Reflection and Opportunity: How We’re Approaching Our Well-Being in 2022

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Transcript: Reflection and Opportunity: How We’re Approaching Our Well-Being in 2022

Season 4, Episode 15  | February 21, 2022

Jamie Martin

Welcome to Life Time Talks, the healthy-living podcast that’s aimed at helping you achieve your health, fitness, and life goals. I’m Jamie Martin, editor-in-chief of Experience Life, Life Time’s whole-life health and fitness magazine.

David Freeman

And I’m David Freeman, Life Time’s national digital performer brand leader. We’re all in different places along our health and fitness journey, but no matter what we are working toward, there are some essential things we can do to keep moving in the direction of a healthy, purpose-driven life.

Jamie Martin

In each episode, we’ll break down the various elements of healthy living, including fitness and nutrition, mindset and community, and health issues. We’ll also share real inspiring stories of transformation.

David Freeman

And we’ll be talking to experts from Life Time and beyond, who’ll share their insights and knowledge, so you’ll have the tools and information you need to take charge of your next steps. Here we go.

[MUSIC]

David Freeman

Alright, Jamie. It’s 2022. We’re here to kick it off. How are things going in your world?

Jamie Martin

Oh, David, it’s a new year and I am ready to just jump in. So it’s been– It’s good so far. Another new year, we’re still navigating some challenging times in our world, but so far, so good. How about for you?

David Freeman

Yeah. I mean, just looking back in 2021 how far we’ve come. I know everybody’s looking towards this year and making magic happen and just to get back to a place of everybody with those smiles. And I feel like we had a few glimpses of that last year but I feel like it’s going to be a lot more going into 2022 for sure.

Jamie Martin

I’m going to take your prediction and run with it. I love that. So this episode, we’re doing something different. It’s just you and I. We’re just here and we’re just talking, and we’re kind of looking back at last year. What worked for us? What didn’t? What we’re excited about going into 2022? So we’ve never done this, but I’m excited. And I am going to turn the tables on you and I have a 2-minute drill for you this time.

David Freeman

I’m ready.

Jamie Martin

So you’re going to answer the questions.

David Freeman

Yes. I mean, I don’t mind the hot seat. Especially– you probably would appreciate that being in Minnesota right now. It’s probably cold so you want something hot right now. So– I’ll hold it down as far as the hot seat down here in Texas for you.

Jamie Martin

That’s so great. Well, thank you for doing that. Send the warm weather this way, if you can. It’s been a little chilly. So, OK. So let’s think about this. It’s early 2022, there’s a lot of things happening, we’re moving forward. A lot of us– like, goal setting and resolutions are often a thing that many people focus on. I just recently, for my letter in the Jan-Feb issue of the magazine, talked about how I’m not a big resolutions person. And largely because as I was growing up and doing this more in my teens and 20s I often failed at them. And so it was like what’s the point?

And so I’ve taken a different approach. I would love to hear what your take is on resolutions. And, obviously, goal setting is part of what we do in our day to day life, but what about resolutions in particular?

David Freeman

Yeah, it was a couple of years back, I want to say about two years back when I was in Minnesota or I think just leaving Minnesota, one of the two. But I remember it was individuals were coming to me about like resolution and how they should go about their year. And I was like, I wanted to change the word and just say this is going to be the evolution. How do you continue to evolve yourself each and every day? Because you’re always going to be the person you are but your life habits and things can change as you go through different experiences, you evolve.

So this is what I would call like that New Year’s evolution and continuing that evolution from whatever you learned from the years prior to and now you can end up empowering yourself with those experiences moving forward.

Jamie Martin

I love that so much. And it really kind of jives with what I’ve written about. And like, I think about this too, because it’s, like, we’re changing all the time. And what we’re working towards might change based on any given circumstances in our lives or whatever’s going on. It could be something that comes up out of the blue or something that you’ve been planning for. It could be either or.

But I think the thing that– One thing that I do and that I wrote about is kind of regular check ins throughout the year versus waiting until a certain time of year to do that reflection. So rather than saying it’s December 31, and I’m making a resolution, I might still pause on that date. And that’s what I did this year, is I paused and I was like, where, how am I doing in these various different areas of my life and what has changed and how was it continuing to change?

