealistic impressions of what a good life is supposed to look like; Get all the BIG expensive status symbols, and THEN you’ll be happy. Work work, work, so you can spend, spend, spend. That’s the mainstream cultural conditioning of today. There is nothing wrong with having strong work ethics and producing results. It’s what Maximal Achievers do. But there IS such a thing as working TOO hard.
Time may be finite, but energy can be harnessed, replenished, and invested intentionally toward whatever we choose. The minutes of our lives present themselves one after the other, and the value of those minutes are directly proportional to the quality of the energy we bring to the moment. We assume fully, the responsibility for our own greatness, For the price of just a few minutes a day, we stand to gain years of living. Let’s invest our energy on the actions that make us our Maximal Selves.
Think about how a crash diet with severe caloric restriction never seems to work, because all the extra weight returns as soon as one returns to ‘normal life’. Think about how becoming fiercely involved and dedicated towards something seems not to bring about success, but only burnout and exhaustion. Think about why intensity fails to deliver the desired results but how consistent, systematic and sustained effort crafts accomplishment and drives lasting success. It is like the parable of the tortoise and the hare that brings out the importance of gradual but steady, definite and consistent performance. That is what helps you become your Maximal Self.
Our lives are spent either in consuming or creating. When we engage in activities like writing, setting up a business or fleshing out a new idea, we are creating. We are engaged in activities that are rewarding for us and others around. When we watch TV, eat a packaged meal, surf the web or social media for celebrity gossip we are merely consuming. Societal conditioning and expectations have made consumers out of us when we were meant to be creative, inventive individuals. We are meant to be actively experiencing and producing and making; not just absorbing and consuming!
Consuming is necessary, but creating is uplifting! Numerous studies have demonstrated how creative pursuits are not only enjoyable and rewarding but also good for health and brain function. Researchers demonstrated how emotional writing helped improve disease parameters for HIV infected people and how expressive writing helped trauma survivors in psychiatric settings. While most people have experienced the uplifting and stress relieving properties of creative pursuits such as creating art, immersive musical experiences or drama, researchers have proved that engagement with the arts results in healthy outcomes. Visual arts therapy, music, expressive writing and movement based creative expression can in fact help improve health and slow down cognitive decline. Participating in creative activities during middle age and later in life lowers chances of developing mild cognitive impairment by as much as 71%.
Think of all the times when you felt compelled to say yes to something that you would rather have said no to: an extra meeting with a business associate, a favor for an acquaintance, a party, errands for a friend. These are things that you either don’t want to do or don’t really have time for. But how can you refuse? Can you refuse? How do you say no to someone without being rude, without feeling guilty, and without the other person feeling hurt or disappointed?
Saying no is difficult. When someone asks for help, it makes us feel valued and important. We want to say yes because we like to help, to please others. We also say yes when we ought to say no because it is like instant gratification; we say yes because it is what we want to do in that moment; perhaps without giving a thought to future cost or consequence. It feels good until we realize that by saying yes to one thing, we say no to something else. Researchers found that people who have difficulty saying no to others are more likely to be stressed and even depressed.
How old are we really? Scientists are now classifying a person’s true age based on how well they are in mind and body. This new way of determining age is broken into two categories: Diseasespan and Healthspan. Our healthspan is the number of years we live free from diseases that affect the quality of our lives. Diseasespan defines the number of years spent with a noticeable decline in health. Your chronological age maybe 55, but you could be in a healthspan more relative to that of a 40-year-old. Your biological age would then be 40.
While certain illnesses are coded into our genetics, it’s our environment and lifestyle that determine whether or not those genes are activated. By making positive choices for living The Maximal Life, we have the power to activate disease-preventing genes and keep the disease-promoting genes lying dormant for longer.
The Body is a Reporter, and when we listen carefully and respond appropriately to our body, we activate the Disease-Preventing genes, and we are rewarded with natural energy. And that energy is the antidote. Now is a great time to make small, consistent, positive changes that will support your health-span, and lower your biological age so you can live The Maximal Life.
We are taught while we are growing up that genes and genetics were something you are just born with and that we all just have to play the hand we were dealt. However, we now know that we CAN change our genetics. It is now known by the scientific community that while it’s true we don’t have control over the genes we inherited, we do have control over which genes are actively affecting our lives. Science has now proven that it is possible to get on top of and take control over how our inherent genes express themselves in our bodies.
It’s our environment and habits that most influences our health and longevity. The food choices we make, the chemicals we are regularly exposed to, how active we choose to be, and even how we socialize, can alter our health at a genetic level. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us about what we need and how we feel. This report is not sourced from our inherent genetic makeup. Our body report is the most current news. It’s telling us what we need now to be healthy, comfortable, and energetic. And energy is the antidote to any challenge we face.
You obviously cannot change your family history. You can change your family’s future and change your life by making better choices, building better habits, and getting more positive input from your food, exercise, and interactions. Maximal Achievers are not just born, they are made when we commit ourselves to live The Maximal Life.
