Keith McArthur's Blog, page 5

Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Kill Your Dreams

If you’re going to achieve your biggest goals and wildest dreams, you need to believe in them. And you need to believe in yourself. But we all have an inner critic that tries to sabotage our success. In this episode, author and life coach Andrea Owen joins us to talk about how to prevent our inner critic from killing our dreams. And author and fitness trainer Kathleen Trotter joins us to talk about whether rest days as part of a fitness routine are a bad idea or a good excuse.

 

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Episode 56 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[5:10] Featured interview with Andrea Owen

Andrea is author of How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t: 14 Habits that Are Holding You Back from Happiness. She is a life coach based on North Carolina and hosts the Your Kick-Ass Life Podcast. She first appeared on the My Instruction Manual podcast in episode 13.

In this conversation, Keith and Andrea discuss:

Her book Stop Feeling Like Shit has been translated into 16 languages [5:10]
Why Andrea sets new goals   in the Spring [8:00]
What is your inner critic? [9:10]
How sexism and racism feed the inner critic [11:30]
How our inner critic kills our biggest goals and wildest dreams [14:15]
Andrea’s three-steps for managing the inner critic. [17:15]

Andrea references the book It’s Not About the Food


How negative self-talk gets in the way of setting goals [24:00]

[27:30] Andrea’s Instruction Manual – Part 2!

1. If you had to pick one music album as the soundtrack to your life, what would it be? [28:00]

Can’t pick one album but one artist is Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine

 2. What is one personal development myth you want to dispel [28:30]

1) Time Heals All Wounds
2) You can change your life with positive affirmations

3. What is one unusual or surprising gadget you couldn’t live without? [29:20] 

Voxer app. Voice messaging app

4. What does a bad day look like to you and what are the steps you take to turn it around ? [30:00]

When Andrea has been triggered in her relationship with her husband. To turn it around, she owns it and apologizes.

5. Looking forward, what’s your biggest goal or wildest dream? [33:40]

To reach 1-million women through the Your Kickass Life Community

Where to find Andrea

Website: YourKickAssLife.com
Instagram: @yourkickasslife

[35:20] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on Rest Days

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

Why rest and recovery matters
The four components of recovery: Sleep, diet, rest days, recovery workouts
Where to find Kathleen

KatheenTrotter.com
Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
Twitter: KTrotterFitness
Facebook: KathleenTrotter






Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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New Year. New You.

Is New Year’s the best time to set resolutions? Why are most resolutions health and fitness related? How do we ensure we’re successful with resolutions? We answer these questions and more in this special New Year’s edition of the My Instruction Manual podcast.

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Episode 55 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[1:50] Audio comment from Sarah Warsi
[7:10] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on New Year’s Resolutions

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

Is New Year’s really the best time for resolutions?
How Gretchen Rubin’s  The Four Tendencies  can help you with your resolutions
Where to find Kathleen

KatheenTrotter.com
Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
Twitter: KTrotterFitness
Facebook: KathleenTrotter



[12:25] Nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin on New Year’s Resolutions

Michelle Jaelin is both a trained artist and a Registered Dietitian who is known as The NutritionArtist. She appears regularly as in newspapers, magazines and on television as an expert in healthy eating.

In this conversation, Keith and Michelle discuss:

Why are health-related resolutions so popular?
Michelle explains the “false hope syndrome”
What should people do if they’ve already fallen off track with their resolutions?
Where to find Michelle:

Twitter: @nutritionartist 
Instagram: /nutritionartist
Facebook: /nutritionartistRD



[16:35] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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19 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions in 2019

I’ve always loved year-end countdowns. Somewhere in my basement, I have a still have a set of cassette tapes I recorded with the top 84 songs of 1984 from a local Toronto radio station. It includes Madonna, Van Halen, and songs from Footloose. So in the final days of this year, I bring you my own countdown: The top 19 ways to achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2019.

These come from my book Winning Resolutions, which is available now at Amazon and other online retailers.

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Episode 54 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[1:45] 19 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions in 2019

19) Schedule forest time
18) Set precise resolutions
17) Re-frame negative resolutions into positive language
16) Set peaceful resolutions
15) Set resolutions for a season not a year
14) Take time to plan
13) Anticipate pitfalls
12) Track your resolution
11) Go public
10) Buddy Up
9) the Best offense
8) A Good defense
7) Do delay
6) Get willpower contagion
5) Leverage friction
4) Precommit
3) Piggyback your habit
2) Shrink your habit
1) Make a vow

[23:45] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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Winning Resolutions

If you want to keep your resolutions, you need to start by setting them right. In this excerpt from his new book Winning Resolutions, Keith McArthur explains the 6Ps of setting resolutions. They need to be precise, proximal, practical, positive, peaceful, and promised. Later in the episode, Keith chats with nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin.

