SSP 117: Becoming Legendary with Robin Sharma

Hey, what's going on, my friend? Welcome back to the podcast. This is Jordan Kanlish here. Wow. This episode is a fulfillment of a really a five year dream, to be honest with you. I'll tell you a little story that will lead into the introduction to today's guest. When, when I was working as an, as an accountant. So I worked as an accountant, if you didn't know already, for Deloitte. And back in 2016, I remember a friend gifting me a book. And I read that book at a period of time in my life where I was so ready to receive the information, the codes that were in book to really ignite something within me, to go in pursuit of a life of more meaning, more depth. And the name of that book was the Monk who Sold His Ferrari. And if you haven't read that book, it's, it's a, it's a world world renowned bestseller by the author Robin Sharma. And when I kind of, it began this journey, I kind of listed down all these big goals that I wanted to achieve one day. And one of them was to interview and to be around and to think personally thank the people who inspired me on this journey. So the podcast, the books, the authors I was listening to, I wanted to meet all these inspiring leaders. And Robin was one of those people I had on that, on that list. And in this podcast, I got to personally thank Robin Sharma and I got the privilege of really having 45 minutes of this man's time, which is immensely valuable in terms of the caliber of people he works with. So I'm honored that I got to spend time with him to have him on this podcast. And I really got to ask him some important questions around his productivity, how he maintained such a high standard of output for his creativity, and also how he's able to balance that, you know, the masculine, feminine, the rest and the work, the flow and the effortlessness that comes through his creative outlets. So I'm really looking forward to sharing this interview with you guys today. And if you haven't checked out Robin's work before, be sure to check it out. He's in the process of writing a new book right now. His most recent book, the Everyday Hero Manifesto, is a great read. But again, this is just the beginning, guys. We're gonna be kicking off with some more big name guests, but this really was, it was an amazing dream come true. So enjoy the episode and if you get value from this, please share it on social media. Make sure you tag me. Jordancandlershow1 tag robin@robin Sharma On. On Instagram and.

Yeah.

Enjoyed the episode.

Okay. I'm in the presence of personal development royalty right now. I feel like we. You should be knighted. Sir Robin Sharma. I feel like that's what I should.

Be calling you, but far from it.

Thank you so much, my friend, for. For being here, being on the State Shifters podcast. This is really an honor to be in your presence and yeah, just. It's a dream come true to have you on here. So thank you. First and foremost, you're dialing in from Italy. How are you feeling today?

I'm good. And you're more than generous with your kind words. Jordan's great. Great to see you again. Great to be with you.

Yes, likewise. And for those listening, I want to tell a quick story, firstly, which was back in 2016, I was working as an accountant at Deloitte. I picked up, I was gifted your book, actually, the Monk who Sold His Ferrari. And I remember reading that book and hearing about your story as a litigation lawyer and left that. That job at 25, and I was 21. And your story, that book resonated with me on so many levels and it began a journey for me, inspired a journey for me to leave my corporate job to go on pursuit of my passions, to pursue world class in my life. So you've had a tremendous impact on my life, Robin. I just want to start off by saying that I got to attend your Mastery Academy in Toronto in 2018, and that impact continued to. To follow through. So thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you on behalf of all of my friends and community who've taken inspiration from your work.

Well, you're so kind to say that, Jordan and I really love what I do. This is year 27 in the personal development and leadership field. And really what sustains me is just being an instrument of service. And if I've been helpful to you, then you've made my morning, you've made my day.

Thank you. And it's important that you get reminded of that because of your greatness and what you're putting out to the world. So I've got a few different directions I want to take this conversation today. I'm going to start with, firstly, congratulating you on choosing to embark on writing another book. It's a big undertaking, I know that. Can you tell me a little bit about what's inspired the beginning of writing this new book? And can you give us a bit of an insight as to what it's.

Going to be about? Well, you know, my last book was the The Everyday Hero Manifesto. And it took so much out of me. I wrote it over 16 months in the Pandemic. And aside from being with my family and reading, et cetera, that book consumed me. It became an obsession. And I wrote, rewrote it probably 20, 22 times. I wanted every line right, every model right, every. You know, I wanted it to be the best that I could possibly give. It makes me think of one of my favorite authors, the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran. And he carried the manuscript of the Prophet with him around for four years. He said, because I want every line to be the best I can give. So I was. I was depleted after releasing the Everyday Hero Manifesto for quite a while. And I think as a creative person or as an artist, if you do your job, you should be spent. So then I just. I trusted my creative process. A time came where I felt I wanted to write again. And so I've. I've been metaphorically putting pen to paper, my processes. I often write on. On a mobile phone, on an iPhone. And then once I get the first draft done, I call it Rush to Beta, Polished to perfection. And what I mean by that is I just rush as quickly as possible to get that first draft done. Psychologically, then I feel, oh, I finished the book. Now it's just a little bit of iteration, even though the heavy lifting is really just beginning once I get the printed manuscript out. So that's what I'm in the process of doing. As mentioned, I'm in the Italian countryside right now trying to get some inspiration and I'm. I've probably written 40 chapters of the new book.

