Getting After It

111 — Reps and Resilience: How Fitness Rewrites Your Story

• Brett Rossell • Season 4 • Episode 111

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What’s up, friends? This one’s personal. We’re diving into fitness—not just the sweat and the gains, but what it really does for you. I’ve been that chubby kid who felt mediocre, and I’ve been the guy obsessing over a marathon time that nearly broke me. 

Today, I’m unpacking it all: how exercise transforms your body (think 35% less risk of heart disease—nuts, right?), rewires your mind (15 minutes of running cuts depression risk by 26%), and builds a confidence that bleeds into every damn part of your life. We’ll talk about my brother Drew, who went from 265 pounds and depressed to crushing marathons and owning his life—proof you can do hard things.

But here’s the catch: fitness can trip you up if you let it define you. I’ve been there—crying at mile 10, feeling like a failure because I didn’t hit a goal. So we’re getting real about not tying your worth to the numbers, whether it’s miles, weights, or the mirror. 

Expect stories, science, and a bit of tough love. If you’ve ever doubted yourself—or just need a push to lace up those shoes—this is for you. Hit play, then hit me up with your own journey. Let’s keep getting after it together.

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I hope today’s episode sparked something within you to pursue your dreams and unlock your true potential. If you found value in it, consider sharing it with someone who might need that same push.

This podcast is built for you—the dreamers and the doers. My goal is to provide a space where you can find inspiration, learn from others, and feel empowered to chase what matters most to you.

Your dreams are within your grasp. All you need is the commitment to Get After It.

Brett:

Welcome back to the show. My friends, happy to have you here today. We are talking about something very important to me and hopefully to you as well. It's fitness. When I think of the line discipline equals freedom by Jocko Willink, it hits me square in the chest when I think about fitness, because really that is the truth Discipline and fitness equals freedom in life. We'll go into it today. We're gonna go a little little bit deeper, talking about the benefits to the body, to the mind, and how to not tie your self-worth into your physical and fitness levels, because I've fallen into that trap and let's get after it.

Brett:

Fitness is a lifelong endeavor, but it's one that I've been doing since, I would say, college. I really got into fitness during college. I was with my brother. We were up in Rexburg, idaho. It was really cold and honestly, there wasn't much to do besides go to school and work and then we'd exercise together. But I saw the benefits there. I've mentioned this before on the podcast, but I've always been kind of a chubby kid. Fat Brett's still in there, he lurks but I always had this issue where I would just look kind of mediocre and it didn't really feel great either. Which is the more important thing Looks are great, but how do you feel? That's what you should be asking yourself. And when I was in college, I saw a few key benefits of consistently working out One I started getting stronger, my endurance was better, I started looking better and just felt healthier. My body was starting to feel like it was in tip-top shape at this time of feel like it was, you know, in tip top shape at this time. The other thing I noticed is that when the days I didn't exercise, studying, going to class, doing those other things was a little bit more difficult, and it's hard to explain why that is, but we'll go into some of the science behind it today. It's just interesting because there is a distinct difference and I still feel that today. I still feel those days when I don't exercise it's like night and day.

Brett:

This past week I was in California. I went to Expo West, which is one of the biggest trade shows in the US every year and it's in the Anaheim convention center. So it's this massive trade show floor and I would wake up and I would run at least a 10 K before I went to this trade show floor and every day I was putting out like 35,000 steps, 30,000 to 35,000 steps. And Friday came and so I was there. I worked out Wednesday, thursday, friday. I was just like beat. I was dead, so I didn't work out in the morning, but I noticed a significant difference in my cognition. Like I was not as sharp as I was the days before. I also could have been very tired, but still, like I know, if I would have worked out and would have gotten after it, that I would have performed better mentally during that day.

Brett:

And I don't want to just talk about you know PRs or looking great or anything like that, because one thing I also learned in college is that if you are physically fit, if you are disciplined in that area of your life, it bleeds into every other. If you are disciplined in that area of your life, it bleeds into every other, bleeds into every other aspect of your life, like your job, your relationships, your faith, everything. Because you're recognizing that if you are disciplined, if you can do the hard thing, that your body or that your mind is telling you no, we don't want to do this now, but you force yourself to do it anyway. Your mind is telling you no, we don't want to do this now, but you force yourself to do it anyway. If you can do that, then you can do that in your job, in your faith, in your family, literally anything. Fitness bleeds into every aspect of your life.