And then doing that at various points throughout any given year and not waiting for the turn of the calendar. And that for me has been really good in terms of making progress and shifting in a healthier way.

David Freeman

Yeah. It’s a checks and balance and it works. And that’s the thing, you shouldn’t wait 12 months before you revisit what you ended up setting at the beginning of the year, as far as things that you want to accomplish. So whether it’s monthly or quarterly, whatever your cadence is, as long as you have that checks and balances and have that circle or group, that power group, to kind of almost hold you accountable as well.

Because sometimes we get in our own way and start to think of, alright, I’m going to do something differently before we’ve accomplished what it is that we actually set ourselves out to do. So holding yourself to what it is that you want to accomplish and having those individuals around you that’s going to make sure that you stay on task too helps.

Jamie Martin

So with that in mind, I’d love to hear from you, David. In terms of when you look back and when you’ve done some reflecting on this, what have been the things that have, you’ve struggled with, things you’ve succeeded with in various areas, whether it’s fitness, nutrition, personal, mental health, in any of those areas, and then what are you looking forward to?

David Freeman

Well, I’ve shared it with you and the team a few times but you more probably in depth from our conversations but just the struggle with being vulnerable. I think just from a mindset it’s always leading the way, being the leader, showing how it can be done and always wearing that hat. So at times when you’re always pouring into other individuals you tend to forget about yourself and self care.

So being vulnerable and showing like, hey, I need some love too and I need some help in this area and asking for help is OK. So that is where I kind of struggled but at the same time I grew a lot over this past year. So that will be one area that I would definitely say I will continue to evolve in.

Jamie Martin

And like you said, you and I have talked about that a lot. And it’s– to see you doing that and leading by example, it’s something your kids are seeing, it’s something your colleagues are seeing, it’s something your clients see. And I think that’s such an important thing for us to all realize that vulnerability is not a weakness. It’s something that helps us to, your point, grow and it’s courageous in its own way. And I think that’s so important that you see it in yourself and you’ve seen yourself grow there.

David Freeman

I want to throw it right back at you. What are some areas of opportunity or places where you might have struggled but maybe have evolved over the past couple of months?

Jamie Martin

Yeah. I think– As I was thinking about this in preparation, one of the things that I worked on a lot last year was setting more personal boundaries. And I didn’t always do it well or communicate it well. And so those are the things– That’s one area that I see as an opportunity for me to continue working on. It’s like those– It’s not that I’m setting boundaries to hurt anyone but it’s more to take care of myself and it’s a way, its own form of self care.

It’s both personal boundaries, it’s professional boundaries and those pieces. So that’s been an area where I’ve tried to focus on that and struggled in different ways of communicating it or staying within those boundaries. The other area that I have a huge opportunity is and I think– we’ve talked about this– is mental well-being. It’s something that we’re going, going, going all the time. And I definitely started this past year feeling the effects of burnout and the toll that it’s taken.

And really prioritizing more of that mental well-being side of myself, I’ve been looking into like, who do I have to talk to about this? And really seeking out even professional help. It’s something I put off a lot last year and I started the research around to do more of that because I realized for me that’s a really helpful tool and I just have fallen off that. It’s something I did prior to going into COVID and then kind of because of just the circumstances fell off of it and just didn’t maintain.

And I’m realizing that’s an important tool for my own well-being and something that I’m going to be focused on going in, as we go into 2022 and move through it.

David Freeman

Yeah. That’s powerful just thinking about how if you could tap in to being at your most optimal and how you can give so much, not only now that you’re empowered with that, how you can now give so much more of yourself to the others that are looking for, seeking for help from you and advice and so on and so forth. So that’s powerful awareness there.

Jamie Martin

So we talked about the opportunities. What are the things that you felt like went really well last year for you and that you’re, like, I’m going to build on this as we move even farther into this new year?

David Freeman

I would say being authentically me. Meaning that I know I spoke to vulnerability as far as the area of opportunity but being authentically me, I’ve never really shied away from that as much. I think sometimes we get in our own head of saying, like, I don’t know if somebody is going to really appreciate this side of me, but this is who I am as a person.

