Welcome to another round-up of the books, ideas, activities, & habits we think you should check out. You can find all our recommendation round-ups here.
Question-Based Journaling
Recommended by Cole Sager, Pro Athlete & President of CompTrain
A recent journaling technique I have been using is to pose questions to myself. I often find something that sparks interest in my mind (a piece of scripture, an inspirational quote, or a piece of wisdom) and then proceed to ask myself a series of questions regarding my adherence to that thought I aspire to embody.
This technique allows me to explore and express curiosity about myself and, ultimately, determine if there is an area I would like to improve in my life. I rarely offer myself a solution while journaling, but posing questions opens my mind to exploring a better way of living or approaching areas of my life. I have a deep sense of curiosity in life, allowing me to explore my mind, offer up problems to solve, and hopefully come to an improved outcome.
The Three Pillars Nutrition App
Recommended by Patrick Cummings, author of the kid’s book The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy
Our friend (& my co-host on the Consistency Project pod) EC Synkowski has been working hard over the last year to build a nutrition app based on her no-nonsense approach to diet.
I’ve had the pleasure of using it & now you can too (today’s 🚀 day)!
She’s put together a terrific bundle to celebrate the launch - you can get a full year of the app, plus all the educational material you need, plus a chat group with EC for April through July 15 as you work through it all.
Just use code SPRING25 when you register.
PS: Be sure to tune in to this week’s episode of the pod. EC joins us to talk a bit more about the app.
The How of Happiness - Brooks on the Rich Roll Podcast
Recommended by Jamison Price, author of The Better Way & CompTrain Gym Ops Director
When I first read about Arthur Brooks's "macronutrients of happiness" a couple of years ago, it felt like someone finally made sense of an esoteric concept I could never quite put words to. Since then, I've put many of Brooks's suggested protocols into practice, and it's been empowering.
His recent conversation on Rich Roll's podcast was one of his best summarizations of the idea that happiness is "a range." Ultimately, this content is encouraging because it shows us that happiness isn't an accident; we can cultivate it through awareness, intention, and action.
🔗 Listen on Apple Pods
Netflix and David Goggins
Recommended by Mark England, co-founder & head coach of Enlifted
One of the calling cards of a healthy mindset is the ability to relax and downregulate. A well-rounded mindset has gears just like a car has gears — different gears for different types of driving. Or different tools for different jobs.
A good example of a problematic mindset is the lack of ability to relax and downregulate. Imagine if you invited someone over for some "Netflix and Chill," and 10 minutes in, they were tensing up and started in about, "Who's gonna carry the boats?" You're still somewhat interested, so you scooch a little closer, and then they yell out, "You don't know me, Son!" and jump up and start doing push-ups.
It's common in hard-ass mindset language, too. "Go hard or go home." How about I go hard, go home, have a nice meal, and get in bed by 10? Or "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Chances are you'll get some sleep tonight, and if you don't, you'll wish you were dead.
Hit it hard in the gym, and when it's time to chill, do that well, too.
"The One Thing" by Gary Keller
Recommended by Jonathan Fletcher, co-owner of Digital Barbell
When we started Digital Barbell, we had a million ideas and directions we could go. "The One Thing" helped us narrow our focus, take action on what truly mattered, and turn our business into what it is today.
10/10 would recommend.
🔗 Grab the book here