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Episode 53 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[1:50] Excerpt from Winning Resolutions: Achieve Your Biggest Goals and Wildest Dreams Once and for All

In this excerpt, Keith outlines the 6 Ps of planning your resolutions:

Precise – you need to know exactly what success looks like for your resolution and when you’re going to get it done
Proximal – In general, short term goals work better. I recommend resolutions of 3 months, not the full year
Practical – Your goals need to be realistic so you truly believe you will accomplish them
Positive – replace words like quit and never with a focus on what you’re doing to do instead
Peaceful – your resolutions need to align with each other and your core values
Promised – Treat your resolution like a promise to yourself

[19:50] Nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin on New Year’s Goals and Resolutions

Michelle Jaelin is both a trained artist and a Registered Dietitian who is known as The NutritionArtist. She appears regularly as in newspapers, magazines and on television as an expert in healthy eating.

In this conversation, Keith and Michelle discuss:

Looking back to review previous year’s goals [20:55]
The importance of framing goals in the positive [21:31]
Michelle’s 2019 Goals [25:00]
Where to find Michelle:

Twitter: @nutritionartist 
Instagram: /nutritionartist
Facebook: /nutritionartistRD



[27:00] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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Email: keith@myinstructionmanual.com
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10 Books to Help You Plan Your 2019 Resolutions

Whether you’re setting your resolutions for January 1, or any other time of year, these are the 10 best books to help you achieve your biggest goals and wildest dreams.

Don’t have enough time to read? A summary of most of these books are available through the Blinkist app in your choice of audio or text. Sign up through my affiliate link for a free trial of Blinkist.

1. Winning Resolutions by Keith McArthur

New for 2018, this book is the ultimate guide for setting and achieving resolutions. It includes dozens of tips on how to master habits, harness willpower and take charge of your environment so you can achieve your biggest goals and wildest dreams once and for all. I’m obviously a little biased since I wrote this book, but if you read just one book to help with your resolutions, this is the one to get. Buy on Amazon or click here for links to purchase from various retailers.

2. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (2014)

A perennial bestseller, this book goes deep into the science of habits. Buy on Amazon, or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

3. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin (2015)

Gretchen Rubin is a legend in the self-help space and this book is one of the reasons why. It’s all about how to leverage habits to improve your life. Buy on Amazon, or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

4. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal (2013)

Kelly McGonigal developed and taught the popular “Science of Willpower” class at Stanford. This book touches on the science, but focuses on practical tips and tricks. Buy on Amazon, or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

5. Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy (2018)

Benjamin Hardy says we can’t rely on willpower to accomplish our goals. Instead, it’s how we structure our surroundings that makes the biggest difference. Buy on Amazon.

6. Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean (2013)

British Psychologist Jeremy Dean offers a well-researched take on how to make habits stick. Buy on Amazon or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

7. The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin (2017)

Gretchen Rubin is the only author to make the list twice. In The Four Tendencies, she expands on the notion that we each have a tendency that defines how we react to habits and resolutions. I spoke with Gretchen about The Four Tendencies in Episode 50 of the My Instruction Manual podcast. Buy on Amazon or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

8. The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel (2015)

Walter Mischel’s first-hand account of his life’s research into self-control and one of the most famous experiments in social psychology is a compelling read. Buy on Amazon or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

9. Willpower by Roy Baumeister (2012)

Roy Baumeister published this book just before the Replication Crisis raised doubts about his famous theory that willpower is a limited resource. Buy on Amazon or enjoy a summary on Blinkist.

10. This Year I Will by M.J. Ryan (2006)

M.J. Ryan’s book is a bit dated, but still crammed with tips on how to achieve your resolutions. Buy on Amazon.

The post 10 Books to Help You Plan Your 2019 Resolutions appeared first on My Instruction Manual.