And just being that person 24/7 365 is something that I definitely would say I thrived even more in when I look back in 2021. And I will continue to do the same thing in 2022 and beyond, it’s just be authentically me and love me for me. And then if you don’t like my light, there’s plenty of other light out there for you that you might vibe with. So that’s the one thing that I definitely will continue to double down on.

Jamie Martin

That is an area of opportunity for me, I will say. And seeing you do it– And I know, David, whenever we’re on a call like this or we’re recording or we’re in person together, like, your energy and your authentic energy is palpable. And that’s something where I think more people can learn from people like you who are doing that and doing it well. And I’m one of those people because that’s something where I will say I personally struggle.

I’m kind of like, who’s in the room right now? How do I need to show up? And so it’s often like– I’m, like, there’s that little part of me that isn’t quite fully there and I want to do more of that. Yeah. So I aspire to that. And I thank you for leading and demonstrating that because it’s not easy. It’s not easy to do.

David Freeman

Yeah. I like what you just said, is usually we kind of look around in the room and then we kind of adapt to our surroundings in a sense. And then just understanding the value you bring within your uniqueness and trusting your dopeness is what I usually say to folks. Is just like, that’s what makes you so unique, so champion that versus being what the room is saying the temperature should be. Like, no, you create that heat. You bring that fire and have everybody else level up and be like, yeah, I want to be more like that person because they’re being authentic right now.

Jamie Martin

Yeah. OK. So I feel like I need to have my sister. She has this machine where she can make signs for me. And you just said trust your dopeness. I feel like I need her to make a sign. And just like I can put it on my wall and I can see that right in front of me. I, like, wrote that down. Like, OK, David, that’s your quote on my wall. That’s going to be up here soon.

David Freeman

Put that up on the wall and take a picture with your [INAUDIBLE]. That’s what I want to see.

Jamie Martin

She will totally make that for me as well, so I’m going to have to reach out to her. Oh yeah. And I will say like, kind of flipping around even for myself. The thing that I have stuck with and been consistent with and I’m growing in is my fitness. I feel like I have stayed consistent in that and I’ve built, and that’s– A lot of it’s thanks to you. I’ve been with your program and doing the Coach Freezy program, which I just love because it’s strength focus and that’s always been something that I have loved but I got away from it for a while, right?

In the early days of COVID I was doing other things. And I just feel like that I’ve been consistent with exercise and my fitness and movement all through the years. But it’s– I feel like I really stepped more back into my strength this past, in the past even 3 to 6 months. And that for me has been so empowering. I get so much confidence. And, like, I bring that– That shows up in other ways in my life then to when I feel really good after like lifting something heavy and I’ve done a lot of that with your program.

Though I will admit there are parts of it– I texted you about this that I am like, endurance stuff? No. I’m going to skip this week. But I always push through.

David Freeman

You got to. You got to. And that’s the one thing I would say as far as the actual program is– I share it all the time. It’s like there’s so many different programs out there. I just want you to move. So whether it was a Freezy program or if it was a Coach Lowe program or whatever it may be, like getting your body up and moving, that’s a win and being consistent with it. So it makes me happy.

I would say beyond the actual workouts itself is the community. And seeing how many people are uplifting one another. And there’s complete strangers but they’re now like family and that’s the beautiful thing too as far as just everybody can move the needle that much more when we are actually together because we’re stronger together. So I love that element of it as well.

Jamie Martin

Yeah. I will say that’s also– I keep going back to what are my areas of opportunity? I need to, like, be engaging with the community as an opportunity that I have. Because I tend to be– like, I kind of hang out in the background. Like, I want to see what other people doing and I get inspired by that. But I’m also like, do I need to share my own stuff? But I do think you see that when people are– just the conversations that are happening when people are part of that group together. It’s amazing.

I get energy off that without participating. But to actually get involved, I think would be really fun. So that– Maybe that should be one of the habits I build for this coming year– for staying in this 2022. Engage with the community.

David Freeman

Trust your dopeness. And we got to trust your dopeness and then Jamie engaging more with the team. I like it. That’s two. I gotcha.

Jamie Martin

We can do it. We can do this.