Brett:

I was talking to my brother today it's a Saturday, so long run Saturday, um, but he's fighting bronchitis right now and I got to the gym and it's been a long week and so I was like I'm just going to go for eight miles. If I get eight miles, great. If not, you know it's been a tough week and I got 11 miles in. So I was proud of that and my brother calls me afterwards and he was just like man, I feel like crap, I don't even know if I'm going to get a half mile in today. And he started beating himself up a little bit and I was like dude, you can't, you can't put your worth into that.

Brett:

Like it's important to always push yourself, to test your limits, but if you think that you as a human being, your value as a human, is determined by how hard you work out or what your runs look like, it's not a good place to be in. Like I I've been in that place and I'm telling you try not to go there, because then, like I said, when you're physically fit, that discipline bleeds into every aspect of your life. But if you start beating yourself up when you miss a workout or you don't hit your race goal or you you're not able to PR that weight that you did before, and you start telling yourself you're a piece of crap, that you're not cut out for this thing, then that also will bleed into every aspect of your life. So you have to be careful. It's this, it's this delicate balance and you have to treat it as such. You can't just pretend that you're going to be perfect every time, because you're not. And you must realize that. Because once you understand that, once you recognize that, then guess what? It's a little easier to maintain and it promotes longevity. Because if you're just saying, hey, I have to do a 130 half marathon, and let's say you get that goal, and then the next time you're like, okay, well, I have to do better than last time, maybe I'll go for a 120 half marathon, and you miss that goal and you tell yourself, well dang, maybe I'm not cut out for this, maybe running's not my thing, and you just stop doing it completely, that's when you fail, and so you have to be flexible in your goals, and we'll talk about some of that as well.

Brett:

But I first want to talk about the body, because you know exercise is good for you. You've been taught that from preschool all the way up until now. There's a lot of science that's out there that's like hey, you need to exercise. Your mom probably even told you to do it and I had a great example of my mom. She always like I don't know how long she's been exercising, but all throughout my childhood she still does it today. She's a beast. Dina, the business bitch, shout out to Dina Mom, I know you're listening. I love you. Anyways, your mom's been telling you to do this, but I want to break it down really quickly. So regular physical exercise it doesn't just make you look good in the mirror.

Brett:

Let's talk about the actual benefits of the body for a second the CDC. They say that if you exercise for 30 minutes a day 30 minutes a day that reduces your risk of heart disease by 35%, which is an insane stat. The number one killer of Americans is heart disease. So if people worked out 30 minutes a day, that number would go down 35% hopefully, which is nuts. That's a lot of people and that's what should keep you going. It's just that knowledge is that, hey, your body has certain requirements.

Brett:

I was listening to a podcast with Joe Rogan and Andrew Schultz last night and they were talking about. Andrew Schultz was asking Joe Rogan he's like, I don't know how you work out all the time, like. And then Joe starts talking about how, like, if he goes a few days without working out and he starts feeling anxiety, he starts getting depressed and he starts feeling like he just is all this bundle of energy. And he was explaining that our bodies were designed. He kind of exaggerates a little bit, but he's like they were designed to run from tigers, from predators, and you know, we were hunter gatherers in the past. We were always walking around, and so going from that to sitting in an office or not moving as much, is a drastic change and our bodies are not meant for that.

Brett:

And so you have to push yourself and you have to say, hey, discipline equals freedom. I know that if I work out for 30 minutes a day that's what the CDC is telling me I'm going to feel healthier, I'm going to be a little bit better. And on top of that, when you're keeping the engine rolling, when you're moving, you're pushing your body, you are going to build muscle, it's going to boost your endurance and it's going to cut your risk for things like type 2 diabetes. Your bones will be stronger, so you won't deal with brittle bones when you're older. There's a lot of science behind this that weight or resistance training actually helps people who have I can't remember what it's called, but it's like the brittle bone disease and when you get older, your bone is sort of like a sponge, and the less you move, the older you get, the harder it is to maintain that, and so you need to push yourself, because your future self will thank you for it.

