Grow the Good

 

Habit change is hard, and it's really hard if you tend to think about your habit change as an all-or-none thing or if you get decision fatigue from too many options.  Have you heard the quote "don't let perfection be the enemy of good?" Sometimes the idea of not being able to do something perfectly or the idea of having to be perfect at it every day will stop us from even trying.   I came across some discussions in my community lately where one person criticized another because they didn't change or move the needle enough - this was in regards to diet.

Doing the best you can is a good place to start, but I like to ask "is it better than" when comparing two options.  Asking "is it better than" can also give you a different point of view if you find you are critical of a decision another person is making about their changes.  We can't be in control of everything all the time and learning to set ourselves up to make the best decision possible for a given situation instead of defaulting to our old ways is powerful. Asking "is it better than" is particularly helpful when it comes to diet. A lot us have guilt or even self-flagellation if we quote mess up.  There is a fine line between letting yourself off the hook too many times versus having a little bit of leeway and self-compassion, but I think we intuitively know if we are giving something our best shot or if we are just looking for excuses. You can feel it in your body.

I'll give you a few examples. One person wants to stop having dairy in their diet, so they switch to soy milk. 

When the person orders a latte at Starbucks, someone points out that the soy milk from Starbucks has added sugar!  Yes, it's best to have unsweetened soy milk, but having soy milk with a little bit of sugar is still better than eating dairy if you're trying to avoid it.  Given your options and your decision to order a latte, what is the best choice in the moment?

Say you're trying to give up meat, but you haven't gone all the way yet.  Is eating meat a few times a week better than eating it every day?  Yes.  If you believe meat is unhealthy, eating no meat is best but moving the needle to a habit that is sustainable for you is better than not at all.

If you are trying to eat less desserts, but really have a craving- eating a small bowl of granola is better than eating a piece of cake.

Riding for 30 minutes is better than not riding at all.

Picking up a few items of clutter around the house is better doing nothing.

Ordering the chips and salsa for an appetizer is probably better than ordering the cheese pizza as an appetizer.

Oatmeal you make yourself is better than processed cereal. 

Whole wheat flour is better than white flour, but eating in tact whole grains is best. Maybe you don't have access to whole grains in that moment or you ran out of time trying to make something.

Next time you feel stuck in a particular situation where you are having trouble making a decision that will align with your goals, just try comparing your options and asking which one is better than the other.

 Listen Now     Yay!  Our Podcast Sponsor- Sufferfest Beer

In 2012, Founder and CEO Caitlin Landesberg started her search for the perfect beer to cheers with friends after long tr

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Rob Lea is an animal. In a 6 month period, he summitted Mt. Everest, swam the English Channel, got married, and rode his bike across America, all while raising awareness for gender equality in the mountains and in the boardroom based on the HeforShe Initiative by the United Nations.  Rob’s mountaineering career includes climbs of mountains around the world including Aconcagua, Denali, and most recently, Cho Oyo.  Not only is he an endurance machine, but he is a realtor in Park City, UT. 

His love for triathlon, inspiration from his wife and Professional Athlete Caroline Gleich, and even the medal hanging in his closet as Age Group 30-34 Half Ironman World Champ prove that Rob is no stranger to pushing his limits. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• how did he come up with the Ultimate World Triathlon
• how to get out of your own way and dream big
• men supporting gender equality and #climbforequality
• prepping for Everest
• Risk Mitigation: personal safety vs pushing limits on Everest
• Swimming the English Channel: jellyfish stings, caloric intake, brown fat
• Biking across America with virtually no training
• overcoming monotony and the will to go on

Listen Now

 

 

 

Resources

• Follow Rob on Instagram
• Rob's website
• Implicit Bias Disrupter Questions
• HeforShe Initiative
• Listen to my podcast episode with Rob's wife: Caroline Gleich 

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________________________________________________ Yay!  Our Podcast Sponsor- Sufferfest Beer

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

  We are a few days into January. When we make a declaration of a new lifestyle, goal, or habit, it can be hard to stick to it. According to research by the University of Scranton, 92% of people don’t achieve their New Year’s Resolution goals. We want to create habits to be happier and healthier, but change is not always easy. If we genuinely want to discover the best version of ourselves, why do we give up on some of our goals? There are multiple reasons we don’t achieve our goals.

