11 Bad Fitness Habits, Automating Your Money Tracking, & Improving Your Life Through Subtraction (Fit Rich Life Newsletter No. 54)

“Your habits will determine your future." — Jack Canfield, American Author & Speaker

Greetings Fit Rich Fam!

Today is Daylight Savings so friendly reminder to update your clock.

Without further ado, let's proactively build your Fit Rich Life.

This is your weekly dose of actionable tips, tools & strategies to take your Fitness, Money, and Life to the Next Level.

FITNESS: 11 bad habits holding you back from having the body you want.

1. You never track your food. Scientific research shows us that most people overestimate what they eat by as much as 50%. This is true as two-thirds of people in America are overweight or obese. If you've never tracked your food you will be shocked by how much you consume. All that snacking adds up. Your overconsumption of calories is why you are getting fatter every year. MyFitnessPal is a free app you can use to track your food.

2. You don’t get enough protein. If you want to have a muscular fit physique you must get an adequate amount of protein. 0.6g-1g of protein per pound of your ideal body weight is a great rule of thumb to follow. The only way to determine if you're getting enough protein is to track your intake. Yet another reason to track your food.

3. You don’t have a strong fitness WHY. With any goal you're pursuing, you must have a strong "why" if you're going to achieve it. This is especially true with fitness as physical transformations take time and consistent effort. The stronger your "why" and the more reasons you have to be fit the higher your likelihood of achieving your ideal physique and keeping it over the long run.

4. You do not utilize progressive overload. Progressive overload is a principle in strength training and exercise science. It involves gradually increasing the intensity to continuously challenge your body and stimulate further muscle growth. The main ways to do this are by increasing the weight and/or reps. This progression is essential for continued improvement and adaptation over time.

5. You don’t follow an actual workout program. To take advantage of progressive overload you have to follow a structured workout program and log your weight/reps so that week over week you are increasing the intensity via increased weight/reps applied to specific exercises that repeat each week. You cannot just show up to the gym and do whatever you feel like and expect to become more fit, yet this is what most people do.

6. Your environment is not optimized for fitness. If you're a knowledge worker you are sitting for several hours every day. This means you must strategically design your environment to support your fitness. I do this by having both a bike chair and a walking pad that both fit under my adjustable standing desk. I rotate between a regular chair, my bike chair, my walking pad, and standing so that each workday supports my fitness.

7. You’ve never worked with a great fitness coach. A great fitness coach will provide a structured workout program that utilizes the progressive overload and fits well within your current lifestyle. Additionally, they will teach you to eat in a way that is satiating and supports your physique goals. On top of all of that, they will hold you accountable to stay on track and help you overcome obstacles as they arise.

8. You’re trying to beat yourself into great shape. Willpower is finite and trying to beat oneself into shape is unsustainable over the long run. Instead, you must learn to love yourself into greater shape. This is a practice, but ultimately it is the most sustainable way to get and stay in great shape for life. You'll also enjoy the journey of fitness infinitely more by taking this approach.

9. All your friends are out-of-shape & overweight. If you want to be in great shape you must surround yourself with people who promote a healthy and fit lifestyle. For better or worse, you will end up doing what your circle of friends do so choose wisely.

10. You haven’t made fitness a lifestyle and mindset. Those who treat fitness as a lifestyle and a mindset are the ones who stay fit for life. Their hobbies, interests, and social activities have a high degree of fitness and health built into them.

11. Your relationship with your body & food is garbage. If you don't treat your body like the temple that it is and treat food as a way to nourish your body you will never reach your ideal level of fitness.

Your fitness habits will make you fit or fat.

Which of these do you need to work on?

MONEY: Automate your money tracking.

If you want to build true wealth you have to track your money.

What gets measured, gets managed, empowered, and manifested.

In this day and age, it is easy to track all of your money with technology.

For US Citizens I recommend Empower Personal Dashboard as it is free and it makes linking all of your financial accounts and tracking all of your expenses seamless.

If you live outside of the US, I recommend Kubera.

Kubera does cost $150 per year, but you will save dozens of hours every year with the automated tracking of all your money so I think it is well worth it.

Lastly, if any of your bank accounts do not link with Emower or Kubera then it will be worth it to switch to a bank that is supported by one of them.

In the short run, it will be a hassle to set up a new bank account, but in the long run, it will pay off massively as the easier it is to track your money the easier it is to grow your wealth.

For those who are ready to take their Money Tracking to the next level, I recommend tracking your Savings Rate which will show you how fast you are moving towards true Financial Freedom. Here is a free guide on how to do that.

LIFE: Improve your life through subtraction.

People tend to look to add things to their lives to improve their situation.

Often it's much more powerful to reduce, remove, or delegate.

The more room we have on our plate for the things that truly move the needle forward on our goals and empower us to live a life we truly love.

Oftentimes we keep doing things out of habit or comfort even though it no longer serves us.

Take some time to think through all of your activities, habits, and responsibilities and determine if any are not serving you in living your best life.

Here are several ways to go through the process of improving your life through subtraction:

Identify what's essential: Take stock of your life and determine what truly matters to you. Focus on activities, relationships, and goals that align with your values and priorities.

Declutter your space: Clear out physical clutter from your living and workspaces. Donate or discard items you no longer need or use. A tidy environment can promote clarity of mind and reduce stress.

Simplify your schedule: Streamline your commitments and obligations. Learn to say no to activities or events that drain your time and energy without providing meaningful benefits. Prioritize tasks that align with your goals and values.

Limit distractions: Identify and minimize distractions that hinder your productivity and focus. This might involve setting boundaries with technology, creating a designated workspace, or establishing specific time blocks for focused work.

Let go of negative influences: Distance yourself from toxic relationships, environments, or habits that bring negativity into your life. Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you, and engage in activities that promote personal growth and wellbeing.

Practice mindfulness: Cultivate awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Notice when you're engaging in activities or habits that don't serve you well, and consciously choose to let them go or replace them with more positive alternatives.

Embrace minimalism: Adopt a minimalist lifestyle by prioritizing experiences over material possessions. Focus on quality rather than quantity, and seek fulfillment from meaningful connections and experiences rather than material wealth.

Reflect and reassess: Regularly evaluate your life and make adjustments as needed. Reflect on what's working well and what isn't, and be willing to let go of anything that no longer contributes to your overall wellbeing and happiness.

By embracing the power of subtraction, you can create more space, clarity, and freedom in your life to focus on what truly matters and pursue greater fulfillment and happiness.

Closing Thoughts:

A great life is created through the aggregation of marginal gains.

What is one thing you can do this coming week to improve your life?

Or, what is one thing you can stop doing to improve your life?

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I am sending you all lots of Energy & plenty of Dragon Magic!

Your Fitness, Money & Life Coach,

Justin David Carl

Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. I run a custom-tailored 1-1 & group mastermind coaching program that will empower you to achieve your dream body, master your money & live your best life. Yup, it's a proven Fitness, Money and Life Coaching Program unlike anything else out there. You can book a free consultation with me or just drop me a note on LinkedIn to find a time to connect.

2. If you work in an office introduce me to whoever handles your office snacks, catering & employee experience to take your work wellbeing to the next level. I'm a founding member of Garten, a tech-empowered employee experience & wellbeing platform that top companies utilize to power their most important asset (their people). Email me at >>[email protected] << to set up a meeting.