Brett:

And you might be saying now like, hey, I am not in good shape. I don't know how old you are, but you might be saying I'm not in good shape. I don't know how old you are, but you might be saying I am not in good shape. I can't do the things I used to be able to do when I was younger. Well, that might be true, but think about you saying that now and imagine yourself as a 60-year-old person saying the same thing, but even worse, because if you don't exercise, it's going to get worse and you're going to feel like I don't know. You're just going to feel bad, like you're going to be at risk of some of these diseases.

Brett:

And I'm sure you've heard of things called blue zones. But a blue zone is basically an area of the world where people live 100 plus years and they've done lots of studies on this, and the reason people are able to move as much is a lot of it's diet. They eat like whole foods, all that kind of stuff, which is very important as well, because the food that you put into your body is the fuel that drives the engine to keep you moving. And if you're fueling it with twinkies, crunch bars and diet or not diet soda, drink, diet soda I love that stuff if you're drinking just like full leaded cokes, it's not going to be the right fuel that you need and you're going to feel bad draw or you're going to drag out like it's not going to be a good feeling for you. So back to the blue zones.

Brett:

A main part of why they remain healthy is because they're active and they're not like running marathons. They're not, you know, deadlifting 315 pounds. Their activity looks like walking, it looks like gardening, it's cooking, it's like little things that just keep them moving throughout the day. But that's the key is that they're always moving and they're moving their body as much as they can and like it's not just about dodging the bad stuff, that that exercise is good for you. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that the last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow.

Brett:

This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion, and so think about that for a second. It's the struggle, it's the grind of those reps that transforms the body. It's the fact that you can stay on your run for another mile just to push yourself, to see what you can do. You push your lungs, they adapt, they grow stronger, you push your heart same thing. That's why when I coach people in running, I tell them 80% of their runs should be done in zone two because that builds cardiovascular endurance and it's not fun.

Brett:

Being in zone two on a run is boring. Like I coached my wife and my sister-in-law and for four weeks I was like I want all your runs to be in zone two and they were like are you serious? Why the hell do I have to do that? That's going to be so boring. But guess what? They did it and they're both better runners for it, and every drop of sweat is a deposit in the bank of your own physical potential. And so the best part is you don't need to be a bodybuilder to cash this in. Like I said, a walk, a set of pushups every now, and then it all counts. The key is consistency. And so show up, do the work and your body will respond. And when you don't want to remember that quote from Jocko, discipline equals freedom. You do the hard thing now so you can benefit from it in the future. That's ultimately what you're trying to build. You're promoting longevity. You want to be better in the future, and the things that you do now determine what that is.

Brett:

Now I want to talk about the benefits of the mind, because they're huge and, like fitness, is not just a physical game. I would argue it might be more of a mental one, because I've been on so many runs where my body feels fine but my brain is telling me to stop, and I have to shut that voice up. I have to do whatever I can to ignore it and to push past it, because if I don't, then I fall victim to stopping my run early or thinking I'm more weak than I actually am, because if my body's feeling good, I always tell myself when I'm on a run if my body is feeling okay, if I know I'm not going to die on my next step, then I'm going to stay in the fight. And it's a it's a full blown test of your willpower. Can you do it? Can you stay in it? When you're pushing on the bench press, you're on your last three reps, like Arnold says. Can you push past that pain? Because everything is going to tell you to stop. But if you can do it, that's when the results come and it's that consistency. And so there are a lot of.

Brett:

You need to train your mind just as much as you do the body to do hard things. And that could be. You could be going throughout your day and saying no to the easy choices. Like, if someone brings in donuts to work, just avoid them. Your body might want them, like your mind's like oh damn, that pink sprinkled donut looks delicious. Ignore it, just walk past it. Ignore it, just walk past it, because when you do that, honestly, you might regret that decision for 30 seconds, but then you'll move on, you'll forget about that donut and your day will continue. Try not to think about those things, control your thoughts.

Brett:

It's a huge key piece of fitness and pushing yourself is controlling what you think about. Because when I'm on a run and if, let's just say, I start to feel a little soreness in my hips or my knees and if I think about only that, I can almost guarantee you I'll stop. But if I focus on the story, I want to tell after that run that I pushed past that pain, that I was able to get the miles in that I wanted to, that I was able to get the times in that I was aiming for. The story's a lot better and it's not as hard as you think it might be. Like, the other thing I remind myself of when I'm on a run or when I'm pushing myself in the gym is that the moment I'm there is so minuscule compared to the rest of the time in my day. I'm there is so minuscule compared to the rest of the time in my day.