Ever noticed how many things we seem to do on autopilot? Chances are, you don’t recall those individual actions but you did them precisely and perfectly. You perform this ritual every day. You have perfected a series of steps and streamlined some of your most commonly performed actions; helping you perform that task efficiently, completely and effortlessly each time.
There are a lot of successful people who begin each day with certain rituals: Waking up early at a fixed time each day, taking time for some quiet contemplation, meditation, yoga, or any kind of exercise to energize and prepare for a demanding day ahead.
Make small incremental changes to the steps of the rituals to make the entire process fast, efficient, effective and resource-conserving in terms of your time and effort. Fine tune or streamline a ritual to bring it more in line with your goals. Examine the sequence of steps in your ritual. Reordering those steps may help. Cutting out some steps or adding new ones could make the ritual more fulfilling and effective and less resource intensive. Consider changing the time of your rituals. choose the rituals that most effectively serve as a springboard for your success; that supercharge your day with positivity.
The link between protein intake and athletic performance is well established. For a long time, we've understood how elite athletes have higher protein needs, and researchers have found that they could need 50 to 100% more protein than those with sedentary lifestyles. It's been reported that the top level executives must care for their energy as much as NFL quarterbacks do. Every individual has their own needs, but I’d like you to consider how the demands of your day is similar to that of an elite athlete. How you require similar levels of stamina, strength, and support.
Your food choices have an immediate and direct impact on how your day unfolds! Leverage your food intake. Leverage what you now know about brain chemistry and boost your productivity. Identify and recognize your cravings for what they are. Give your body and your brain the boost it deserves. Shop smart. Make a list and stick to it. Minimize the amount of unhealthy stuff that gets into your shopping cart; and therefore my home and my body. Stock up with my healthy Positive Input protein shakes and keep the shaker bottles handy, ready for use at work and at home. Make your food choices count for YOU every day. Get into the habit of being full of energy, and being a dynamic leader for your Maximal Life.
Every day you accomplish great things that come in small packages. Small wins are the sparks that ignite the brightest fire! Perhaps you smoothed over some concern with a client that will result in a windfall of future referrals. You may have made a few phone calls that will get the ball rolling on an important project. Or maybe you adhered to your health goals today that created momentum to stick with it again tomorrow. Even our mistakes hold within them the Seeds of Success.
Celebrating our small wins reinforces the behaviors that lead to a willingness to repeat those same positive actions tomorrow. Tracking our progress and acknowledging our efforts, both great and small, triggers the release of dopamine by the reward center of our brain. As a result, we essentially develop an addiction to progress. Make time for a weekly scheduled appointment for you to intentionally review your week, and identify all your micro-wins. Feel the win to generate more confidence and enthusiasm for your progress.
As you celebrate your wins, both personal and professional, and the wins of your team, your business becomes more desirable to others. The Brain is a Bank. Perception becomes reality. Others will respond and want to participate in what you are successfully building long before it is ever built.
How often do you find yourself canceling plans with friends and loved ones because you are too busy or too tired from work? While it may feel as though you are keeping your priorities in line with your goals, neglecting your personal relationships can cause serious professional ramifications. Social isolation and lack of authentic human connectedness, have been well-established as risk factors for early mortality. Technological advances, which are designed specifically to connect people, are leaving us more isolated and lonely than ever before. Social media merely provides the illusion of being connected to more people, but these types of relationships are deceptively superficial, and leave us feeling increasingly separated.
Diminishing health, as a result of isolation, doesn’t necessarily require being alone. You can be surrounded by people and still feel separate and disconnected. The isolation and loneliness that contributes to diminished health is based on perceived isolation and loneliness, and not actually with how exposed the individuals are to social situations. We have the power to boost our health and happiness by making an effort to enjoy our relationships with the people in our lives. When you open your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to the people around you, you invite them to do the same. The more effort you put into cultivating meaningful relationships in your life, the happier, the healthier and the LONGER you will live!
Health positivity is vital for leaders and peak performers. It’s not an either-or choice between health and wealth. You can have both. In fact, there’s a higher likelihood of being wealthy if you’re healthy. We’ll go through the tools and motions that’ll help you achieve optimum health so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, not spend it on medical treatments, or be too ill or feeble to live an active and fulfilling life.
Looking after your own body is not an indulgence, it’s an investment in yourself; it’s being selfless and looking after the wellbeing and prosperity of your family! There are a few things you can do to increase your health and wealth. Sleeping for an hour longer each day could result in 5% higher earnings over the longer term. Get some sun each day. Remember every bite you put into your mouth has a direct and predictable result on your body. Prioritize your protein intake, and remember lunch is among the best times to incorporate protein into your day. Drinking water is a big part of a healthy intake. Connect, nurture, and nourish your relationships. Exercise! Find any activity that works for you, and don’t forget to exercise your brain to keep it as fit. It’s not a choice where you only get to pick one. It’s health and wealth. It is “increasing your wealth by improving your health.” That’s the Maximal Life.
When the question of health or wealth is raised, I find that someone leading a Maximal Life is investing time in his health and his relationships. He is far more likely to enjoy a longer more productive, more prosperous work life and fewer medical expenses. So it’s a question of health and wealth. The importance of being proactive about health and not waiting until things go wrong.
