84. Leading Yourself First (The Change Room)

If you can’t lead yourself, how are you going to lead anyone else?

This is the core tenet behind former NRL Head Coach Matty Elliot’s “The Change Room.” Combining his background, education, and qualifications -a Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sports Science), performance coaching experience, and extensive research into well-being, Matt has created a best-in-the-market program that is changing hundreds of peoples’ lives for the better.

Matt’s well-honed coaching and presentation skills have broad appeal, whether it be injured workers in recovery or executives and their teams in the business world. Matt is equally comfortable (and makes others comfortable) presenting in person, via TV, webinar, radio, or podcasts. His passion drives him to elevate the well-being of others so that they can lead their best lives. And like other team members, he has his own well-being and recovery story to tell.

Matt shares so much with me in our interview – from basic, simplified health-improving routines and processes you can today, to thoughtful ways to improve your relationships, to fascinating statistics and realities of human behaviors and emotions. I guarantee you’ll learn a lot (like I did) and come away with a renewed drive to better yourself.

Discussion Points

Why is it important to be able to lead yourself
Matt’s change room experiences and what led to authoring the book
Every day is a chance to be better
Why people don’t get better – convenience vs. the hard work of eating right, exercising, etc.
You can't sustain high performance over an extended period without the basic foundations
Breathing, emotional care, physical care, sleep, nutrition - what can someone start with?
Food and nutrition is a great way to start and will lead to improvements in all other areas
Extra weight on humans is not normal, it’s not how we are meant to be
Slow cookers and coconut cream smoothies
Emotional health - remembered trauma is “depression” and perceived threat is “anxiety”
Check-in with yourself daily, and you’ll become more self-aware of your emotional state
Maintaining balance in high-pressure environments - meditation, Phil Jackson’s book “Sacred Hoops”
Having a plan for your emotional and physical wellness – ie, you can’t climb, survive on, or leave Mt. Everest if you don’t plan for the trip
The world’s six “blue zones” – not just diet and lifestyle, but human connection aids longevity
You’re not teaching unless someone is learning, and you’re not learning unless you’re listening
Overthinking everything in today's world – taking in continual stimulation is also not how humans were designed to exist (phones, tv, social media)
Building new neural pathways – infinite possibilities, learn something new every day
Deepak, Wayne Dyer, Dave Asprey - its’ not how long you live but what you do with that time
People who had the biggest impact on Matt
The three glasses analogy – social/professional/family - if you put too much in one glass, it will spill over and affect the other areas
My key takeaways:
- Leaders lead themselves first
- Leaders understand the power of simple
- Leaders pay attention to their emotional state
Let me know your thoughts about this interview on my socials