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126: 5 Daily Habits That Will Change Your Life Forever · Harder Than Life

• 0:07
  I'm Kelly Siegel and this is Harder Than Life, a podcast about self-love, self-awareness, business, and health. We tell outrageous stories and boil everything down to simple, practical advice you can start using today. Let's get living. Welcome back to the Harder Than Life podcast and today it's just you and me, no guests, no fluff, just a hard-hitting truth about what it actually takes to level up and make 2025 your best year ever.
• 0:36
  Most people are stuck, frustrated, and overwhelmed. They set big goals, but their daily habits don't match their ambition. That ends today. I'm gonna give you five moving habits, plus a bonus that if you commit to them, will change your life. These are the things that separate winners from wannabes. Before we dive in, I'm gonna share a story with you. I started these by accident during the pandemic.
• 1:06
  And I just started adding on and adding on. And then I'm listening to podcasts and reading books because you guys know that's what I do. And what do you know? All the successful people are doing these five things. In addition, the bonus one is very near and dear to my heart.
• 1:26
  You can't turn on a winnable podcast, someone who's winning or open a success book and they not talk about something of what are these five I'm going to give you. They are simple, but they are not easy. Some of them you're going to think I'm absolutely insane and I am, but that's why you're listening to me because I love you and I want you to live the life that I live. Let's dive in. The first thing.
• 1:54
  It's going to be, I want you to lift weights three to five times a week. But Kelly, I don't know how to work out. I'm going to get to that. But let me tell you why I want you to work out like this. If you're weak physically, you'll be weak mentally. Strength training is a non-negotiable. Most people are mentally weak because they're physically weak.
• 2:20
  Your body is your foundation. Lifting weights builds discipline, resilience and confidence. It teaches you to push through resistance, just like in life. Strong body,
• 2:32
  equals more energy, better posture, higher testosterone, and greater focus. Most of you who've met me or see me, you say, wow, where'd he get his confidence from? It's from the never ending weight training. And why don't you know what else? It's, I'm not negotiating with myself and making certain that
• 2:54
  I actually go every single day. So by making those promises to myself and keeping those promises to myself, it builds confidence. And I know that no matter what is presented to me, I'm going to come out winner. I go seven days a week, but that's me. Body weight training is what I'd prefer, but focus on progressive overload and get a little stronger every time. Don't just work out, train with purpose.
• 3:24
  Guys, you're going to say to me, I don't know. I never worked out. I don't know what. You can Google it. You can YouTube it. Heck, you follow me. Follow me. Send me a DM. I'll throw something together and send you an action plan. But schedule your first three to five sessions today. Really, just if you're not working out at all, go three times. If you're working out three to four times, go five to six.
• 3:50
  Let's just push it a little further. If you're not sweating, remember, max heart rate. Again, I'm a little over the top with what I do. I go in and train...
• 4:01
  Fast and hard and heavy. So I get a cardio train while I'm lifting weights. And then I go back and do cardio. That's not what I've always done. I would mix them. I would do cardio after I do this crazy weight training. Again, I've been doing this for 30, 31, 32 years. I'm advanced.
• 4:22
  but I've seen many of you and you don't even do anything. That's not an option anymore, guys, not an option. Get to the gym, even if it's just going there and walking if you've never done anything before. Do something today. Number two, read 10 pages of a nonfiction book every day. Winners read, period. Your mind is your weapon. Reading sharpens it. 10 pages a day is all I'm asking.
• 4:50
  That'll equal 12 books a year. That's 12 mentors, 12 strategies, 12 breakthroughs. You are what you consume. Most people have no problem binging on social media or Netflix and chill or whatever, but you don't wanna read? Come on now, we're better than that. Instead, feed your brain high value knowledge. So what I want you to do,
• 5:17
  Read books that align with your goals, business, mindset, health, relationships. When is the best time to read? Morning or before bed. No excuses. You can keep a reading journal, but what I do is I open my phone and I make notes. That's how I bring you guys better content. That's how I make my stories. That's how I come up with these solo episodes. And you can make it fun. Those of you with children, don't.
• 5:43
  Read with your kids. It's amazing. I've showed you guys pictures before. Ari and I will be sitting in bed reading. And to this day, she's not a TV watcher. She reads. And she's got big brains and a big thinker. Reading is fundamental, but it's also...
• 6:03
  It just feeds your mind. If you're like, oh, it's crazy. I don't read a book. I'm even going to allow you to do an audio book just so you get something. Don't forget too. There's still libraries out there that let you check out books. But it's the best 20 bucks you'll ever invest in yourself. Go on Amazon. Have them ship you a book.