Amazing. Wow. And it's almost like that momentum piece, right? Once you catch that momentum and it keeps going, I would imagine that's, that's, that's the train you're trying to get on, the momentum train. And I'm curious to know, was there. Is there something that inspires, Is there a moment where you go, I need to write a book about this, or is it an accumulation of experiences in your life that result in you deciding to write the book, or is it just. Just one moment that sparks something?

Well, I got a lot into this in the Everyday Hero Manifesto and Also in the 5am Club, the Twin cycles of elite performance, the High Excellence cycle, and then the Deep Recovery cycle. And so I just sort of trust my natural rhythms. And it's just there are these times, especially in the autumn, where I just feel very energetic. I'm up at 4:15. I feel very creative, I feel very productive. And, you know, I just, you're right. I just run with that. I run with that momentum. And then a time comes where after I've been out, let's say I've been traveling a lot, giving leadership presentations and working on this book and putting it up, putting out a lot of YouTube content, and a time inevitably comes where I don't have any new ideas and I don't feel like creating. And I want to enjoy time in the sunshine. Not that I don't have balance, but more time in the sunshine and, you know, move into vacation mode or renewal mode where I might, you know, just navel gaze a little bit more and, and just go on longer nature walks, etc. So I, I really tend towards those creative cycles, the high excellence cycle and deep recovery cycle. I know there are authors who every single day they write. I'm not, I'm not one of them.

And that's why I really resonated with your work so much, was because, you know, if you don't tune into that cycle, I'm the same. If you're not listening to the internal season, like nature's going through its own season and so are we. If you're not tuned into that, you're going against your own nature. And in the past, I would often just like, try and push through those difficult times and not listen to my body. And it was creating disharmony and it felt like I was out of alignment sometimes. And I think with more, more wisdom, with more age, you start to really understand more deeply what it is that you need and what season you're in. So I learned a lot from, from you sharing that in your books. And I'm curious to know, is, is there something specific that you like to do when you accomplish a goal? Is there, is it in a celebration or something you like to give yourself to, to really celebrate something as substantial as writing a book?

Well, before I answer that, if I may, Jordan, I just love, love to jam on what you said before, that about the seasons. And I think you know anyone who's in, in their craft or in the game, whether you're an entrepreneur, an artist, a manager, a startup founder, whatever it is you do, yoga teacher. If you want to be legendary at what you do, then the DNA of legendary, I believe, is longevity. So it's one thing to get to world class for a window, maybe two or three years, and that's hard to do. Very few people. Last night I watched a documentary. I think it's on Netflix, but It's on John McEnroe he was number one in the world for four years as a tennis player. So it's extremely hard to do that obviously. Yet I think a legends are not in it for a championship, they're in it for a dynasty. And I'm just starting to read Bono's new book and I think of you too. Whether you like their music or, or not, their sustainability is extraordinary. And that's what I mean about longevity. Well, I think the key to longevity is these cycles we're talking about. I, I don't subscribe and I had, I haven't, I've been sort of in some ways one of the lone voices in the wilderness against the hustle and grind culture. Because I just think if all you do is hustle and grind, first of all the science is clear. It's the intensity at which you work versus the number of hours every day that really get delivers your results. The science also says, and the Energy project has done some great work on this, but the most productive people are more like sprinters versus marathoners. And that gets to that tool. I taught in the 5am Club the 9091 rule. So what I'm really trying to suggest is hustle and grind doesn't work. The most productive people work in seasons and when they, even in their days, it's like a 90 minute sprint of intensity, real work versus fake work, then they might take 30 minutes to recover. And also in the 5M Club book I talk about the five great hours rule. I think if you're an entrepreneur, all you need are five sweaty, intense, gorgeous hours of work and then take, go for a massage, go for a mountain bike ride, go to an art gallery. For most people it takes two weeks to do five world class hours of work.

