How This Sporting Event Could Change Your Life with Michael Lemmel #96

1. Take One Step Outside Box

Take one more step than you’re doing today to venture outside your comfort zone, as this expands your world, leads to new experiences, and helps you realize something new.

2. Combat Loneliness with Connections

Actively seek out real-life connections and shared experiences with others to combat the epidemic of loneliness, as humans evolved to thrive in community, not just survive in isolation.

3. Prioritize Experiential Education

Seek out experiences that teach fundamental life skills such as teamwork, respect for others and the environment, connection with nature, and how to overcome adversity, as this is a vital form of education.

4. Reconnect Nature & Community

Actively seek to reconnect with nature, friends, and community, especially if you feel a craving for such experiences, as this can be profoundly transformative and fulfilling.

5. Prioritize Experiences, Just Do It

When an opportunity for a meaningful experience arises, especially with loved ones, prioritize it and ‘just do it’ rather than finding reasons not to, as these moments create lasting memories.

6. Create Offline Adventures

Get outside and offline to create adventures where things might go wrong, requiring you to overcome challenges, as these experiences generate meaningful stories and foster deep connections.

7. Empower Children’s Activity Choices

As a parent, ensure that children’s participation in activities comes from their own desire and understanding, not parental pressure, and teach them the importance of saying ’no’ if they feel scared or are not enjoying the experience.

8. Nurture Children’s Emotional Health

As a parent, be emotionally aware of your child’s feelings and focus on building positive emotional cornerstones, rather than pushing them to a point of fear or adversity, to ensure a positive experience.

9. Practice Nature Connection

When in nature, particularly water, practice feeling your body as part of something bigger, connecting to the vibrations and electrical pulses of all beings, to experience a profound sense of connection and aliveness.

10. Disconnect Digitally in Nature

Engage in activities that immerse you in an ‘analog world’ in nature, disconnected from social media, to reduce stress and cortisol levels, and feel a sense of renewal.

11. Walk Nature for Stress Relief

Go out into a forest for a walk of 30-45 minutes to significantly reduce cortisol levels, promote growth in your frontal lobe and hippocampus, and generally reduce stress.

12. Gradually Increase Activity in Nature

To get started with physical activity, take ‘one more step’ than before; begin by walking in nature, then gradually introduce short bursts of running (e.g., run one minute, walk two, then increase run time), as this progressive approach helps reduce stress.

13. Push Limits in Nature

Engage in physical activity in nature to push your perceived physical limits, as studies show you can run and swim further due to a different perception and connection to the environment, allowing you to move with its flow.

14. Overcome Fear in Support

Don’t let fear or inexperience stop you from trying new activities, especially if a supportive environment (like a well-marshalled event with safety measures) is available, as overcoming initial panic can lead to personal growth.

15. Try New Activities with Partner

When considering a new and potentially intimidating activity, team up with an experienced partner or racer to provide comfort and ease, making the experience less daunting and more enjoyable.

16. Find Accountability Partner

If you struggle with activity, find a friend to partner with for new experiences, as mutual accountability can help you train and commit, leading to transformative life changes.

17. Cultivate Partner Communication

Engage in activities with a partner that require you to feel, communicate your emotions, show both weakness and strength, and support each other to move forward, fostering deep interpersonal connection.

18. Focus on Partnership Dynamics

In unpredictable environments, shift your focus from external factors like time or performance to the only thing you can control: how you and your partner function together, as effective teamwork leads to better outcomes.

19. Seek Supportive Community Activities

Engage in activities that cultivate a collective community feel, where participants support and encourage each other, even when technically competing, rather than focusing solely on individual competition.

20. Foster Community Support

Work to support and respect each other within a community, recognizing that collective strength comes from cooperation rather than individual superiority.

21. Recognize Universal Connection

Cultivate a fundamental belief that all humans are connected and face similar challenges, as realizing this shared humanity can simplify conversations around climate, environment, connection, and equality.

22. Connect Nature for Environment

Actively engage with nature, especially through events that immerse you in it, to foster a deep personal connection that naturally leads to concern for the environment and understanding of climate change.

23. Minimize Environmental Impact

Strive to minimize your environmental impact, especially when organizing or participating in events in nature, and actively work to raise awareness about environmental problems like plastic pollution.

24. Practice Zero-Waste Outdoors

Commit to not dropping any litter in nature; if you see something dropped, pick it up yourself or encourage others to do so, fostering a community-led approach to keeping natural environments clean.

25. Participate Community Clean-ups

Engage in organized community clean-up activities (e.g., ‘garbage search and collect’) and make a personal habit of picking up litter you encounter, even if it’s not yours, to raise awareness and contribute to a cleaner environment.

