If you're not in as good a shape as you were five years ago, most likely the inputs have changed.Now, yes, maybe you're older and as you get older, it's harder and metabolism and hormones and all that.Yes, absolutely.
But if the inputs have changed, that's definitely going to affect it.
The reason why you're always hearing me talk about numbers and why you're always hearing me say, oh, congratulations, 54 a week, like it's not about, I'm not, I'm not flexing on this.I'm, I'm saying I'm proud of the inputs.
because those inputs are bringing us toward our goals and dreams and helping people, so many people.
Welcome to Next Level University.I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.
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Next Level Nation, welcome back to another episode of Next Level University, where we help you level up your life, your love, your health, and your wealth.Today, for episode number 1,880, it's Freestyle Friday.
And on Freestyle Friday, for those of you who may be new, we don't have a topic in mind.We just kind of chat and see what comes up. And this is what is coming up for me.I had a conversation, so two things.
I had a conversation with somebody yesterday, a client, and we always kind of have the last thing we say before we sign off.And I said, the main focus for you right now has to be inputs, not outputs.
Inputs inputs inputs inputs inputs not outputs because what happened to this client was they started focusing on outputs And they stopped doing the things that got them there in the first place So my theme for today's freestyle Friday is when you stop doing what got you to the dance you don't get to dance anymore But it's very easy to forget that
It's very easy to forget what brought you success in business, in fitness, in your dream chasing, in your relationships, whatever it is, in your personal life, in your weight loss journey, in your mental health journey.It's very easy to forget that.
And I think the, and I'm curious to your take, Alan, because obviously you want to get results.You want to get outputs.Why is it so important to measure inputs as opposed to measuring outputs? Love it.So excited.First of all, Alan is an engineer.
We'll just throw that out there.Thank you.
I was going to say that.I had a listener and client reach out and say, I love that you're saying that because it helps you lean into who you are.It was awesome.
She's also married to someone who went to engineering school and she knows a bunch of engineers.So, she can't imagine not knowing engineers either.And she said something along the lines of very different circles.It is interesting.
It's definitely fascinating.I can't imagine that world either.But anyways, okay.So, what you're referring to is something we teach called systems thinking.We teach it in group coaching.Do you want to do the egg story thing?
Yeah, sure, sure, sure.I know we don't have a ton of time for today's episode.So, I'm somebody who's very lazy when it comes to cooking.I don't really like cooking, and I also don't require very high quality meals.Same.So, I like to keep it simple.
So, I remember one day I was thinking to myself, there's gotta be a way I can just crack an egg onto a piece of bread, throw it in the air fryer, or a couple pieces of bread and a couple eggs, and then find a way to make a sandwich.
And I tried it for myself the first time, and when I cracked the egg on the bread, it just went everywhere, and the air fryer became a hot, just hot, stinky, burnt mess.So that didn't work.
So what I did was I went online and figured out how to actually do it.So I had an idea, so my input was, I think this is gonna work, I'm gonna put the egg in for, I'm gonna put the sandwich in for 15 minutes on 400 degrees. That didn't work.
Maybe it was burnt, maybe it was undercooked, whatever.So I tested again.So the output I got... I'm effing this whole thing up.The input was, I put my sandwich in the air fryer for 15 minutes on 400 degrees.
The output was an inedible hockey puck of a sandwich.Did you still hammer it?You hammered it.Yeah, yeah, yeah.I'm not gonna waste it. You put barbecue sauce on anything, anything burnt, you can pretty much eat it.
I remember Kevin said this one time, I talked about Nutella, he said you could put Nutella on a golf ball and put it down.Yeah, I'd swallow that right down.
Nutella's the best thing on the planet.I know it's got a ton of sugar, I know it's not great for you, but in a bulk, A peanut butter Nutella sandwich are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me the best thing ever that was Kevin's life after his fitness show it was yeah?I ate a lot of Nutella after my fitness shows so when you get the output of the burnt sandwich Then you measure it, and then you say okay.Well.