The statistics all point to how wealth generation has a direct correlation with good health and this is for a number of reasons: - increased productivity because of fewer work days lost to illness, - a better career progression because of perceived greater reliability, - the ability to work a longer time before having to retire, and most importantly, because you end up actually spending less money on diseases and their treatments.
The time to take action is now. The time to become proactive about your health was yesterday! Why wait until something goes wrong to make the changes that you need to, for your life? There are just so many reasons to make your health a priority that there is never any reason to procrastinate or to make excuses for not prioritizing your health for a Maximal Life. Decide to make one positive change in your lifestyle today.
STRESS. The word alone is rampant in our culture. We use the word “Stressful” to cover an entire spectrum of emotions and sensations. If a situation is mildly uncomfortable, our culture has conditioned us to label that discomfort “stress” in a negative light. Experiences such as: being extremely productive, facing challenges, working under pressure to achieve the desired outcome, making changes, and standing up to adversity, all qualify for being labeled as stressful.
Being in demand means you are being productive and your services are in need. Facing challenges, means you ’re growing and expanding. Focused work to achieve your goals, means you are passionate and dedicated. Making changes is a necessary part of life. The chemicals released in our brains when we are nervous (or stressed) are the EXACT same chemicals released when we are excited. The ONLY difference in how we experience this depends entirely on our mindset. What this means is: we have the power to choose whether stress is negative or positive.
Anytime you feel negative stress is taking a front seat, that’s the perfect indication it’s time to Take A Minute. Giving yourself just 60 seconds to take deep relaxing breaths, can realign you with your purpose and recalibrate how you are expending your energy. Or take a walk outside. Exercise will get your blood pumping and the natural surroundings will help you utilize the stress chemicals in your system as positive energy.
As Maximal Achievers, we are the steadfast leaders of our team and the rocks of our families. It’s an honor and a privilege to be in such a position for my family, in my businesses, and in my community. Sometimes there’s a great deal of pressure involved personally and professionally. As Maximal Achievers, we thrive on rising to the next level.
Scientific data shows that self-criticism actually makes us more brittle, not stronger, more resilient, or more likely to succeed. Self criticism makes it more difficult to rebound from setbacks, you’ll be less likely to recognize the valuable lessons obtained only through necessary failures. Being strongly critical of yourself leads to behavioral problems, impulse control issues, anxiety, depression, and addiction.
We know the Brain is a Bank, and when we deposit self-compassion, it doubles in the return. Self-Compassion is an excellent investment. Find a small gesture of kindness to make toward yourself. Have your gym bag packed the night before. Leave yourself healthy snacks where you may want them later. Lay out your clothes for the morning. Arrange your space in a way that pleases you and keep it that way. Even just making your bed every morning. Do it for your own best interest. Choose to be kind to yourself as you step into your Maximal Life
A new plant-protein based beverage from Starbucks seems to be a response to the growing trend towards plant-based proteins. People are looking to move towards plant-based protein. While some people claim that animal protein is better than plant protein, research suggests otherwise. Studies have found that plant proteins can be as effective as animal proteins when they are consumed in adequate quantities. We have vegan NFL players and vegetarian bodybuilders, which demonstrates that it is possible to get adequate amounts of proteins from plants as well.
The new Starbucks slow steeped cold beverage comes in almond and cacao options; using non-dairy, a banana and dates fruit blend and ice. The beverage delivers 10 to 12 grams of plant-based protein per serving. However, the Starbucks protein blended cold brew also contains 20 to 26 grams of sugar per serving! While the protein content is good for you, the amount of sugar is not!
Our YOUMAXA Positive Input protein shake with its 22 grams of plant-based protein is a healthy way to meet the daily protein requirements of the body. Start with a serving of the Positive Input shake and then follow up with other protein such as meat, fish or eggs later in the day. Consume high-quality protein from a variety of sources. Examine your diet, rotate and balance your protein sources. What you ‘plant’ today, you harvest tomorrow!
Picture the last time you did something kind for someone else. Focus on them and how they felt. Now focus on yourself and how you felt. Those instances not only helped that person, it also made you feel really good. Studies have shown that generosity is contagious. It triggers other instances of similar generosity, by inspiring others to help out in new and different ways. When we see someone being kind or generous, we want to do the same.
The power of kindness helps to grow your success too. Helping others increases overall positivity. This then helps enhance creativity and productivity. There are opportunities to be kind and thoughtful everywhere. Make it a point to do something kind every day. Open your eyes to your opportunities to do good, and help out whenever and wherever you can. Simple common courtesy could be the kindness of your day. Saying thank you to a good server, sending your compliments to the chef, even keeping the elevator door open for someone who is rushing to get it can make a difference in their day, and yours. Make a pledge to do something good every day.
Minds aren’t created equal. Some of the greatest strengths of a community are the varying mental abilities of its members. However, there are ways to improve your mental fitness. There are memory exercises, crosswords, and sudoku, to mention a few. But there is another way to unleash the mind. A way to help the ideas flow immediately in the short term, and improves brain biology in the long term. Yes, we are talking about EXERCISE. Studies have shown that regular exercise has the potential to alter brain biology, helps us think clearer and sharper, improves memory and helps to flow creative ideas. That is a lot of power in our own hands.