That principle, honestly is a game changer. And for me, the breakthrough I had to have to be able to apply that in my life was letting go of the scarcity mindset. When you're coming from a place of abundance, you're then able to listen to that and apply that principle. I think a lot of entrepreneurs, the ones who ignore that, are just trying to get something. They're trying to get somewhere or get something because they don't feel fully whole and complete already. So it's like I need to get more money, I need to get more work done. It's like it's the pursuit of, it's coming from a place of not enough. So for me that was a big shift. Understanding that I am enough and I can take breaks, I can step away and have Meditation time and nap time. I'm curious to ask you because I know there are times where you probably don't get access to that. You're outside of your regular routine. You can't have a break and go for a hike or get a massage. Maybe it's you're delivering a keynote or a full day event and you're in this flow state sort of. Right. Which is a lot of energy. You're giving a lot of energy. And I know on the other side of these outputs there's like an energy come down, there's like a flow come down. Right. And I'm curious to know how do you recover from that? What are your go to tools and practices or rituals to help you bounce back from those big output days?

So every day here at Manifesto, I've got a model where it's the 10 habits that have worked the best entertainment titans that I've mentored and one of them is the second wind workout. So to answer your question, like here if I'm working on, then if I finish my five hours or writing on the book, that's five hours is a great day of writing for me. My go to would be a nature walk. I absolutely, I just. Absolutely. It's such a game changer just going out walking in the woods. I mean there's a lot of, again a lot of great science on the neurochemistry of connecting with nature spiritually. I find it so great for my soul. You get that second wind workout of exercise after the morning routine exercise component. So that would be one of the go tos you mentioned. If I'm giving a keynote, what would I do if I'm out on the road? Without a doubt. Massage is so helpful to me because I find massage, it, it restores me emotionally because I give a lot emotionally when I'm, when I'm speaking, it restores me physically. It's powerful. I've been a napper for over a quarter of a century, which is, you know, so, so that's one of the ways I consistently do the 5:00am Club because quite often at 4:00 clock or 5:00 clock I'll go, I'll take a one. And that sets me up for an amazing, amazing evening. Exercise is always so incredibly powerful to restore myself. If I'm feeling a little depleted and I don't feel like taking nap, I'll just get on the exercise bike or head out on a for a mountain bike ride. And that's really very powerful. Meditation is big to me. I really love to meditate I don't like the five minute meditations or seven minute meditations. I know there's a lot of great apps there and they're serving people, so that's fantastic. To me, a great meditation is 20 minutes to 60 minutes and on a really good day, it's, it's two hours. I, I could just go, oh, Epsom salt baths. I don't hear those talked about a lot. But for me, if I'm physically depleted and emotionally depleted, let's have been exercising a lot during the week. I will lay in a, in a hot Epsom salt bath. You know, do you know Epsom salt?

Yeah, yeah. You know, also like float tanks are also really popular now with people jumping in a pod and learning.

Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So also I'll soak in an Epsom salt bath for 60 minutes and I'll, I might watch a learning video while I'm doing it or read a book. So I'll get an hour of learning as well. Those would be some of the, the go to's on a daily basis that I use to recover.

Yeah, beautiful. And what I'm hearing in that is, is you being so tuned into your intuition to know what it is that you need that's going to support you energetically in coming back to full capacity. Intuitive connection. And for me, in the past I've struggled to listen to that. I'm getting better, but I've struggled. That's why I like to use things like the aura ring to really get the information around. How am I sleeping, how am I recovering? To help with the intuitive decision. But I'm sure there's been times for you as well where you've said the night before, you're going to get up at 5am, you're going to do a workout, you're going to dive straight into your creative work. But then maybe you wake up and you haven't had the best night's sleep and maybe your intuition is saying, hey, I need to sleep a bit longer or hey, skip the workout today, I need more rest. How do you then discern listening to that voice or listening to the willful voice that says, hey, I've got a goal and I need to achieve and this must happen.