David Freeman

Let me ask a question. I know that you kind of been owning it. Let me ask the question. So tell me something you’ve learned? I know we talked about areas of opportunity, also some places where you actually succeed, right? Now tell me what you actually have learned that you can take into 2022 and beyond?

Jamie Martin

OK so this is kind of a– I don’t know if it’s a catch-22 or not– but, you know, I’ve learned that I can do a lot. You know what I mean? Like, that I can handle a lot. Like I can handle pressure. I can handle tough situations. But I also, at the same time know that there’s a point where it’s like you have to say when enough is enough. So I’ve learned both, right? Like I can handle a lot but I also, I’ve also learned that there is enough of some things.

And so realizing, like, what those– you can do the thing, right? You can do all these things and you can handle a lot, but what’s the threshold when enough and you have to say pause, I need to take care of me. And I learned a little bit more about that this last year of knowing where– again, it goes back to boundaries a little bit, right? Like setting some of those boundaries.

And that for me is– and having learned– learning how to pause to assess where I really am and seeing, just seeing that yes, I can do this but is it the right thing and is it too much sometimes? And that takes being self-aware and I’ve had to practice that more and more and I’ve learned a lot through that this past year.

David Freeman

I love that. That’s– The awareness is so key though. And it’s one thing if you’re not aware but for you to be aware and now you can apply exactly how to move forward, that strength within itself. So the awareness is always key. Sometimes people are just oblivious to it so I love that.

Jamie Martin

The other thing I want to add, and this is, it’s not really tied to that but I spent a lot of time thinking about or just spending time with my kids, right? And I learned just through slowing down at the end of my days with my kids just how much wisdom and– I don’t know what the right word is, but wisdom is just within our kids and in our family.

I was laying recently, again, with my eight-year-old as she was getting ready for bed. We always kind of read a book at night and we just spent some time together. And she started like laying down these thoughts, these big ideas. And I was like, we all need to slow down and listen. And like, I’ve learned so much from my kids and seeing how they have operated and how they’ve been so resilient through these last several, I think several years because that’s what we’re in now, right?

But like just how resilient and, like, the wisdom that’s within them when we slow down and take the time to just be with them. Because to me that’s been huge. And I know you do that with your kids a lot. You’re really good about slowing down and being with them.

David Freeman

Yeah. Being present with them, listening more than talking. And I think I’ve shared it before, like, we’ll learn so much more from our kids than we’ll ever teach them. So I love that. That once again that situational awareness and just you have the maternal instinct as well as far as a mother. Like I always say that mothers are like superheroes because they can see things and feel things beyond this universe. So like I love the fact that you’re tapping into that. That’s awesome.

Jamie Martin

What have you learned?

David Freeman

I learned a lot in 2021. This is the crazy part, I already was aware of it but I just wasn’t allowing it to happen. And this is a thing, what we perceive as success or being a leader is you have to do it all. And what I learned is the power of delegation. Understanding that just because you might not be the one who can deliver on this P&L or this Excel document or whatever it may be, like, you have all these different individuals that have these strengths that thrive in certain spots.

And instead of trying to wear all the hats, leaning in to individuals and saying, hey, I need your help, asking for help and saying, can you help me with this? So I learned to take off a lot of these hats. And show– Once again it kind of goes back to being that vulnerable person. But showing that, hey, it’s OK to ask for help and not trying to do it all.

So that’s the one thing that I always was aware of but for some reason it’s just like you want to take it all on so you can show that you’re capable. And that’s– you’re not getting any brownie points for that. Like you just slowed down this whole process when it could have been done like a month ago, right? So that’s the one thing I would say I learned a lot.

Jamie Martin

What I hear in that too, David, is like you learned to delegate but that you also at the same time empowered other people with the skills and strengths that they have. Like when you can say, I don’t need to do it all but I, this you can and that’s your area of strength. Like that’s empowering people and giving them ownership over different things. And how great is that? For people to feel like they have the say in it and they have the power to do some of these things that before they weren’t on their plate or weren’t part of their repertoire of responsibilities.