What went wrong here.Did I cook it for too long was a temperature too?Hot what where did I essentially where did I go wrong and then you use that to?recalibrate your
prediction and you rinse and you rinse and repeat that the reason Recipes are so valuable is because somebody already figured out the system for you They know the strategy of how long the temperature whatever when to flip it I know it's a very simple example, but I do think that's one of the best examples ever when it comes to systems thinking well You asked me what?
Why is it important to measure inputs the the systems thinking framework?I have it up on my other computer is input of time effort or money Output, which is whatever you're measuring, whatever result you want.
And then the third step is measure, which we just talked about.And then four is adjust.So you want to start a podcast, so you do an episode, you record an episode, the output was hot garbage.Okay, you measure it, you review it.
Okay, I say I'm too much, I say like too much.Okay, that's not great.And then you adjust.If you were to look at episode 1000 versus episode this one, it would be very different.
Even your camera angle is a little different than it was just 10 episodes ago.Our thumbnails are different everything Yeah, I think everything is systems thinking.What did you think about?
Let me answer your original question first Why does it matter to measure inputs you have to measure inputs and outputs?
Otherwise, you don't understand the whole equation and why does that matter if you don't understand the whole equation you can't adjust To get better results every every single one of us is getting results in life You're getting specific results
And I was talking to a client yesterday and she said, most people don't know how they're getting the results.And the last thing they're going to do is admit that you're the reason.
And this is what I do with coaching.
This is it I mean you say I talk about all the time goals metrics habits skills and identity and The goal is the output that you want the inputs are the metrics that you measure in the habits that you do daily and So Kevin and I for the last almost eight years I've been helping him and myself just we are constantly going back to the drawing board of okay.
Where are we fucking up?I Where are we not doing what we need to be doing?And where are we wasting time and effort on things that don't actually matter?And that's why I really strongly disagree.I think it's so important to study.
That's the value of studying. Why study podcasting?Why study the industry?Why study social media?Why study these things?Because it helps you readjust what you're doing and try new things so that you can try to get better results.
And you got to measure the outputs.Those are the metrics.So if you notice your tracker, you have seven or eight metrics and the output is what you're measuring.The input is the habits. And so when you adjust the habits, the metrics change.
The problem is the time in between.Yeah.Because Kev can immediately start foam rolling tomorrow, but you're not going to see any benefit to that for weeks.As a matter of fact, it took me eight months of foam rolling to really start feeling flexible.
I think I'm just starting to feel some micro benefit of mobility.Isn't that so alarming?Dude, I'm convinced that is why we struggle as human beings.I'm convinced.
So I've been saying the quote, from day to day progress is invisible, from year to year progress is impossible to miss.But it's not just positive progress, it's negative progress too.
Or lack of progress.That's the thing that makes it... Really challenging is Yeah, you do four hours of doom scrolling on your phone today.Nothing's gonna happen.
It doesn't really it's a you might feel different But you're also gonna feel different if you send four emails to potential clients.You're gonna feel different for the day.
Nothing happened though the potential of something happened or the lack of potential of something happened, but yeah, it's really a It's really, really weird.I actually was thinking about this today.I want to add another metric to my PPT.
I'll talk to you before I do it, but I want to add inputs for specific things, like inputs for whatever.I want to measure that more than anything else.
One of the reasons so I mentioned yesterday actually was inaccurate.It's 54 is my average.So my average over the last five weeks is 54.I bulk all of my, I call it a G3 target.We're going to teach it tonight on the meetup, but it's a genius zone.
It's what are the top three priorities for your life right now?Mine is podcasting, training and coaching.And my average per week over the last four or five weeks is 54. podcasts, trainings, and coaching sessions.And 54 is really hard.
That's why my voice is a little hoarse.I've been kind of redlining it.