It's a brilliant question. I think there's a very fine line between lazy and self love. So, right, I mean, right, you could just go, oh, I'm not going to get up at 5am and do my victory hour and run the 202020 formula. Or I'm, I'm not going to go Work out or I'm not going to go into the office today or whatever it is because you know I'm going to be self loving today. Well, there's a fine line between being self loving and actually being, being flaky and, and starting the process of increasing laziness. And I think it does come down to knowing yourself. You could call it intuition. I think it's. Another word is discernment. As you're suggesting. The more you get to know yourself, the more you go, no, I've actually worked out four times in the past week and I've produced a lot and I plan to get up at 5am to use your example. And today it just doesn't feel right and it wouldn't be good for me and my productivity would suffer and my creativity would be poor. So you know what? I'm going to take the morning off and I'm just going to go out and play in nature. I'm going to read that to me would be, I mean someone once said to me, let planning be your springboard so spontaneity can be your splash. So I think like I have a strong weekly schedule that I build every Sunday morning, which is one of my holy grails. That's how I get everything I need to get done along with the massages or the meditation, the family meals, the prayer, etc. It's my, it's my schedule. And willpower researchers call it a pre commitment strategy. And it works incredibly well. So once I have my schedule, those are my intentions and I mostly follow it. But I give myself permission to in the moment, say no in this moment. Here's what feels better. But you know, look, once I was in South Africa and I was flying from White river to I, I forget where. And the pilot of this little plane let me take the controls. And one thing I know, when I was in that plane, the, the currents were pushing me off the center. You had to, I guess whatever the dial was, you got to keep it in the middle me off. And he said bring it back to the center. Bring it back to the center. Bring. And the most, one of the most honest things I can share with you, Jordan, is every single day distractions and energy, vampire and negative thoughts. They're going to pull us off the center of our values. And our goal is to constantly bringing, be bringing it right back to the center. And that's called being human.

Man. Thank you for sharing that. And that's something sometimes you can't teach. You can't learn that in a book. You can't learn that in a course. It's just you knowing yourself, knowing where your center is and how to, how to bring it back.

I think so. And if I may just add, you know, you were so gracious to me, but I'm certainly no guru. I'm a human being. And I think, I think it's the very human condition of an artist or an entrepreneur or an elite performer. I think you are always struggling against your weaker impulses. You're always struggling to keep your habits and your highest intentions on track. And so maybe there are some people, every single day they're up at 5am joining the 5am club. And every single day they do the second wind workout. And every single day they follow through on their commitments. That's not been my experience. My experience is, of course, the more you practice a habit, the more drained to the point of automaticity. You get the neural wiring and it gets easier and easier and easier and, and yet there's always the struggle against your weaker impulses and distractions, I think a hundred percent.

So do you think as you get older, as we get older, the struggle gets easier or harder because we've now got new distractions, social media, all kinds of new distractions are coming in, but you're also knowing yourself better. So do you think it's getting easier or harder for you?

Wow, what a great question. I think as I get older, I have to work harder in the gym to get the results I want. I, I still have a lot of energy, but, you know, I, I don't think energy is bestowed. I think energy is built. And so I supplement well and I rest well and I do my morning exercise and my second wind workout and I block out the distractions that take my energy. So I do, I try to eat clean. I fast on probably four to five days a week. I, I fast from 9 o' clock the night before until roughly 4 o' clock the next day. So I do, I hydrate well. So there's these things that I do to protect my energy, but I do have to work harder to have that, to have that energy. So, you know, as you get older, I think you do get more, call it wisdom, perhaps, and that's, that makes some things easier and other things, you know, a lot of my friends are retiring, right? So it's, there's. Oh shit. You know, and even society, like maybe slow down a little bit. And that's not who I am and that's not what I'm interested in. I, I have what I call an anti retirement mentality. This is just what works for me. But I think the moment you start thinking about retiring, you, you, you slow down, you lose your game. You, I don't think you're as, as sharp, et cetera, et cetera.

And my friend just got a quick little announcement for you before we dive straight back into today's episode. I've got an invitation to all men who are listening or if, maybe if you're, if you're a woman listening to this and you know, men in your life who need to receive this invitation as well. I just wanted to share that the next round of the men's coaching program that I facilitate is going to be starting up in the second week of January. This program is for men who are ready to really step forward into their power, their confidence, their masculinity, to deepen their presence, to strengthen their relationships in their life. This is really going to be the biggest and best coaching program that I've put together to date. I've been working on this for the last six months and beyond, and I'm really, really excited to put this out to the world. So I just wanted to share with you that invitations, applications are open and if you're feeling the call, if you're a man, you're like, you know, you want to be in a community of brothers to hold you at a high standard. If you know, you want to be gu in terms of the right information to follow and be mentored and coached to level up all areas of your life, this is for you. So if it calls to you or you know someone who would resonate with this, tell them to DM me. Or if you're listening, DM me @jordan kanlish01 on Instagram and just say ready and I'll know to point you in the right direction.

All right. Enjoy the episode. Agreed. Totally agree. And yeah, we've got new things. Like, for me, my biggest, the biggest vice is social media. And the pull of the device, you know, when it's around, can really pull you out of the focus, the flow very quickly. So my thing is that the phone has to go away. Is there any specific vices that are your weak spots that you know, okay, if that has to be away or I have to abstain from that for a period of time to really find your zone.

Wow. Well, I do like carbs from time to time. And of course there's no. But, you know, I, I try to be careful and disciplined around carbs in the evening.

