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116 - The Strenuous Life: Why Easy Sucks and Hard Wins · Getting After It

• 0:00
  Brett: Let me tell you a little something about Teddy Roosevelt.
• 0:02
  Brett: He came up with a concept that he called the strenuous life, which I related to because a lot of what he believed ties into getting after it.
• 0:11
  Brett: And what I love about what he talks about with living a strenuous life is that it leads to fulfillment Without further ado.
• 0:20
  Brett: Let's get after it Without further ado.
• 0:23
  Brett: Let's get after it.
• 0:23
  Brett: This week I dived deep into the life of Teddy Roosevelt.
• 0:32
  Brett: I didn't really know much about him, I just knew he was the 26th president of the United States.
• 0:37
  Brett: He was a hard, rugged mountain man and ultimately fought in wars and did a lot of stuff that I couldn't even comprehend.
• 0:49
  Brett: There's actually the story where he was living in the Dakota Badlands and it was one winter when he was on a ranch.
• 0:58
  Brett: He was a rancher at the time and he had these horses that lived on the other side of the Mississippi River and he had a boat that the only way to get the horses to check on them during the wintertime was his way of transportation.
• 1:10
  Brett: One day he wakes up in 1886, and that boat's gone and he's like well, someone must have stole it.
• 1:16
  Brett: So he goes down because at the time he is the deputy sheriff in North Dakota and he decides to take action.
• 1:28
  Brett: He goes on a boat trip with himself and two other men, one named william sewell and the other wilmont dow.
• 1:36
  Brett: But they built a new flat-bottomed boat, so like one of the rafts that Huck Finn would ride, uh, just down the Mississippi river.
• 1:46
  Brett: And just in three days they caught up to these guys on an actual boat and arrested them.
• 1:53
  Brett: They sat down the river.
• 1:54
  Brett: They faced freezing temperatures, giant ice flows which could easily damage their boat, and they had no food Like it's the winter time Not, nothing's really going out and about running around and for three days they had to navigate this hostile environment.
• 2:08
  Brett: They tested their own resolve because the conditions were so harsh.
• 2:13
  Brett: And on the third day that they're down the river, they finally spot the stolen boat and it's next to another and they capture one of the thieves without a fight, because three against one not going to end well for the thief, and they wait for the other two to return to the boat and, using the element of like surprise, these guys jumped out.
• 2:34
  Brett: They disarmed them without shooting and they refused to let the danger of the whole situation actually deter them from their mission.
• 2:41
  Brett: And so they guard the prisoners for eight days, um, while waiting for the river to clear vice.
• 2:47
  Brett: So they're just sitting there taking turns on who's going to watch the prisoners while they sleep, and all these things.
• 2:54
  Brett: But anyways, the story ends with they traveled in a wagon 300 miles to Dickinson, north Dakota, to hand over the thieves to the actual sheriff and for his efforts, roosevelt.
• 3:03
  Brett: And to hand over the thieves to the actual sheriff and for his efforts, roosevelt and the two other men that they were with or that he was with, they got $50, which is about $1,500 in today's terms.
• 3:15
  Brett: And so this story isn't just about catching thieves, because I think it's a great example of what it means to embrace the strenuous life.
• 3:22
  Brett: A great example of what it means to embrace the strenuous life.
• 3:27
  Brett: He faced challenges head on and persevered through adversity, and he lived with the purpose of hey, I'm going to go catch these thieves and put a stop to them.
• 3:33
  Brett: And it mirrors a lot of the stoic principles that I talk about with, like resilience and duty, and it shows me that Roosevelt's actions can actually inspire you all to tackle your own hurdles with vigor.
• 3:48
  Brett: It's great to hear stories like that because I think it's just such a crazy example of.
• 3:55
  Brett: They did embody the strenuous lifestyle and because of that they're like hey, screw it, some thieves took my boats, I got to check on my horses, let's build a raft, let's go find them.
• 4:05
  Brett: That's exactly what they did.
• 4:10
  Brett: But the whole concept of the Strenuous Life is about embracing challenges, working hard and persevering through adversity to achieve personal growth and societal good.
• 4:16
  Brett: And that's why I kind of fell in love with Teddy Roosevelt's story, because if you think about what I talked about with getting after it, it's all about finding something difficult to go and attempt and then you try and do it and if you fail you set your sights on another goal and get after it.
• 4:35
  Brett: But one thing I haven't done well at is talking about how embracing challenges and working hard and persevering through adversity is all part of getting after it, just like how it's the strenuous life.
