Podcast Summary: Modern Wisdom Episode #881 - Christmas Special - Life Hacks, Biggest Fails & Best Lessons

Introduction

In this festive Christmas special of Modern Wisdom, host Chris Williamson reunites with longtime collaborators Johnny Youssef from Propane Fitness and George Mack. Filmed on Chris’s old couch in Newcastle upon Tyne, the trio delves into their most effective life hacks, reflects on their biggest failures from the past year, and shares invaluable lessons learned. They also discuss their top New Year's resolutions for 2025, providing listeners with actionable insights to enhance their own lives.

Life Hacks Shared

1. Ninja Creamy for Protein-Rich Ice Cream (02:30)

• Johnny Youssef introduces the Ninja Creamy, highlighting its utility in creating customized, high-protein ice cream. He explains how it transforms protein shakes into delicious treats by blending ingredients like skimmed milk and protein powder.

  Johnny: “It’s basic what I use it for is making ice cream from a protein shake. It’s brilliant.”

• Chris Williamson shares his version of low-sugar, high-protein ice cream, noting the challenge of maintaining texture when adding toppings like chocolate chips.

  Chris: “The issue is the viscosity of the liquid when you put it in the freezer versus the viscosity when it becomes ice cream is different.”

• George Mack suggests adding toppings after the mixture is creamy to ensure even distribution.

  George: “So this is to distribute the chocolate chips throughout the height of the ice cream rather than all at the bottom.”

2. Air Fryers for Enhanced Cooking (06:25)

• Chris praises the Ninja air fryer’s visibility feature, allowing users to monitor the crisping process in real-time, making it easier to cook dishes like lasagnas.

  Chris: “They’ve got this air fryer crispy thing now, which is a glass tray at the bottom so you can see how it sort of crisps.”

• Johnny expresses interest in getting an air fryer, leading to a discussion on the varying standards of vehicle quality in different regions.

  Johnny: “Should I? Do you have one, George?”

3. Optimizing YouTube Consumption with the KL Algorithm (15:00)

• George shares his approach to curating YouTube content by filtering out videos under 30 minutes to reduce time wasted on low-quality content.

  George: “So the physical life hack is to use things that annoy you... as gratitude triggers.”

• Johnny and Chris discuss the effectiveness and potential drawbacks of this method, emphasizing discipline and opportunity costs.

  Johnny: “Doesn't it mean though that you waste more time? Because the regret is about the video, but there’s no regret about how long you spent watching the video?”

4. Audible and Audio Immersion (21:00)

• Johnny recommends using Audible’s immersive audio versions, like the “Red Rising” series in Dolby Atmos, to enhance the listening experience and aid in falling asleep.

  Johnny: “The most immersive thing I’ve ever heard on audio.”

• Chris agrees, noting how these audiobooks help distract from racing thoughts and improve sleep quality.

  Chris: “They just put out this movie in your mind and helps you get to sleep.”

5. Laptop Stands for Improved Posture and Productivity (33:00)

• George introduces the Boyata portable laptop stand combined with the Apple Magic Keyboard and Mouse, emphasizing its role in maintaining good posture while working from hotels and coffee shops.

  George: “The Boyata stand means that the laptop’s raised like perfectly in front of you like that.”

• Yousef discusses how proper posture can influence mental states and reduce anxiety, referencing studies presented at the International Posture Summit.

  Yousef: “There is a study that shows that your posture impacts how much you believe your own thoughts.”

Lessons Learned

1. Reframing Problems for Growth (49:00)

• Johnny shares the concept of reframing challenges as opportunities for personal and business growth. He emphasizes that achieving one goal often leads to new, more complex challenges, fostering continuous development.

  Johnny: “For every level is a devil. And it’s just the current devil you’re facing.”

• Chris echoes this sentiment, highlighting the importance of viewing problems as formative experiences rather than obstacles.

  Chris: “Accepting that things are going to be tough, but not necessarily white-knuckling our way through it.”

2. Single-Tasking and Effective Productivity (75:00)

• George and Johnny discuss the importance of single-tasking over multitasking, emphasizing that focusing on one task at a time leads to higher quality work and more effective outcomes.

  George: “Positioning is arranging information in the customer’s head.”

• They highlight tools like Ticktick for task management, advocating for organizing and prioritizing tasks to enhance productivity.

