As a kid, I had a serious sweet tooth. Coca-Cola was my water, and if I hadn't eaten a dessert, the meal wouldn't have been over. By the time I hit high school, the weight piled on—I was over 100kg (220lbs) at 185cm (6'1") with barely any muscle to speak of.
I started going to the gym in high school, but losing weight was tough, especially when you love food as much as I do. I began with short 10–15-minute cardio sessions, convinced I was on the right track, but nothing changed. Over the years, I tried different workout strategies—weight training, HIIT, cardio—you name it, but my mindset stayed the same: "My body just isn't built to lose weight."
Then, this year, Mojca recommended I read Outlive by Peter Attia (one of the 11 other great reads on our recommended reading list). She couldn't stop talking about it, and after reading it myself, I understood why.
In Chapter 11, Peter challenges the common approach to cardio, and my understanding of effective exercise completely shifted. Zone 2 training, as he describes it, requires sustained effort—45–60 minutes of moderate-intensity where you can still talk, but with effort—not the 10-minute sessions I'd been doing for years.
It was a revelation. Could my approach to fitness have been wrong this whole time?
I decided to test it. I started doing 45-minute bike rides at around 130 BPM. My expectations were low, but within weeks, the changes started happening. I was shedding weight, seeing abs, and noticing veins I hadn't seen in years. Turns out, my body wasn't 'built differently.' My perception of what was needed to get results was just off.
The shift in perception didn't stop there.
I started looking at my work habits. I thought I was being productive, but when I reassessed, I saw my days were filled with distractions—mindless scrolling, unnecessary tasks, and procrastination. Like my workouts, I was putting in the effort but not the right kind of effort.
So, I recalibrated. I cut out distractions, delegated more, and focused on the tasks that actually mattered. The results? Just like with my fitness, my productivity got better week after week.
Here's what I learned: sometimes we think we're doing enough, but a slight shift in perception can unlock much bigger results.
In his book Can't Hurt Me, David Goggins said most people operate at 40% of their actual capacity, and his idea stuck with me. I'm no Goggins, but I'm starting to believe that we all have much more in us than we realize.
So, when was the last time you questioned your own assumptions? Whether it's fitness, work, or relationships, could a slight adjustment in your thinking be the key to better results?
Could you have done one more rep during your last workout?
Could you have posted one more video to Instagram last week?
Could you have squeezed in that one task lurking on your to-do list for three weeks?
Hit reply and let me know—I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