• 4:48
  Brett: Getting after it is a strenuous lifestyle and it's difficult.
• 4:53
  Brett: But what does that have to do with us?
• 4:55
  Brett: Today?
• 4:55
  Brett: Most of us aren't chasing both thieves and we all aren't in the circumstances that they were Like.
• 5:03
  Brett: When it's wintertime, we have coats, we have cars that we can drive in, we're not really exposed to the elements.
• 5:08
  Brett: So how does this tie into us Well, we all face challenges.
• 5:14
  Brett: There's obstacles in every single person's life, mine included, yours included, and it could be.
• 5:21
  Brett: You're pursuing a career goal, a family goal, you're trying to overcome a struggle yourself, maybe you're trying to get rid of a bad habit, or, at the end of the day, the reason I talk about getting after it is so you can be the best version of yourself while you're on this earth.
• 5:39
  Brett: And the strenuous lifestyle is not about shying away from these challenges.
• 5:43
  Brett: It's about embracing them.
• 5:44
  Brett: It ties into what Ryan Holiday talks about with the Obstacle is the Way.
• 5:49
  Brett: It's a great book.
• 5:50
  Brett: If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
• 5:52
  Brett: It'll help you reframe how you think about challenges and obstacles that come up in your life, because, at the end of the day, you have two choices To either confront whatever's in front of you head on, not shy away from it and give it your all, or two you can cower, quit and live an empty life.
• 6:15
  Brett: That's actually what Teddy Roosevelt talks about don't try to be the best version of yourself.
• 6:28
  Brett: If you don't try to overcome challenges, if you're not faced with adversity and you just try to live an easy life, it's going to feel empty.
• 6:33
  Brett: You're not going to be fulfilled.
• 6:36
  Brett: I actually I had a great experience in Vegas this week.
• 6:41
  Brett: I was at a trade show and I had this idea in my head.
• 6:47
  Brett: I was like I'm just going to talk to everyone who comes to this booth and, no matter what, I'm going to give them the time of day.
• 6:53
  Brett: They came here.
• 6:54
  Brett: They want to talk to me.
• 6:54
  Brett: So I did exactly that.
• 6:58
  Brett: I tried my best to be energetic when people would talk and ask them lots of questions, and I worked hard so I can make these connections with these people, with these brands, with these sellers on Amazon, just so I could follow up and have something to talk to them about.
• 7:16
  Brett: Do I know if anything will come from that?
• 7:18
  Brett: I'm not sure, because that happened.
• 7:20
  Brett: I got back home on Thursday.
• 7:23
  Brett: It's Saturday now.
• 7:24
  Brett: I don't know if anything will come up from the follow-up, but one thing I do know for certain is that I gave it everything I could have.
• 7:31
  Brett: I talked to everyone I could have done or I could have talked to.
• 7:35
  Brett: I did the best I could.
• 7:37
  Brett: I remained focused, even when I was tired, when I wanted to go to sleep, because those trade shows they take a lot of time.
• 7:46
  Brett: But I fought and I stayed in the fight and again, I don't know if anything will come from it, but I do know I can say that I'm proud of how I performed at that show during that time when it seemed like it was difficult, but regardless, I'm proud of what I did.
• 8:06
  Brett: And I think also, you know I talk a lot about running, but running is a great example for this, because anytime I decided to train for a race, anytime that I lace up my shoes and I go out for a run, it's usually very intentional and what I mean by that is I know exactly what I have in front of me, I know what the goal of that run, that workout is, and a lot of the times I just have to tell myself, hey, this is what we're going to do, because my body will be like no, like like I want to rest, but I have to tell it to shut up, because every time I work out, every time I do something difficult, like a race or a podcast even, I'm proud of what happens.
• 8:55
  Brett: I'm proud of who I become through the process, that I wasn't one to quit and that I push through adversity.
• 9:04
  Brett: That's what getting after it's all about and that's what the strenuous life is.
• 9:16
  Brett: I think Teddy Roosevelt's story is one that we can all relate to, because I kind of gave that synopsis at the beginning of how he jumped in or he created a boat, went after these thieves, right.
• 9:23
  Brett: But it didn't start like that.
• 9:25
  Brett: Teddy was never that way, and it's interesting because when he was a kid he had asthma.
• 9:30
  Brett: And he was a weak, scrawny little kid and there was one time his dad came up to him and said hey, teddy, listen, your mind is right, your mind is strong, it's sharp, but the challenge is that your body is weak.