• We get stuck in all-or-none thinking. Sometimes we don’t even start working towards a goal or habit because it seems too unattainable.
• When we make a mistake or a slip-up, we give up and revert back to our old habits because sticking to the new one seems too hard.
• We don’t create a support network and an environment for change
• Our goals are not specific or measurable.
• We are worried about changing our identity or how other people perceive us

Another common thing we do is focus on setting goals based on an outcome we desire.  Sometimes we can't even control those outcomes such as setting a goal for a race result (you can't control what your competition is doing), a sales goal for our business, or just goals that have outcomes that count on other people's opinions or ratings.  Setting goals that have outcomes outside of your immediate control can be defeating.  Like for me- I say to myself, "yes! I want to write a NYT Bestselling Book."  Honestly, setting a goal like that makes it hard for me to even write the book because it seems like so much is out of my control.  A better way to do it would be to commit to writing a certain number of pages per day, hire a really good editor, etc. Those are all things in my control but I can't control what people will do after I've given my best effort.  Another example of an outcome-based goal that is defeating:  I could set a goal to get x downloads per month for this podcast or a goal for ranking at a certain place among other podcasts, but a better goal would be to focus on becoming a better interviewer or coming up with processes to help me promote my show.  Those are things I can control.  See the difference? We also tie our happiness and satisfaction to the outcome of the goal itself, which leaves us in an endless pursuit of saying “I’ll be happy when I achieve X.” There is a problem with being too goal-oriented; the paradox is that we cannot always control the future and thus our outcome, but we can always control our progress through consistent action. So how do you create a goal-setting system that will help you not only get what you want, but also feel satisfied and motivated on a daily basis? The trick is to stop focusing on the endpoint and instead start focusing on your process. If you can feel good about your daily actions working toward something important to you, it will help you stay on track.  You'll also feel more empowered and in control when the results of your goal setting are 100% within your control. Here are some easy examples of goal setting and actions within your control.

• Goal: Lose 10 lbs. Process: Meal planning and portion control.
• Goal: Run a marathon. Process: Create and stick to a training program.
• Goal: Buy a house. Process: Creating a budget to save money.

Goals are just a point on a map to start you moving in a different direction. Once you start down a new path, enjoy the experiences, the unknowns, and even the setbacks. Each week, look at the processes you've laid out for yourself and evaluate whether you are following them.  Celebrate small wins.  If you find that it's too hard to complete the road map you've started with, be f

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

This is a republish of the Singletracks Podcast with Jeff Barber where he had me on the show as a guest.  I thought it'd be a great podcast to start off 2020! 

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• how to view and appreciate strong competition and pressure
• finding the optimal amount of training for you
• why I love failure and find my greatest motivation from it
• the importance of work ethic
• my transition to a plant-based diet
• my book projects

 

Listen Now

 

 

 

Resources

• Subscribe to the Singletracks Podcast! 
• Singletrack Podcast Show Notes for this episode

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________________________________________________ Yay!  Our Podcast Sponsor- Sufferfest Beer

In 2012, Founder and CEO Caitlin Landesberg started her search for the perfect beer to cheers with friends after long trail runs in and around San Francisco… but didn’t find a beer that fit the bill when it came to celebrating her athletic lifestyle and diet. So, taking matters into her own hands, Caitlin spent years developing the beer she wanted to see in the world. After teaming up with an all-star brewmaster to perfect her recipes, Caitlin started to share her beer with friends and fellow trail runners.  The beer is brewed with built-in superfoods so you can recover, sweat for your beer, and feel good! Listen Now: The Sonya Looney Show Podcast Episode with Caitlin Landesberg