Brett:

Like, think about it, If I'm working out for, let's just say, an hour and a half a day Okay, there's 24 hours in a day you can't take one of those hours and put it in as an investment into yourself for better health, better mental health and just feel better in general, like you can't take that time and push yourself. Well, I'm not going to say anything in that, because everyone, everything, is circumstantial. But I think you're missing out on a big opportunity to live your live to the fullest of your potential. Because, like I said, said in the beginning, when you recognize that fitness is something that you need, something that helps you in every area of your life, it will bleed into everything. You will become a better person, as weird as it sounds. That's why I always talk about that.

Brett:

Fitness should be the first thing that you do in your getting after a journey, because that's when you start to train your mind to work on a goal. Work towards a goal, hit that goal, set your sights on another. Work towards it. Hit it, set your sights on another. Maybe you don't hit this one, so you scale back until your body's ready and you feel like you're in a good spot. But then it's just the maintenance. It's just consistently doing it over and over and over again and some might think it's boring. But ask yourself it's the same thing with TikTok.

Brett:

People fall into not even just TikTok, but social media in general. People spend hours a day on that and it's like is that providing you a benefit? It could be, I don't know, but for me, I don't think I would get a benefit out of sitting on my phone for an hour and a half a day. Instead, I would rather push myself for an hour and a half a day, feel better mentally, physically, and sleep better, ultimately, because all these things tie into each other. And going back to the mental thing, because, yes, it requires mental capacity to work out, to push yourself, to set your sights and a goal and aim for it. But there's also a lot of mental benefits that come from working out Like.

Brett:

I've struggled with mental health for a few years now and I noticed it gets the worst when I am not physically active. You might not believe me, but I'm telling you it's the truth Like and it's not just me that thinks that I have, uh, some science to back this up. A study from Harvard medical school found that running for just 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour think about those things those are very small. 15 minutes a day of running or walking for an hour, it can cut your risk of major depression by 26%. That's not a small number. That is not a small number. If you have 100 people in a room, 26 people no longer have the the risk of depression. So think about how small that is and the benefits that can go into your life from it. And that's what I'm trying to get at is like you don't have to set yourself up for a marathon. You don't have to do that.

Brett:

Fitness can be as small as you'd like or it can be as grand as you like, like you could be sally mcray or david goggins running 220 mile races. Or you could be Sally McRae or David Goggins running 220 mile races. Or you could be like my 93 year old grandma, who she goes on walks. She used to. Now she has dementia, so probably not a good idea to get her on walks, but anyways, it is important and it really does bleed into every aspect of your life.

Brett:

And and I find that when I'm in a weird spot, like with ally and I doing distance sucks, and sometimes some days, I wake up and I'm like I am just sad, like she's not here by my side, but then if I go and I work out, it's like okay, you know what, I'm good, I miss her, yeah, but I'll be okay, it's. It's like, okay, you know what, I'm good, I miss her, yeah, but I'll be okay. It's just, it's interesting and it's hard to explain unless you actually do it and I know there's people who listen to this and actually do those things. But honestly, exercise. The benefits of it is it floods your mind with endorphins, like serotonin, dopamine, like nature's own feel good cocktail. It's just pumping it into your brain and it's like hitting a reset on a bad day. That's also a thing too is like I've missed my workout in the morning, had a rough day at work, you know. Problems come up and then I'm like I'm going to go hit it for an hour and a half. Then I always come back feeling better. It's like I tell Ali, it's like I'm a towel that's full of water and then you just wring it out. It just all comes out. All that water that comes out is just my stress. I promise you that's true. I love this, I love this idea.