• 9:45
  Brett: I can't imagine my dad coming up to me and saying that I'd be like what the heck dad Like.
• 9:51
  Brett: I got asthma, but his dad told him that if he wanted to live the best life he could, the mind and the body need to act as one.
• 9:59
  Brett: The mind needs to be strong, just as the body.
• 10:02
  Brett: And from that time, when they had this conversation, teddy was like okay, I'm going to try and change.
• 10:08
  Brett: And that looked like he was starting to hike in the mountains more.
• 10:11
  Brett: He started lifting weights, he started boxing and doing these things to strengthen his body and on top of that, he was a lifelong learner.
• 10:20
  Brett: He tried his best to read as many books as he could.
• 10:23
  Brett: He actually wrote 30 30, which is wild, but he stayed in the fight, both mentally and physically, and that's what the strenuous life is all about.
• 10:33
  Brett: I want to kind of paint the picture of what I do in my own life to hopefully spark some I don't know motivation with you, but I like to think that my life, I live a strenuous life and it's early mornings at the gym, waking up before most people do, working out.
• 10:51
  Brett: Feeling proud of that workout gives me a little bit more confidence to go handle whatever the day throws at me.
• 10:57
  Brett: And then I go to work and I'd be very present when I'm there.
• 11:01
  Brett: I try to work efficiently, effectively, but then also come up with the new ideas to help us be better as a company.
• 11:09
  Brett: Um, when I'm home, I'm present with my wife and it like it doesn't do me any good, it doesn't do her any good if I'm on my phone or if I'm trying to to come up with podcasts all the time and write these scripts and do these things.
• 11:24
  Brett: That would take away time from her.
• 11:26
  Brett: That's not a good relationship.
• 11:29
  Brett: Like, yeah, there are things that I want to do, but I know that time with my wife is very important and so I'm present there, and then usually there comes a point of the night when I'm learning.
• 11:41
  Brett: I'm either reading something, I'm writing, I'm trying to work on the podcast.
• 11:46
  Brett: It's a consistent thing and it's a life that, from the outside, doesn't necessarily look easy, and I'm not trying to like put myself on a pedestal here, but what I do for myself is difficult for me, and I'm not saying you have to do everything that I just said, but maybe it's one thing, one thing to start you on this path to living a strenuous life and living one that you can be proud of, because ultimately, at the end of the day, if you put your head on your pillow and you say, hey, I'm exhausted, that's a good sign because that means you gave it everything you could have and you're tired, which is good.
• 12:23
  Brett: If you're not tired when you go to bed, you might need to rethink what you're doing.
• 12:27
  Brett: Like, maybe you're spending too much time watching TV, watching TikToks, just messing around, when you could be working on yourself, getting better, refining your skills, refining your knowledge base and becoming the best version of yourself that you can be, because the opposite, like the contrary, of not doing those things, is a very easy life that you can just coast through Like.
• 12:54
  Brett: I can imagine waking up, you know, at eight, I don't know, eight o'clock, getting ready for work, going straight to work and be there by nine just getting the bare minimum done, not really trying to push myself, um coming home, hanging out with Allie maybe we'll watch a show together instead of having a conversation, which is, if you do that with your spouse, great.
• 13:15
  Brett: Um, I like to talk to my wife, and if I didn't do that, then our relationship wouldn't be what it is today.
• 13:23
  Brett: And so I think it's a time for you to reflect on what your current actions are and where you can improve.
• 13:33
  Brett: Improving on yourself isn't a bad thing.
• 13:35
  Brett: It gets a lot of negative talk around this topic, like, oh man, I have to get better.
• 13:44
  Brett: Like, what do you mean?
• 13:45
  Brett: I thought I was doing good, and you might be.
• 13:51
  Brett: You might be doing great, like, compared to the world standards, like you might be doing phenomenal, but there's always something that you can refine.
• 13:54
  Brett: It just takes a moment to audit your own actions, and that's why I think journaling is important, at least for me, because at the end of the day, I'm able to sit with my thoughts for a moment and see if there was anything that I was proud of which I can then try and bring into tomorrow's day, or if there's anything that I want to get better.
• 14:17
  Brett: At that I may have slacked off a little bit more than typical.
• 14:21
  Brett: Then guess what?
• 14:22
  Brett: I have a starting point and from there I can refine it, and so it doesn't have to be something as extreme as running or cleaning up your diet in a day.
• 14:38
  Brett: It can start small.
• 14:39
  Brett: That's typically what I tell people is if you want to achieve something in your life, you need to start small.
