Stop Making Excuses When Things Go Wrong - Alex Hormozi

Summary

The video script explores the misconception that 'bad things come in threes,' suggesting instead that negative events only snowball when allowed to affect behavior. It emphasizes the importance of separating emotions from actions to maintain consistency and prevent a downward spiral. The discussion highlights the concept of resilience, backed by neuroscience, particularly the role of the anterior mid singular cortex in strengthening willpower. The segment also touches on the impact of hydration on energy levels, promoting a product that provides essential electrolytes for optimal body function.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Bad things don't necessarily come in threes; they can happen at any time and in any number.
• 😟 People often struggle to cope with bad events, which can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes if not managed properly.
• 💡 It's important to prevent one negative event from affecting other areas of life by maintaining consistent behavior.
• 🔄 The concept of 'bad things happening in threes' is a myth; it's more about how we react to and manage these events.
• 💪 Developing resilience means not letting negative events alter our behavior, which can help prevent a domino effect of bad outcomes.
• 🧠 There's a neurological basis for resilience, with the anterior midcingulate cortex playing a role in tracking and strengthening our ability to do things we don't want to do.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The analogy of 'hypertrophying' the brain is used to explain how we can build mental strength through consistent action, similar to how muscles grow.
• 🚫 Creating a separation between emotions and actions can lead to more consistent outcomes and help in achieving goals.
• 🔄 The more we give in to our feelings as an excuse not to act, the more likely we are to develop a pattern of inaction.
• 💧 Proper hydration and electrolyte balance, as promoted by the product 'element', can significantly impact physical and mental performance.

Q & A

What is the main idea discussed in the script about dealing with bad things happening?

The main idea is that bad things happen continuously, but they only become interconnected if you let them affect your behavior. It's important to manage your emotions and actions to prevent a cascade of negative events.

How does the script suggest one should react when bad things happen?

The script suggests that one should create space between how they feel and what they do, and focus on taking actions that can decrease the likelihood of further bad occurrences.

What is the significance of the quote mentioned in the script about bad things not happening in threes?

The quote emphasizes that bad things can happen at any time, and it's a misconception that they come in threes. It's more about how individuals cope and manage their reactions to prevent a chain of negative events.

How does the script relate personal behavior to the outcome of events following a bad occurrence?

The script suggests that personal behavior plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of subsequent events. If one allows a bad event to affect their behavior negatively, it can lead to a downward spiral of more bad things.

What is the role of the anterior mid singular cortex in the context of the script?

The anterior mid singular cortex is an area of the brain that tracks when you do something you don't want to do. By doing these tasks, you strengthen the connections in this area, which can be associated with resilience or willpower.

Why is it beneficial to separate emotions from actions according to the script?

Separating emotions from actions allows for more consistent outcomes and helps in maintaining productivity and effectiveness, even during challenging times or when feeling down.

What is the 'Sword of Gryffindor' reference in the script, and how does it relate to the discussion?

The 'Sword of Gryffindor' reference is from Harry Potter, symbolizing that which makes one stronger. It relates to the discussion by illustrating the idea that overcoming bad events can lead to personal growth and resilience.

How does the script connect the concept of 'hypertrophying' to brain function?

The script connects 'hypertrophying' to brain function by explaining that doing tasks you don't want to do strengthens the connections in the anterior mid singular cortex, similar to how muscles grow stronger with exercise.

What is the advice given in the script for maintaining consistency in performance despite feeling tired or unmotivated?

The advice is to start the task even when feeling tired or unmotivated and to execute it as well as possible. This practice helps in separating emotions from actions and can lead to consistent outcomes.

What is the significance of the element product mentioned in the script?

The element product is a hydration supplement that contains electrolytes to help regulate appetite, curb cravings, and improve brain function. It is mentioned as a solution for those who might be dehydrated instead of just tired or in need of caffeine.

Outlines

00:00

📉 Coping with Adversity and Building Resilience

The speaker discusses the misconception that bad things happen in threes and how people often allow a single negative event to trigger a chain of further negative outcomes. They emphasize the importance of not letting one bad event ruin multiple good things and suggest focusing on actions to prevent further negativity. The speaker shares personal strategies for creating emotional distance from negative feelings to maintain consistent behavior and outcomes. They also mention the concept of 'anterior mid singular cortex' from a conversation with Jim Kwik, which is a part of the brain that strengthens when you do things you don't want to do, thus building resilience. The speaker concludes with a Harry Potter reference to the Sword of Gryffindor, which becomes stronger by what it drinks, symbolizing the idea of growing stronger through adversity.

