Christmas Special | Hacks, Fails & Lessons From 2019 | Modern Wisdom 129

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (jazzy Christmas music plays) Because it's Christmas…

   1. CWChris Williamson0:00

      (jazzy Christmas music plays) Because it's Christmas and I can use whatever (censored) words I want, all right? So, today, we are gonna go through some of our favorite hacks, lessons, fails from 2019, do a year-end review.

   2. YUYusef0:26

      So I dropped med school, which was actual-

   3. JOJonny0:28

      Became a doctor.

   4. YUYusef0:29

      Became a doctor.

   5. JOJonny0:30

      Became a doctor.

   6. YUYusef0:31

      Ah. Otherwise, it's been probably the hardest year of my life.

   7. JOJonny0:35

      (laughs) The main thing that didn't go well was I started the year snapping my hamstring underneath 255 kilos.

   8. CWChris Williamson0:45

      As you're moving into the new year, if I could give you one piece of advice, one piece of advice would be go sober, second piece of advice would be sleep with your phone outside of your room, but third piece of advice would be get a morning routine.

   9. JOJonny0:53

      I spoke to someone this week who said to me that they got a dog because I said to get a dog.

   10. YUYusef0:59

       Ooh, that's a responsibility.

   11. JOJonny0:59

       So we should be careful. (whoosh)

   12. CWChris Williamson1:05

       Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. A very merry Christmas from us here at Modern Wisdom. Johnny and Yousaf have joined me. Uh, anyway, it's Christmas. Merry Christmas. Hope that you've had a fantastic year. We're gonna be going through-

   13. JOJonny1:17

       Can I open that now? (clicks jumper opening)

   14. YUYusef1:22

       (laughs)

   15. JOJonny1:23

       (laughs)

   16. YUYusef1:23

       (Clicks jumper opening) Oh, bollocks. (clicks jumper opening)

   17. CWChris Williamson1:24

       What are you doing?

   18. YUYusef1:25

       Oh, there we go. (clicks jumper opening)

   19. JOJonny1:27

       Dean, just cut this. (static sound)

   20. CWChris Williamson1:28

       Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. A very merry Christmas to you. I'm joined by Johnny and Yousaf from propanefitness.com.

   21. JOJonny1:36

       Welcome back to us.

   22. CWChris Williamson1:37

       Welcome back, indeed.

   23. YUYusef1:38

       This is actually take two 'cause we were being naughty.

   24. JOJonny1:40

       (laughs)

   25. CWChris Williamson1:40

       They were being naughty. They were being Christmas elves. Um, as you can see, Johnny's wearing a familiar jumper, except for the fact it's broken. You've got an indicator.

   26. JOJonny1:48

       I don't think it's broken fully.

   27. CWChris Williamson1:50

       Better.

   28. JOJonny1:51

       Some would say better.

   29. CWChris Williamson1:52

       Better. Anyway-

   30. JOJonny1:53

       It's more surprising.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   Mm-hmm. …

   1. CWChris Williamson15:00

      routine-

   2. JOJonny15:00

      Mm-hmm.

   3. CWChris Williamson15:02

      ... imagine how much you'd get done every single m- essentially every minute to every-

   4. JOJonny15:06

      What, if you could live your life as if it was a morning routine?

   5. CWChris Williamson15:08

      Yeah, just that it's, it ... And by that-

   6. JOJonny15:10

      But that's g-

   7. CWChris Williamson15:10

      ... what I mean is, like, every minute is accounted for and is ... And during that minute you're doing precisely what you're supposed to be doing.

   8. JOJonny15:17

      S- so that's what I ... That's something I try and do in my morning routine. So that's a Cal Newport thing, of, like, try and plan out as much of your day as you possibly can on a bit of paper or, like, in your journal or whatever.

   9. CWChris Williamson15:28

      Mm-hmm.

   10. JOJonny15:29

       Um- In 15 minute blocks.