• 14:45
  Brett: You need to at least get a baseline of where you're at, so you can refine, get better and start over, which starting over is not a bad thing.
• 14:54
  Brett: It might seem like it, because a lot of things are new, but at the end of the day, you're getting better.
• 15:00
  Brett: Excuse me, wow, um, but I want to make this practical.
• 15:06
  Brett: So what are some actionable steps that you can take today?
• 15:10
  Brett: I think number one is you identify a challenge.
• 15:12
  Brett: Think of something you've been wanting to start but haven't yet, or something that you've been avoiding because it's difficult.
• 15:18
  Brett: It could be be a conversation, it could be time in the gym, it could be pushing yourself at work so you can ultimately get a promotion.
• 15:25
  Brett: Like figure out what that challenge is for yourself and make it very personal.
• 15:29
  Brett: Take time, be honest with yourself and once you identify it, you set small goals.
• 15:36
  Brett: You break down your big challenge into smaller, manageable goals.
• 15:40
  Brett: For example, if you want to write a book, then start by writing a chapter a day, or even just a page.
• 15:48
  Brett: Like get that momentum rolling.
• 15:51
  Brett: If you listen to a couple podcasts I did ago about momentum, it usually starts with small, insignificant actions that lead to big, overarching goals that you've achieved.
• 16:02
  Brett: And it's not until you achieve the goal that you look back and you say, oh, it was an exponential growth curve.
• 16:07
  Brett: Everything starts small in the beginning.
• 16:09
  Brett: Apple sold one computer one time, but now they're they're the highest market cap company in the world, but one time they only sold one computer and it started in a garage.
• 16:22
  Brett: Like, if that doesn't show you that it's the small actions that lead to the big, uh, big achievements.
• 16:30
  Brett: That's what happens.
• 16:33
  Brett: That's how it works.
• 16:34
  Brett: But setting these small goals also just helps with maintaining consistency.
• 16:38
  Brett: It helps with not feeling overwhelmed with this challenge that's in front of you and gives you a little bit more confidence that, hey, I know I can do something small.
• 16:46
  Brett: I know I can walk a mile around my, my neighborhood and that'll turn into me running five miles Like.
• 16:55
  Brett: It is those small things I promise you.
• 16:58
  Brett: If you start there, it's a great way to do it.
• 17:01
  Brett: The next thing you need to do is create a routine Like make time in your schedule dedicated to working on this challenge.
• 17:08
  Brett: Consistency is the key.
• 17:10
  Brett: Discipline will get you started, but consistency carries you across the finish line and you have to always make sure that you're doing your best with being consistent.
• 17:22
  Brett: It is hard.
• 17:22
  Brett: It is hard to stay with something for a long period of time.
• 17:25
  Brett: Podcast is a great example.
• 17:27
  Brett: I started this podcast about almost three years ago and I'm on 116 episodes in and there's been so many times where I'm like is this even worth it?
• 17:40
  Brett: Do people even listen to this?
• 17:43
  Brett: Like?
• 17:44
  Brett: Are they learning something?
• 17:45
  Brett: Am I helping?
• 17:46
  Brett: That's a constant battle in my head, but I know from experience and from watching other people do the same thing that it's usually in year four or five that podcasts start to take off.
• 17:59
  Brett: And you know what?
• 18:01
  Brett: I'm cool with that?
• 18:03
  Brett: Because during this whole process of podcasting, I've gotten better at speaking, I've gotten better at getting my message across, and learning Like this has been such a great education for myself, and my routine for this is like every day I try and do something for the podcast, whether that's researching a topic or learning about Theodore Roosevelt, or asking people hey, what's something that you struggle with on a daily basis?
• 18:33
  Brett: Um, that if you were able to improve on could help you get after your goals more Like it's a constant thing that I'm always thinking about, and the more I think about it, the more I want to do it, and now it's like it's part of my routine.
• 18:48
  Brett: It's natural, but it didn't start that way, and so, whatever challenge you have in front of you, just start with those small things, get consistent and then see what you can do, see how much more you can take on.
• 19:02
  Brett: And the key is here is if you need support, that's fine.
• 19:06
  Brett: Find support.
• 19:07
  Brett: Share your goal with family or friends who can encourage you, who can hold you accountable, who are there for you to talk to when you feel overwhelmed.
• 19:16
  Brett: Having a support group around you when you're going after something difficult, it's huge.
• 19:22
  Brett: That's why I love the running community, because when you show up at a race day, it doesn't matter what time that you're going for or what time the person next to you is going for.