Yeah.

So that I guess, I guess that would Be. That would be one. Yeah. I don't. I don't have a lot of. I mean, social media is very attractive. I agree with you. And I believe you can change the world or play with your phone. You can't do both. And we hear a lot about social media addiction and the dopamine addiction. I think, yeah, I think it's important. I think you've got to be incredibly careful about protecting yourself. I think it is protecting yourself and protecting flow state, protecting your creativity, protecting your finest hours of your greatest days against just being on your phone. And, you know, and one way to do that is to create what I called in, what I call in the everyday hero manifesto, a tight bubble of total focus. I'm here in this farmhouse right now, for example, and I've got these rooms, rooms where no one can get to me. And I think it's really, really important to find your sacred space where no one can get to you. And there's not a lot in this room, there's not a lot of technology, there's not a lot of distractions. And, you know, if you look at a lot of the great creative people, I think about Winston Churchill. I mean, one of his methods was that tight bubble of total focus, that safe space. It was called Checkers, the official country retreat of the Prime Minister of England. And he would leave London in the middle of the of World War II and go out to Checkers and he would smoke cigars in the Rose Garden and he'd renew and he'd think and he'd contemplate, because you don't want to be busy being busy, because what's the point of being busy being busy around the wrong things? And I think about Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. He had this retreat, it was called goldeneye in Jamaica. And again, he would just get away from the world so he could do his best work. And he actually told the gardeners who would walk across his view of the Atlantic Ocean, don't do it while I'm writing, because that would break him out of the trance of flow. And I could go on about JD Salinger, the amazing author of Catcher in the Rye, who actually, at the height of his fame, left New York City, went to New Hampshire, built a concrete bunker where he could get away from the world. The last person is Demosthenes. He wanted to learn how to speak. And so lore has it, he actually found a cave and he would get away from the world and go into this cave and work on his articulation and his oratory and I think those are great about what we need to do. We need to find our metaphorical cave to get. See, we all have genius within us. We have neuroplasticity. We all have that trait. We all can get into transient hypo frontality, but so many of us want the rewards that world class provides, but we're not willing to do what world class requires.

Yes, yes to all of that. And I know for you, and just on that topic, environment's really important. Setting up an environment that allows you to access world class. And I know you will often go into Rome and spend time writing in Rome. I remember you sharing something around your $1 million idea weekend. And I may be giving away too much value. Maybe people have to pay to be at the Mastery Academy to get access to this. Remember you talking about going in environments where you're around the frequency, getting, go to penthouse suites, get a massage, eat the best food and put yourself in the environment where you can receive $1 million ideas. Can you tell me a little bit more about your thinking around that and why environment is such an important aspect of your creative process?

Oh, and I'd be happy to talk about that, that philosophy, and even get into that model to give value to your, to your followers. I think that's, I know that's why you do what you do, and that's ultimately what drives me. So of course we can get into it. I think the starting point is I learned it from Warren Buffett. Too many people focused on focus on cost versus return on investment. So I've had people actually say to me, well, I'm going to wait till your book comes in, goes from hardcover into soft cover. So I can save the $7 or the $11 for the book. I'm not judging, I'm just reporting. So you're gonna, you're gonna wait, you know, a year, a year and a half, two years to save $7? When the information in the Everyday Hero manifesto or the 5am club, if applied, could revolutionize your creativity, productivity, prosperity in your life. So the people that I, that I mentor, Fortune 100 CEOs, et cetera, one of the first things I, I remind them is don't worry about the cost of something, think about the return of investment. So that's the first point. The second point is be in the crowd. Or you can do master work. You can't do both. You've got to isolate yourself. That's one of the common traits of all geniuses. They spend a lot of time alone. The DNA of genius is Solitude in many ways, because when you get away from distraction, you actually get out of the prefrontal cortex, which is the seat of human reasoning and the human brain, but it's also the seat of human worry and restriction. So you get out of that monkey mind. And when you allow yourself through solitude and silence and beauty, you get into flow state, what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called flow. And that is that secret universe of all great genius. And superstar creatives all have that capacity. Genius is much more about our habits than our genetics. So yes, you've got to go to these places. That's why all artists have. You know how many artists worked by, by the ocean. I think about Salvador Dali, you know, I know you're in Europe. I remember being at the Costa Brava to go see Salvador Dali's home. And like so many artists, it was, it was in a fishing village right on the wall. Why? People who value ideas and productivity, they're in the country or they're by the ocean or they're working in the mountains. And if you can't do that. Learned from a lawyer I worked with when I was a young lawyer, one week before the trial, he would rent in our own city and lock himself away and just work in the hotel room. Anyone who's hungry, he called room service, otherwise they have a do not disturb. And that's why at the event you were at, I talked about, I called it the million dollar weekend strategy. And people who did it easily may got million dollar ideas. But what happens is you drop into flow state and then you've got all of Saturday and all of Sunday, you've got your journal, start downloading these ideas, you wonder where they're coming from, they're coming from your highest self. And you finish Sunday night and you've got huge like just industry dominating ideas that you and your team can then execute around. And so then the whole, the whole weekend cost you whatever cost you. I'm not minimizing the custom, say 5,000, 10,000, whatever it was, but you've got these million dollar ideas that if executed, pay for your weekend in multiples. Remember return on investment versus cost. So the entire week was not only free, you made money. Plus you have the time of your life. So I hope that was somewhat helpful.

