SIDCHAs

Fame for my no-packaging no-fiber-removed food… and cold showers

Fitness / Nature / SIDCHAs

Fame for my no-packaging no-fiber-removed food… and cold showers

If you know me, you know I've taking cold showers for years. You may also know a big part of my inspiration was Joel Runyon, whose posts on cold shower therapy (search for my name at that link) motivated me to take cold showers every day for thirty days, which I now do every fourth day. I've sponsored his tremendous 777 challenge, to run 7 ultramarathons on 7 continents to raise funds to start 7 schools, which he finished, making him one of the few to finish an ultramarathon on each continent. And he beat his target funds for the schools. He's in Brooklyn. I invited him and his girlfriend for dinner last night. Needless to say, I had food from the farm. She's in…

August 3, 2017

Nelson Mandela on sidchas

Nelson Mandela Boxing

Exercises / Fitness / Freedom / Leadership / My Favorite Posts / SIDCHAs

Nelson Mandela on sidchas

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth. I've waited to share something I discovered reading his autobiography a few months ago. First some context. It's the day of your release. You're a revolutionary, fighting Apartheid, imprisoned for 27 years, much of it in an 8 foot by 7 foot cell or, if outside, breaking rocks. Meanwhile, you've become a global celebrity. Over 200 million people watched your London birthday event in absentia. Meanwhile, you're a 72-year-old man, recently recovering from tuberculosis and have barely seen your family for decades. On the day of your release, what do you do? Quoting Nelson Mandela's autobiography: I awoke on the day of my release after only a few hours' sleep at 4:30am. February 11 was a…

July 19, 2017

A Millennial Making America Clean Again

A Millennial Making America Clean Again, Joshua Spodek's July 4 Inc. article

Habits / Inc.com / Leadership / SIDCHAs

A Millennial Making America Clean Again

My Independence Day post on Inc. today, "A Millennial Making America Clean Again," begins A Millennial Making America Clean Again He's doing a simple, small, short term act that makes a difference and is leading to more. Will you follow? I love Independence Day. I don't eat hot dogs, nor do I care that much for fireworks. I celebrate July 4th by reading and writing about influential Americans and American history. I'll put this one in context with some memories of living abroad. National pride and garbage One of my most vivid memories of China was of a Chinese man at the Great Wall. He was eating a bag of chips. When he finished them, he simply dropped the plastic bag. The wind took it…

July 4, 2017

Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

More reasons burpees are lazy

People describe the burpees I do as a lot and hard. While the number, approaching 100,000, is big, for six-and-a-half years, it's not that many. I keep trying to reconcile the disparity. Here's how I look at it. If burpees are the single best exercise, which fitness experts have said, and if they aren't the best, they're close, then doing them is an efficient way to stay fit. In other words, burpees are the least I can do for a given level of fitness. If you want the same fitness and exercise less efficiently, you're doing more work than I am. I'm relatively lazy. If you're comfortable with less fitness, then my burpees aren't the difference, the overall fitness is. I'm not comfortable with less…

July 3, 2017

I Do Burpees Daily Because I’m Lazy and Full of Excuses

I Do Burpees Daily Because I'm Lazy and Full of Excuses, my recent Inc. article

Choosing/Decision-Making / Fitness / Habits / Inc.com / SIDCHAs

I Do Burpees Daily Because I’m Lazy and Full of Excuses

My Inc. post Monday, "I Do Burpees Daily Because I'm Lazy and Full of Excuses," began I Do Burpees Daily Because I'm Lazy and Full of Excuses Not having a skill so useful as discipline is a reason to do them, which transformed my life. When I tell people about my burpee habit, their most common response is to suppose I was born with superhuman discipline. I do them daily, and have since December 21, 2011, starting with 10 per day. Now I do over 50 per day, in two sets, followed by stretching and other exercises to work what burpees don't. So when I write "burpees," I mean "10-minute burpee-based routine." Any self-imposed, daily, challenging, healthy activity would work--push ups, jumping jacks, etc. People…