Brett:

So, ryan holiday, he's a a modern day stoic. He's someone who I I really I love his writings, but he talks about how physical discipline forges mental toughness. And he's right, because when you drag yourself out of bed at 5.00 AM for that run or for that weightlifting session or for that Zumba class. If that's you, when you push through, you're not just training your body, you're training your will and you're proving to yourself that you can do hard things. And that's why exercise is a weapon against stress, anxiety and even the darkest corners of your mind. It's not a cure-all I'll admit that it's really not but it's a tool, and a damn good one. And it's one that you-all I'll admit that it's really not, but it's a tool, and a damn good one, and it's one that you should keep in your tool belt, and the more you wield it, the more you exercise that muscle, the stronger your mind becomes. And that's the real payoff is it's not just surviving anymore. Now you're thriving because your brain feels good, your body's feeling good, and guess what that's going to do? That's the next thing we're going to talk about is confidence. It builds it up.

Brett:

We had team Tim on. Um. Man, when was it March? Oh man, when was team Tim? Wow, february 23rd, that was a while ago. Um, currently it's March 8th, so a couple of weeks ago. But we had team Tim and I talk about this a few. I've talked about it a few times on the podcast. So I'll I'll shorten the story a little bit, but team Tim is awesome.

Brett:

So it's the race that I am now a part of, my wife and her family. They put it on every year to honor Tim Murphy, who was my wife's dad. He passed away from cancer and so the whole point of the race is to just show those who are fighting their own battles that we're willing to, you know, do something hard for them. It's it's not a race for us, it's a race for for those who are struggling or battling their own fights or battling their own wars. But it's awesome because 75% of the runners that go aren't runners and they train for you know, some train for a month before, some train for three months. Some don't train at all. But it's awesome because when everyone finishes the race, when we're all together as a group again, you can tell that everyone is just confident, like I. It feels like the energy we all have together. We could all run through a wall and it's it's.

Brett:

My favorite part about the race is that these people who tell themselves that they're not runners run a half marathon and they're like, damn, maybe I am a runner. That's insane. I just ran a half marathon and they're like, damn, maybe I am a runner. That's insane. I just ran a half marathon and it's so cool and, um, that's my favorite part about the race is the confidence that comes from it is yes, I obviously love the fact that we're running for a cause and every time I run team Tim, I think about those who I'm running for Tim my grandpa Norm, my friend Jordan, my uncle Mike, my cousin Landon, like a lot of people I'm running for Tim, my grandpa Norm, my friend Jordan, my uncle Mike, my cousin Landon, like a lot of people I'm running this race for, and so I'm thinking about them the whole race.

Brett:

But when you finish it, it's like, like I talked about the, those endorphins and that dopamine that you feel afterwards. It's, it's undeniable, and so confidence comes from that. Like there's something very primal about finishing a tough workout. Like you lift a weight you don't think you could, or you run a distance that you once felt was impossible and suddenly, just like Thanos' snap, you're not the same person anymore.

Brett:

Chris Williamson, one of my favorite podcasters. He nails it when he says confidence isn't something you're born with, it's something you build rep by rep and step by step. That was from one of his episodes, his solo episodes. But I love that it's not something you're born with, it's something you build, and that the reason I'm talking about confidence and working out is because confidence is one of the easiest ways, or working out is one of the easiest ways to build confidence, because, like I, like Chris says, you do it rep by rep and step by step, and then ultimately, you're not the same person you used to be physically and mentally, because, one, you look better, you feel better and your body's healthier.

Brett:

And then, two, you just told yourself, or you just proved to yourself that you can do hard things. And so, maybe, like a project comes up at work that seems difficult, but you want to get that promotion. So you're like, hey, that's me, give it to me, I'll do it. And you're a little intimidated by it, but you've proved to yourself you can do hard things before. And like, hey, that's me, give it to me, I'll do it. And you're a little intimidated by it, but you've proved to yourself you can do hard things before. And now, hey, it's just another thing you have to do, and if you get it done, if you do it correctly, you're on time. Guess what? Your confidence is going to grow.

