Saturday Success Series: Volume 42
Making life & money work for you.
Welcome back to the Saturday Success Series email!
In this edition we’ll have:
Five to Focus On: A quote, stock, book, show & a beer.
Master Yourself: 3 steps to exceptional results
Master Your Money: Money mentors
And of course…
The Weekly Special: How to Hack Your Hormones
The goal here is maximum value, so let’s get to it.
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Five to Focus on:
In a noisy world, it’s hard to know what’s good out there. Let me help.
Quote to ponder: “Ideas don’t come out fully formed , they only become clearer as you work on them . You just have to get started.” - Mark Zuckerberg
Stock to consider: AAPL (Apple)
I’m not an Apple user myself, so that makes this pick a bit head scratching. But, I do believe Apple is here for the long-term. Losing Steve Jobs was a blow, but they’ve done surprisingly well in his absence. They’re the preferred operating system for both phones and computers. Gonna be hard for anyone else to undo that.
Disclaimer- this is not financial advice, I am not a financial advisor, and you should always do your own research.
Book to read: The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
It’s a glimpse into the type of society we could live in. Though it’s hard to compare a country of 5 million to one of 300 million. Finland also has very little diversity. So they stand in stark contrast to America. But still, some unique ideas.
Show to enjoy: The Patient on Hulu
It’s being called Steve Carrell’s “career-best” work. The general gist is we’re looking at a therapist and an obsessive/murderous patient. Might be depressing at times, but definitely thought provoking.
Beer to sip: Punkucinno from Elysian
I assume you like coffee. And I assume you like pumpkin. If you don’t like one or the other, still try it. If you dislike both, well, I don’t know what’s wrong with you but this beer ain’t it in that case. If you like both, or one or the other, you’ll enjoy this- immensely.
Master Yourself
From James Clear, who writes the best newsletter in the world (https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1).
Here are his three steps to exceptional results. And how I use his advice.
1) Do less. Stop dividing your attention.
On an average day I worry about 4 things. My main job, my schoolwork, my content and my family.
Each has time chunked so I can focus on whatever I should be focused on.
7–9: family time/content. 9–12: main job. 12–1: schoolwork. 1–5: main job. 5–6: schoolwork. 6–8: family time. 8–10: content. That’s a rough estimate of a typical day.
2) Do it right now. Once you have identified the essential, go fast. Maintain a bias toward action.
One of my essentials, as I mentioned, is content. I decided to go real fast, like- write every day and post every day- fast.
I get up every morning excited to write. My bias is absolutely to act. When I think of a good idea, or read something noteworthy, I immediately begin writing about it.
3) Do it the right way. Acting quickly doesn’t mean acting carelessly. Get to work right away, but keep working on it until it’s right.
I will never just post an article to post it. To hit some daily quota. I can only bring myself to post things I would actually want to read.
No garbage filler for me. This isn’t to say every one of my posts is a classic, that’s impossible. But it needs to be of a certain quality.
You create for an audience that takes time out of their day to pay attention to you. Respect that. Respect yourself and your craft.
Master Your Money
Wealth behavior isn’t all that different from other action oriented behavior.
This is why it’s important to find money mentors (don’t have to know them personally) and do what they do.
Learn, mess up, learn more, do better.
Just listening to rich people isn’t the answer. It can help but the real lessons come from what they’re actually doing.
Even more importantly, watch what wealthy people they did when they were starting out.
Did they build a business? Did they invest in real estate? Did they invest in startups?
Try that then.
Weekly Special
How to Hack Your Hormones
Ghrelin and Leptin (hunger hormones)
Ghrelin is a hormone generated by enteroendocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the stomach, that enhances food intake and is sometimes referred to as the “hunger hormone.” When you’re hungry, your blood levels of ghrelin are at their maximum, and they drop after you eat.
Leptin is a hormone produced mostly by adipocytes and enterocytes in the small intestine that serves to manage energy balance by suppressing hunger and, as a result, adipocyte fat storage.
Why should I care?
Because when you can manage your hunger hormones, you can control your weight better.