26. Lead by Example in Stewardship

Lead by example in environmental stewardship, such as picking up litter, as this can inspire others to question their own behavior and make positive changes, which is more effective than simply telling people what to do.

27. Engage Climate Debate Imperfection

Do not let personal imperfections or environmental footprints prevent you from engaging in discussions and raising awareness about climate change, as demanding personal perfection as a prerequisite hinders the broader conversation.

28. Use Nature as Antidote

Actively engage with nature to counteract the inward-driving forces of modern technology and society, as nature is expansive and encourages outward focus, serving as an antidote to contemporary problems.

29. Explore New Nature Experiences

If you already regularly access nature, consider trying new activities or perspectives to experience it in a different and potentially more profound way.

30. Break Down Physical Challenges

Approach physical challenges by breaking them into shorter, varied segments (e.g., short runs followed by short swims), allowing for different muscle use and opportunities to rest, making the overall goal more achievable.

31. Embrace Simplicity in Activity

Seek out physical activities that minimize transitions and equipment changes, allowing you to start and finish with the same gear (e.g., running in a wetsuit, swimming in shoes), as this simplicity can be mentally freeing and enjoyable.

32. Choose Accessible Activities

Opt for physical activities that are financially accessible, requiring minimal specialized equipment or travel costs, making it easier to participate and ‘get out’.

33. Focus on Basics, Just Do It

Don’t get bogged down by excessive gear or preparation; focus on the basics and ‘just get out there and do it,’ as this approach can be mentally freeing and enable participation.

34. Progressively Acclimate Open Water

If you’re new to swimming or open water, start by getting comfortable in a pool, then move to a lake or river, and finally the ocean, to gradually build confidence and skill.

35. Tap Into Emotional Power

Recognize and utilize the emotional power within yourself, which is stronger than physical attributes, and be willing to share these emotions with a partner to achieve greater strength and connection.

36. Acknowledge Shared Emotions

Actively share and acknowledge the emotional experiences of others, such as hugging participants at a finish line, to build connection and emphasize the importance of shared journey over individual physical prowess.

37. Plan Activities with Friends

Arrange to meet up and participate in shared activities, like sporting events, with friends to strengthen bonds and create new experiences together.

38. Seek Something More

If you find yourself in a routine of work and waiting for weekends, actively search for ‘something more’ in life to fulfill a deeper craving beyond societal pressures and responsibilities.

39. Use Biodegradable Materials Outdoors

When engaging in outdoor activities or events, opt for biodegradable materials (e.g., cellulose or paper for marking) to avoid harming wildlife and minimize environmental impact.

40. Carry Reusable Hydration Cup

To significantly reduce waste, especially at events or when consuming beverages, carry your own collapsible or reusable cup instead of relying on single-use options.

41. Try Minimalist Footwear

Consider wearing minimalist shoes, such as Vivo Barefoot, for various occasions like work, play, walking, or gym, as they can improve posture and alleviate issues like back pain, and come with a 100-day trial for new customers.

42. Seek Diverse Conversations

Engage with interesting people from various fields (health and beyond) to gather simple, actionable tips that can immediately transform how you feel, as inspiration and empowerment come from these interactions.

43. Listen to Past Episodes

Go back through the podcast’s back catalogue to listen to previous conversations, especially episode 73 with Ross Edgeley, to gain insights and inspiration.

44. Listen to Wallman Episode

Listen to the podcast episode featuring James Wallman, who discusses how to spend time productively and offers seven rules for meaningful experiences, as it contains valuable wisdom.

45. Seize Opportunities, Be Persistent

In life, actively look for opportunities and act on them, then maintain persistence in your efforts if you believe what you are doing is right, as this approach leads to growth and success.

46. Expand Your Comfort Zone

Understand that your circle of comfort expands rapidly with each new challenge you undertake, making subsequent challenges easier to face.

47. Prioritize Children’s Enjoyment

When children participate in challenging activities, prioritize their enjoyment and ensuring they finish with a smile, rather than focusing solely on completion or performance.

48. Engage Instinctual Navigation

Seek out activities in nature, like difficult trail running, where you must rely on instinct and feeling rather than overthinking, to foster a deeper connection with your surroundings.

49. Reconnect to Tribal Living

Counteract modern detached, self-focused lifestyles by engaging in activities that remind us of our animal nature and the importance of living as a tribe in harmony with others, fostering genuine connection.

50. Practice Adaptability & Teamwork

Expose yourself to nature to learn adaptability, realizing that in natural environments, the only thing you can control is how you and your partner work together and adapt to conditions, fostering a paradigm shift away from societal status.