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Often I write about fitness, but most of the major improvements I’ve ever made in my life that have led to read happiness are outside of the gym and even more frequently things I’ve done for people outside of myself.  Today I wanted to share some of the things that have helped me to become who I am, some I’m still working on, and some that may just help you.

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45 Ways to Live an Incredible Life

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Everybody knows when you’re checking yourself out in the mirrors at the gym.  Stop it.

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Read.

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Turn off the TV.

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Put down your damn phone.

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No…seriously.  Put it down.

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Tell your parents you love them.  You never know when they’ll be gone.  (I miss you so much Dad).

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Be present.

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Hug your kids every chance you get.

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Pay for the coffee of the random stranger behind you in line.  Make their day.

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Drink plenty of water.  Drink little of everything else.

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Remember that love is a choice and not a feeling.  Love your spouse.

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Lift heavy things often.

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Eat adequate protein.

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Leave time to recover.

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Don’t skip your cardio.

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Get a foam roller.  Use it often.

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Do more mobility work.

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Go to bed early.  Get up early.

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Remember that more sleep = less fat.

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If you have over 600 pictures on Facebook and they’re all of you, get some therapy.  :)

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Remember most thoughts on fitness blogs are opinions.  You know what they say about opinions.

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Don’t be spoon fed opinions.  Read research.

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Don’t text and drive.  This is dumb.

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Don’t drink and drive.  Seriously.  Don’t be an asshole.

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If you want big arms train your arms.  Don’t skip it just because some internet guru said so.

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Play with your kids.  Be engaged.

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Life is garbage in garbage out.  Cut out the garbage you put into your mind and body.

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Deadlift.  (Yeah, this one gets its own line)

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Remember weight loss is all about calories in and calories out.

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Fat loss is mostly diet.  Don’t kid yourself with “metabolic circuits“.

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There are no magic hormonal changes brought about by certain types of training that will bring about miracle results.  Know this.

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Understand that Muscle Growth = Time + Effort + Consistency.

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Don’t argue on the internet.

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Be nice to your neighbors.  They are the only ones who can tell your good screams from your bad screams.

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Rapid fat loss programs most often lead to rapid weight regain.  Don’t be that guy (or girl).

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Slow progressive behavior change is the way to long term fat loss.  Accept this.

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Don’t chastise overweight people for being overweight.  Rarely has putting anyone down brought them up to a new level.

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Ever notice that the research based fitness professionals don’t listen to Mercola?  Take a hint.

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Today, help someone with no expectation of return.

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Give money to the homeless guy you pass without judging where you think he’s going to spend it.

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Go play on the climbers.

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Sprint.

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Pray.

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Be quick to apologize.

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Most of all, define what you want out of life, who you’re living for, and the person you want to be and pursue it with relentless passion.

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What are your tips for living an incredible life?  Leave ‘em below!

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PS: Please “like”, share, tweet, +1, or whatever other social media thingy you’re addicted to.

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PPS: Friend me up on Facebook and Twitter.

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