June 10, 2017

A reader I inspired inspires me back

Dave's Why You Do It blog post about 4 people who inspired him, including Joshua Spodek

Habits / SIDCHAs

A reader I inspired inspires me back

Dave found this page a while ago and got in touch with me. He gets the sidcha concept and has been implementing it. In particular, he's posted in his blog for the past 100+ days and counting. The other day he wrote me: Hey Josh, I recently wrote and published 100 blog posts in the first 100 straight days of my blog, and it'd mean the world to me if you'd read how you helped:Â http://whyyoudo.it/4-people-motivated-100-posts-100-days. The 100 in 100 is significant for me because I had written nothing in the previous 3 and-a-half years and writing every day has led to me loving the whole writing thing again. And in fact you're the person who motivated me to write every day. So even if you…

June 6, 2017

Exercises / Habits / SIDCHAs

Sidchas lead to achievement like nothing else

Interviewers tend to ask me two questions: What's with all the burpees? How did you do all the accomplishments? They don't realize that doing the sidchas is what achieves the accomplishments. I wouldn't have expected that connection before starting the sidchas. I can't really explain it now, but I know that doing the sidchas gets the other things done. From the outside you might see sidchas as taking time and attention from what others value and can measure. On the contrary, what gets difficult things done isn't time, money, or other resources. What gets difficult tasks done is the same as what creates time, money, and other resources: Intent Discipline Inspiration Dedication Perseverance Resilience Practice and skills like that. No one is born with those…

May 29, 2017

Tathra Street of the Tall Poppy Podcast interviewed me, and it’s a great conversation

Tathra Street's Tall Poppy Podcast's interview of Joshua Spodek

Audio / Leadership / Relationships / SIDCHAs

Tathra Street of the Tall Poppy Podcast interviewed me, and it’s a great conversation

Tathra Street hosts the Tall Poppy podcast. Today she posted our wonderful conversation, which covered leadership, burpees, competition, and important things we all wish we talked about more. The top of her page says: Change — Leadership — Wisdom The top of mine used to say: Meaning — Value — Purpose You can tell we'd complement in interests. Anyway, she listened and sounded like she took what I shared to heart, when made me feel comfortable sharing more. I hope you also appreciate what she shared in her review after the conversation after listening to the conversation. At least from my perspective I was glad to learn she developed new views about burpees, competition, and other things we talked about. Listen to the conversation! Listen…

May 24, 2017

Awareness / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs / Visualization

How a habit forms

There are plenty of books on habits. Too many, if you ask me. You don't need books to start habits. In my experience, self-awareness will get you farther. In particular, starting new behavior creates new emotions and reactions. Paying attention to them will guide you how to follow up to improve them more than reading---if you pay attention to everything you can. That level of self-awareness takes time and effort to develop, so books may seem to help more, but you have to practice self-awareness to develop it, which books hinder, like training wheels when learning to ride a bike. I recommend losing the training wheels as soon as you can. The habit development pattern Not just habits, but sidchas: Start sidcha â‡“ 2. Feel…

May 17, 2017

The Create Your Life radio interview with Kevin Brown

The Create Your LIfe interview with Kevin Brown and Joshua Spodek

Audio / Fitness / SIDCHAs

The Create Your Life radio interview with Kevin Brown

Today Kevin Brown, host of the Create Your Life radio show and podcast, released his interview of me. Kevin and I met public speaking and became friends. He got me to share a painful anecdote I've never shared publicly before. As hard as it was to share it, I thank him for giving me the space and support to share it. Listen to our conversation! Listen to our conversation! Kevin's notes for the podcast: Josh tells us what compelled him since childhood, his journey through five degrees, Spodek Academy, his motivations, and why 90,000 burpees isn't enough. He talks about his visits to North Korea. Insight from this episode: Working through business lows and highs and coming out on top. "I never felt I had…