Maximal Achievers have found that a few minutes of physical activity right before a presentation, a public speech, or giving a vital pitch, will up their performance. They know that this short burst of activity releases important proteins the body needs, increases blood flow to the brain, and provides much needed time away from gadgets and other distractions and helps to concentrate the mind. Once you realize how exercise creates more energy for you, enhances your mood, ups your productivity, thinking, and idea processes, this knowledge will become the motivation you need for your Maximal Life.
Ingesting information from the internet can be like a wrangling a wildfire. You go seeking an answer to one question and end up surrounded by the flames of public opinion. We used to have to seek out answers with effort, now the answers are right at our fingertips. Every piece of information that we are exposed to act as an input. This information can either uplift and revive, or downshift and choke our internal processing system. Science is now discovering that news to the brain is what sugar is to the body.
Maximal Achievers learn that news stories are overwhelmingly about things of which they have no power. And the daily repetition of information that we cannot act upon, makes our brains passive. Instead, you can gain the knowledge for yourselves through your own experiences. Replace the passive input with carefully selected information that brings you insight and inspires creative ideas. Exercise your power of choice by refusing the invitation to unproductive health diminishing distractions. Skip the news for 30 days and see if you notice a change. Only use the news that is useful information. Detoxing from the news isn’t going to be easy, but it will be worth it for your Maximal Life.
Being caught up in work all day usually means we are indoors most of the time. We are constantly exposed to artificial light when nature actually intended for us to be outdoors in the natural light. Sunlight is composed of a broad spectrum of light wavelengths. The lights that we have indoors are predominantly composed of only the blue wavelength of light. This includes the lights on the screens of all of the gadgets that we use daily. We call this light the JUNK LIGHT. It doesn’t have any good benefits to our bodies. It is basically similar to junk food in that it has no nutritional value and can be harmful to your body.
Our bodies need the entire spectrum of light to function properly. Sun exposure is related to the production of the feel-good hormone Serotonin, which aids in the production of Melatonin to help govern sleep. Maximal Achievers try to get sunlight as they go through their day. They get up throughout the day, go to a window, and stretch. Maximal Achievers also go for a walk outside to break up their busy workday. Become energized by rolling up your sleeves, maximizing as much sun exposure as possible, and staying hydrated.
Many of us have conditioned responses to the challenges in life. Cultural conditioning has us perceiving every change as a stress, every challenge as a problem, and every stranger as a threat. As Maximal Achievers, we seek to ascend cultural conditioning because we see through this scheme. We have debunked the myth of stress and proved that stress is just energy that we can harness and benefit from. The simplest and most powerful way to position our mindset for maximum results on a daily basis is to smile. The simple act of smiling releases neuropeptides, which boosts your mood and alleviates negative stress.
Several studies have proven that we are better looking and treated differently when we smile. We are regarded as more attractive and sincere. If you haven’t smiled in a while, you can “fake it til you make it.” Stand up tall and act the way you would if you were feeling great, even if you aren't. You will find that your feelings will follow your behavior. Take advantage of your own power to create happiness. Your family, colleagues, and sometimes the world, will smile with you. Leading a Maximal Life means leading a happy life.
People boast about pulling all-nighters and burning the midnight oil. Not sleeping enough has come to be associated with strength or superhuman ability. However, when we are sleep deprived we function as if we are drunk. We have impaired memory, difficulty concentrating, High stress, lower actual productivity, and slower response times. The real issue is that you may not even know that you are sleep deprived. We become a danger not only to our own wellbeing with issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease but also to the safety of others.
Re-examine how much you sleep at night, and if it is enough to give you the rest and rejuvenation that you actually need. Make the changes that you need to get the sleep your brain and body need. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even weekends. Reduce ambient noise and light disturbances. Nap smart with only 20 to 30-minute naps, more will disrupt your nighttime sleep cycle. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals at night. Exercise during the day. With sufficient sleep, you can go strong as ever, and sustain your success for the long game.
Do you feel like you are tired and out of energy, even when you first wake up in the morning? There are a lot of pressures on your time, and as a Maximal Achiever, there are a lot of things you are responsible for. Sometimes you may try to tackle the seemingly endless challenge of managing both time and energy.
The fact is that there are only 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. This will not change. The number of items that you need to keep on top of will also not change. Energy is what determines the quality of our time. The solution is to take time out during the day to recharge your energy throughout the day. Professionals and athletes maximize their productivity by doing interval training working in focused 90-minute sprints, then reward yourself with a short 20-minute break. Taking a break from productivity actually improves productivity. Make sure you take time out for lunch and eat mindfully. Give your body the proper nutrition it needs. Take time out for exercise and recharge your energy. When you are flowing with positive energy you know that you will spend your time well, and you will make your time count.