• 6:25
  My favorite book, I've told you guys over and over and over, is The Four Agreements. You read that book and you adopt The Four Agreements, your life will change. Mine did when I read it. I've read it probably 30 times. Pro tip, if you don't like the book, if it's just slow, set it down, go get a new one. Go get something else. I read a book a week. Again, I've been doing this for a long time, but I want you guys to start by doing this
• 6:54
  You'll enjoy yourself. So no excuses. Grab 10 pages, read it, enjoy it. And at the end of the year, you'll have 12 new action types. And who knows, you might even learn something to make some more money. If nothing else, DM me, maybe I'll send you one of my old books. We're writing a book number two. And the funniest thing is we're making it, every chapter is gonna be 10 pages long. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, Heart of the Life Nation. You can too, and you will. Number three.
• 7:23
  This was the hardest one for me to adapt. And believe me, I do these every day. They're non-negotiable for me. Was the journal every day. I'm going to tell you a funny story. I'll share this. Can't believe I'm going to say this to you. I was always nervous that somebody would find my journal and think I'm weird.
• 7:42
  Because the things in there are weird. It's just my innermost thoughts. I don't script it. I just write out whatever is on my mind to get it out of my head so it's not on repeat. And I take a habit where I star the good days so I can go back and repeat good days and repeat the habits it took me to have those good days.
• 8:04
  But don't worry about people reading your journal. All they're gonna figure out is you're a human being, have a human experience trying to battle through this hard, hard life. Again, most people are reactive, but by journaling, you'll get clarity, and clarity is power. So don't drift through life without direction. Journaling forces you to think, reflect, and track your progress.
• 8:32
  But what am I gonna journal about, Kelly? Even if what I gave you does not work, if you can't just write down any thought and let it flow, here's three journal prompts for you. What am I grateful for today? Gratitude shifts your mindset. It is impossible to be stressed and grateful at the same time.
• 9:00
  So the very simple and easiest things and the gratitude, I'm going to do a whole solo episode on gratitude. Believe me, it can be simple things. I just ask that you don't repeat them every single day. We're all grateful for our family. Don't keep saying that every single day. Actually think about it. So what did I accomplish today? That's a big one.
• 9:20
  I even am a little bit tough on myself because small wins does create momentum, but I am tough on myself. What I forgot to do, what I didn't get to and why. That's some massive self-awareness that I love to share. It's like, ooh, a little bit too negative, but I'm not perfect, guys. I'm just here sharing you with my principles that I do every day. The last journal prompt could be what's one action item I could take tomorrow to improve?
• 9:48
  Growth comes from reflection. I guess I kind of doubled that up, but it's true. Just think about what can make tomorrow better and then execute on it. Keep it simple. Just your thoughts on a piece of paper. And again, I don't know if I said this, but I believe that you just get a spiral notebook. I order them five at a time and I bring them and then I date it and write down the things I'm grateful for.
• 10:16
  things I got done and just whatever's on my mind. And I find that when I'm done, I feel better. It's better than calling and commiserating with a friend because then you're just going to, misery loves company and you're going to attract more misery in your life. This way, putting it in your journal and letting it go allows you to sleep better at night, which leads us into number four, which is meditate for 10 minutes every morning. Okay.
• 10:46
  I don't know. I've tried it before. It doesn't work for me. What? Why is meditation so important? The days that I don't meditate, I know it. This year, 2025, I'm going to meditate 365 days, no matter what. And how am I doing it? First thing in the morning. Guys, do the things that you're trying to get done.
• 11:09
  First thing, this way, that's funny, that's how I started working out back in the day when I used to party all the time. I literally would go to the gym first thing because second I had a drink, I wasn't going. So I valued how I looked, I also value how I feel, so I meditate first thing. My eyes open.
• 11:30
  I say a couple of gratitude things and then I immediately, I open my phone and I hate that part of it, but I use the daily calm. Why do I do this? If you can't control your mind, you can't control your life. Most people wake up and immediately check their phones for social media. I grab my phone and I put on the daily calm. You can use daily calm, you can use Headspace or you can just breathe and focus on your breath.
• 12:00
  So your mind will absolutely deviate. Just keep coming right back to it. It's that whole process of training your mind to focus. Meditation isn't about sitting in silence. It's about training your brain to focus, to be present, to stay calm under pressure. 10 minutes a day reduces stress, improves decision-making, and increases discipline.
• 12:27
  So again, what I want you to do is set a 10 minute timer, grab your daily calm or, or headspace, focus on your breath when your mind wanders and it will bring it back. That's the training. Again, I'm not being paid by headspace or calm, but I do use calm as a guided meditation. So.