Brett:

So it's not just about the mirror Like. It's about the moment you realize that you're capable of more. And how many times on this podcast have I said that I believe everyone is capable of doing great things? Everyone is, and that comes from confidence, that comes from proving to yourself that, yes, you have what it takes that you can in fact improve, get better, and takes that you can in fact improve, get better and become someone that you always dreamt of becoming. It's not just something I'm saying like. This is truth, it's real, and you have to confront the fact that you might not be doing everything that you you can right now. Like you might not be living up to your full potential, and that's okay. Start today. This is the day you choose, because if not today, when is it? Life is finite. Memento Mori, remember you must die. The Stokes believed it, and so do I, and so in that time, from when I'm born to when I do die, I'm going to prove that I can do more than I thought was possible to myself and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

Brett:

And I want to tell you a story about my brother, drew. He, maybe a year and a half ago, was a different man than he is today. He was 265 pounds and I hope he doesn't get mad at me for saying this but he was depressed, he wasn't happy with how he looked, with how he felt, and he just needed to change. And he asked me to be his running coach. And so I've been working with him for about a year, a week and a year. We have a training program and I follow it pretty well. But, um, we've been working together for that long and during that time it's been amazing to watch his journey, from someone who was overweight, who, like I said, battled depression, who didn't really believe in himself very much, to now he is a completely different man. He's down to 215 pounds. He ran his first marathon, he runs all the time. He's strength training, he looks phenomenal, his mental state is much better, it's in a much better place than it was, and it's because he proved to himself that he can do these difficult things. And he'll tell you this. He'll say that running changed his life, but I don't think that that's the case. I think Running changed his life because it gave him the opportunity to prove himself To himself. Honestly, this is an all internal discussion he's having with himself, but the fact that he was able to say no to sweets, clean up his diet so he can have better runs and stay consistent with a goal. He proved to himself that he can do difficult things and now he's in a much better place. It's amazing to watch.

Brett:

And I don't have a lot of heroes in my life. I have a lot of people who I look up to, but Drew's a hero of mine because now, like I can see him being a better father, because he has more energy to play with his kids, he's more steady minded, he's more physically fit than I've ever seen him and it's awesome to see and he'll call me randomly and be like I just crushed a run. I felt like I had to tell you, and it's so fun. Like that same thing can happen to you. It's just you have to decide if you want it. And it's like what Jocko says discipline equals freedom and with Drew's example, drew's discipline brought him freedom from obesity, brought him freedom from depression and gave him confidence. So think about what that could do to you.

Brett:

But that's proof that you can push past doubt, you can push past pain, you can push past that voice in your head that's telling you to quit because it's not going to go away. I've been running for four years but been working out for almost 10. And that voice has never gone away. I've just learned to shut it up Almost 10. And that voice has never gone away. I've just learned to shut it up and you can do the same. So once you got that proof, it doesn't stay in the gym Like, it follows you into meetings, into relationships, into every damn challenge that life throws your way. That's confidence. And guess what you earned it? Might have been a hard way to do it, but you earned that confidence. Now here's the flip side, because I've struggled with this, drew's struggled with this, my wife has struggled with this, my mom has. Like, I think anyone on a fitness journey will struggle with this. Fitness can build you up, but it can also trip you up If you're not careful. Like it's easy. It's easy to start tying your worth to the numbers, the weight on the bar, the miles, the abs in the mirror. Like I've been there.

Brett:

I got obsessed with running a 245 marathon when Drew and my cousin Parker ran their first marathon in Vegas back in November last year, and I got obsessed with just this idea that I was going to run a 245 marathon. The work I was putting in didn't really add up to that. It was just a mental thing I was I was aiming for. I was like, hey, I ran a sub three before I can push myself and do a two 45. And I was sick the morning of the race. But I was still going to do it because, like I said, I became obsessed with this idea.

Brett:

A mile 10, I dropped out of the race. I was having an asthma attack and it was one of the lowest moments I've ever felt, because I ran up to my wife, to my sister-in-law and to my little nephew and I was bawling, I was crying because I was like I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do this time that I wanted to and it was eating at me and I felt like I was a failure at the time, which isn't the case. I just wasn't ready for it. And so I beat myself up and I tied my worth to that race and for a couple weeks afterwards I was questioning whether or not I was even going to to hit any goal, any, any running goal that I set for myself from then on out. But that's not the case.