It so was. Yeah. And this was one of those examples that I mentioned before we jumped on the recording, which was I had a notebook full of all these ideas from that event. But because it was during a time in my life where I wasn't making A lot of money and I couldn't necessarily afford to implement it fully. But fast forward three years back in Western Australia, I pulled out the notebook and remember the idea of $1 million weekend, you know, I'm going to try that. I booked a hotel room, five star in the city and I was making content at the time to. For my social media page and I remember getting ideas in that space that then resulted in these videos getting tremendous amounts of views, hundreds of thousands of views. So the, the idea was there, it was planted in my, in my subconscious and it got to just come through at a time when I was ready. One of the. And I'm mindful of time here. Robin, I've got a few more questions because this has just been so amazing so far. So just. Thank you. One of the things that you're a master at and what anyone to reach world class, you've got to become a master at learning how to tap into discipline, willpower and discipline. And I really see that in you because that's what's allowed you to execute, you know, execute on so much. And I remember you saying in a video there was a, in one of your gyms, in one of your homes you had a quote of Muhammad Ali and I want you to speak to, if you don't mind speaking to the importance of that quote in helping you stay disciplined and focused on achieving your goals.

Love to. Would you mind if I just make one more point on environment because I think it's so. Could be so valuable for all your followers around the world. Yes, I think.

Please.

Another thing to remember at environment about environment, it's not only to get away from the world so you can drop into flow and get the ideas that allow you to change the game, but your environment shapes your self identity. So I remember I went for a walk with this young man and he said, oh, I want to do so much better in my business and in my career and I want to be world class. And you know, I walked him to his car and his car was run down and it was a mess and all that kind of thing. I said here's my challenge to you, you know, and I'm not giving financial advice, but I said go out and invest in a much better car and again do this with discernment, do it with care. But he went out and he just got a beautiful new car, he got a BMW and he had the best year he'd ever had. Because I think your surroundings deeply affect the way you see yourself and there is so much opportunity in the world to serve and to grow a business and to poor beautiful creativity in the world. But if you don't believe you're one of those kinds of people, then you're not even going to start the process to become one of those kinds of people. So what I would say is, you know, and I say this at my events, you know, if you usually fly economy or whatever, save up, treat yourself to business. If you really want to get to the next level, get on Emirates Airlines and fly first class. Maybe just do it once. But the ideas that you'll get and the way you'll feel about yourself will allow you to push yourself to do better work, maybe to increase the amount you charge for your services and to play a larger game in the world where you serve more people and honor your best self. So on willpower, I would say willpower. Well, the research says that willpower is like a muscle. And so if you want to get stronger in the gym, you want to have stronger, a stronger core, then you've got to do burpees and push ups and all of those kinds of things. Yet when it comes to willpower, we go, oh, Kobe was a master of willpower. I guess he was just born into it. No, he built it. He was the one who was in the gym at 4am when everyone else showed up. And these are professional athletes in the NBA, they'd show up at 11 o' clock for practice. So if I have any discipline, it's because I build it. You know, starting off, you don't feel like it. You make your bed, then you don't feel like going to the gym, you do the workout, then you don't feel like sitting down. And again, we talked about the flexibility here. But you build willpower by the consistent doing of difficult things. And a last piece of science on it, science is confirming that when you do something difficult, it seems signals your brain to amplify neurogenesis, which is the ability of the human brain to grow according to new experiences. We are growth driven creatures, but we grow more doing difficult things. So the more you do things you don't feel like doing, the more you'll build discipline.

