Brian Gallagher

I dread ones I'm not too experienced in, like water workouts - either swimming, or with weights (have you tried dumbbells in a pool?!?). I love any workout that combines running and calisthenics in a timed fashion, where I can just go out there and let 'er rip, going as fast and as hard as I can. I find it builds mental toughness too.

Consistency. Small wins every single day add up to major progress over extended periods of time. Also, you get out only what you put in - nothing more. There are no shortcuts. The work is the shortcut.

Owning my time. When I worked my corporate job, I didn’t own my time. Someone else did. Looking back now, I despise the thought of that happening again. Working out, eating well, journaling, writing, reading - it’s all part of the process to keep my body and mind sharp, and prevent from needing to work for someone else again. That has taken over anything else as my biggest fear (except maybe grizzly bears!).

Live below your means and do what makes YOU happy. Question the traditional paths that are fed to us from a very young age.

Unless I'm looking to compete, I try to learn the majority of the technique that is going to get me the most bang for the buck. Learning the first 80% I find you can learn/understand/do pretty quickly. It's that last 20% that takes a TON of time and practice, involving all the nuances of a movement that you don't necessarily need unless you want to compete at a top level.

Yes! This goes WAY back. I was cut from the baseball team in 7th grade. It was traumatizing because it was my first year at a new school. But, I practiced (this also happened to be the year I picked up weightlifting!), came back next year, and made the team in 8th grade (and met some of my current best friends!). It cemented in me at a young age the idea that failure is not permanent.

An idea from Stoic philosophy - worry only about that which you can control. I read a bit of Stoic philosophy every morning (my favorite is anything from Seneca). I used to fill my head with worries about things so far in the future, things influenced by so many external factors, that it would negatively affect my ability to focus on my day-to-day life. Once I accepted that there were only a few things I could actually control - my thoughts, attitude, behaviors, habits - it made me more effective in what I was trying to do... and made me happier.

I'm addicted to self-improvement. I'm constantly experimenting, looking for better ways. Knowing that if I improve just a very small amount each day, in a year or more from today, I'll be happy with how far I've come. It also keeps me focused on my only competition: ME.