4 Ways To Change Your Life in 2023 | Jim Kwik

Welcome back to the Kwik Brain Podcast. I am your host and your brain coach, Jim Kwik. And in this episode, I want to answer the question, what are 4 decisions you can make daily to change your brain, your body, and even your bank account? And these are 4 choices. In my book Limitless, there's a quote from a French philosopher, and he says, life is the C between B and D. Life is C Between the letters B and D. What does that mean? B stands for birth. D stands for death. Life. C choice. I believe every single morning you have a chance and you have a choice, right? To make things better, to be able to grow, to be able to move yourself in the direction that you desire and that you really deserve. And so what are those four choices that you could make? Because when you could change your brain, you could change your body, you could change your bank account, but. It requires agency, the things that you might not think all the time you have influence of, that you have control over. So I'm gonna talk about these 4 things, and when we're doing this, I wanna turn this into a little bit of a workshop. I want you, when you're done with this episode, to make a decision, like a real choice, because we are the sum total of all the choices we've made up to this point, good, bad, or indifferent. What are we gonna eat today? You know, how are we gonna spend our time? Who are you gonna spend our time with? What are we feeding our minds? You know, are these things that are good for our brain, or are they things that are, are detrimental to our brain? And so the 4 areas, and I encourage you if you can, to be able to actually set aside everything you're doing, set aside distractions, and really focus. It'll be a short, quick episode, but you will get incredible returns. All right? And so the 4 choices you can make are do something more of, do something less of, start doing something. Or stop doing things. I mean, these are really the only 4 things you could decide every single day. You're either gonna do more of something, you're gonna do less of something, you're gonna start something new, or you're gonna stop doing something. And there is a hidden 5th choice as well, which I'll disclose at the end. All right, so are you ready? Okay, so the first thing is do more of something. There's a quote from Lucille Ball that says, the more you do, The more you can do. And so in this category, and we're workshopping this, we're making this very active. You're not just listen passively, you're gonna actually construct and you're gonna make some real choices. What do you wanna do more of? What are you currently doing but you wanna do more of? Maybe it happens if we're talking about your brain, maybe it's eating more of those brain foods, right? Those avocados, the blueberries, the wild salmon, right? Maybe it's, hey, I'm already meditating and I wanna do more meditating. I wanna spend, instead of 10 minutes, I wanna spend 15 minutes, or maybe I want to do it one more time a day. I want to do it twice a day. You're doing more of it, right? You're increasing the duration or you're increasing the frequency of something. Maybe it is journaling. Maybe it is writing. You're thinking about your goal in order to create something new. You want to be able to do more of it. And I generally, what I'm thinking about is the 80/20 rule. We've talked about it in the past. We talk about it in our book Limitless, the Pareto principle. What is the 20% of the things that's giving you 80% of the returns, 80% of the benefits? Maybe it's Exercising, right? As your body moves, your brain grooves. So you're gonna make a decision right now. Maybe I wanna do it more often. Maybe instead of 3 times a week, I wanna up it to 4 times a week. Uh, and this is also talking about the power of just one more, as that episode we did with Ed Mylett, the power of doing a little bit more, that if you increase something just 1%, you get better at 1% a day, just 1% compounded exponentially over 365 days. Is about a 37 increase, a multiplier of 37. That means 1.01, which is an increase of just 1% compounded over 365 days. That equals a 37 multiplier. Wow. What can you apply that to? You want to apply that to your income, to your influence, to your intelligence, right? So that's the power of adding just a little bit more. So what I want you to do As we're workshopping this, think about it. What's one thing more you want to be able to do? You're doing it already, but you want to add a little bit more to it, either in frequency or in duration. All right. Now, the other powerful thing you could do is doing less of something. Maybe you're doing something right now that's not yielding you the results in your life, in your relationship, in your brain health, right? In your business. And you want to just cut back a little bit. Hack away at the unessential. So what are you doing right now that you want to do less of? Maybe it is binge watching your favorite streaming show. Maybe you want to cut back a little bit and spend 30 minutes less, one less episode a day. Maybe it happens to be staying in bed a little bit. You know, maybe you're spending too much time in bed and you want to be able to get out of bed more quickly and you spend less time