If you love your morning coffee and find that it helps you get down to business first thing in the morning, then go ahead and enjoy. However, if you are relying on a constant drip feed of caffeine to get through the day, then you may be in an energy deficit. It may be time to raise your standards of energy. Remember, your body is a reporter which is always honest, and will always tell you what you need to be the Maximal You.
Coffee has great health benefits which can reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and can even reduce inflammation and ease low-level bouts of depression. Yet all of these health benefits can be obtained from decaffeinated coffee as well as regular coffee. Studies show that caffeine does not add to your energy levels. It merely masks our symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion. Caffeine causes our adrenal glands to flood our system with stress hormones. Caffeine is counterfeit energy that only masks fatigue. If you feel like to NEED caffeine to start your day, what you REALLY NEED is more rest and renewal. When you heed your body’s report, you will be living the Maximal Life.
In our modern world, our brains are bombarded with the equivalent of 174 newspapers of data every day. There is a growing study that indicates that brain fatigue has become the norm as we are more and more disconnected with nature. “Nature Deficit Disorder” is a brain disorder that can be eliminated by spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature. According to an emerging field of study known as eco-psychology, that while our brains may be adapting to our fast paced world, it’s original function, and our natural instinct, is to respond to, and connect to nature.
Our immune systems fight off illness and keeps us healthy. A study shows that people took a 2 hour walk through the forest came back with a 50% increase in natural killer cells. These cells circulate throughout the body killing bacteria, viruses, fungi and other invaders. And these benefits last for more than a week. Maximal Achievers need to take the next step in their Maximal Life and immerse themselves in nature as much as possible. Even if it is a 10 to 15 minute walk you will still experience a measurable improvement in energy, a decrease in frustration, worry, and fatigue. So if you want to feel better, just get outside.
The chemicals released in our brains when we are excited are the same ones released when we are nervous. The only difference is the thoughts we assign to the experience. So if your thoughts are positive, you experience joy. If your thoughts are negative then you experience nervousness and anxiousness. All of these experiences are necessary to stretch the boundaries of our comfort zone, and personal growth. We can alter the reality in which we exist by simply altering our thoughts. Maximal Achievers pay attention to the direction and progression of their thoughts.
When we are feeling uncomfortable in our body, it may mean we are becoming sick. When we are feeling uncomfortable emotionally, it may mean we are braving uncharted territory, and about to make a breakthrough in next-level achievement. This is a sign that you are on the right track. Your body becomes your thought monitor. Maximal Achievers learn to harness that thought monitor and apply their Maximal Self as the witness and the final word in how to proceed with those reports. Every moment presents a choice to either expand or contract. We have the ability to align our energy, feelings, and actions to our innermost potential.
What is one of the most valuable assets we have to contribute towards our success? Our Attention. Our attention is under unprecedented attack. Recent marketing data shows that from the 1970’s to today, we’ve gone from being exposed to about 500 ads a day, to as many as 5,000! I’m talking about a virtual tsunami of commercials, print ads, labels, Facebook ads, pop-up ads.
Attention is focus, and what we focus on is what directs our growth. this virtual tsunami of ads steals our attention and in exchange for what? Nothing really. And they do it largely, without our consent. Is “Attention Theft.” too harsh a term? Well, in today’s culture of Go Go Go and Buy Buy Buy media, the attention thieves lurk in every corner. Our brain is a bank. We can only withdraw what we deposit. Not everything we desire, can be purchased with money, and not everything that can be stolen, can be replaced.
Attention is the currency that we can exchange for lasting success, innovation, crisis prevention, imaginative solutions, a deep sense of satisfaction, those little details of a treasured memory, and the warmth and affection of those we hold most dear, just to name a few.
Financial Affluence is to be in the present. After a certain level of affluence, beyond basic needs, begins a cycle of diminishing returns. You start trading minutes for money. Have you become so busy making a living that you forgot to live? After you have provided a comfortable life for your family, then do not take time to enjoy it because you do not have the time, you are really telling yourself that it is not a priority. Change “I do not have the time” to “It is not a priority” in your mind and see what happens. It is not a priority to eat lunch. It is not a priority for me to schedule my physical, it is not a priority to call my wife to let her know I will not be home for dinner.
Time Affluence is to be in the achievement. Having enough time is a state of mind, and the reason you believe you do not have enough time is because you tell yourself you don’t. It is time to change your mind. A true and lasting quality of life is determined by the quality of your relationships with yourself and your loved ones. It is the quality of experiences shared that creates your Maximal Life.
We listen to news reports every day, good and bad, and we trust their opinion. Our bodies are our reporters who never fail to report what is important to our health and well-being. It makes every effort to tell us what we need to know when we need to know it. It is up to us to listen, understand what it is telling us and for us to act upon it. In this confusing world of competing for food recommendations, many of us have become deaf to our bodies reports when it comes to our need for protein. To be our Maximal Self and maintain peak performance, we need the right kind of protein.
Maximal Achievers process the signals that we receive from inside and decipher what it is that we really need. They make sure that they take in the proper high-quality protein and nutrients, not empty calories. We accurately learn to recognize the feeling of fullness so that we stop eating. We create a craving response time and take the time to explore what our body really needs. Also eat mindfully, taste and savor each mouthful, and you don’t need to clear your plate. Maximal Achievers listen to the messages their bodies tell them and live the life everyone aspires to live.