Brett:

Obviously, I, reflecting back, I recognize I did not put the work in that I needed to, and it was back to the drawing board, so I used it as a springboard rather than something that deterred me. I was like, okay, well, I'm never going to let that happen again. What do I need to do to make sure it doesn't happen? Like, okay, let's amp up the training, let's be more consistent than I have been, let's edit my fuel that I'm putting into my body and let's just make some adjustments so I can hit that number. But that's the thing is. You can't let your achievements define who you are, and fitness unfortunately has a lot of numbers attached to it. It could be the weight on the scale, it could be the weight on the bar, it could be the miles that you get in, and if you don't hit those numbers, you start to question your own value as a human being, and you may have been there before, but it is something that I believe everyone will experience once, or maybe countless times, on their own fitness journey. But here's the deal You've proven yourself that you can do hard things and that you can push past your limits, and so what I want you to remember is that the process is the purpose. You are the purpose and recognize that in order to become who you want to become. It's going to be a process and that's okay. You should be fine with that.

Brett:

Fitness isn't about the end game. There is no end game. It's about the daily grind. It's about pushing yourself every single day and exercising that discipline every single day, testing your willpower every single day. Can you do it again?

Brett:

There's this quote from Joe Rogan. I can't remember who he's talking to on his podcast, but he pretty much he's talking to him and he's like I want to like he's talking to him and he's like I want to like he's talking about someone who has low discipline. He's like hey, like I want to see you push yourself. I want to see you wake up and and go work out. I want to see you do it again tomorrow. I want to see you do it again tomorrow. I want to see you do it again the next day and the next day. And he pretty much just was like I want to see what you're capable of.

Brett:

That's a question you should be asking yourself on a daily basis, because when you do, it's like I wonder what I can do, I wonder what I can accomplish, and you start asking yourself. You start devising a plan to get better and to see it as a process and not an end game, like focus on showing up, focus on the small wins, because if you pin your self-worth to outcomes, you're setting yourself up to fail. You're not setting yourself up for longevity. Life's messy Things happen, injuries happen, plateaus happen, but that should not determine your value. That's not on the scoreboard Like. It's in the effort and it's in the discipline and the person who you're becoming. That's what you should be aiming for, and the same rule goes for beyond the gym, like chase goals Sure, that's very important, but don't let them own you. You're enough Right now, just as you are. I'm trying to give you ideas on how you can get even better. That's all we're getting after.

Brett:

It's about is becoming a person who you never thought was possible Because, honestly, I never thought I'd be sitting here on a podcast talking to you about pushing your limits. Never thought that was possible. I was always some random kid on a skateboard who'd play video games and drink sodas, just hang out with friends. But now it's like I'm recognizing what's important to me, and it's the pursuit of growth, the pursuit of becoming who you can become. And so what's the takeaway? The pursuit of becoming who you can become. And so what's the takeaway?

Brett:

Fitness is not about sculpting a perfect body or racking up trophies, medals, nothing like that. It's about unlocking something that's bigger, and it's about taking care of your body, strengthening your mind, building confidence that can't be shaken. Because here comes the quote again Confidence is not built by shouting affirmations in the mirror. It's built by building an undeniable stack of proof that you are who you say you are. Alex Hormozy, thank you for that quote. It's so damn good, but it reminds you that your worth isn't tied to what you do Like. You are who you are, so own it, be proud of who you are and see what you can become, because, in the end, that is the key to a life that you never thought was possible, and to a life that I don't think that you'll regret.

Brett:

I've never regretted pushing myself. I've never regretted doing something difficult, because the results that come from it are tenfold. What I had to go through to get them? And so your journey is your own story. Treat it as such. Start where you are and just push yourself a little bit more every single day. See what you can become yourself a little bit more every single day. See what you can become. Stay consistent, stay in the fight and just realize that you're meant for more. Everyone is capable of doing great things. That story is yours to write, so write it now. Get out there, move, struggle a little bit sweat, grow, because discipline, like Jocko says, equals freedom.

Brett:

Now I appreciate you guys for listening. This is a topic that has changed my life in so many ways, and so I want to be as direct as I can with this. Like, if you're not working out, you should ask yourself why. Figure out what you can do to start today and just make small moves. That's how a life that you never dreamt as possible is lived. So if you got any value out of this episode, please share it with someone who might need that little extra push, and I want to hear about your stories so you can message me on social media. You can send me an email on my website, keepgettingaffordcom. But ultimately, like, we're all here to inspire each other and and I get inspired by all your guys' stories so now go make some things happen, shake it up, get after it and see what you can do. Thanks for listening guys. Until next episode, keep getting after it, see ya.