doing that. Maybe you want to spend less time procrastinating. What is the habit or the routine, the behavior you're currently doing, but you'll get benefit by just hacking away and reducing it? You don't have to eliminate it, but you're reducing it. So maybe you want to reduce— maybe you're eating some sugar here or there, and it's not the best brain food. Certainly it has detrimental effects. Maybe you want to reduce your sugar intake. Maybe it's, uh, you're quick to anger and you want to spend less time getting angry. What are you already doing that's not empowering you to next level of life or your next level of learning and you wanna do less of? All right, so take a moment and write that down. So first it's what do you wanna do more of? You're currently doing it and you wanna do more of it. And the second, what do you wanna do less of? Just reducing a little bit frees up time and energy and attention towards something greater in your life. Now, the third choice you can make to be able to change your brain, your body, your business, or anything in your life, because it's the choices that really define us, it's the decisions we're making. Is what do you want to start doing? What does that mean? How's that different than doing more of? You're not currently doing it, but you want to start it. All right. There's a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. saying, "You don't have to see the entire staircase; just take that first step." Right? We talk about in our podcast and Limitless and our courses those small, simple steps. Right? S three small, simple steps. What do you want to start that is brand? New. And remember, you don't have to go from not working out to starting doing an hour workout every single day. What's a small, simple step that you want to start? Maybe it's just a 15-minute walk. Maybe you've heard me talk about having a dream journal and the power of remembering your dreams. Maybe you want to start doing that. And your small, simple step is going online and buying a journal and keeping it by your nightstand. Maybe it's next time you're at the grocery store, you buy those, those blueberries, right? You may, you make that Brainpower smoothie. You're taking a small, simple step. What's good for your brain? All right. Maybe it's a small, simple step. Like you want to try meditating. You've heard us do so many episodes on mindfulness, on meditation. Maybe that's something you want to start brand new. And so many people wait, right? You could identify with this, something you've always wanted to do, but we know knowledge by itself is not power. It's a lie. A lie is a limited idea entertained. It's not power. It only becomes power when we what? When we utilize it, when we apply it. So knowing is not enough, right? They say knowing is half the battle. If knowing is half the battle, then doing action is the other half of the battle. All right, so what would you like to add in your repertoire? What do you want to add as a routine or a habit in your life? First, you create those habits and those what? Habits create you back. And think again, small micro steps. What is a tiny little step you could take? A small, simple step to move you in the right direction. Because one step, like if you're walking, you take one step in another direction, it could completely change your destination, right? Some people will call it their destiny. So the third question I'm asking you is, what do you wanna start? Think about that. What's good for your brain that you should be doing, but you haven't got yourself to do it. You've been talking about it, but we know it's better well done. than well said, right? You don't wanna just say it to people around you. You wanna, you wanna show it. You don't wanna promise to your people around you, and by inspiring them, you're gonna actually prove it. All right? So that's the starting part. And then finally, the 4th decision you can make each day to better your brain, your body, your bank account is to stop doing something. So you're not just doing it less, you're gonna commit to stop doing that thing. So What are you doing? Here's a question that's hurting you, that's harming you, that's, uh, that's taking you away from your goals, that things that really light you up, right? And the things that sometimes, if you're honest with yourself, you complain or you make excuses because the truth is you can't be upset by the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do. So what do you wanna stop doing and think of all the benefits you'll gain? From stopping something. There's a great book from Jim Collins, Good to Great, says say no to good so you can say yes to what? To great, right? That good is the enemy of great. So what do you wanna stop doing that might even be good, but it'll leave you more room, some time and attention, some space in your life to be great at something else, especially great for your brain. So maybe you wanna stop smoking. Maybe you wanna stop watching something that's not nourishing you or inspiring you. Maybe you want to, to stop fill in the blank, cuz we're all different, right? And we all have different struggles. But the reason I bring this up, it gives you a filtering system throughout the day. You could ask yourself, what's the best use of