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Kait Boyle is an inspiring human.  These days, you might know her for her impressive accolades including 24-Hour World Champion in 2018, AZT300 record holder, winner and second in the men, and 2x winner SOLO 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.  She didn't always ride a bike or have a love for bikepacking or ultra-endurance events.  She grew up riding horses and later found climbing and skiing.  As a NOLS instructor and with her Masters in Environmental Education, she constantly is in teaching and leadership roles.  If you follow Kait on instagram, you might have noticed that the last 12 months have been trying for her.  Almost exactly one year ago to the day, she got in a severe car accident.  Her truck was t-boned on an icy road leaving her with a quadruple fractured pelvis, broken sacrum, broken fibula, and a ruptured bladder.  Between 10 days in the hospital, 5 weeks in wheelchair, and 4 weeks on crutches, she had a long way to go to move forward.  She was able to ride the roller coaster of devastation and gratitude and positivity and was on her bike again a total of 5 months after her accident.  The community stepped in to support her during this time through a very generous GoFundMe campaign.  This year, she's giving back through the Cairn Project non-profit to get more girls outside and has spent the last 84 days (the amount of time she was stuck indoors due to her accident and recovery) outside. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• NOLS & leadership in the backcountry
• what sports contributed to Kait's self-confidence
• decision to go from riding a bike to racing
• men vs. women in ultra sports
• how to pace long races
• nutrition for ultra racing
• mental tips on how not to quit
• self-care tips for bikepacking
• her car accident & recovery from injury
• the power of GoFundMe and social media
• The Cairn Project fundraiser she is working on

Listen Now

 

 

 

Resources

• Check out Kait Boyle's website
• Follow Kait on Instagram
• Donate to The Cairn Project

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Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth of my show, I’d love your contribution on.  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

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There are several things you can do to enjoy your holidays even more, and having mindful holidays is actually easy to do! Some people really love the holidays - the hustle and bustle, the travel, seeing people you maybe only see once a year, or simply just having the time off work.  For some it can make you feel full and festive, but it can feel fake and empty for others - maybe you get stressed out with all the energy you need to give towards family, gifts, travel, and all the things you are "supposed" to be doing.  Maybe the pressure of being happy is too high.

Any health or mindful focused website will tell you to just count your blessings and to breathe.  While this is true, it's not enough and it's not specific enough.  Of course we know we should count our blessings and breathe.  But what else can we do?

I want to address a few topics.

"I don't really like my relatives, but have to spend time with them anyway."

Yes!  We might be forced to see those few family members we don't like as much. Try to identify what you don't like about spending time with them.  Do they make judgemental comments about you? Is it just plain boring?  What is it that triggers you? Then have a plan.  For example, if people are making chippy comments to you, I try to have a sense of humor about it and I try to say to myself that they have different life views, morals, or opinions that I don't have to agree with.  They are actually speaking their truth and  reality.  I don't have to live my life like them or prioritize my time, finances, or goals to them.  If they have an opinion, I remind myself their life experiences dictate their perspective and it likely won't match mine.  I suppose it is about empathizing with what they are trying to do (to help or give advice), but separating your emotions from it so you don't take it as personally.  4 agreements- don't take things personally.

You feel aimless

Traveling, making time to see other people or even doing activities you don't normally do might make you feel restless, aimless, or even cause anxiety.  We get knocked out of our regular routine.  There are two things you can do.  If you thrive in routine, create a very small ritual or routine you can do every day to ground you.  Second is a mindset shift.  I'll be the first to say that feeling aimless is hard for me but I've learned that it's important.  It actually helps me feel more creative, hungry for goals, and motivated when I get back to my regular life.  Toning down your training or your work for a short period of time may feel scary like you're going to lose fitness or get behind, but think big picture.  You don't have to be doing something every second to make gains.  If aimlessness bothers you, it means you probably don't feel that way often so try to remember that feeling restless or resting from your normal life actually IS doing something - it helps you recover from the burnout of your normal life.