   11. CWChris Williamson15:30

       (smacks lips)

   12. JOJonny15:30

       I do it in 30 minute blocks. So, like, you know, how long does it take to get there? How long am I gonna be doing on this task? And, uh, there's something that Cal says which is like, he's convinced that a 9:00 till 5:00 window, perfectly planned, or, like, planned down to the minute, that person gets way more done than the 60 hour work week person who's just like ...

   13. CWChris Williamson15:52

       Yeah.

   14. JOJonny15:52

       You know, so-

   15. CWChris Williamson15:52

       Well, you can, you can much more easily control the intensity of your work than you can control the passage of time.

   16. JOJonny15:58

       Yeah.

   17. CWChris Williamson15:59

       I mean, you know, we get to, we get to do the second one, so.

   18. JOJonny16:01

       Mm-hmm.

   19. CWChris Williamson16:02

       (clears throat) So, yeah, I guess for me, uh, doubling down on morning routine, probably one of them has been, um, focus on rest, the meditation technique from, uh, Shinzen Young's Five Ways, which is both of our meditation coaches, Brian's doing.

   20. JOJonny16:17

       Mm-hmm.

   21. CWChris Williamson16:17

       To the people that don't know what I'm talking about, it's just a particular type of meditation focus. You're focusing on the absence of a, a visual, uh, auditory, or somatic experience in your head. Which sounds a bit woo.

   22. JOJonny16:31

       (laughs)

   23. CWChris Williamson16:32

       Um, but bottom line is, I've now managed to ingrain that and I did it for so long that it feels like getting a squeegee and wiping a, a window clean. And if there's something that arises, it must be similar to your releasing technique, or it must have a similar sort of effect. I can drill it, I've drilled it so much now that I can do see rest, hear rest, feel rest. And after that it genuinely feels like my mind's cleaner, after that little thing. But I did it for-

   24. JOJonny16:59

       Like a good old-

   25. CWChris Williamson17:00

       I did it for six months.

   26. JOJonny17:01

       Clean out the pipe.

   27. CWChris Williamson17:01

       Yeah. Like you're getting one of those, like, you know-

   28. JOJonny17:03

       Brush your brain. (laughs)

   29. CWChris Williamson17:04

       Every day.

   30. JOJonny17:04

       You should probably go brush your brain.
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   It's not a luxury.…

   1. CWChris Williamson30:00

      self-care and continuing to ensure... Your, your wellbeing is not a...

   2. YUYusef30:09

      It's not a luxury.

   3. CWChris Williamson30:10

      It's n- it's not a luxury, but it's also not, like, a, a savings account. It's a current account, and you need to continue to deposit into it every single day. And the times when-

   4. JGJonny or Yusef (Propane Fitness guest)30:20

      Something that, a quote from Paul Moore is, "Self-care, sooner or later, becomes your number one priority." Which I, I just think is so complete.

   5. CWChris Williamson30:28

      Yeah.

   6. JGJonny or Yusef (Propane Fitness guest)30:28

      Like, either sort your shit out (laughs) or you'll have to take... It's like the, like, "I'll do it on Monday, I'll do it on Monday," but with your health...

   7. YUYusef30:37

      It's so weird that health is just the most, like, when it's good, you don't even notice it.

   8. CWChris Williamson30:41

      Yeah.

   9. YUYusef30:41

      And then when it's bad, you, all you wanna do is-

   10. CWChris Williamson30:43

       It's all you think about.

   11. YUYusef30:44

       Yeah.

   12. CWChris Williamson30:44

       And even less so than the health thing, 'cause I think all of us have even, even your worst time, you'd have trained once a week.... probably you'd have got in and moved once a week, which is more than some people do. We pro-

   13. YUYusef30:56

       Not during the 'gitis, but yeah, like-

   14. CWChris Williamson30:57

       Yeah, d- during, like, busier and busier.

   15. YUYusef31:00

       Like this year, yeah.

   16. JOJonny31:01

       During the busy years, yeah.

   17. CWChris Williamson31:01

       Um, like you couldn't do anything-

   18. YUYusef31:01

       Yeah, during the... he's just been on maintenance luckily. It's been two to three times a week-

   19. CWChris Williamson31:04

       Mm-hmm.

   20. YUYusef31:04

       ... but, like, nothing special, just background.