• 12:51
  Set a 10-minute alarm and try it tomorrow morning or use the Daily Calm app. It is exactly 10 minutes. There is no reason. I will remind you, the days I don't meditate, I feel off.
• 13:07
  It is single-handedly one of the hardest things I do and a lot of times I still think I'm bad at it but I keep doing it and keep doing it because the days I do it I feel better. Number five, set and review weekly goals every Sunday. Fail to plan, plan to fail. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Get intentional. Most people drift from week to week with no plan.
• 13:33
  Winners set goals, track progress, and adjust weekly. Sunday planning ritual is review last week's what worked, what didn't.
• 13:45
  And then set three to five clear. They're called smart goals. Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Timely is the week. So set the clear goals. I call them smart. I actually like smarter. Same thing I just said, but add energetic and relevant or real. Don't forget to break each goal into small daily actions.
• 14:12
  So this Sunday, blocked 30 minutes, and a lot of times, I don't wait till the very end of the day, but sometimes I do. There's no real good time that I've found yet, whether it's more, whether it's the beginning of Sunday or end of Sunday. But at the very end of the day, for me, it helps me sleep much better at the very end of the Sunday to go into my office and literally 30 minutes, I just write everything out.
• 14:38
  I then text it to my assistant and she puts it on my calendar. So again, if you show me your calendar, I will show you what is important to you. So schedule it. Put it on your calendar. 30 minutes. Here's the five things I'm going to accomplish this week. Here's a quick recap. Work out three to five times a week. More if you're advanced. Number two, read 10 pages a day of a nonfiction book.
• 15:06
  Number three, journal at least one page every single day. Number four is meditate for 10 minutes every single day. And number five is review and set weekly goals. Those five are the foundation of being harder than life. They are simple, but they are not easy. None of those points are impossible to you guys.
• 15:35
  Impossible only describes the degree of difficulty and it says I am possible. Bonus tip, take daily action on self-care. If you guys have been following me at all, you know what I mean about loving yourself and it is a daily intention. As a matter of fact, when I'm really off or out of alignment,
• 16:01
  I will meditate without the Daily Calm app and I will meditate and I will say, I love myself. Thank you. I put the intention out there and I say thank you to the universe for loving myself. And then it just reminds me, I put my hand over my heart and I go, so self-care is not selfish. You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself.
• 16:28
  Success isn't just about grinding. It's about sustaining your energy and well-being. Self-care isn't just spa days. It's doing the things that make you feel alive. So daily self-care, getting enough sleep. You're not productive when you're exhausted. For me, I gotta sleep seven hours. I must, it's a non-negotiable, seven hours. You figure out what works best for you, but industry experts say anywhere between six and eight hours.
• 16:57
  Sleep. Hydrate properly. Most people walk around dehydrated. I make sure the first thing I do when I wake up after I've done the meditation, I walk in, I high five the mirror and say I love you. Another self-care tip. That's a bonus bonus. And I guzzle a whole bottle of water.
• 17:17
  And then I fill it up again and I head out to the gym and I drink four more. So I get my gallon of water every single day. It helps me with clear skin and just not be as hungry and have energy. So I spend time in nature. I go for a gratitude walk with my dog every single day, even when it's cold out. I'm in Michigan right now and it is cold and it is snowing and I walk with my dog. And a lot of times I'm recording it and sharing it all with you.
• 17:43
  Every one of these things that I am teaching you, I do day in and day out. Guys, this stuff works. I love my life and I want you to love yours. This one, this bonus is very hard. This one. Saying no to energy draining people and tasks. Why is that important? Because like attracts like. And if you're in gossipy and chaos,
• 18:12
  you're probably part of it and that's something we gotta friggin' fix. There will be more episodes of that later, but I don't care if that friend has been with you for 30 years. If every single time you interact, you walk away drained, you have to limit their time with that person. If you're working in a job that you absolutely hate, we have to look at what that means because you are absolutely draining and literally killing yourself.
• 18:39
  Let's make 2025 the year you take control. Hope you had as much fun as I did. All the work and preparation that went behind this is amazing, and it feels great. Follow me on Instagram, kelly.segal.71, and you can DM me anytime for topics that you'd like me to discuss, because I'm going to be bringing more and more of these every single Thursday. We're going to bring topics that hopefully will make your life better. I want to hear from you, but in the meantime, subscribe, share this with someone who needs it,
• 19:08
  And I'll see you next time on Harder Than Life. Please rate and share this podcast. I'm active on all social platforms and love to hear from my Segal supporters. Each and every episode is sponsored by my company, National Technology Management, the easiest and best IT company to do business with, delivering peace of mind with technology every day, even simplifying cybersecurity. Visit TrustNTM.com for more info. Until next week, be harder than life.