The Food

This is a tough one. One big meal is not a make or break, but doing it repeatedly for weeks on end can set you back.  It's hard to set boundaries when temptations are at an all-time high.  Do your best- set a foundation for adding in healthy things.  For example, if you ate too many cookies, add in healthy things later that day or tomorrow.  Go eat a handful of greens right out of the container or eat a piece of fruit.  Start adding in other foods that are easy and make you feel good to offset some of the higher fat, more refined foods that maybe you only enjoy during the holidays.  If you get off track, get back on track with the next thing you put on yourself.  Sometimes a few unhealthy meals turn into guilt and self-sabotage.  Enjoy what you're eating, cut yourself some slack, but take action to immediately remi

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

T. Colin Campbell, PhD has been dedicated to the science of human health for more than 60 years. Dr. Campbell grew up on a dairy farm and was the first in his family to go to college. He has his PhD and is MIT and Cornell trained and educated in nutrition, biochemistry and toxicology. His primary focus is on the association between diet and disease, particularly cancer. Although largely known for the China Study--one of the most comprehensive studies of health and nutrition ever conducted, and recognized by The New York Times as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology."  It has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.  Their studies have shown that animal protein has a very strong effect on the growth of cancer. Milk protein in their experiments turns on cancer 100% of the time. If they took it away, they could reduce it down to zero. Dr. Campbell’s profound impact also includes extensive involvement in education, public policy, and laboratory research.  

He is also the author of the The New York Times bestseller Whole, and The Low-Carb Fraud. Several documentary films feature Dr. Campbell and his research, including Forks Over Knives, Eating You Alive, Food Matters, and PlantPure Nation. He continues to share evidence-based information on health and nutrition whenever given the opportunity. He has delivered hundreds of lectures around the world and he is the founder of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and the online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate in partnership with eCornell.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• from dairy farmer to PhD in Biochemistry
• research in the Philippines 
• Why we need to stop taking the reductionist view of nutrition
• how to overcome personal bias in science
• why WFPB is better than vegan
• complications of groupthink and industry/government interference
• how much animal protein is too much?
• the mechanism with animal protein that causes cancer
• why most doctors don't know a lot about nutrition
• what does protein deficiency look like? 

 

Listen Now

 

 

 

Resources

• The China Study
• Book: Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition
• eCornell Center for Nutritional Studies

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

 

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about perfectionism.  The short answer is there is no quick fix, but there are patterns we can identify and thought processes we can practice.

If you've been listening to me for awhile or you've read some of my articles, you may have heard me say that I'm a recovering perfectionist.  Yes, I used to be angry that my A- wasn't good enough.  I still occasionally struggle with the appearance of a result not being "good enough" like being ashamed of a race result, even though that was my best for that day and not making excuses.  There is a big challenge in asking "but what IS good enough?"  We all know what perfectionism is, but where it comes from may vary from individual to individual.  For me, it stemmed from wanting to meet the expectations of my parents, coaches, and peers.  It came from wanting desperately to fit in and believing that if I could be the best at everything, then people would love and accept me.  I talk about these stories in depth in my ebook : Partly Sunny, Cultivating a Resilient Mind. Eventually, external expectations became my own internal expectations.

 

The Masks of Perfectionism

Perfectionism happens when you hold yourself up to an impossible standard.  The reasons you want to be perfect or do things a certain way are fear-based. You're afraid you won't be seen in a certain way, or you're afraid it'll mean something about you.  Perfectionists are driven by the need to prove themselves, not the desire to learn.  People with fixed mindsets tend to be perfectionists.

There are three main patterns of perfectionists.  They reject failure, they reject painful emotions, and they even reject success.  Personally, I've been able to overcome the first two, but I still reject success. I have a very hard time celebrating my success and not belittling it. By not celebrating your success, you put off that feeling of accomplishment or fulfillment to the future when you can do something even harder. And when you do that, you still do not feel satisfied.

In the form of rejecting failure or painful emotions, it's about accepting that failure does not have to feel good- in fact it never does- but also realizing that failure IS part of the path. It isn't a bad thing. You're probably not trying hard enough if you always take the safe way out.  I say out loud to myself that I love failure.  I do not love feeling like I'm not worthy or the hard work I'm putting in doesn't actually matter. (in the case of being rejected by trying to get a new sponsor). I do not love feeling ashamed or embarrassed. I do not love the feeling of working really hard and having it go nowhere. That is what failure feels like to me  Failure even makes me want to give up.  When I feel that way, I go for a walk, run, or bike ride.  I process those gross feelings.  But after I process them, a fire gets lit under me to work even harder, try something different, or maybe even just accept that it's just not the right time for the thing I failed at to progress.