05:03

🎙️ Podcast Promotion with Mr. Hoosi

The paragraph serves as a transition and promotion for a full-length podcast featuring Mr. Hoosi. It invites the audience to tune in if they enjoyed the previous clip, suggesting that the full podcast will offer more in-depth content and a complete experience with the featured guest.

Keywords

💡Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms refer to the strategies people use to manage stress or adversity. In the video, the concept is discussed in the context of how individuals handle bad events. It's mentioned that people often allow one negative event to trigger a chain of negative outcomes, which is a failure to effectively employ coping mechanisms. The video suggests developing resilience to prevent a single negative event from cascading into multiple issues.

💡Emotional Management

Emotional management is the ability to control and direct one's emotions constructively. The script talks about the importance of managing emotions to prevent a domino effect of negative events. It implies that those who can separate their feelings from their actions are better equipped to handle adversity without letting it affect their overall well-being or performance.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and to keep going in the face of challenges. The video emphasizes the importance of resilience, suggesting that individuals who are resilient are less likely to let a single negative event disrupt their entire life. It's portrayed as a desirable trait that helps maintain consistency in performance and behavior, even when faced with adversity.

💡Behavioral Consistency

Behavioral consistency means maintaining a certain level of behavior regardless of external circumstances or internal feelings. The video discusses how creating a space between emotions and actions can lead to more consistent outcomes. It gives the example of creating content even when not feeling motivated, which can strengthen the ability to perform consistently.

💡Neurological Adaptation

Neurological adaptation refers to changes in the brain's structure or function in response to experiences. The script mentions the anterior mid singular cortex, a part of the brain that tracks actions against one's desire, and how engaging in unwanted activities can strengthen this area, thereby enhancing willpower or resilience.

💡Fragility

Fragility, in the context of the video, is the susceptibility to being significantly negatively affected by adverse events. It contrasts with resilience and is used to describe a state where one bad event can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes, illustrating a lack of ability to cope effectively with stress.

💡Superstition

Superstition, as discussed in the video, refers to a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in seemingly magical influences. It's used to describe a mindset where past negative experiences lead to a belief that certain actions are always followed by negative outcomes, even when there's no logical connection.

💡Gryffindor's Sword

Gryffindor's Sword is a metaphorical reference from Harry Potter, symbolizing strength that grows from adversity. In the video, it's used to illustrate the concept of resilience, where instead of being weakened by challenges, one becomes stronger, much like the sword that only gains strength from what is used against it.

💡Dehydration

Dehydration is the condition of having an excessive loss of water in the body. The video script mentions dehydration as a potential cause for feeling tired, which is a reminder to consider hydration and electrolyte balance for overall health and performance. It's a practical tip that connects to the broader theme of managing one's physical state to optimize resilience.

💡Electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge and are essential for various bodily functions, including maintaining hydration and regulating nerve impulses. The video discusses the importance of electrolytes for hydration and their role in improving brain function and reducing cravings, linking them to the broader narrative of self-care and performance optimization.

Highlights

Bad things don't necessarily happen in threes; they can snowball if not managed properly.

It's important not to let one bad event ruin many good things in your life.

When young, people might react to a breakup by letting it affect their work performance.

The idea that bad things happen in threes is a misconception; they happen all the time and are only interrelated if you let them affect your behavior.

The concept of resilience is about decreasing the likelihood of another bad event after one occurs.

The power perspective involves not letting a bad event change your behavior.

The Sword of Gryffindor metaphor illustrates how to become stronger from adversity.

People often spiral into a negative cycle due to not knowing how to cope with bad events.

Creating space between emotions and actions can lead to more consistent outcomes.

Executing tasks despite negative feelings can strengthen the brain's resilience.

The anterior mid singular cortex is a brain area that tracks actions you take against your desires, strengthening with use.

Consistently doing what is required, despite feelings, can lead to getting what you want more often.

The analogy of brain changes to muscle hypertrophy helps understand the neurological basis of resilience.

Proper hydration with electrolytes is crucial for body and brain function, not just water intake.

Element is a hydration product that contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio for optimal health.