How To Lose a Bunch of Weight

Is your resolution to lose some weight in the new year? Resolutions related to fitness and weight loss are the most commonly set. In this episode, we continue our series on winning resolutions with an interview with Brian Tao. He set a resolution one year ago to lose enough weight to go from obese to healthy. Brian shares the steps he’s taking to achieve his resolution, how he still eats whatever he wants, and why he weighs himself several times each day.

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Episode 52 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro

Winning Resolutions will be released on December 11, but it’s available for pre-order now.
Order on Amazon
Order on Kobo
Order at Barnes & Noble
To get a pile of pre-order bonuses, go to MyInstructionManual.com/resolutions

[2:35] Featured interview with Brian Tao

Brian Tao is a portrait photographer who set a goal to go from obese to healthy on the body mass index.

In this conversation, Keith and Brian discuss:

Why Brian decided he wanted to make losing weight a priority [3:50]
 Calories in vs. calories out [7:00]
What changes did Brian make to his diet?  [11:25]
Why Brian decided to weigh himself several times a day [15:45]
Weight gains at Chinese New Year’s [23:00]

[33:00] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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Habit Hacks with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is back! In this episode we talk about why it’s important to know if you’re a moderator or an abstainer when it comes to setting habits and resolutions. Gretchen also reveals her own personal instruction manual for life — the Gretchen Rubin recipe for success. I ask her to reveal her guilty pleasure, and how she wants the world to remember her when she’s gone. Later, we’re joined by mindfulness expert Joelle Anderson. I ask her why meditation isn’t more relaxing.

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Episode 51 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro

Winning Resolutions will be released on December 11, but it’s available for pre-order now.
Order on Amazon
Order on Kobo
Order at Barnes & Noble
To get a pile of pre-order bonuses, go to MyInstructionManual.com/resolutions

[2:53] Featured interview with Gretchen Rubin: Part 2

Click here for Part 1 of the interview.

Gretchen Rubin is New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies.

In this conversation, Keith and Gretchen discuss:

Abstainers vs. moderators: Why some people need to go cold turkey and others do better with moderation [2:53]
Gretchen’s four foundational habits [7:59]
The controversial science of clean vs. messy desks [10:30]

[16:00] Gretchen’s Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [16:15]

Go to bed between 10:30 and 10:45 and get up at 6am
Go for a short walk with dog every morning and a long walk in Central Park when she can
Work every day
Read every day

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [17:27]

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [18:28] 

Be Gretchen

4. What’s your one guilty pleasure? [19:10]

Drink immense amounts of caffeine.

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [19:55]

As someone who helped other people to find happiness.

[20:46] Where to find Gretchen

Website: GretchenRubin.com
Four Tendencies quiz: Quiz.GretchenRubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin
Twitter: @gretchenrubin
Podcast: Happier with Gretchen Rubin

[22:09] Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson on why meditation isn’t always relaxing

Joelle Anderson is a therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and creator and host of the Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel.

In this conversation, Keith and Joelle discuss:

It’s a common misconception that mindfulness is supposed to be relaxing [23:20]
If meditation isn’t going to make us feel better, why bother? [25:05]
Where to find Joelle []



Kernelofwisdom.com
YouTube.com/KernelofWisdom1





Closing words
Feedback & Connect

Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
Email: keith@myinstructionmanual.com
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Winning Resolutions is Available Today

My new book, Winning Resolutions, is available today.

The book gets released on December 11, but pre-orders are available now.

I want to make it worthwhile for you to pre-order, so I’ve created a pile of exclusive bonus content for you if you pre-order before December 11.

The book

More on that below. But first, two questions for you.

How many times have you set New Year’s resolutions only to break them before the end of January?

How often have you decided to make a change in your life only to stumble before you reach your goal?

Most people treat resolutions like a lottery ticket — more of a fun wish than a serious commitment.

There’s another way.

Winning Resolutions prescribes a recipe for you to transform your life and achieve any goal by mastering habits, harnessing willpower, and taking charge of your environment. The book includes dozens of science-based hacks gleaned from those who have already achieved their biggest goals and wildest dreams.

Best of all, you don’t need to wait until New Year’s to make a change. You can start today! Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get fit, quit smoking, get out of debt, improve your relationships, jump-start your career, run a marathon, or make any other dream come true — this book is for you.

Pre-order bonuses

Pre-order bonuses include:

A fully-customizable 2019 Resolution Planning Guide to help you achieve your goals and dreams.
A cheat sheet with the 35 most important tips to help you set and achieve your resolutions.
Audio and transcripts of my research interviews so you can get behind the scenes with me.