• 19:31
  Brett: What's important is that you're like hey, you can do this, you've trained for this, you got this.
• 19:36
  Brett: And it's like it's such an encouraging thing.
• 19:41
  Brett: It's why I talk about team Tim all the time, because there's people who've never run but they'll get there and it's like everyone's hyping each other up and they're like I get, I got this.
• 19:47
  Brett: You guys said I'm good, I got this right.
• 19:52
  Brett: Support can help you in the darkest moments during your battle, during these challenges.
• 19:58
  Brett: So find support, find people who've done it before.
• 20:01
  Brett: Ask them to be your mentor.
• 20:03
  Brett: It doesn't have to be weird or creepy.
• 20:05
  Brett: Just be like hey, listen, I admire what you've built, what you've done.
• 20:09
  Brett: Can you help me get to that point?
• 20:12
  Brett: Can you tell me some things that you learned along your own journey that I might experience on my own, which I can avoid?
• 20:21
  Brett: You also need to celebrate your progress.
• 20:23
  Brett: Celebrate the small wins.
• 20:25
  Brett: Every time you set small goals and you achieve them, do something to celebrate it.
• 20:29
  Brett: It doesn't have to be big, but acknowledging and celebrating small victories along the way one helps you stay motivated, helps with consistency and, ultimately, will get you more excited about whatever you're doing Like when I hit 100 episodes for the podcast.
• 20:45
  Brett: It's not much in the podcast world, but to me that was huge because I proved to myself that I could be consistent with this and that I actually have something that might be beneficial for listeners to apply to their lives.
• 20:58
  Brett: And so I went out to dinner that night with my wife.
• 21:02
  Brett: We went out, we celebrated and that was it.
• 21:04
  Brett: It was great.
• 21:06
  Brett: And so anytime you do something difficult that you typically would never have done in the past, do something to celebrate it.
• 21:13
  Brett: I promise you that will help with motivation, it'll help with consistency and it'll promise you that will help with motivation.
• 21:16
  Brett: It'll help with consistency and it'll show you where you're at.
• 21:19
  Brett: Along that, I would also say document it like.
• 21:23
  Brett: Document your experience going through this challenge, whatever it is.
• 21:27
  Brett: If it's breaking down a bad habit, if it's starting a good habit, like going to the gym or eating more clean, write about it.
• 21:34
  Brett: Talk about how you feel and when you get to that point, to where you reach said goal, you'll look back at your experience of actually going through and be like.
• 21:44
  Brett: That was hard, but I learned a lot.
• 21:47
  Brett: I became better in the process.
• 21:51
  Brett: Remember that the strenuous life, the getting after it.
• 21:54
  Brett: Lifestyle is much more about the journey rather than it is a destination.
• 21:58
  Brett: It's about growing during the process and becoming better through it.
• 22:04
  Brett: Now, for those of you who are familiar with getting after it the getting after it mindset which I've talked about before you'll see a lot of overlap here, because getting after it is all about taking initiative.
• 22:16
  Brett: It's about being proactive and pursuing your goals with vigor, and it's about not waiting for things to happen.
• 22:23
  Brett: Instead, you make them happen.
• 22:25
  Brett: Not waiting about the perfect time, because that'll never come.
• 22:30
  Brett: The perfect time to start, whatever it is, is now, and the Strenuous Life complements this perfectly, because both of them emphasize the importance of effort, perseverance, continuous improvement, and they both encourage us to step out of our comfort zones and to embrace challenges that come with growth, because that is something that will happen.
• 22:52
  Brett: You'll reach a milestone and realize that there's more challenges that come your way, and be excited about that.
• 23:00
  Brett: It means you're making progress and it just means that you're getting better and you're becoming the best version of yourself.
• 23:12
  Brett: The more challenges that arise, the more ready you'll be to take them on, because what I've learned in my own journey is that every time that I do something difficult every time that I do something that makes me uncomfortable.
• 23:27
  Brett: Those lessons can apply to other areas of my life, like if I'm pushing myself really hard in the gym, if I'm trying to get my pace faster so I can do better in races and I'm doing that work.
• 23:42
  Brett: I know the mental capacity it takes.
• 23:44
  Brett: I know how hard it is mentally to do it.
• 23:46
  Brett: Yes, it's hard physically, but I would argue it's more hard mentally.
• 23:50
  Brett: Then I can take those lessons and be like hey, this huge project just came up at work, but I'm going to apply the same principles I've done with running to be able to stay in the game, to be able to keep myself motivated and to fight through when things get really difficult, because they will.
