5 Minute Fridays - August 26th 2022
Aug 26, 2022
Hello friend,
The other day I went to a new spot in Toronto called Othership.
It's a modern day sauna/cold plunge that's a mix of a Russian banya and a 4 seasons spa experience.
In the space, we had a guide who was there to teach us the ins and outs how to use the facilities.
During the sauna experience he'd drop a ball of snow mixed with a concoction of herbs on the rocks to elevate the heat in the room.
He'd then swing a towel around as if he was waving a flag so he could transfer the hot air to each one of the people in the room. When flung the towel at me I felt a whoosh of hot air.
It had been a long time since being in a sauna and I was not ready for it. I felt the wind hit my face and was immediately engulfed in heat. Feeling the discomfort of the heat I could have left right away but I committed to staying.
Pain is weakness leaving the body, right?
It reminded me of the podcast I did with Sterling Hawkins author of Hunting discomfort. We need discomfort in our lives because it's our main avenue of growth.
There are things in our life that we avoid that make us uncomfortable. It could be giving up alcohol or having that hard conversation.
We need to seek this type of discomfort as doing so will make, as Jay-Z says, "unf*ckwittable".
I invite you to listen to the podcast here or on itunes or spotify.
Sterling's story of going from a multibillion dollar valuation to living in his parents basement is well worth the listen.
As you listen...one question to ask yourself,
"What kind of discomfort can I invite into my life that would make me better as a result of doing it?"
4 Things I've Learned
1. Survivorship Bias
In WW2 fighter planes would come back from battle with bullet holes in certain areas.
The Allies initially sought to strengthen the most commonly damaged parts of the planes.
A mathematician pointed out that the planes that had come back were the ones who survived.
The planes that didn't survive most likely hit in the areas where the survival planes didn't have bullet holes.
As a result they fortified the areas of the plane that weren't damaged.
This is an example of Survivorship Bias.
2. Activation Energy
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy that must be provided for compounds to result in a chemical reaction.
While this is used in Chemistry this can be applied to many areas of your life.
Let's use health as an example:
When you start getting in shape 80% of the energy is used at the beginning.
You need to consciously think about what you put into your body. You need to set aside time to workout. You need to break bad habits, which takes willpower.
You need to put forth the most energy at the beginning so you can create enough momentum to where the habits are automatic.
This is why it's okay to seek motivation in the beginning but over time that motivation needs to turn into discipline.
3. Walking Humans
Our male ancestors covered around nine miles per day on foot, while women walked around six miles each day.
By comparison, the average American covers about two and a half miles on foot each day and spends the rest of the time sitting, driving, and watching nearly five hours of television.
Walking decreases IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) hormone levels, which implies lower risk of hormone-related conditions like breast and prostate cancer and acne.
Prolonged walking also reduces the risk of diabetes and is associated with weight loss.
4. Compulsive Buying
We live in a consumerist society where we can buy what we want and have it shipped to our door by tomorrow.
This can lead to addictive buying and over consumption.
So if you ever resist on an impulsive purchase reward yourself for by transferring the equivalent amount to a "impulsive saving" account.
Once you see the account grow it becomes quite addictive.
Client of the Week - Brandon C, 41 year old Founder
Brandon is a founder who had gained over 30 lbs due to his business. His family had a history of heart disease and he was taking medications for blood pressure.
His motivation for to getting healthy was living long enough to see his grand children's children.
In 12 weeks we lost 33 lbs & got him off his blood pressure meds while doubling his energy.
He said that as a result of losing the extra weight his business, family life and his confidence all skyrocketed.
1 Quote To Finish Your Week Off Strong
"No one ever turns you down flat. No one ever says, straight out, no. But they don’t say yes, either. They speak in circles, sentences with no clear subject or object.
Don’t be discouraged, but don’t be cocky. You might leave a man’s office thinking you’ve blown it, when in fact he’s ready to do a deal. You might leave thinking you’ve closed a deal, when in fact you’ve just been rejected. You never know."
– Phil Knight from the book Shoe Dog