When we want to get ahead it’s vital to look at the inequalities in the distribution of almost everything in life, economics, software, science, and even sports. 20% of the population has 80% of the wealth, 20% of landowners own 80% of the land, etc. This inequality is called the Pareto Principle. This principle will help to illustrate how it is possible for you to get the edge, we call the incremental edge.
It’s powerful to know and recognize that only a few people produce the majority of the results on your team. Those who succeed have made small adjustments and tweaked their systems just enough to give them the Incremental Edge. What begins as a small advantage can be converted to a massive advantage through the Incremental Edge Rule. To gain the advantage you only need to be incrementally better than your competition. Then you can guard that advantage and build on it to gain the incremental edge. Look beyond the obvious to recognize the opportunities that others cannot identify. And if something is not working, cut out those processes. Remember if things don’t work, those are not your failures, those are merely experiments that gleaned valuable information.
Maximal achievers make their time count, rather than count the time they spend. They utilize their time in a way that creates more time for them in the future. The key is to create time assets and reduce time debts.
Time assets are actions taken now by creating systems that save you time in the future. Time management is more than managing short-term productivity. We often mistake being busy for making progress. We need to increase efficiency. Creating systems switch your daily practice from searching for time to enjoying the time you have already made to do everything you love to do. The Maximal Life is one of time abundance. Time debts are anything that commits you to do meaningless, repetitive tasks in the future. They are actions you take that may save you time right now but cost you more time over the long run.
Take a look at your daily life and choose just one thing that you can create a system for to save you time In the future, ask yourself: what system can I put in place to make my time peaceful, positive, and passionate? Then each month choose another repetitive task to create a system for. That is living the Maximal Life.
Consider how hesitant or scared most people are to step outside of their comfort zone, to experiment, or even to change. This has created a society of information sharing instead of self-experimentation. Think of the discoveries, inventions, and achievements that have occurred during your lifetime. Those people had many setbacks while in the process. Yet they did not stop. Each failed experiment brought them one step closer to the solution.
Maximal Achievers succeed as a direct result of their setbacks, not in spite of them. They say that failures are the stepping stones to success. The failures revealed what did and didn’t work, and showed things that you didn’t know before. Many scientists and inventors were not afraid to experiment with themselves and their ideas. They had the courage to live purposely, constantly endeavoring to learn. The hallmark of a Maximal Achiever is having the experimental mindset. They believe that experiments never fail. So when you employ the scientist in you, you’re committing yourself to constant growth and development. When it seems hopeless your inner scientist gets charged up and that is when you feel the passion and the rebellion. The Maximal Achiever in you gets charged up and ready to go again.
What if you were standing at a fork in the road, where one path leads to an energetic life full of well-being, work is meaningful and family life is joyous. And the other path leads to a rollercoaster of life, seesawing between high and low energy, your family is complaining that they don’t get enough quality time with you, and you hardly have the energy to enjoy or pursue your own passion and hobbies. Every one of us would choose the first path. However many of us are unknowingly choosing the second path through our habits and choices.
That can change and we can choose the first path. It starts with Input versus Output. Choose to control the controllable. The food we select to put into our bodies is the main determinant of health, well-being and energy levels. Poor food choices, negative inputs, send us on a roller coaster of energy highs and lows that leave us drained and incapable of peak performance. As a maximal achiever, you ’re better than that. We need to make the right choices and feed our bodies the right inputs to maximize our energy. You have to remember that quality trumps quantity every time.
We all have habits, positive and not so positive ones. It’s true that bad habits are hard to break. But it’s also true that positive habits are just as hard to break. The idea is to replace bad habits with positive ones. Maximal achievers consciously develop and curate their positive habits to support their long-term success, because habits help you win the long game called life.
Let’s look at the chemistry of a habit. We are what we do repeatedly. Repeated actions become habits, those habits determine our success or failure. This is because habits form our character. It is considered that bad habits are difficult to break. The truth is that any habit is difficult to break, even a positive one. Every habit has an activation energy that is required to get started. The smaller the habit, the less energy you need to start. A habit that requires a large change requires a larger amount of activation energy.
Positive environments support positive outcomes so make your environment positive habit friendly. Ask yourself which environment in your life is the dominant one. The healthy one or the decaying one? Reinforce your Maximal self with positive habits. That is how you live the Maximal life.
Our cell phones are a part of our daily lives and help us increase productivity. But what do they do for our connectivity? Many times you look at your phone during dinner, or during an evening with your family, and feel that we need to answer this message, or that email, right now. It is extremely urgent in your mind, even though the message may have been sent an hour ago and there isn’t anyone waiting anxiously on the other end at that moment. Are you sending the message that “this person is more important than you at this moment”?
Make important changes to your cell phone habits in order to stay “connected” to those important to you. A Maximal Life includes having good meaningful relationships, and strong connections. Take a positive step and prioritize your real connections over your phone. Tell yourself “I can look at my phone later, but I can’t enjoy this moment later; when it’s gone, it’s gone.” Give your phone boundaries, no phone zones. Like your bed. Designate no phone times, like dinner time, or after 9 pm. Challenge yourself to connect with people, and with yourself in the REAL world and go out of your way to do it.