• 24:07
  Brett: That's why it's important to have support.
• 24:09
  Brett: That's why it's important to really test yourself and see what you're made of.
• 24:15
  Brett: Really test yourself and see what you're made of.
• 24:22
  Brett: Whether it's getting after it or the strenuous life, whatever you want to call it, the core principle is the same it's to live a life of action, of purpose and resilience.
• 24:26
  Brett: Teddy Roosevelt's the embodiment of this.
• 24:28
  Brett: Like I said, when he was a kid he was scrawny, but then he became a boxer, he became a great mountain man.
• 24:35
  Brett: He started the Rough Riders, which they fought in the Spanish War, and the stories about the Rough Riders are unbelievable.
• 24:44
  Brett: I'm not going to get into it today I might make an episode on them later but courage and bravery and persistence are just a few of the words that come to mind.
• 25:02
  Brett: When I think about the Rough Riders, I will say Teddy Roosevelt had a speech in 1999 where he advocated for a life of toil, effort and challenge over ease and comfort.
• 25:15
  Brett: Like you choose the challenge rather than those two, because, at the end of the day, this is how you become better.
• 25:28
  Brett: Like this whole philosophy aligns with stoicism, which I love, because virtue, resilience and living in harmony with your surroundings and your circumstances it all ties into Teddy Roosevelt's actions and getting after it, because we all have a hard time when a challenge arises.
• 25:47
  Brett: That's one thing that I think we can all relate to.
• 25:51
  Brett: When something unexpected comes up in our lives, it can sometimes feel like the end of the world.
• 25:57
  Brett: I've had my fair share of those things, like when I was sick in 2021 and I was 135 pounds and I thought I was literally dying.
• 26:06
  Brett: That's a huge roadblock I had overcome and during that time I wasn't running as much like at all.
• 26:14
  Brett: Maybe I can't really remember, but I was still going to the gym.
• 26:17
  Brett: I was doing the bare minimum I could, like I was so weak I had no energy, but I was like I want to at least be disciplined with this and show myself that I have choices that I can make.
• 26:29
  Brett: I can either lay in bed and be just so in the grips of despair that I let that consume me, or you know what?
• 26:42
  Brett: I can show myself that I still have control.
• 26:48
  Brett: The challenge that you face is going to look different than mine.
• 26:51
  Brett: It's going to look different than your friends or your mom's or anyone's.
• 26:55
  Brett: That's the point, because your strenuous life is going to look different than mine, like I said, but whatever you need to do to tackle these challenges, to do better when adversity comes your way, that's what you need to learn.
• 27:12
  Brett: That's how you will become better.
• 27:15
  Brett: It doesn't matter what your friend's doing, if you know that you're doing your best, if you're giving it all, if you're putting one foot in front of the other when it doesn't seem like it's possible.
• 27:26
  Brett: Those are the lessons that you have to learn, and I will say it is a hard path to go now, but it's one of the most fulfilling.
• 27:37
  Brett: I think a lot of the reasons why people nowadays struggle with feeling fulfillment in their lives or they feel unmotivated, it's because they don't know how to challenge themselves.
• 27:48
  Brett: They don't know that on the other side of hard work, of discipline, of consistency, is the life that they've always dreamed of.
• 27:56
  Brett: And sure, those moments when you have to pry yourself out of bed and go work out, they're not fun, but that's not the point.
• 28:11
  Brett: If you want a fun life, move to Vegas, do whatever you want there.
• 28:13
  Brett: If you want a fulfilling life, do something that's hard.
• 28:14
  Brett: Challenge yourself, see if you can get better, see if you can motivate others around you to do the same, because Teddy Roosevelt believed that life isn't just about you, and I firmly believe the same thing.
• 28:30
  Brett: It's why I do this podcast, because the lessons that I learn I firmly believe can apply to everyone, with getting after it, with pushing yourself, and Teddy believed the same.
• 28:42
  Brett: And so people might look to you after you're on your own journey for a while and they'll say how did you get there?
• 28:47
  Brett: How did you get from point A to point B?
• 28:51
  Brett: And now you're in a completely different situation.
• 28:53
  Brett: People look at my brother Drew that way.
• 28:56
  Brett: Two years ago he was 255 pounds, now he's 210 and he's running marathons Something I think a lot of people wouldn't have believed that he could do.