Yeah. I think we’ve been brainwashed in a sense of the fear of you want to say you did it all so you can say it was me. But in reality, all the great things that have been done in this world was part, like, they were part of a team. Like whether you want to look at Elon Musk or Jeff, like all these people who are successful or what we claim as being successful in this space they have a team that they work with to allow that to happen.

So that’s what we have to understand is like, don’t think you have to do it all and understand that’s why you’re a part of something bigger which is a team.

Jamie Martin

And when we do that everybody can thrive, right? Because they’re in the places where they’re meant to be and where they have like, they can do it, right? To the best of their ability. So one of the things we did early last year was we talked about habits with our friend Coach Lo, Lindsay Ogden. And I’ve revisited that recently. She has her habit tracker. We’ll make sure to link to that on the page.

But as I was thinking about this, we started off talking about resolutions or goal setting, but I think one thing that– A lot of the things that we’ve learned from last year and that we’ve been able to build on are things that were result of habits. And so what are the– As you think about that, are there certain habits that you’re working on this year and why?

David Freeman

Yeah. Mine– When I go back to that episode with Lindsay, I remember the number one was building mental stamina and what exactly did that look like, and that was me developing more than what I already knew and how– because I already had so much on my plate, how do I now have time to dedicate to doing more self-development such as reading so on and so forth.

So I wanted to increase my mental stamina. That’s something that I want to continue to do in this year is develop that through the reading, the education and development of who I am because I know that I can be able to give so much more if I do that. So that’s something that I feel like it’s going to be like just in perpetuity, like I’m always going to want to develop that skill set because I know that it will empower not only me but those around me in being better in their craft.

Jamie Martin

So good. For my part, I will say I have two things that are habits that I really want to think about because– And this is one thing that goes back to the letter that I wrote in January, and it’s this kind of category of thriving in our lives. These things that we thrive in. And a lot of that’s tied to authenticity, joy, beauty, growth, all of those pieces.

And the thing that I had written down was daily joy. Is sometimes it’s how to make that a habit is a little bit tricky but noticing– It’s for me, it’s really about noticing and slowing down the beauty and things around us that bring me joy. Like the moments of awe even in the little things. And so it’s like– it’s just, for me it’s just about pausing and slowing down. And it might even just be reflecting, it might not be something I’m seeing right this minute but like what happened earlier today and how did that make me feel?

And so for me that’s– I really thrive when I slow down and figure out I want to live this joy-filled life. That for me is kind of part of my mission, like, personal mission statement. And am I doing that enough? And so that for me is like a daily habit I really want to continue working on and being focused on. It might be seeing my kid out the window doing her yoga pose like she’s done or it might be me taking the time to actually take that hot bath at night that I want to do. Those are little joyful moments.

The other thing for me is sleep and getting enough sleep. So that really is just kind of goes back to a foundational habit that I have compromised at different points throughout the last year. And in the name of me time but also in the name of other things too.

David Freeman

Well I love that. Sleep is something that is a beautiful thing. And we all, I know we had a few episodes talking about the value of sleep and how that allows that battery to recharge and for you to be able to deliver at optimal levels. So yeah, sleep is essential. But I love the joy piece. It goes back to the episode we did like with Ikigai and understanding how, what joy is and what it means and true happiness. So for you to be able to be aware of that and be present and be able to reflect on that, that’s powerful.

Jamie Martin

Alright. So you’re always the one who’s asking the hot seat questions, the two minute drill, so I have a few for you.

David Freeman

OK.

Jamie Martin

And I want to see– they’re little lighthearted, somewhere a little more fun, but we’re going to end this episode with you in the hot seat. You ready?

David Freeman

I’m ready. Let’s go for it.

Jamie Martin

This is super fun, waffles or pancakes?

David Freeman

Pancakes.

Jamie Martin

Pancakes. Favorite quote.

David Freeman

Right behind me impossible is nothing.

Jamie Martin

Yeah. You got that one. A must read book in your view.

David Freeman

Man, “Essentialism”

Jamie Martin

Yeah. Who’s the– I can’t remember who the author is offhand.

David Freeman

I just went blank. My mom got it for me. She’ll probably be kicking me right now for not knowing it. But “Essentialism.” We could put it in the notes. I can’t remember.

Put that in the notes.