How to optimize:
Stick to a bedtime, and sleep for 7+ hours nightly
Eat more protein, fiber and healthy fats
Thyroid hormones (metabolism booster)
Thyroid hormones are triiodothyronine and thyroxine, two hormones generated and released by the thyroid gland. They are tyrosine-based hormones that are principally in charge of metabolic regulation. Iodine makes up a portion of T3 and T4.
Why should I care?
Because low thyroid levels create weight gain and fatigue.
How to optimize:
Eat more iodine (eggs, yogurt, seaweed)
Eat more nuts and fish
Avoid added sugars
Cortisol (stress hormone)
Cortisol, the principal stress hormone, raises blood sugar levels (glucose), improves glucose utilization in the brain, and increases the availability of chemicals that repair cells. In a fight-or-flight situation, cortisol also suppresses functions that are unnecessary or detrimental.
Why should I care?
Because elevated cortisol levels cause weight gain, increased blood pressure and a reduced immune system.
How to optimize:
De-stress more often (practice deep breathing, self-care, meditation)
Laugh more, with friends and family
Get a pet
Consider taking adaptogens
IGF-1 & HGH (muscle builders)
Insulin-like growth factor 1, also known as somatomedin C, is a hormone with a molecular structure similar to insulin that has anabolic effects in adults and plays a significant role in childhood growth. IGF-1 is a protein that is encoded by the IGF1 gene in humans.
Growth hormone, commonly known as human development hormone in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates human and animal growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration. As a result, it is critical to human growth.
Why should I care?
Because these hormones help you increase lean mass, reduce body fat and metabolize sugars properly.
How to optimize:
Workout to failure
Get more zinc (grass fed beef, oysters, pumpkin seeds)
No food within 3 hours of bed
Use creatine
Get as much sleep between 10p-2a as possible
Consider intermittent fasting
Melatonin (sleep inducer)
Melatonin is a hormone produced largely by the pineal gland throughout the night and has long been linked to the regulation of the sleep–wake cycle. It is commonly used as a dietary supplement for the short-term treatment of insomnia, such as that caused by jet lag or shift work, and is usually taken orally.
Why should I care?
Because getting the proper sleep is the foundation of good health.
How to optimize:
Get morning sunlight (within 10 minutes of waking up)
Unplug 1–2 hours before bed
Keep your bedroom cool (62–68 degrees)
Testosterone (libido lifter)
Males’ principal sex hormone and anabolic steroid is testosterone. In male humans, testosterone is important for the development of male reproductive tissues like the testes and prostate, as well as secondary sexual traits like increased muscle and bone mass and body hair growth.
Why should I care?
Because whether you’re a man or a woman, you want to increase your lean mass.
How to optimize:
Skip the booze
Lift heavy
Supplement with Vitamin D3
Irisin (fat burner)
Irisin promotes glucose uptake by skeletal muscles, improves hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, and thus works as an insulin sensitizing hormone, reducing hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia associated by obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Why should I care?
Because carrying excess fat leads to a whole bunch of health problems.
How to optimize:
Freeze yourself for 10–15 minutes, specifically shivering
HIIT workouts
Estrogen (female hormone)
Estrogen, often known as oestrogen, is a sex hormone that is involved in the development and regulation of the female reproductive system as well as secondary sex characteristics. Estrone, estradiol, and estriol are three primary endogenous estrogens with estrogenic hormonal activity.
Why should I care?
Excess estrogen increases cancer risk. It also makes men flabby.
How to optimize:
Watch using plastics, avoid where possible
Supplement with DIM
Get 25+ grams of fiber daily
Eat cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale)
Insulin (energy importer)
Insulin is a peptide hormone that is produced by beta cells in the pancreatic islets and is the body’s principal anabolic hormone. It affects carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism by boosting glucose absorption from the blood into the liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells.
Why should I care?
Because you don’t want diabetes. Like you really, really don’t. Some health professionals consider it the #1 thing to avoid. I tend to agree.
How to optimize:
Eat carbs post lifting
Focus on slow carb and low carb diets
Consider berberine supplementation
Drink Apple Cider Vinegar and sprinkle Ceylon cinnamon on food
Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable, please share with someone who could use it. See you next Saturday!
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