And the reason I'm redlining it too, by the way, and we don't talk about this enough, I don't think, is that when you redline it long enough, assuming you can sustain it and not, assuming you don't have suicidal ideation, assuming you have strong mental health, assuming you're at least somewhat fulfilled, and assuming that your physical health is reasonable,
You can keep redlining and your mind, body, heart and soul will adapt to that new level.If I put 5 year ago Kev into your current life, you would immediately burn to the ground.Why?
Because we don't talk about this enough, in my opinion, the body and mind adapt.The amount of pressure you and I are under is normal now. that would have crushed you in the beginning.
I mean, in the beginning you didn't have a wife, you didn't have a team, you didn't have, you know, you just didn't have that much responsibility.
And so I think ultimately my point though is the reason why you're always hearing me talk about numbers and why you're always hearing me say, oh, congratulations, 54 a week, like it's not about, I'm not flexing on this.
I'm saying I'm proud of the inputs. Right, right because those inputs are bringing us toward our goals and dreams and helping people So many people that's really why I'm saying it like I don't just hear.Oh good for you Alan.
You did 54 How many people am I helping?I mean, it's unreal, right?So it's I'm proud.I'm proud of that because 54 would have been impossible for me before Seriously, I couldn't five years ago.There's no way I could have done that shit
Hello, hello, hello, NLU listener.Thank you, as always, for listening to Next Level University.Real quick, I just want to jump in and let you know about the Next Level Dreamliner.This is a journal that I use every single day.
Achieve your dreams 90 days at a time.It breaks down your dreams into goals, milestones, and daily habits.We hope you enjoy it.The link will be in the show notes.
Yeah, well, even the podcast is a good example.It's I think when people say they think, OK, you've done eighteen hundred eighty episodes.Same to me.Those are all inputs.So again, that's I mean, cool.The output is whatever has come of it.
But the reason we do one day is because we want to add as much value as possible.That's the input.Let me let me do an episode every day.That's the input.That's what you measure.And then what comes of that is is awesome.
And as long as you're focused on improving and and doing it consistently and all that. But I understand, I understand why... It's almost like you have to complete the full cycle in order to appreciate the cycle.
You have to sit down one day and say, hmm, what would make the most sense for me to accomplish goal A?Like, what is the first thing I have to do?Okay, that's the input.Great example.
I was talking to a client the other day, and this client is a therapist.And I said, well, they said they booked an emergency, I don't even know, like 12 sessions with me.I was like, when I saw all 12 come through, I said, something's going on.
We got there's something there's something happening.
That's awesome And the first call she said I am running out of money because I've I'm not getting clients like I used to and the first thing was okay Cool, when you had the most clients, what were you doing?Yeah, what were they be happy the question?
Yeah, what were the behaviors and she gave me a list of them and I said, okay We have to start going back to that and I said, okay out of all of those things out of those five things What was the one thing that brought you the most results?
Nice and she said it to me and she said it's so weird because I never make a dollar doing that thing Yep, but it always leads the things I want.I said don't you were thinking about outputs?No, you got to think about input.
How many times can you do that?It's it's the analogy Allen's used before if you could go to Las Vegas and put a dollar into a slot machine and And eventually, not immediately, but eventually, that dollar came out as $50.
How long would you do that for?You'd do it forever.
Well, here's the problem.In entrepreneurship, you put a dollar in, you get punched in the face a few times, and then four years later, you get $47.
It is, it is.Well, four years later, you might get $2.50.Yeah.
But then 15 years later, you get $3 million out of it.Yeah, yeah.
But you're barely alive. That's the conversation.If you're not in as good a shape as you were five years ago, most likely the inputs have changed.Now, yes, maybe you're older and as you get older, it's harder and metabolism and hormones and all that.
Yes, absolutely.But if the inputs have changed, that's definitely going to affect it.
What did you use to... I remember one time, Kevin and I had a really big month.It was the most money we'd ever made up to that point.It was like $24,000 or something like that. And you and I were about to record, and I had my remarkable one.