May 12, 2017

Can I pick your brain? … Daniel Gefen’s wonderful, funny, penetrating interview of consistency and greatness you can achieve

Daniel Gefen's Can I Pick Your Brain interview of Joshua Spodek

Audio / Choosing/Decision-Making / Fitness / Freedom / Habits / SIDCHAs

Can I pick your brain? … Daniel Gefen’s wonderful, funny, penetrating interview of consistency and greatness you can achieve

I wish I could convey how much fun Daniel Gefen and I had talking before the podcast. I think it comes out in the conversation. Beyond being fun, Daniel went into depth nobody has about something I long wished someone would---the motivation behind the burpees and sidchas. Most interviewers ask about what I do, less about why or the effects. Daniel delved into consistency and how much it can create in your life. Listen to the interview! Listen to the interview! From Daniel's about page: Here are Daniel's show notes: My guest today is probably one of the most accomplished and consistent individuals I have had the pleasure to meet. Joshua Spodek holds five Ivy-League degrees, including a PhD in Astrophysics and an MBA from…

April 28, 2017

A new, trashy sidcha idea

Habits / SIDCHAs

A new, trashy sidcha idea

People who feel inspired to start sidchas sometimes ask me for ideas. Burpees, cold showers, and blog posts seem too much for many to do daily. I thought of a new one, especially for city dwellers: Pick up at least one piece of trash per day from the ground and put it in a trash can. This one has been formulating in my mind for a while. New York City is probably cleaner than ever, but its streets and sidewalks are covered with garbage. Most people would probably blame the city for not cleaning it up or not having enough trash cans. Maybe. I look to the citizens, or at least some of them, for three reasons: Producing too much trash. If they didn't have…

April 11, 2017

Experience Less Stress By Being Aware of Your Emotions: The Mindfulness Mode podcast interview with Bruce Langford

The Mindfulness Mode podcast with Bruce Langford and Joshua Spodek

Audio / Awareness / Habits / SIDCHAs

Experience Less Stress By Being Aware of Your Emotions: The Mindfulness Mode podcast interview with Bruce Langford

I've wanted to share some of my views on mindfulness, which connects with leadership, especially personal leadership, for a long time. Bruce Langford, who hosts the Mindfulness Mode podcast gave me the chance. If you care about mindfulness, leadership, mindful leadership, you'll value listening to this conversation. We talked about Starting mindfulness What mindfulness is Getting more done through mindfulness Habits and mindfulness Food, eating, and mindfulness The counterproductive results from the lack of these things My top app for mindfulness And more! Click here to listen to the podcast! Click here to listen to the podcast! Bruce's podcast notes Joshua Spodek is a scientist, specifically an astrophysicist and SO much more. He's an expert in the field of leadership. He can discover and help…

March 30, 2017

Awareness / Exercises / Leadership / Models / SIDCHAs / Stories

Absurdly Useful Leadership Tactics That You Can Use Today: the second interview with Jim Harshaw

I don't know if the interviewers are getting better, if I'm developing in conversation, or if I'm just enjoying podcast conversations more, but it feels like the interviews are getting better all the time. Yesterday, Jim Harshaw (scroll down to learn more about him) of the Success Through Failure podcast posted our second conversation. Second conversations lead to greater comfort, depth, trust, and intimacy, so I recommend listening. We cover a couple exercises from the book, connecting leadership to everyday living, sports, and more. Jim was a division 1 athlete and coach, among many other achievements so he knows leadership from multiple angles. He's taken on and overcome challenges many of us don't even try. All this comes out in his podcast. When you don't…

March 27, 2017

The Fierce Focus interview with Ryan Ross

Audio / Fitness / SIDCHAs

The Fierce Focus interview with Ryan Ross

Ryan Ross hosts the Fierce Focus podcast. A friend put us in touch. We had an engaging conversation that I enjoyed a lot, probably because he asked direct questions that led to meaningful answers. Also because we actually sat together face-to-face to record the interview, which opens the conversation, in my experience. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/312885119" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] Here are the show's notes: Josh Spodek has done 90,000 burpees. He has a PhD in astrophysics from Columbia, and an MBA from the Columbia business school where is is a professor at Columbia Business School's Program on Social Intelligence. He has a new book out, New book: Leadership Step by Step. This is a LONG episode, and we cover subjects like what a SIDCHA is…

