Ep 539 | Cameron Hanes’ "RFP" Mindset for Winning at Life

Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. If you don't know Cameron Hays, you should. Let me introduce you to Cameron. He's a bow hunter, he's an ultramarathon runner, And in my opinion, he is the definition of mental toughness. The guy runs 20 miles a day, he lifts weights, he practices archery, and that's all before he's even had breakfast. He's been on Joe Rogan's podcast, he's appeared lots of different places, written a best-selling book called Endure, and he has a massive following. And what does he do? He preaches one really powerful mindset. And that mindset is relentless forward progress, or as he likes to call it, RFP, relentless forward progress. Now, this phrase comes from his ultra endurance race experience and, and his, in his hunting experience. The only rule that really matters in his mind is to keep moving. You don't have to be fast. You just can't stop. So specifically in these long, long runs that he goes on or competes, competes on, you could have pain, your head may not be in the right place, you could feel a certain way, but you still have to continue moving forward. Again, it doesn't need to be fast, you just can't stop. Now Cam uses this RFP beyond ultra running and hunting, he uses it as a life philosophy. Whether he's climbing mountains in the freezing weather or grinding through a 200-mile run, it all comes down to one thing: never quit, keep going. And I think this mindset extends so much further beyond just running. It's about life and business, relationships, health, all the stuff that we discuss here at the No Days Off podcast. So today, I want to explore how this simple but powerful mindset, in my opinion, this relentless forward progress, concept, how I think it could change the way you approach everything that you do. So let's go a little bit deeper into understanding RFP. What does relentless forward progress really mean? To me, it means— it doesn't mean being the best. It's not about being the best. It's about never stopping. To me, it's not about winning today, which is something I talk about quite a bit, but it's not about winning today. It's about showing up. Tomorrow. It's about doing something, even that one small thing every day that pushes you closer to your goal. It's about taking no days off. I think if you were to break it down, break these words down, if you think about the word relentless, just that part relentless, you don't have to feel motivated. You have to just keep going when it's boring or when it's thankless or when it's hard. The second word, forward. Don't go in circles. Every step has to be progress, even if it's slow, even if it hurts. And then lastly, that last word, progress. You don't have to chase perfection. You just have to get better day by day. Cam's oftentimes saying it's not, it's not about talented, about being talented. He's not talented. He would say he's just super consistent. And if you apply that to your life, how might that look? You don't have to be the most gifted or the smartest or the fastest. You just have to be the one who's not going to quit. Now, I think RFP shows up in business, in entrepreneurship, in sales. I think first, consistency over intensity. A lot of people sprint hard for 3 days and then they disappear for 3 weeks. I think RFP says show up every day. Even if all you do is once, one, one email or one call or one follow-up, show up every single day. That's relentless forward progress. So, it's consistency over intensity in business. I also think it's resilience through setbacks because deals are going to fall apart, clients are going to disappear on you, competitors are going to win. And the question isn't, are you failing? It's, are you moving? If you're still moving, you're still in the game. And then lastly, when I think about RFP in business and entrepreneurship and sales, action is greater than perfection. I think many entrepreneurs that I know stall because they, they want things to be just right. I think the RFP mindset though says ship the product, make the call, launch the thing. Progress is going to beat procrastination. The winners in business aren't usually the smartest in my experience. They're just the ones still swinging after everyone else has gone home. I think that it also shows up— RFP shows up quite a bit in relationships. What does it look like in marriage or in friendships or in family? Number one, it's keep showing up. Relationships die usually not from big blowups, but from just small neglect over time. I think RFP means a text, a phone call, a note, a check-in, just daily progress, not grand gestures, daily progress. When I also think about RFP in relationships, I think to— I think about leaning in when it's hard, like during conflict. RFP is choosing not to shut down, not to walk away, but to take even the smallest step you can forward Even though it's super hard, you gotta take that step forward, like asking a question instead of trying to make a point. And then lastly, when I think again about RFP and relationships, you gotta stay in the work. What do I mean? I think great relationships, in my experience, they're built. They're not found. And building is messy, but progress is always there. It's always available through effort, through care, through more attention. So I don't think you need to have the perfect marriage or the perfect relationship. You need to have the kind of marriage or relationship where people— where both people just refuse to give up. That's my take. Now, of course, RFP shows up in health. It goes without saying. I mean, it's the most literal of these, and it's probably the most powerful. When I think about RFP and health, it's start where you are. You don't need to run 20 miles a day like Cam. Just move today, walk a mile, do 10 push-ups, maybe just go to bed on time. I think this progress is personal. Next, I think about forgetting motivation and instead build systems. You won't always feel like working out. You're not going to always feel like eating clean. You're not going to feel like managing stress. And you know that frankly, trying to manage stress can be stressful, but RFP says do it anyway. Tie your identity to being the person who doesn't skip. Lastly, track the trend, not the day. See, health isn't one workout. It's certainly not one meal. It's hundreds of reps, if not thousands of reps over years. So look for an upward trend, not a perfect streak. You want to make forward progress. I think Cam, Cam Haynes, he doesn't run because he's superhuman. He's superhuman because he runs. I think there's a, a bonus section I'm going to give you though, as I'm thinking about this, about RFP. I think RFP shows up in identity and self-worth. I think relentless forward progress shows up in identity and self-worth. What if you're not where you thought you'd be by now? What if you failed, let people down, or just feel stuck? Well, I think RFP gives you a way out because you don't need to transform overnight. You just need to make one step forward. Just move one step forward, and that's a win. That's actually enough. And if you do that every single day, you'll look up in 6 months and barely recognize your life. So relentless forward progress, RFP, it's not flashy, it's not glamorous, but I think it's what separates those who finish the race from those who quit. Whether you're chasing a business goal or trying to get healthy or just trying to be a better spouse or parent, I think RFP works. So here's what I'd like to challenge you to do today. I want you to pick one area of life where you can apply this RFP philosophy or concept starting today. Just one spot where showing up with relentless forward progress, that is a mentality, is a mindset, would change your life. Remember, it's, it's, it's really not about being the best. It's just about never stopping. It's not necessarily about winning today. It's about showing up again and again and again tomorrow. It's, it's about doing something, even one small thing every day, that pushes you closer to your goal. That's all I have for you today, the No Days Off podcast. Thank you so much for listening, and remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]