• 29:06
  Brett: They say the same thing about me because I was 135 pounds, scrawny, sick kid who now runs ultra marathons, who qualified for Boston.
• 29:15
  Brett: But it's because of the work that went into it and the consistency and not shine away from challenges when they arise, and when I was at my lowest, I kept going.
• 29:27
  Brett: These are all lessons that you will learn if you decide to live a hard, strenuous life or if you choose to live a life full of getting after it.
• 29:40
  Brett: It's not meant to be a one time thing.
• 29:42
  Brett: It is a commitment to be the best version of yourself forever.
• 29:47
  Brett: For the rest of the time that you're on earth, you're going to be getting after it.
• 29:51
  Brett: You're going to live a strenuous lifestyle because that is how fulfillment comes be getting after.
• 29:56
  Brett: You're going to live a strenuous lifestyle because that is how fulfillment comes.
• 29:58
  Brett: If you're on the other side of that, if you're not doing things that are difficult, you're going to realize how easy it is to coast and how addicted to comfort you will become, and when it comes to the point to where you're laying in bed and you're like I got to get to work, but I'm so comfortable you might lose your job, you might choose comfort over actually going and working, and that's a dangerous place to be in.
• 30:20
  Brett: It's not fulfilling, you're not going to get anywhere.
• 30:24
  Brett: Doing that Might be hard to hear, but it's true.
• 30:28
  Brett: If you want to get anywhere in life, guess what it requires.
• 30:31
  Brett: Hard work requires persistence, resilience and facing adversity head on.
• 30:36
  Brett: And when it looks at you, you look back and you smile because you know that it's not going to take you down.
• 30:41
  Brett: This all comes from experiences of living a hard life, and I'm not saying it can't be full of joy and love and happiness, because I found that the more difficult things that I try and accomplish, the more life seems to be that way, because when I'm pushing myself at the gym, then I go to work and I work hard, but when I get home it's like I don't have to work hard right now, I can just be with Allie, I can just be present.
• 31:14
  Brett: To work hard right now, I can just be with Allie, I can just be present.
• 31:21
  Brett: And I think it comes down to a personal question that you'll have to ask yourself what kind of life do you want?
• 31:26
  Brett: If it's a life where you're envisioning, you know the American dream where you have a house, a family and you guys are living, you could say comfortably, guess what?
• 31:43
  Brett: There's going to be a lot of hard work that goes into that.
• 31:46
  Brett: You're going to have to spend days at the office.
• 31:48
  Brett: You're going to have to sacrifice time with your family for getting the hard shit done and you'll become better, I promise you.
• 31:57
  Brett: Life is meant to be experienced and I would argue that you can't experience life to its fullest if you're not putting yourself in the face of adversity Because that is something that we all experience and if you're not willing to overcome the challenges that are in front of you, if you're not willing to step up when all you want to do is kneel down and cry.
• 32:20
  Brett: Then you might live a life where it's comfortable and that's great.
• 32:26
  Brett: But I can reassure you again I don't think you'll be fulfilled.
• 32:31
  Brett: The strenuous life promises that you will be the best version of yourself, and that's exactly what getting after it's about.
• 32:40
  Brett: So teddy roosevelt was on to something back in the 1800s when he started pushing himself, when he was up at the crack of dawn as a skinny, asthmatic kid walking up the mountains, hiking, getting out in the outdoors, building up, up his lungs, the strength in his lungs to become the President of the United States.
• 32:58
  Brett: That's a wild thing to say.
• 32:59
  Brett: Even when he faced adversity, there was a day when he lost both his mom and his wife.
• 33:06
  Brett: In the same exact day.
• 33:07
  Brett: They both died.
• 33:08
  Brett: He didn't let that crush him.
• 33:10
  Brett: He wrote in his journal that night that the light has been taken from his world.
• 33:15
  Brett: And then what did he do?
• 33:17
  Brett: He moved to the Dakota Badlands to become a rancher and that's where he had that story where he chased boat thieves and he didn't let that define who he was, and I cannot imagine the pain that he must have felt during that time.
• 33:32
  Brett: But he pushed on, he persevered and he learned a lot about himself during that time.
• 33:37
  Brett: But he pushed on, he persevered and he learned a lot about himself during the time.
• 33:39
  Brett: And that's exactly what this kind of life promises you.
• 33:43
  Brett: It's not for everyone.
• 33:44
  Brett: You might listen to this and be like, yep, I'm not doing that.
• 33:48
  Brett: And if you don't want to, no one's forcing you.
• 33:51
  Brett: But if you want to be the best version of yourself, this is how you do it.