How many times have you put off doing something only to spend time worrying about when and how to do it? Many of us spend a huge amount of time simply not getting started. Procrastination is prevalent because the human brain is wired for it. A battle ensues between the brain’s Limbic System, the pleasure center, and the Conscious Prefrontal Cortex which is in charge of planning. Usually, the Limbic system wins and we put off things in favor of immediate pleasure. Procrastination is really a form of self-sabotage and may result in shame, guilt or regret.
So how do we beat this tendency? We don’t, we outsmart it. All it takes is one minute to crush the instinct to procrastinate and change your life. This one minute is where you take stock and take that first step towards getting the job done and enhances your chances of creating momentum for that task. Being in the midst of doing a task is usually less painful than being in the midst of procrastinating on that task. Once you have taken that minute and begun the task, you will feel much more comfortable getting on with it and completing it. To quote Newton, “that which is in motion remains in motion.”
Let’s take a minute to breathe together. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale through your mouth for a count of 4. Focus on the breath going in and out. Do you feel any resistance to taking this one minute to reconnect with your body, and ground your energy? Acknowledge this resistance and let it pass through you. Your brain is a bank. This simple breathing technique deposits the peace and positivity of being in the present moment. Is your brain telling you that you don't have enough time to take a minute? Is there a sense of time poverty?
This "take a minute" technique is used by athletes, producers, and entrepreneurs to activate the renewal response that lowers stress, reduces your heart rate and blood pressure, and preserves the sanctity of mind required to create and produce like a Maximal achiever. When we experience stress our bodies flood with adrenaline and cortisol, and the fight or flight response is activated. When you learn this technique, you are learning control over you. This "take a minute" technique can be done anywhere, and anytime. The reward for living this truth is living a Maximal Life.
Our words shape our beliefs and our beliefs shape our realities. So much of our success is determined by our attitudes towards ourselves and our circumstances. How we declare things to be are often how they will be. The simple act of replacing the phrase I can’t with I don’t can cause drastic shifts in the way we own and stand by our choices. Instead of saying I can’t eat dessert, replace it with, I don’t eat dessert, especially after a healthy meal. That way you are no longer forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do. You are instead exercising your power to say no. Small changes in our word choices lead to huge impacts on our perception of reality.
As Maximal Achievers, we are aware that our language can transform the act of refusing temptation from one of enforced deprivation to one of powerful and goal-directed preservation. We powerfully refuse to participate in or engage in the obstructions that keep us from our Maximal Lives. The power of choice is always available to us, and we are always responsible for our own behavior. So as Maximal Achievers we choose the words that affirm our goals and bring us insight into our personal truths.
Maximal Achievers know that exercise is VITAL to peak performance. Billionaires became so by working harder and smarter, by staying mentally motivated, and by being physically active and healthy. They have learned that there are other alternatives to the all or nothing approach to exercise. The studies show that every step counts. When you are in an office every day, standing is better than sitting down. It’s better to take a few breaks and go for a walk than to just stay in your office all day. There is a benefit to any and all physical activity and movement. When you find the time to actually exercise, that is a bonus.
Some simple steps to take to make the activity in your day count are simply standing, doing calf raises for a minute, walk around if possible, park a little further from the office than you normally do, ditch the elevator and take the stairs for even a couple of flights, walk to a colleague's office instead of calling them, even doing a few yoga stretches at your desk during the day helps and adds to your total activity during the day. Your journey to be your Maximal Self starts with giving yourself the credit you deserve. Remember, every step counts.
Children are effortlessly grateful for all of the small wonders of the world. The one yellow flower in a sea of red, the berries on their pancake, even the feeling of floating when they swing. However, this culture that we live in has us striving towards the rush of acquisition. The fine art of GRATITUDE is mastered over time, with passion and practice. When we express gratitude, our brain fires in the area of the brain that relates to contentment, meaning, and self-worth. The human brain is wired for empathy, compassion, love, and gratitude. Perhaps this is why it comes naturally for children.
Living the Maximal Life is about more than the ability to function responsibly. It includes the willingness to play, take a break, have a sense of humor, and to cultivate gratefulness in our lives. Some of the motions we can take to cultivate our attitude of gratefulness include taking a few minutes to write down three things you are grateful for, write a letter to someone who played a positive role in your life, and even saying thank you out loud to someone. Maximal Achievers take time to master the art of gratitude, and thus make the world a better place for themselves and their children.
Many of us know that water makes up 60% of our body weight. Over 50,000 different types of proteins, including antibodies, hemoglobin, and all of the hormones, make up another 20%. Protein helps us heal, grow and carry out every essential task in our bodies. It provides energy in the form of calories. Maximal Achievers are starting to realize how important protein intake is to sustained performance and high productivity.