Thank you. And for those wondering what the quote was, I'll paraphrase it. It was Muhammad Ali saying, I don't like the idea of getting up in the morning to go to the gym, but I like the idea of becoming a world champion. And that quote is such a great reminder of like, if you, if you're focused on just the short term, it's going to be A lot harder. But remember why you're doing it. There is a new character, a new identity that's being built like you're sharing through these daily 1 percenters, these daily habits. And yeah, you're a master at it. And it's amazing to witness what can be achieved on a material, physical level through consistent daily action. It's the little things, the 1 percenters.

Yeah. Small daily, seemingly insignificant improvements when done consistently over time lead to stunning results. Every single workout makes a difference. Every act of over delivering for a client makes a difference. Even if, if you don't think it does it, it affects your neurobiology, it affects your, that neural circuit. Every, every practice session absolutely counts. How do you build a great life one day at a time?

So when these world class performers are world class organizations, and I won't go through the list because imagine that the top of the top, top people, the top organizations, Robin's work with all of them and they call you out to do a, an event or a training or keynote. You would think they would know some of this stuff already. The, the, the kind of simplicity in doing the fundamentals. But what are you sharing with them that makes them want to bring you out? What do you, how do you even begin to think, what am I going to share with this, you know, amazing world class performer that's going to support him in getting to where he needs to be?

Great question. I think the thing about a master is she always thinks like a beginner. And so these great companies or these elite, you know, these top CEOs, top entrepreneurs, they generally have one thing in common. They understand that nothing fails like success. And the moment you're at the top of the mountain, there's only one way down if you're not careful. Andy Grove, the co founder of intel, said only the paranoid survive. And when I say parent, when I use the word paranoid, it's almost like a healthy paranoia. It's like you understand that when you're at the top, you're very vulnerable and so you've got to maintain that beginner's mindset. So yes, these people are so successful and they know a lot, but they're looking for that new idea, that nuance on an old idea, that refinement of a fundamental that when practiced over time allows them to get to their next level. 100.

Yeah. That's what make them the best. Always learning, always looking to be better, always looking to execute on the fundamentals better. Thank you for sharing that. A couple more questions my friend, because this has just been so nourishing. One of the things I admire a lot about you and what I resonate with how you choose to live your life is you seek world class experiences, you and you travel to some of the most amazing destinations, you ski down some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, you eat some of the best foods and I know you've lived a lot of life and I'm really curious to know what are some experiences that stand out for you as like peak experiences, Things that just like, just land in your soul is like, wow, that was special.

Well, you know, what I'd say is in the past, you know, I've always been very devoted to family. So it was always like a lot of family moments in taking the kids to see Michelangelo's David in Florence or whitewater rafting in Costa Rica. But it was also trying to do a lot of my bucket list. I think you were mentioning, and I mentioned that time I was left alone at the top of a mountain in the Everyday Hero manifesto that was in New Zealand. So I wanted to go down my bucket list and I very actively tried to do those things. Now what brings me the greatest joy and the greatest magic is doing things for others. So my mother recently visited us in Italy and just orchestrating, she went to the Sistine Chapel and saw the ceiling and she saw Michelangelo's David and just providing some fresh. Take me to a restaurant in Rome with amazing. I mean it's not expensive, but it was just beautiful. Mozzarella di buffalo. And seeing her face light up tasting such fresh and amazing cheese or the pasta that was prepared. So I, I get my greatest joy doing things for other people and seeing their, their eyes light up or maybe it's a stranger on the street or having a conversation with someone. But just I think just seeing people light up and doing things for other people provides me with absolutely the greatest joy right now. I live a relatively simple life. I drive a small car. I don't have a lot of material things that I'm chasing. I want to be great at my craft and help a lot of people and hopefully make the world a better place.

That's the key. Find joy in the simple things. Thank you, my friend. Simple wisdom, right? But when it's applied, it's life changing. Last question for you. For you, Robin, before I let you go. Are there any insights or any recent realizations, breakthroughs that you've had in your life that you feel would be valuable for people listening or watching to know could be related to world class performance, could be related to Just living a more whole integrated life. What are some recent breakthroughs you've had?

