Forget the treadmills and the stationary bikes. I’ve stumbled upon a revolutionary cardio routine that’s not just about physical endurance, but mental and emotional resilience as well.

And it transformed not just my body, but my entire life outlook.

Let me explain…

I’m fueled by fitness. But I always felt something was missing, a key part of achieving my goals.

I don’t like conventional cardio. I thought I disliked all forms of cardio.

Until I was introduced to a new one. One that is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. This form of cardio is called lunging and learning.

A New Form of Cardio.

Lunging is a daily commitment to fifteen minutes of walking lunges. The lunges intensify your heart rate, skyrocket your metabolic rate, and burn your thighs, glutes, and hamstrings.

Learning is a daily commitment to fifteen minutes of listening to thought-provoking personal development content. The learning teaches you to think critically about business, relationships, and goals.

Combining the two you get what is called lunge and learn.

Let me take you back to where this all started.

January 2019.

Back in January 2019, I made a New Year’s resolution to lunge every day. (PSH: New Year’s Resolution… I know right)

It started strong, however, I rolled my ankle one day when my focus was not dialed in. That lunge streak lasted 25 days.

Fast forward to April 2020, I had an epiphany that it was time to bring back the lunges. Covid put the world at a standstill. I needed something to challenge myself that at times would be frustrating, but with the right mindset could be accomplished.

No more setting undefined goals, it would have to be a difficult streak to reach.

I grabbed a calendar and wrote down on April 27th, “Day 1 of the 100 Day Lunge Streak Goal!!!” I then flipped 100 days into the summer, and on August 4th I wrote “Day 100!”.

The streak was on.

Where Learning Comes in.

Learning is a major piece of the puzzle that I lacked in 2019. I wanted to master my mindset through thought-provoking content. I researched personal development podcasts and audiobooks, curated content from successful business people, and started to listen as I lunged.

Before I knew it, the content I was listening to started influencing my subconscious mind. I became enamored with personal development audiobooks from some of the most successful business people to ever live, including Andrew Carnegie and Napoleon Hill.

I studied them for fifteen minutes every day and how they achieved their advantageous goals. Ultimately, the mental training fueled a desire to seek more for myself, personally and professionally.

Bumps in the Road.

It did not come without hardships and doubt, however, and believe me there was a lot of it.

Some days I felt physically exhausted, my hips and knees hurting, and even a lower back hiccup that sent me seeking a doctor's opinion. Other days I felt mentally drained and doubt crept in. But when that doubt crept in, I knew I had to double down on the mental training.

The mental mastery was the turning point to becoming more self-aware of my true character.

My family and friends thought I was crazy. Some days I would lunge down the East River in Manhattan with hundreds of strangers staring at me.

I knew I committed to lunge every day, no matter what. Rain or shine, morning or night, inside or out. I wanted extreme results and knew I would have to make extreme sacrifices to get those.

Day 100.

I finally reached day 100. It was an exciting yet humbling accomplishment.

I took away some key lessons:

• I learned to set difficult goals for myself that are only possible through perseverance, dedication, and desired advancement.

• I underestimated the importance of marking every day on the calendar. Personal accountability does wonders for the mind.

• I learned how to connect my thoughts and emotions to become more self-aware. And turn those observations into actions.

I wasn’t done.

The lunge and learn challenge continued for 200 days, 365 days, then 500 days. The streak made it a whopping 530 days.

Looking back on that time, I learned something new every day that allowed me to master my mindset.

How This Story Translates into Business.

The biggest bottleneck for entrepreneurs is not money, time, or skills. Most of the time it’s their mindset.

Your own limiting beliefs could be what’s holding you back from pursuing your dream life. It’s common for imposter syndrome to take over your mind and to feel like you’re not worthy of accomplishing big things.

But the lessons I took away from lunging and learning are lessons I hold with me today as I build my business.

1. Goal setting is key. Be clear on what the purpose of your goals is.

2. Accountability is key. Write down your goals on paper to stick to them.

3. Self-awareness is key. Figure out who you are. Learn to love yourself. Connect with yourself mentally and emotionally. And take action to pursue your dream life.

As always, I love to chat with you guys! Reply back to this email or DM me on X (@markfrommktg) with any questions, feedback, or to simply kick it.

Thanks for being here.

Talk soon,

Mark