Your body is a reporter and will tell you what it needs. It does not send out a feel full signal until it receives the protein that it needs. Protein poor foods will make you want to eat more and more, raising your carb and fat intake way beyond what your body requires. If you have a protein-rich diet, you will feel fuller faster, and stay satisfied longer, and will actually be eating smaller amounts of food. You need to figure out how much protein you need. Make note of what you are eating, how much of that is protein, and how do you feel that day. Adjust your protein intake accordingly. Find a protein-rich diet that works for you. Increased energy, better focus and maintaining a healthy weight will be a positive side effect of living a Maximal Life.
When we talk about architecture, some think of city skylines and towering buildings. Others may think of ancient buildings, monuments, or ruins. We may ask ourselves how much influence architecture has on our thought processes and decision making. The answer simply is that it influences EVERYTHING. Humans didn’t invent architecture, we adapted it out of necessity. Since the dawn of man, we have made great advancements in architecture. It is no longer just for shelter and food. It has become ART and evokes emotion, even cultural conditioning. They have the power to influence us in positive and negative ways.
The same can be said for willpower and motivation. Our environment can influence our decisions and even our willpower over what and how we eat. Every single day we make decisions about how and what we are going to fuel our bodies. We may choose what is familiar or readily available. This is called default decision making. The three motions that will refine your default decisions to support your health goals and make choosing positive food choices easy are, pre-commit to keeping healthy options ready, use visual cues by removing unhealthy food from your view, and be specific, Maximal Achievers decide what they will do and what they won’t do. They architect their environment so that it serves them.
We have all had experiences when we are brainstorming with colleagues for that brilliant new idea or a solution to a problem without any success. Only to have an idea pop into your head when you are in the shower, or walking the dog. So, what is it that prevents us from finding that answer when we are trying our hardest? There are studies that show how certain areas of the brain slow down and decrease their activity when you are demanding the most from yourself. The study also found that the cognitive problem-solving capabilities were higher when the individuals were in a state of rest.
What we learn from these studies is that we need to oscillate between states of working and resting. The next AHA moment could be just around the corner when we take a rest, Because Breaks...Boost...the...Brain. When you leave work, disconnect completely. Take the time to rest, be with your family, spend times with friends, or even just do nothing. Prioritize restful sleep at night by going to bed at the same time. Maybe you can take a power nap during the day. As Maximal Achievers, you move mountains. You can also move your own body from a busy routine to your rest and rejuvenation.
We have all heard the expression "laughter is the best medicine". Numerous studies have shown that laughter boosts your immune system, alleviates pain, and strengthens your heart, and improves your circulation. Laughing just 100 times is the equivalent of a 10 to 15 minute aerobic exercise. Babies laugh an average of 400 times a day, people over 35 may laugh 15 times a day, and even less than that during the weekday. People with high stress levels, anxiety, and even depression have less connectivity between the frontal lobe and the reward centers of the brain. Laughing directly re-establishes those connections.
Laughter reduces stress and increases energy. It engages people and makes them feel good. We can all use those feelings in the workplace. When you laugh with someone, you get to know them better, it can ease stress during crunch time. Quick to laugh people are a joy to work with. The relief we experience from a good laugh is long lasting and rejuvenating. Maximal Achievers are often in leadership positions. Studies have shown that executives who were ranked as outstanding, used humor twice as much as others. Today think of three things you can do to make your culture and environment more fun. Challenge yourself and others to make laughter an everyday practice, at work and at home.
Our culture seems to wear the "I’m busy" phrase, around like a badge of honor. And we sometimes mistake being busy for being productive. Researchers have found that people have reported feeling happier when they are busy, even if that busyness was not really warranted. Society has conditioned us that we have to be busy to be successful. And thus we feel happier when we are busy and feel guilty when we are not. The implication becomes that if you are that busy, then you must be doing work of value. However this busyness in generally self-imposed and ultimately meaningless.
Beat the busyness trap NOW. Examine the worthiness of the task you are working on. Will it bring you closer to the objective? Then look at the urgency of the task. Is it necessary in the large scheme of things? And examine the work habits and culture in your work space. Do you attempt to create the image of being busy? By applying a few simple rules, you will be able to identify the time traps that are a huge source of needless busyness. Then eliminate the things that are keeping you needlessly occupied, and get busy doing the things that actually matter in the bigger picture of your Maximal Life.
Adopting a morning ritual is the key to starting off the day with peak performance. What you may not realize is that you probably already have one. Your alarm goes off and the first thing you reach for is your phone. You check emails or text messages from work. You may shower and then skip breakfast so you can get to work right now. This go go go culture of today’s economy was born from the industrial revolution and is very much alive to this day. When there is more to do we invest more time. We are living with a perpetual sense of time poverty.
To be a Maximal Achiever you need to adopt a renewal routine. Our body is a reporter. It is our job to read the report and give the body what it needs. Our body tells us throughout the day when we need a break to replenish our energy reserves. But we often override those signals with caffeine, sugar, etc. Set an alarm every 90 minutes to go from productivity to renewal. Step out of the office, go for a 20-minute walk, get some sunshine. Make this your new habit. The truth is this: You operate at your highest performance level when you optimize your renewal and recovery.