I spent a challenging and heart-pounding twenty minutes in a sauna four days this week. In my thirty-five years, I've entered a sauna a dozen times, maybe more, but never have I lasted more than ten minutes. I've heard all the tips to survive it, and I've heard all the quips about happiness, good skin, and weight loss, but I never cared to tough it out.
Until this week. What changed? I read, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by Bill Gifford and Peter Attia. The book explains that spending twenty minutes, four days a week, at over 175 degrees could be correlated with longevity. Is it guaranteed? No, but with this highly motivating, new information, I was able to sustain myself in the 198-degree misery for twenty minutes. Not just once, but four consecutive days.
This accomplishment reminded me that I can do hard things, I don't get to test that out very often, but now the sauna has become an accessible place to push myself regularly. Before I had proper motivation inspired by new knowledge, I couldn't last in the sauna and I didn't want to try. After, I've done it without fail.
When we know better, we do better - Oprah, basically. If you want to do better at anything, you need the right knowledge and tools to get there. So, I've worked for years to build a tool kit to cope with life and accomplish my goals.
Here's a peek into my tool kit:
Knowledge. I hit the library, YouTube, ChatGPT, Google, and even TikTok and Pinterest to gain as much insight into my problem or adventure as possible. Often things seem daunting only because we don't have a clear plan, the clearer things are the easier it can be to tackle them.
Organization Apps. Feel free to use pen & paper if that's your jam, but get organized. I recommend keeping this as simple as possible but do make it happen. I use Google Calendar, and the Tasks: to-do List & Planner app only, and I regularly update and double-check them to stay on task and moving forward. To accomplish anything you must have a plan with well laid out steps. Determine what works for you and stick with it.
Therapy. It took me years to find a therapist that really helped me, but once I did the tool kit grew exponentially. One of my greatest challenges used to be indecision. I knew I wanted to accomplish so many things but I could not decide what to focus on. It took one-on-one time with a professional to help me make choices and cope with the worry and loss of all the other opportunities I'd be leaving behind when I finally settled on a plan.
Mentors. Finding people who have accomplished your goals is key to growth. They provide knowledge, support, motivation, and inspiration for the low moments we all inevitably run into. Mentors can be found online or in your community and it can be scary to put yourself and your ideas out there, but take it from me, the more you do it the easier it becomes.
Check out this YouTube video by Simon Squibb - if you have big goals, this may be the best place to start your journey.
There's no direct path to success, which can be frustrating and leaves plenty of room for error and disappointment, but with a solid plan and the right motivation the effort is worth it. Remember to be open to many avenues on your journey, including those that bring the heat.
Want to learn more about what Peter Attia, MD has to say about improving your health and lifespan? Listen here on Audible.
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