Jamie Martin

We’ll do that. I’ve heard a few people talk about that more recently, too. I got to add it to my list. A workout that gives you pause when you see it in the programming.

David Freeman

Anything over 10 minutes. A conditioning– Let me put a little bit of context around that. So if I end up going through a warm up, my strength block, I’m talking about the conditioning part. If it’s over 10 minutes, it makes me have a little time to myself mentally to prepare.

Jamie Martin

Yeah, I hear you. OK. A year on a submarine or a year in space?

David Freeman

Oh, Wow. That’s a good one. I would have to go to space. Something about being underwater that long, I don’t know if I could do that.

Jamie Martin

I know. Those– I think there’s people in the military or Navy who do that and I’m like, I don’t understand. But I’m glad they do it. OK. Let’s talk about your daily bookends, that’s something that our founding editor of the magazine would often describe. So how do you start most of your days?

David Freeman

I start off with prayer first thing in the morning as far as just being thankful for waking up and then ask for protection over the family. That’s how I start off my day.

Jamie Martin

I love that. How do you end most days?

David Freeman

Usually end with prayer as well. So pretty much just gratitude, thanks, and then praying to wake up the next day.

Jamie Martin

Your favorite hobby.

David Freeman

I love– I mean, I don’t even know if you want to call it a hobby because it’s like actually– I love walking. It’s something about going out and walking. And usually it’s with the dog at this point but just going out and being present with nature. I just love walking. That’s something that I came into I want to say when we were at the height of the pandemic. And I fell in love with it again just because I wasn’t doing it prior to, and just to get back to it, I love– Well, I walk every day at least a 5k minimum.

Jamie Martin

So here’s my– This is like a little sub question within this. Do you wear, do you listen to anything? Do you wear earbuds or do you just go and just be and be out there?

David Freeman

Yeah. No distractions whatsoever. Phones on silent. I’m literally just present with the earth.

Jamie Martin

So great. OK. Where did you grow up and what did you love about it?

David Freeman

Fayetteville, North Carolina. What is there not to love about North Carolina is a better question. But I would just say my bias is there just because that’s where my roots are, but it’s like the best place. I feel like it’s like one of the top cities or top states– let me say North Carolina as a whole– top state to actually raise a family. I just love North Carolina.

Jamie Martin

Last one. What is one hope you have for 2022?

David Freeman

Oh man. I think the obvious, almost what we kicked off with is just I want to get back to just that normalcy. I definitely feel like the pandemic has allowed us to see so much more that we probably were not aware of. So I am thankful for that as far as the creativity and the different things that came out of this, what has been developed from a digital standpoint so on and so forth.

But it’s something about getting back to normalcy, to be able to travel, see family, have fun, go on vacations and just be stress free. I definitely look forward to that the most is seeing people smile and just not stress and be worried about anything.

Jamie Martin

There we go. Not a bad way to kind of move into this new year. So there you have it, folks. David and I are– we’re ready to go. Here we go 2022. Let’s do this.

David Freeman

Let’s do it.

Jamie Martin

Alright. We’ll talk to you soon.

David Freeman

Alright. You be good. Keep it nice and hot up there for me.

Jamie Martin

We’re working on it.

David Freeman

Alright.

[MUSIC]

David Freeman

Thanks for joining us for this episode. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our conversation today, and how you approach this aspect of healthy living in your own life. What works for you? Where do you run into challenges? Where do you need help?

Jamie Martin

And if you have topics for future episodes, you can share those with us, too. Email us at lttalks@lt.life, or reach out to us on Instagram, @lifetime.life, @jamiemartinel, or @freezy30, and use the hashtag #LifeTimeTalks. You can also learn more about the podcast at el.lifetime.life/podcasts.

David Freeman

And if you’re enjoying Life Time Talks, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to rate and review, and share on your social channels too.

Jamie Martin

Thanks for listening. We’ll talk to you next time on Life Time Talks.

Life Time Talks is a production of Life Time, healthy way of life. It’s produced by Molly Schelper, with audio engineering by Peter Perkins, and video production by Kevin Dixon, Coy Larson, and the team at LT Motion. A big thank you to the team who pulls together each episode, and everyone who provided feedback.