March 25, 2017

Astrophysicist turned media wiz tells listeners what leadership is all about: The Tim Laskis interview

Audio / Fitness / Habits / Leadership / SIDCHAs

Astrophysicist turned media wiz tells listeners what leadership is all about: The Tim Laskis interview

Tim Laskis is a psychologist, but unlike most of them, has done things in life, including starting and selling a company and coaching others. He specializes in business and sports. Read more about him below. He also interviewed me for his podcast, The Tim Laskis Show, a genuine, fun, rewarding, and, I believe, engaging and informative conversation. We talked about success, failure, what it takes to achieve, how to make it through, what works, what doesn't, and more. Click here to listen to the podcast! Here is more background on Tim from his about page: ABOUT TIM LASKIS No one understands the psychology of human behavior and success strategies better than Tim, especially as it applies to business and sports. He grew up in a…

March 22, 2017

90,000 burpees!

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / Inc.com / SIDCHAs

90,000 burpees!

I decided to post my regular 10,000-burpee increment update on Inc. first this time. I'm only supposed to sample the beginning of the article when it first goes up. So click to my Inc. post, "90,000 Burpees Today," which begins 90,000 Burpees Today I started my daily burpee habit in December 2011. Today I hit my 90,000th. I'm a 45-year old man and I've done burpees every day since December 21, 2011, inspired by a New York Times article by Gretchen Reynolds in which a fitness expert, Dr. Martin Gibala, suggested them as a candidate for the single best exercise. Neither of them expected anyone to do just them, but I did. I've written about them here and on my blog. I consider myself in…

March 10, 2017

2,500 Blog Posts and What I Learned Writing Them

Habits / Inc.com / SIDCHAs

2,500 Blog Posts and What I Learned Writing Them

My Inc. article today, "2,499 Blog Posts and What I Learned Writing Them," began 2,499 Blog Posts and What I Learned Writing Them Today will mark my 2,500th blog post, without missing a day since January 2011 2,225 days ago, on January 29th, 2011, I wrote my first blog post of a daily streak I have continued to today and expect to continue until I can't. Wordpress users will recognize this screen shot: My next post, which will be a reference to this article, will make 2,500. Here is my archive listing them all. In the beginning... When I started, I thought I had maybe a dozen ideas to share. I didn't think how far I'd get, but figured I'd run out of posts soon.…

March 3, 2017

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

My health-related activities

A podcaster and I were emailing about the possibility of doing an interview. He said his podcast was mostly health related. As I summarized for him my health-related activities, I felt that what I was writing would summarize well here, so wrote it more comprehensively than I normally would have. I like sharing these practices. Note that they are things anyone can do. I mean, if you're wheelchair bound, you may not be able to do burpees, but you can do some equivalent. My point is that none are things like jumping out of a balloon ten miles above the Earth, where you need teams of people, millions of dollars, equipment few people have access to, and so on. I swam across a river and…

March 1, 2017

2,461 Blog Posts in 2,191 Days

Blog / Habits / Inc.com / SIDCHAs

2,461 Blog Posts in 2,191 Days

My Inc.com post Saturday, "2,461 Blog Posts in 2,191 Consecutive Days," began 2,461 Blog Posts in 2,191 Consecutive Days What I learned in six years posting daily On January 29, 2011 I wrote the first blog post of an unbroken streak. Today finishes the sixth year. Tomorrow I'll start year 7. Here's the blog: www.joshuaspodek.com, and here is an archive of all the posts. Here's a picture of the blog header, with me swimming across the Hudson River, which I blogged about. EDIT: Coincidentally, after writing this post, Glenn Leibowitz's podcast, Write With Impact, posted its interview, "Joshua Spodek's Strategy for Developing a Daily Writing Habit," which covered similar ground as this article. I recommend listening to it. The Numbers That means 2,191 days 2,461…