   21. CWChris Williamson31:07

       But it's not just the, what most people would consider, like, the headlines, like, are you having enough water? Are you drinking? Are you... Do, do... What? What are you drinking?

   22. YUYusef31:15

       (laughs)

   23. CWChris Williamson31:16

       (laughs)

   24. YUYusef31:18

       You bastard.

   25. JOJonny31:20

       It's just, it's just because the other day, I was looking through our YouTube channel, and I saw, uh, one of Yusuf's training logs of him deadlifting in-

   26. YUYusef31:29

       (laughs)

   27. JOJonny31:29

       ... um, a gym he used to train at, and it's just the face.

   28. CWChris Williamson31:34

       (laughs)

   29. JOJonny31:34

       I just, when I, when I thought of, when I pictured Yusuf training, I just imagined that face, that-

   30. YUYusef31:38

       I think the first podcast we did with Chris, with the, with the coffee and the-
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   Mm-hmm. …

   1. YUYusef45:00

      forest behind it, you could see temples in the background.

   2. CWChris Williamson45:02

      Mm-hmm.

   3. YUYusef45:02

      And me and my girlfriend were just enjoying the pool, like, just having a swim and stuff.

   4. CWChris Williamson45:06

      Mm-hmm.

   5. YUYusef45:07

      Drinking a coconut with a thing.

   6. CWChris Williamson45:09

      (laughs)

   7. YUYusef45:10

      And, (laughs) and we, we saw couple after couple come into the pool, boyfriend fully dressed, but with, like, a big DSLR thing.

   8. CWChris Williamson45:17

      Mm-hmm.

   9. YUYusef45:18

      And girlfriend, like, they'd be full makeup, hair done, heels, um, like, a, what looks like a really expensive swimsuit with little, like, shoulder pads and-

   10. CWChris Williamson45:27

       Oh.

   11. YUYusef45:27

       And they'd come over and sit on the side of the pool and, like-

   12. CWChris Williamson45:29

       Mm-hmm.

   13. YUYusef45:30

       And, like, pose and stuff, like, and do, like, an hour's photo shoot, and then leave. And you'd be like, "Are you guys gonna get into the pool or enjoy it?"

   14. CWChris Williamson45:37

       They'd just be around it. So-

   15. YUYusef45:39

       And it would just happen so consistently.

   16. CWChris Williamson45:40

       Uh, on the south coast of ... Sorry, on the, um, west coast of Gili T, sun setting. One of the most beautiful, picturesque islands on the planet, probably just outside of Bali. Um, and there is, you'll have seen those swings, those sunset swings that are in the middle of the ocean, like, and people sit on them.

   17. JOJonny45:59

       Mm-hmm.

   18. CWChris Williamson45:59

       And it's usually got, like, it's, like, a kind of rustic wooden swing type thing.

   19. JOJonny46:02

       Mm-hmm.

   20. CWChris Williamson46:03

       Anyway, so I'm there and, uh, I'm watching #boyfriendsofinstagram get down-

   21. JOJonny46:10

       (laughs) .

   22. CWChris Williamson46:10

       There's this, uh, Chinese guy who's there who's taking photos for his girlfriend who wants a good photo.

   23. JOJonny46:14

       Okay.

   24. CWChris Williamson46:15

       And what she wants is as much reflection off the water as is possible. So what he's had to do is get down, he's lowering himself down further and further and the water's this high, but the phone needs to be up. But he can be lower, so every so often he's taking this wave in the face.

   25. YUYusef46:31

       Oh.

   26. CWChris Williamson46:31

       Like, as he's trying to get this photo. And I was just thinking the sacrifices that he makes.

   27. JOJonny46:35

       Mm-hmm.

   28. CWChris Williamson46:35

       And it was like everyone was trying to out-extra everyone else. I mean, this is coming from the guy who, um, did, like, a legless rope climb to get to the top of it so that I was, like, at the very, very top. That was my photo. Um, but then a guy (laughs) , everyone was taking photos, everyone was looking cool, and a local guy just rode past on a horse, took the horse out into the middle of the water, and stood on the horse.