In Tal Ben Shahar's book, The Pursuit of Perfect, he describes how to

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Sasha Gollish is well-known as a decorated Canadian Competitive Runner, has her PhD in Civil Engineering, and is passionate about girls in sports.  She was a bronze medalist in the 1500 m at the 2015 Pan American Games despite her shoe falling off, has won a variety of short and longer distance races and raced on the Canadian National Team for the IAFF World Marathon Champs.  I love Sasha's four tenets of living and training.  They are: always play, make choices not sacrifices, work hard, and eat real food- feed the machine.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• from alpine ski racer to marathon running
• her drive for achievement in all areas of her life, including getting her PhD
• starting her running career at age 30
• Sasha's tenets of training and personal values
• how to look at food in a healthy way
• learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions
• how she dealt with her recent marathon that didn't go her way 
• her career as a runner and some fun stories
• Making the best of Doha World Championships
• Empowering girls through Fast and Female

Listen Now

 

 

 

Resources

• Check out Sasha's website
• Follow Sasha on Instagram
• Fast and Female: Empowering Girls Through Sport 

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Yay!  Our Podcast Sponsor- Osea Malibu

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about excuses.

Excuses can show up in several forms.  Procrastination is one of the main ways excuses show up.  We give a reason as to why we can do that thing later.  And for some things, procrastination is just a hop, skip, and a jump to never getting that thing done.  Other forms of excuses show up as a reason to let yourself off the hook.  The challenge is figuring out when you actually SHOULD listen to your excuse because your body is telling you something, and when your excuses are a form of procrastination, laziness, or even fear of failure, losing time, or not knowing how to get started.

First, let's talk about big picture excuses- excuses that we make to avoid bigger life changes.

Figure Out What's Really Holding You Back

Here are some common excuses I hear or that I've caught myself saying. Try to decode what you are really saying instead.  Here are a few examples.

• I'm too old to start (I hear this a lot with mountain biking... NOT true! My dad started in his 60s.  My father-in-law is in his 70s and mountain bikes!).
  • You're really saying "I'm afraid I'll get hurt." Hire a coach, take babysteps, realize that you are looking at worst-case scenarios and it's probably not true.
• I don't know how to do it.
  • You're really saying: I don't know how to do it right now.  I'm afraid that I won't be able to figure it out.  I'm afraid I'll waste my time trying to learn if it doesn't work out.  I don't want to spend the time.  Meet the internet.  You can learn how to do pretty much everything if you're willing to put in the time
• It's too cold, hot, I'm too sleepy, I have to much to do... excuses not to exercise.  What are you really worried about?  Are you tired, stressed, burnt out, or injured?  Those are times you might need a break.  You probably are really saying that you don't want to be uncomfortable.
• I have already spent years in school or in my career dedicated to this path. I can't change now.
  • You're really saying that it is hard to start over and you're afraid of the sunk cost of time and money, but you can always change.  You  also might be avoiding discomfort, temporary loss of identity, fear of not knowing what to do next, but you can almost always change.  Change is hard and it takes work, but it's worth it.
• I don't have time
  • You're really saying you won't make time. You might have to cut something else out, but if it's important you always have time.

Some of the excuses I just mentioned are for bigger picture things.  But what about smaller things too?  I am the worst about procrastinating with writing: blog posts, articles, books.  I also have been known to procrastinate getting out on my bike, meditation, going to the gym, cleaning the garage, listing stuff on craigslist.

What should you do to be stronger than your excuses?

The Hardest Part is Getting Started

First, identify that you are in fact making an excuse. Just being aware that you are doing it helps, and try to figure out what the real issue is in the first place.  The hardest part for most people is simply getting started.  In chemistry, physics, or even an electrical impulse in the body, there is the activation energy, that is, a minimum quantity of energy required to get the process or reaction started. Once you apply some energy to it, you'll get moving. Usually, applied to something we are

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.