this moment, right? Do I wanna do more of something because it's nourishing? Do I wanna do less of something? Do I wanna start something brand new to get a new result? Right? Because insanity's doing the same thing over and over again, expecting what? A different result, or do I wanna stop doing something and just empty that space? Sometimes it's easier to stop doing something than sometimes it is to reduce something, right? When I decide to go on an intermittent fast, right? We've talked about the power, how it could free up some energy in your digestion system, but it's so much easier 'cause then I just not gonna go to that fridge. I'm not gonna eat that thing. And it makes it easier in my mind. So you don't suffer from decision fatigue. You don't feel like a brain drain at the end of the day 'cause it's easier. Sometimes just to stop something. And when you're going through this again, these 4 things, you're thinking, what can I do more of that's empowering for my brain and other areas of my life? What do I wanna do less of? Because I, I can't have the ability right now, maybe in the time to be able to just completely stop, but I wanna reduce it and start getting some results. I wanna start doing something brand new to get a brand new result, or I wanna stop doing something that might be harmful or hurting me, or. Taking up time and energy and resources from the things that really matter, right? The most important thing is to keep the most important things the most important things. Now, there is a 5th option that we haven't talked about, and I'll add this in. I know I promised only 4, but that is to continue doing something. We talked about insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. But you know, the truth is, and as your coach, I have to call people sometimes on, on their stuff. And the truth is sometimes we need to hear that if we don't change it, then what we're really doing is we're choosing it. Can, can you relate to that? If we're not changing the dynamics of this relationship, we're not changing, you know, these certain things that we're doing for health, then we're actually choosing it. So it is a choice. So even not choosing something is a choice. Not making the decision is a decision to stay the course. And sometimes you just wanna continue doing something cuz it's working for you. And so that's wonderful. If you're getting great optimal sleep, maybe you don't wanna change anything. You don't wanna start something or stop something. stop something or do more of or reduce because you're in that zone. But maybe you want to continue. Maybe there's certain areas of your life that is like, oh yeah, this is good. I'm happy with the results I'm getting. And that's absolutely okay. So a quick review, and this is your homework assignment. 5 choices you could make every single day. 4 plus 1. What do you want to do more of? Please write that down. What do you want to do less of? Please write that down. What do you wanna start? Just one little thing you wanna start. Maybe you could do it for a day or maybe a week or, or maybe a month and start developing the habit and the rituals. Or what's something that you just wanna completely just stop? It's been on your list. It's not who you are. It's not, it's not your, your deep core. It's not meeting your needs, your goals, your desires, your purpose. And finally, honor the things that you wanna continue, cuz maybe it's just really working for you. So that's it, Kwik Brains. 4, maybe 5 choices you make every single day to have a better brain, a better body, a better business, a better brand, a better book, a better bank account, whatever. It doesn't even have to start with the letter B. I tend to alliterate a whole lot, but if you wanna make it simple, you can even make a list, right? 'Cause you already have your to-do list. So you could have your, this is my to-more list, right? This is to-do-less list. Uh, this is to my, uh, to-do list, which is starting. Maybe it's also a, a not-to-do list as we've talked about in the past. These are things I wanna stop, or these these are things I wanna continue 'cause they're nourishing me and they're flourishing. And so that's really the key. So what I want you to do, because I wanna hold you accountable, is I want you maybe to take a screenshot of this or take a screenshot if you're watching this episode or whatever platform you're listening to it, or maybe your notes and just answer those 4 or 5 questions and post it and tag us so we get to see it. And I'll repost some of our favorites. As always, we'll gift out a couple copies of my book Limitless. You see me reposting the gifted copies we send out to you in our, in our Kwik Brain army. If you will, people who want to have better, brighter brains. No brain left behind. And when you share it, it's a wonderful way of showing people your commitments. So you could be held accountable to it. And little by little, a little becomes a whole lot. I'm your brain coach, Jim Kwik. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you please share it, leave a review. That's how we keep this sponsor-free. Please help us on this journey to build better, brighter brains. No brain left behind again. I'm your brain coach, Jim Kwik, and I'll see you in the next episode.