• 33:54
  Brett: You push yourself and you find challenges.
• 33:58
  Brett: You set small goals, you hold yourself accountable, you find support if you need it and you celebrate those small wins.
• 34:05
  Brett: It's a cycle.
• 34:08
  Brett: It is a consistent battle with yourself and if you can learn how to master your own thoughts and figure out what you need to do to be who you want to be, go down that road and don't be afraid of it, because you always have a choice.
• 34:24
  Brett: You can quit at any moment.
• 34:25
  Brett: If you're listening to this, if you're trying to become better, you will have a reframe in your mind when a challenge comes your way next to look at it as this was meant for me.
• 34:41
  Brett: I'm going to get better by facing this head on and then do exactly that.
• 34:46
  Brett: That's how you live a fulfilled life.
• 34:50
  Brett: That's how I've lived a fulfilled life.
• 34:53
  Brett: It might not work for you, like I said, but I think it works for most, because anyone who I admire, I look up to, they don't have an easy life.
• 35:02
  Brett: There's this quote Chris Williamson says all the time that you might admire someone's lifestyle, but you don't want their life Like the fact.
• 35:12
  Brett: I think a lot of people look at Elon Musk like this.
• 35:14
  Brett: They're like, oh man, he's the richest man in the world, but the guy works nonstop, he doesn't really sleep and he's dealing with crazy amounts of stress.
• 35:23
  Brett: Do you want that life?
• 35:25
  Brett: I don't know If you switch places with him today you might crumble.
• 35:31
  Brett: But I'm telling you, adversity is the best teacher, and at least about yourself.
• 35:41
  Brett: And I think the more that you know yourself, the more that you will push it.
• 35:44
  Brett: Push yourself.
• 35:45
  Brett: If you know you can handle a small challenge, then maybe it's time to think about a big one.
• 35:55
  Brett: It's all about getting after it, guys, and I know you can.
• 35:58
  Brett: I know deep down that you can because I was never someone who thought I would be in this position where I'm talking about living a strenuous life.
• 36:10
  Brett: I was coasting all the way up until college and then, once I got into college, I was like, hey, I found out about discipline through Jocko and I was like I'm going to test these principles and I haven't looked back because they've never turned me or they've never proved me wrong.
• 36:25
  Brett: Discipline is a it's a game changer.
• 36:29
  Brett: And do one thing today that will help you be more disciplined, overcome challenges more and be a better version of yourself.
• 36:37
  Brett: That's what this is all about.
• 36:39
  Brett: And then, when you get to that point, help someone else on their journey If you don't give back.
• 36:44
  Brett: I think that's another part of life that you might be missing out on.
• 36:48
  Brett: Fulfillment also comes from helping others.
• 36:50
  Brett: So if this episode helped you at all with understanding where you can make a change in your life to be the best version of yourself, just let me know.
• 37:00
  Brett: I would love to hear it.
• 37:01
  Brett: And if you need support on your journey to live a more strenuous life, hit me up.
• 37:07
  Brett: I have comments on Spotify.
• 37:09
  Brett: You can throw something down in there.
• 37:12
  Brett: You can email me on my website, keepgettingitafteritcom, or just hit me up on social media Instagram it's BCRossel, twitter or X BCRossel.
• 37:22
  Brett: But just let me know how I can help.
• 37:24
  Brett: And, if anything, I'm proud of you for even considering going down this path, because it is hard and it's full of challenges, but I promise you you'll be better for it.
• 37:37
  Brett: So do something today to find out what your next challenge is and face it head on, just like Teddy Roosevelt building a raft and going to find his boat after three days in just harsh conditions.
• 37:50
  Brett: That's a challenge, but he passed through it and he got better for it.
• 37:53
  Brett: I appreciate you guys for listening to this.
• 37:55
  Brett: I know this is a kind of a fiery little challenge, but he passed through it and he got better for it.
• 37:56
  Brett: I appreciate you guys for listening to this.
• 37:56
  Brett: I know this is kind of a fiery little episode, but these principles have never taken me down a wrong path and yes, they are hard.
• 38:08
  Brett: But, like I said before, the lifestyle, the life that you always envision for yourself, is on the other side of hard work, it's on the other side of consistency and it's the on the other side of not shying away from challenges.
• 38:23
  Brett: Rather you push head on.
• 38:25
  Brett: So share this with someone if it helped.
• 38:27
  Brett: But I always appreciate you guys for listening and until next episode, everyone keep getting after it.