January 31, 2017

Tim Ferriss is talking about me! … with Martin Gibala, about burpees, the New York Times, and public health

Fitness / Habits / Humor / SIDCHAs

Tim Ferriss is talking about me! … with Martin Gibala, about burpees, the New York Times, and public health

Tim Ferriss, bestselling author and marketer of The 4-Hour Workweek and follow-up "4-Hour" books, interviewed Martin Gibala, the scientist whose suggesting burpees as a candidate for the single best exercise in the New York Times in 2011 inspired my sidcha. Dr. Gibala's book with Christopher Shulgan, The One Minute Workout, launches on February 7 (a week before my book, Leadership Step by Step!), which they talked mostly about, how to stay fit with minimal time and the research he did to find and back up how little time you need for meaningful improvement when you intensify the exercise and include rest intervals. They also talked about me! Ferriss's podcast post here includes the full ~90 minute recording. Having edited so much audio for my leadership…

January 25, 2017

Art / Creativity / Exercises / Habits / Leadership / SIDCHAs

Reflections on writing

One of my online communities had a thread on writing a book this year. It led me to reflect on writing in a way that might help someone where I was before starting to write. I consider what I wrote relevant to practicing any craft or developing one's passion. Here's what I wrote: Last year was my big year for writing and finishing my book, Leadership Step by Step. It launches on Amazon a month from tomorrow. I got my first hardcovers from the printer a couple weeks ago. Last week I learned that Booklist is giving it a starred review. It has blurbs from bestsellers, top TED talkers, and luminaries like Dan Pink Marshall Goldsmith Seth Godin Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Frances Hesselbein…

January 21, 2017

Habits / Leadership / SIDCHAs / Stories

Stealing Happiness Back from Comfort

I guest posted today with the Lead Change Group, whose vision and mission are: Our Vision The Lead Change Group is a global, virtual community dedicated to encouraging and showcasing great ideas and helping leaders in their own professional growth. Mission We will encourage, energize and equip one another to leading change — in ourselves, in others, and in our communities. We want to be a resourceful, supportive community sharing and multiplying powerful leadership content. They have monthly themes, and this month's was "five thieves of happiness" (control, conceit, consumption, coveting, and comfort), after one of its member's book's title. My story, "Stealing Happiness Back from Comfort," began Stealing Happiness Back from Comfort The winter I renovated my apartment was one of the coldest I…

January 20, 2017

Freedom / Habits / SIDCHAs

The busier I am, the more I stick to my sidchas

Being busy means not having time. If you want more time, don't do things you don't have to. Makes sense, right? My book launch is making me busier than ever. I have four or five big in-person events coming up in February to plan and host, a seminar or two to plan and host, two classes at NYU to teach, one sales class in January to teach, ... Forbes interviewed me the other day as have as maybe ten podcasts in the past week or two with more to come (I'll link to them as they get posted), I started my webinar, and I forget what else. Oh yeah, I'm working on a long opinion piece I'm not sure where I'll submit. I don't know…

January 14, 2017

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / Inc.com / SIDCHAs / Tips

A burpee app?

My 2,192 Days of Burpees post and Inc. article got a lot of responses, including questions how to start from people who felt inspired by this free, zero-equipment, zero-cost, low-risk, healthy, and so on practice. One reader asked if I could recommend an app. I wrote back Glad to hear from you and that you're inspired. I prefer not to use an app. Like brushing my teeth, I just know if I'm going to bed without doing my burpees. This way I don't depend on anything external. If I want to know how many I've done cumulatively, I get out a spreadsheet and plug in my starting date in one cell and the current date in another. Taking the difference tells me the number of…

January 7, 2017

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