Where to order

Click the following links to order your copy. I will add additional retailers to this list as they make the book available.

Ebook

Click here for Amazon / Kindle

Click here for Kobo

Click here for Barnes and Noble Nook

Apple Books (coming soon)

Print

Amazon (coming soon)

How to claim your pre-order bonuses

In order to get your free pre-order bonuses, all you need to follow two simple steps:

Pre-order your copy of Winning Resolutions before December 11. Order from any retailer in print or ebook.
Send an email with proof of purchase to keith@myinstructionmanual.com.

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Gretchen Rubin: Know Your Tendency

Gretchen Rubin is one of the biggest names in self help, but she’s also special to me on a personal level.

After my little sister gave me a second chance at life last year, I read everything I could get my hands on about how to be happier and healthier.

One of the first books I read — and the one that made the biggest impact on me — was Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project.

Over the past few months, I’ve been getting to know Gretchen’s work in even more detail as I researched wrote my new book Winning Resolutions: Achieve Your Biggest Goals and Wildest Dreams Once and For All.

Gretchen Rubin joins me on this episode of the podcast to talk about her four tendencies framework and how it can help you keep your resolutions. And fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter shares what she says are the three pillars of a balanced fitness routine.

 

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Episode 50 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro

Winning Resolutions will be released on December 11, but it’s available for pre-order now.
Order on Amazon
Order on Kobo
Other retailers coming soon
To get a pile of pre-order bonuses, go to MyInstructionManual.com/resolutions

[4:02] Featured interview with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies.

In this conversation, Keith and Gretchen discuss:

The TV program This Time Next Year (see YouTube clip below) [5:35]
How Gretchen discovered the Four Tendencies [7:09]
Gretchen provides an overview of the Four Tendencies [8:04]

Upholders, obliger, rebels, questioners
Outer + inner expectations
quiz.gretchenrubin.com


Gretchen and Keith are both upholders [11:06]
Obligers [13:20]
Questioners [18:50]
How the tendencies overlap [23:07]
Rebels [28:00]

[34:33] Where to find Gretchen

Website: GretchenRubin.com
Four Tendencies quiz: Quiz.GretchenRubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin
Twitter: @gretchenrubin
Podcast: Happier with Gretchen Rubin

[34:33] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on her three pillars of a balanced fitness routine

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

Why a balanced fitness routine is critical [35:00]
Pillar 1: cardiovascular [36:00]
Pillar 2: strength training [38:42]
Pillar 3: flexibility + mobility [40:05]
Where to find Kathleen [42:25]

KatheenTrotter.com
Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
Twitter: KTrotterFitness
Facebook: KathleenTrotter



[42:45] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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How to Get Out of Debt

Allison Baggerly shares her tips on how to get out of debt.

When Allison and her husband learned she was pregnant, it was a surprise blessing. It was also super-stressful.

Over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, they didn’t now how they were going to be able to afford daycare and other baby expenses.

Allison’s story is featured in the upcoming book Winning Resolutions. She joins us on this episode of the My Instruction Manual podcast to share how she accomplished her biggest goal.

Later in the episode, mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson takes listeners through a guided meditation.

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Episode 49 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[3:15] Featured interview with Allison Baggerly

Allison is the creator of InspiredBudget.com. After getting her family out of $111,000 in debt, Allison now focuses on helping others to do the same. She lives in Denton, Texas.

In this conversation, Keith and Allison discuss:

How a surprise pregnancy frightened Allison and her husband into getting out of debt. [3:20]
The debt snowball method vs. the debt avalanche method [5:20]
Where the Baggerlys cut back on spending [6:50]
The biggest challenge was getting burnt out on the journey [10:20]
Looking forward to the reward at the end of the journey  [11:25]
How they brought in extra revenue [14:50]
Allison’s approach to savings / sinking funds  [17:10]
How Allison learned about finance and budgeting [21:20]

Allison mention The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.



Where to find Allison

Website: InspiredBudget.com
Instagram: @inspiredbudget

[22:30] Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson shares a guided meditation

Joelle Anderson is a therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and creator and host of the Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel.

In this conversation, Keith and Joelle discuss:

What is a guided meditation [23:10]
Joelle takes us through a guided meditation [26:05]
Where to find Joelle



Kernelofwisdom.com
YouTube.com/KernelofWisdom1








[30:00] Closing words
Feedback & Connect

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