I was preparing for the episodes.It was back when we took notes before these, and we didn't know what the hell we were doing.But still don't.I remember you saying, did you hear me?Because I was unfazed, you know?And you're like, did you not hear me?
What's the deal?And I think it threw you for a loop a little bit.And I said, Kev, I don't take my focus off of the thing that brought the money to celebrate the money. Like, the money is a byproduct.But you've always been weird in that.
Can we talk about that weirdness?Because there's something to that, right?Here's what that was.I was more focused on the input.
Yeah, you're extreme on that though.You're extreme on that.Not in a bad way.Not in a bad way.But I remember Alan and I were in California for an event and we were interviewing people and we were on the Pacific Coast Highway.
And I remember saying, dude, we should stop and get like a really nice lunch today or a really nice dinner.And you're like, yeah, that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard in my life.And we ended up eating at a burrito place and it was fire.
It was really good.That was awesome.But we ended up eating at a burrito truck on the
like overlooking the pacific high the pacific ocean it was wonderful it was awesome i wanted to get a really nice dinner because for me i want to celebrate accomplishments i now realize why that was such an l for you and one of my clients said this we have to experience it for it to land
100% I'm emotionally driven.I got to experience the I told Alan I so I had to drop my car off to get an oil change and a there was some Recall and They gave me what that was.They charged us for the recall.No.
No, they I needed about I need an alignment and a tire No, no all that all that was But they gave me a 2025 rental It was so much nicer than my car.Yeah, and so much faster and so much louder and That for me.I'm telling you it does something
Yeah, I don't know how to explain it unlocks a possibility that I never thought was possible Yeah, when you put yourself in a position when you put yourself in an environment that you never thought you would get to Something happens now.
I'm not saying you wake up the next day and you manifest the the thing that's not how it works But I do think it creates inspiration as the payment God I don't know how much that would be but
Yeah, it probably creates inspiration it probably creates extra motivation, but what I think it creates is extra belief Yeah, that it creates extra certainty extra awareness and familiarity And there's something to that, I don't know.
Is there something like, oh, this is possible?This is real?Yeah.Because for me, and I don't want this to ever come off as pretentious or arrogant, I, at the end of the day, I just want to be myself.So, I'm an engineer.
I don't, there's no difference between experience and like theoretical, like, When we made the 24,000, there was no like, oh, I'm so, well, I mean, I'm grateful.Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful.
But Emilia, you never get to say that because your relationship is better than you ever thought it could be.That's a fact.And the truth is, is that I think that's actually the distinction.It's not just that I believe it.
I never thought that my relationship would ever be as good as it is.So for me, it was like, Whoa.Yeah.Yeah.This is that when I first started dating Amelia, it was breaking my brain how good this was.
Our very first date, I said that I was struggling with something and she said, what do you need from me in moments when you're struggling?And I didn't even, I went into immediately what would she would need?And she's like, no, no, you didn't hear me.
What do you need from me in those moments?And I'm like, wait a minute, you care about The kid was and that was our first date.
Yeah on our first date She's asking what she what I need from her when I'm struggling on our first date What I'm willing to bet there's people out there that are like they're not so they wouldn't be surprised if that happened Yeah, which makes sense because the success versus the 100% if you're really good at success I've never said this on the podcast before if you're really really really good at achievement.
It's very hard to be good at relationships.I
Most of the people look at look at the people that are the best in the world at achievement they're not likable people that most people like vehemently dislike them or don't understand them or villainize them or You know call them nuts or crazy or whatever.
So I Mean the engineer thing engine no one like likes engineers.I have one engineer.I'm thinking of who runs an entire company Everyone's making millions.
Ah, you know, he built the whole thing and and that no one even likes him they like think he's a dick and it's like But all of your careers were like built through his ability to build this company.There's got to be something for that.
I don't understand it fully because I've never... Well, I think that's a different episode. That's a different episode.Fair.Fair.Back to systems thinking.
You can't want success without the system.That's impossible.It's an impossibility.You say, well, you can want it.You could want it.I just probably can't expect it.Yeah, you won't get it.