Well, it depends on how you define recent, but I'd say some of the key things I've learned, especially in the past few years. But when it comes to an intimate relationship, what I found works best is someone who sees the world, world the same way you do that. That's one of the things that, I mean, let us not undervalue the incredible value of compatibility. That's just, that's just been my experience. Someone who has the same values and sees the world. So you're not always like, struggling to explain things. And related to that, someone who gets you. Oh, that. Of course I understand. That's why you need to be alone or that's why you go into your cave for five hours a day. Or of course you need to do this, or of course, like versus trying to explain things. And that would apply in an intimate relationship, but I think it also applies with friends. You know, you don't want to be around those energy vampires where you're always pushing and explaining. They really don't get you. And every time you have a new dream, they. They deflate you by saying, that would never work. So I think that's. I think that's an important big lesson I've learned over the past little while. I'd also say when it comes to a team, the bigger your dream, the more important your team. So just getting really good at hiring. And if someone doesn't work out, you're going to know it within the first 30 days, not two years. So I just. And then the third thing is rigor around your. Your fitness. I mean, it sounds so simple, but to get really, really, really fit increases your moods, your sleep, your longevity, your income. Why your income? Well, because when you have more energy, you can execute on your deliverables. And with more energy, you'll have be more productive. More productive means more value into the marketplace. More value into the marketplace means more income and more impact. What I call the twin currencies. So getting really serious on biohacking, supplementation. I'm not giving any medical advice, but fasting, 20 minutes of sunbathing, which I believe in fresh air and breathing, cold baths, rest, really valuable exercise, I think is really powerful. And then I think the final thing is just. I mean, I've. I used to write about legacy a lot. I wrote a book 25 years ago, 25 years ago, called who Will Cry when youn Die? And I mean, who Will Cry when youn Die? Whole book was about legacy to live in such a way that you're remembered by those you leave behind. And we hear a lot of talk about legacy right now. I want to. I want to leave a legacy. Well, at the end of the Everyday Hero Manifesto, there's a chapter which is. Which explains, like, I think I called it the big lie of legacy. But legacy doesn't matter, because after we're dead, we're dead. We're just going to be a pile of ashes in an urn next to little league trophies. So I think this concept of legacy is. It's all about the ego. You know, how will I be remembered? Oh, will I have a hospital wing named after me? I think what matters is how you live while you're alive each and every day, as long as you get to live. Are you honest? Are you noble? Are you productive? Are you creative? Are you decent? Are you kind? Those are the things that matter versus legacy. The irony is, if you live like that, you end up leaving this big legacy.

Oh, wow. What a great answer. Yeah. Thank you. And I can say from the bottom of my heart, your energy has impacted me, and I feel. I feel the legacy that you're leaving because you're touching other people's lives and then going out and touching more people's lives. And I think that's the point you're trying to make, is you get to be the change you want to see in the world. And just by doing that, it could be one interaction you have with an individual on the street who changes their day that then impacts someone else's day.

So.

What a beautiful answer, my friend. And thank you. And just on the. On the workout, the fitness stuff, I know you love spin classes, going to spin classes, bike studios. That workout is a game changer. It's one of my favorite workouts. You're in the morning. Spin class, music. If you start your day like that, I'm telling you, you just. You're on a. You're on a high frequency all day. You're just flowing through the day, so seconding what you shared. And, Robin, when can we expect the new book to be complete? Is there a timeline or you just kind of. You're just flying with it at the moment?

Yeah, I'm just flowing with it. I would say it'll be out within the next two years.

Fantastic. Well, it's in the calendar. I'll be counting down the days. I'm looking forward to it, my friend. Where can people learn more about what you're up to online? There's your website, robin, sharma.com, i believe.

And the Instagram page, yes, Instagram is at Robin Sharma. Sh R O B I N S H A R M A. That's Instagram. I have a ton of YouTube videos that can just search Robin Sharma. And the website is Robin Sharma.com, as you mentioned. And the Everyday Hero Manifesto is in bookstores around the world. The audiobook people have been loving on Audible and Amazon and the 5M Club, also audible, Amazon, Bookstores. And yeah, I mean, I'm excited to share a portion of my royalties goes to help children suffering from leprosy. So it's, you know, there's a, there's a good cause involved as well.

Amazing. Amazing. Well, for those who don't or haven't dove into your work already, it really is the keys, the keys to next level performance, the next level of fulfillment and abundance. So be sure to check him out, check out the new books. Thank you so much, my friend. This has just been an absolute joy, a dream come true. This is one of my goals that I set five years ago when I started this journey, to thank and interview the people that have touched my life. So I really appreciate you being on here.

You're a great interviewer, Jordan. I really enjoyed this conversation and keep up the great work you're doing for so many people. It's great to see you again.

Thank you, my friend. Likewise.

Thank you so much, guys for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed the conversation today. And as always, if you got value from this podcast, please share it. Tag me on social media ordancanlish01 and DM me. Send me some. Send me some thoughts. Tell me what you thought of today's episode. I'd love to hear from you. And most importantly, if you're a man listening to this and you know you're ready to step forward to do the inner work to level up your confidence and your power, click the link in my bio. I got something for you. Thanks again, guys. See you in the next episode.