   29. YUYusef46:58

       (laughs)

   30. JOJonny47:00

       (laughs)
5. 1:00:00 – 1:08:52

   Mm-hmm. …

   1. JOJonny1:00:00

      process, not an event. People think that it's an event or, like, a- a thing that they've did, uh, did, a thing that they've done that caused a sale. It's what happened prior to that-

   2. CWChris Williamson1:00:09

      Mm-hmm.

   3. JOJonny1:00:10

      ... that caused the sale. Um, who not how to solve a problem. So this year, I've invested myself, not under the propane umbrella, 'cause those numbers are, make you more sick than putting your glove in your mouth, um, the most money personally in coaching. So I've worked with the most coaches in my, for my own stuff.

   4. CWChris Williamson1:00:31

      Mm-hmm.

   5. JOJonny1:00:31

      Um, so, like, if you're trying to get better at something or trying to achieve stuff, just, which is the next thing, model consistent examples of where you want to be. So not someone who's, like, where you're wanting to be and has been there for a bit. But someone who's, like, consistently doing the thing that you're trying to get to. Just pay them to learn how. So always asking. Instead of just grinding away and, like, "What book can I read? What course can I do? How can I figure this out myself?" Just who's doing it?

   6. CWChris Williamson1:01:01

      Mm-hmm.

   7. JOJonny1:01:01

      And I'll just pay and work with them.

   8. CWChris Williamson1:01:03

      Mm-hmm.

   9. JGJonny or Yusef (Propane Fitness guest)1:01:03

      Life is short, just-

   10. JOJonny1:01:05

       Just get the answers.

   11. CWChris Williamson1:01:06

       Yeah. I think that's- that's such a fucking good heuristic. And that was one that came to me kind of last year, I think, although I still haven't fully implemented it, that, um...... being able to shortcut all of the self-direction, self-accountability, questioning, "Is this the right, should I do X, Y, Zed." It's like just, just ask the person.

   12. JOJonny1:01:29

       Yeah.

   13. CWChris Williamson1:01:29

       Like, if you want to know the best way to fix your back, drive to Canterbury and go-

   14. JOJonny1:01:34

       Just ask Steve Magill. (laughs)

   15. CWChris Williamson1:01:35

       ... and go and see Steve Magill.

   16. JOJonny1:01:36

       Yeah.

   17. CWChris Williamson1:01:37

       Like-

   18. JOJonny1:01:38

       So many people, man. Like, and I, I, I think we've all been guilty of this. Like, you spend so long trying to figure something out yourself. Like, in your own whatever it is, and you might not even be necessarily that aware of it. But like, people read books on things or do courses on things rather than just paying a bit more and getting someone who's really experienced in that area-

   19. CWChris Williamson1:01:56

       Mm-hmm.

   20. JOJonny1:01:56

       ... to give you some customized help on that thing.

   21. CWChris Williamson1:01:58

       Mm-hmm.

   22. JOJonny1:01:59

       So I, with med- I, I tried with meditation for years to figure it out myself, and just chatting to someone who ... And I know there's no, like, qualification or level of ex- expertise necessarily-

   23. CWChris Williamson1:02:10

       Mm-hmm.

   24. JOJonny1:02:10

       ... but just paying for some formal help would do.

   25. CWChris Williamson1:02:12

       (clears throat) Yeah.

   26. JOJonny1:02:13

       Um-

   27. CWChris Williamson1:02:13

       So I think there's two things that for me have, have struck this year. There's a lesson that I'll get onto in a second, but two of the big things is, what I'm missing most and what many people that are in this kind of knowledge work, self-directed world of personal development might be struggling with, the two things that I think are most important are direction and accountability.

   28. JOJonny1:02:30

       Mm-hmm.

   29. CWChris Williamson1:02:30

       It's like, if you know what you need to do and you have someone who will tell you off, and, uh, if you don't do it and encourage you if you do, 90% of the work's done for you. What do I need to do, and why do I need to do it, essentially-

   30. JOJonny1:02:42

       Yeah.

Episode duration: 1:29:41