The truth is you won't get it without the system.Well, that's the reason most people don't have the results that they want is they don't have the system yet. That's all it is.The system is the strategy.
The system is the strategy.
Or they don't implement the strategy.Fair.Because you can have the strategy and then hang out.Fair.And the truth is, goal one is figure out what you actually want.What's the output you're going for?
Focus two is what are the inputs necessary to achieve that? Third is consistently do them long enough to actually get some results.And then the fourth is adjust accordingly and never stop adjusting.
And here's the thing, and I was talking to a client yesterday about this. She said, I've never been more, I said, true or false?I do true, false, semi-true.My clients know that.True or false, you're the most fulfilled you've ever been.She said, yes.
I said, true or false, you're the most dialed in you've ever been.She said, yes.I already know.I can tell.I can see it on you.You're pumped.You're burning down, but you're pumped.Your energy is fulfilled, but yet you're struggle bussing.
Versus the opposite of like someone who's celebrating and just came off vacation.They're very refilled, but they're kind of unfulfilled and lost There's a different energy about it right now.
You're not like even Kev right now if you're on YouTube, he's not He didn't just get back from vacation.You can tell he's not like this full abundant.I'm pumped about life cup However, he is fulfilled and centered That's the energy I'm looking for.
Fulfilled and centered is much better than like frolicky and hungover or whatever.Okay, so anyways, goal one, what's the goal?Goal two, what's the system that's going to get you to the goal?Goal three is execute against the system.
Goal four is consistently adjust accordingly toward it. And when you are redlining, you have to be careful not to immediately lower the target.
Most people, when it's not working, instead of figuring out how to get it and innovate and transform, they actually lower the target.So 10 pounds in 10 weeks.Ah, well, you know, I'll give you a really extreme example.
I'm scared to share this a little bit.So I was four days out, still four pounds away. Most people would have lowered the target and texted Kev and say, I can't do it, man.This is I can't do it.I can't weigh in.I can't do it.
And I decided, no, I'm going to do a dehydrated marathon.The reason why I did that is because I didn't want to lose belief. I needed to prove to myself that I could still weigh in.And so I could have lowered the target.
I could have been like, brother, you know, it's not that big a deal.And sometimes you gotta do that out of self-preservation.I'm not saying to be reckless and do what I did, but don't always lower the target.
If you're constantly lowering the target, I see people do this all the time, last thing.You can't just lower the target the moment it's not working.Instead of lowering the target, figure out how to hit the target. Maybe it's going to take more time.
Maybe it's going to take more effort.Maybe you've got to invest in a coach.Maybe you've got to get a therapist.Maybe you've got to learn more.Maybe you've got to get a better book.Maybe you've got to put in more effort.
Maybe you've got to wake up earlier.Maybe you've got to go to bed earlier.Dude, instead of lowering targets, lowering standards, you have to figure out a way to innovate.
And I'm convinced that over time that changes everything and then your new walking pace becomes other people's all out sprint.
Well, the hard thing, and this is the thing that I say to clients, is you can't ever, even when the garden is full, you can't stop planting seeds.That's all.Planting seeds is the input.
The fruits of the labor are the output, but you can never stop planting seeds. So that would be my takeaway in today's episode.If you are struggling with systems thinking and you're trying to figure out what the system is, reach out to Alan.
Because I guarantee in a 30 minute free call, totally free, no strings attached, not going to sell you anything, he can help you come up with a system to reverse engineer whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish.
So I'll have the link in the show notes below.And if you are looking for a group of like-minded humans who are into growth and on the path of evolution just like you are to the next levelness, we will have the link for Next Level Nation.
in the show notes as well.As always, we love you.We appreciate you.Grateful for each and every one of you.At NLU, we do not have fans.We have family.We will talk to you all tomorrow.Keep thinking strategically.Next level nation.
Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University.We love connecting with the Next Level family.
We mean it when we say family.If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly.Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.
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