3. Alignment of Actions and Values (103:00)

• George underscores the importance of ensuring that one's actions align with their stated values, referencing psychological theories by Adler versus Freud.

  George: “What people tell themselves the goal is, isn't always the goal. So look at actions versus behavior.”

• The group reflects on the discrepancy between stating values and acting in accordance with them, agreeing that true value alignment requires consistent actions.

  Chris: “Actions versus words in that way.”

Failures and Reflections

1. 75 Hard Adaptations and Its Pitfalls (72:30)

• Johnny discusses his experience with adapting the “75 Hard” challenge, noting that while the original program may be too rigid, modifying aspects to better fit personal lifestyles can yield benefits without the destructive rigidity.

  Johnny: “Trying to do that… you realize how hard that is and how many little bullshit reasons come up.”

• Lessons include the difficulty of maintaining extremely strict routines, especially when faced with real-life scenarios where adaptability is required.

2. Dealing with Ineffective New Year Resolutions (98:00)

• Yousef critiques traditional New Year's resolutions, pointing out that with a 91% failure rate, many goals often slip away. He emphasizes the need for setting higher ROI resolutions that are sustainable and genuinely aligned with one’s values and long-term goals.

  Yousef: “If something has a 91% failure rate, you have to look at it before I think you do it.”

• The conversation touches on the psychological aspects of goal-setting and the importance of actionable, realistic resolutions.

Resolutions and Sustainable Habits

1. High ROI Resolutions (75:00)

• Chris shares his two highest ROI resolutions that have remained consistent: keeping the phone outside the bedroom to improve sleep quality and going for morning walks to reduce anxiety.

  Chris: “Sleep with your phone outside of your bedroom.”

  Chris: “Go for a walk first thing in the morning.”

• Emphasizes the effectiveness of environmental design and incremental habit formation as key strategies for sustainable improvement.

2. Journaling for Self-Reflection (70:00)

• The importance of journaling is highlighted as a tool for aligning actions with values and tracking personal growth, despite potential data loss from digital corruption.

  George: “A need to write out all of your to-dos. Pick the top three that make you most scared, then pick one of them and just do it for three hours.”

• Johnny and George discuss the value of back-up methods and the significance of maintaining journals for long-term reflection and personal insight.

3. Positioning in Business and Personal Life (103:00)

• Yousef shares insights on how positioning—arranging information in the customer’s mind—is crucial for business success, using the example of Loom’s strategic positioning to eliminate competition.

  Yousef: “Positioning is arranging information in the customer’s head.”

• They explore the impact of effective positioning on business growth and customer perception, reinforcing its importance beyond mere product functionality.

Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with heartfelt reflections on personal growth, the significance of sustainable habits, and maintaining alignment between one's actions and values. Chris expresses deep gratitude towards Johnny and George for their contributions, emphasizing the importance of their friendship and collaboration despite physical distances.

Chris: “I’m so happy and so proud of what all of you have done. It’s fucking fire. It’s great.”

As the trio wraps up, they extend warm Christmas wishes to their listeners, encouraging everyone to reflect on the past year and plan thoughtfully for the year ahead.

Chris: “Merry Christmas. See you next time. Get away. Get.”

Notable Quotes

• Chris Williamson (03:10): “I’ve encountered a problem with that, which is when you have to make up the mixture and then put it in the freezer for it to freeze.”

• George Mack (15:02): “I'm trying to think of something that you couldn't do that with, but I'm struggling.”

• Johnny Youssef (49:31): “But the real soft core, nice thing I would recommend is journaling.”

• Yousef (75:25): “If something has a 91% failure rate, you have to look at it before I think you do it.”

• Chris Williamson (51:07): “Accepting that things are going to be tough, but not necessarily white-knuckling our way through it.”

Conclusion

This Christmas special episode of Modern Wisdom provides a treasure trove of practical life hacks, profound lessons on personal and business growth, and reflective discussions on failures and resolutions. For listeners seeking to enhance their productivity, cultivate sustainable habits, and align their actions with their core values, this episode offers rich, actionable insights wrapped in engaging conversation. Whether you’re looking to implement new strategies or seeking inspiration for your own life journey, Chris, Johnny, and George deliver wisdom that resonates deeply and inspires meaningful change.

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