The host shares a personal testimony of the benefits of using Element for hydration.

Element offers a risk-free trial with a no-questions-asked refund policy.

A special offer for listeners includes a free sample pack of all eight flavors with the first purchase.

Transcripts

bad things don't come in threes bad

things happen people don't know how to

cope and they allow one bad thing to

snowball into more bad stuff sucks the

only thing worse is letting one bad

thing ruin many good things I'm glad you

found that one um that was one on that

list of things that uh you know quotes I

wish had gone more viral um the amount

of I think it happens more when you're

younger but you know girlfriend breaks

up with you okay then you go into work

and you sulk because you're distracted

and then you don't do the same level of

effort and you're not enthusiastic and

then all of a sudden your work suffers

and you get you get put on a pip or you

get fired and then now you're fired and

you don't have a girlfriend and then you

start gaining weight and you stop going

to the gym and all of a sudden you're

like man bad things happen in threes

it's like no bad things happen all the

time and they only become interrelated

if you let it affect your behavior and

so I think the equal opposite of that is

thinking okay this bad thing occurred

what can I do to decrease the likelihood

something else bad occurs in the

meantime and then boiling everything

down to activities or the actions that I

have to take and I think about that

actually a lot which is how like if you

think about from the power perspective

of okay something bad happens how much

will affect my behavior well the person

who is indestructible would have

something terrible happen and then

nothing would change and I I love that

they get better exactly yeah that's an

fragility right yeah the um the Sword of

Gryffindor it only drinks in that which

makes it stronger ah [ __ ] Harry

Potter reference weren't expecting that

um yeah the people don't know how to

cope thing especially with bad stuff is

um it does explain why you end up with

this weird

spiral tiny little Avalanche Pebble at

the top and then this huge sort of ere

exaggerated reaction

Downstream yeah people don't know how to

manage their emotions

I think the the more at least for me the

more I've tried to create space between

how I feel and what I do the more

consistent my outcomes have

been what do you

mean so if I need to create content and

I'm not feeling it or I'm feeling tired

or things like that the more times I

give into that excuse or that feeling

then the more superstitious I become

about doing it in the future whereas a

lot of times if I can just start when I

am tired or when something is painful

and then still execute about the same as

before I look at game tape or I look at

video or I look at the content from

those sessions for example and I see

that I remember feeling terrible during

the session but you can't really see

anything and I think the more times you

get that Loop going the more you can

separate how you feel and what is

required and the more times you do what

is required to get what you want the

more times you get what you want I spoke

to huberman last year I think it's

called the anterior mid singular cortex

it's an area of the bread if I've got

that right [ __ ] yes bro the best

advert for newtonic ever um uh basically

there is an area of the brain that

tracks when you do something that you

don't want to do and you strengthen the

connections in it by doing things that

you don't want to do especially when you

really don't want to do them so you're

hypertrophying it's this exact sort of

intuition that you've got that some

people would call it resilience or

willpower or whatever but there's a this

is a

neurologically represented in the brain

these uh connections get stronger so I

think it's so funny um Jim Bros will

need a gym analogy in order to be able

to believe that their brain changes but

it's it's really useful to think hey

you're hypertrophying this area of your

brain I snapped in Achilles I had to do

a very particular series of rehab

movements in order to grow it back this

is just the same yeah agreed in other

news this episode is brought to you by

element you might not be tired you might

not need more caffeine you might just be

dehydrated and proper hydration y it's

not just about having sufficient water

it's about having the electrolytes to

allow your body to use those fluids

element contains a science backed

electrolyte ratio of sodium pottassium

and magnesium that helps to regulate

appetite curb cravings and improve your

brain function this orange salt tastes

like absolute Godly nectar first thing

in the morning it's the way I've started

my day for over 3 years now and it's a

complete Game Changer I can feel the

difference when I use it and when I stop

and you can try it completely risk-free

with their nobs no questions asked

refund policy buy it use all of them if

you don't like it they'll give you your

money back and you don't even need to

return the box that's how confident they

are that you love it right now you can

get a free sample pack of all eight

flavors with your first box by going to

the link in the description below or

heading to drink LM nt.com slod wisdom

that's drink LM nt.com

slod wisdom thank you very much for

tuning in if you enjoyed that clip you

will love the full length podcast with

the one and only Mr hosi Right Here go

on