FRLN67: Habit-Stacking Your Way To Better Fitness, Becoming a Tax-Free Millionaire, and a Powerful 5-Minute Morning Routine
Fit Rich Life
Newsletter #67
Tips, Tools & Strategies for your Fitness, Money & Life
Newsletter Archive
"When you're that successful, things have a momentum, and at a certain point you can't really tell whether you have created the momentum or it's creating you."
— Annie Lenox, Singer-Songwriter & Activist
Greetings my friends,
In this Newsletter, we will cover:
- Habit-stacking your way to better fitness
- Becoming a tax-free Millionaire
- A short but powerful morning routine
Without further ado, let's proactively build your Fit Rich Life.
This is your weekly dose of actionable tips, tools & strategies to take your Fitness, Money, and Life to the Next Level.
FITNESS: Habit-stack your way to better fitness
One of the biggest reasons I stay super fit year-round is that I average 15,000+ steps per day.
The strategy that empowers me to easily reach that many steps every day is that I habit-stack getting steps in while writing, creating/consuming social media, and working.
This means I will walk on a treadmill or outside, pedal on a stationary bike, climb the Stairmaster, or do the elliptical machine while I am writing this Newsletter, creating and consuming social media, and while I am doing work (taking calls and responding to email & slack messages).
My biggest unlock was getting a Bike Chair that I could pair with my adjustable desk in my home office.
95% of my writing happens while I am pedaling away along with a fair amount of my work, email, and social media.
I recognize some people will think that putting my Garmin Watch on my ankle to get the steps counted is cheating and shouldn't count towards my daily steps, but the fact is that I move significantly more than the average person.
Regardless of whether you think I'm cheating, this movement counts towards my Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) which plays a significant role in the total calories burned each day.
NEAT includes all the calories burned through daily activities like walking, fidgeting, and even standing. Individuals who naturally move more throughout the day, regardless of intentional exercise, often burn more calories, which can contribute to a leaner physique. This higher calorie expenditure can make it easier to maintain or achieve a lower body fat percentage, compared to those with lower NEAT who may burn fewer calories in their daily activities.
For the record: I usually take phone calls while walking outside or while using my bike chair in my home office as I don't want to be one of those annoying people at the gym on the phone.
I've been doing this habit-stacking strategy for the last several years and it continues to pay off.
So, if you haven't started combining your work & social media with movement this is your sign to get started so that you can get to the next level of your fitness.
MONEY: Becoming a tax-free millionaire
One of the most underrated tax optimization strategies is maxing out the Roth IRA each year.
When you contribute to the Roth IRA you are adding money that has already been taxed BUT the huge benefit is that this money grows tax-free.
The annual contribution limit as of 2024 is $7,000.
If you were to contribute $7,000 each year, in 30 years you will have over $1 Million in your Roth IRA (assuming a 9% annual growth).
You will have contributed only $217K, while gaining $830K in interest growth.
After age 59 1/2 you can withdraw the earnings growth without paying any taxes.
That is powerful AF.
Here are a couple of other notes on the Roth IRA to be aware of:
There is an income limit to be able to contribute to the Roth IRA, but if you make over the annual income limit you can take advantage of a legal loophole known as the "Backdoor Roth."
Contributions to the Roth IRA can be withdrawn after 5 years.
You may use up to $10,000 of your Roth IRA for your first home purchase.
The IRS will also allow you to withdraw Roth IRA funds to pay for health insurance premiums—should you become unemployed—or if you need to reimburse yourself for medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).
Lastly, please remember that a Roth IRA is just a tax-sheltered bucket.
Any contributions must be invested into a solid index fund (like an S&P500 Index Fund or a Total US Stock Market Index Fund) after adding money to your Roth IRA.
If your money is sitting in cash inside your Roth IRA it will not grow.
LIFE: A powerful 5-minute morning routine
I've gone through periods when I'd spend 2-3 hours on a super comprehensive morning routine.
I'll admit this is pretty ridiculous. Very few people have that kind of free time unless you're getting up very early.
I'm a lot more flexible with my morning routine these days, and I use several versions depending on the time I have.
My favorite short but powerful routine is a 3-part process that includes breathwork, body movement, gratitude, goal visualization, and a healing visualization.
Altogether it takes about 5 minutes.
Here is how it works:
I do 30 powerful in-out breaths (in the breath of fire style). On the inhale I raise my hands towards the ceiling while extending my arms straight so they are parallel to my head. On the exhale I lower my hands so they are parallel to my head with my elbows coming down slightly lower than perpendicular to my head. I repeat this breath, hand, arm movement 30-times with my eyes closed. After the 30th breath I keep my eyes closed, place my hands over my heart, and pick one thing I am grateful for and focus on it for 1 minute. I truly feel the gratitude and re-experience the moment that I am grateful for.
I do another 30 in-out breaths with the same hand-arm movement. After the 30th breath I place my hands together in front of my chest in the classic prayer position and I call to mind one goal I am working on. I visualize both the outcome I want to achieve for the goal but also visualize myself doing all the actions I need to bring about the goal. I do this goal visualization for 1 minute.
I do one last set of 30 in-out breaths with the hand-arm movement finishing with my hands clasped in a prayer position in front of my chest. I then visualize a white or liquid gold light entering through the crown of my head and spreading throughout my body. I direct the healing light towards any injuries, literally visualizing muscles and ligaments knitting themselves back together. I continue with the light moving throughout all of my body healing and purifying it. I then finish with the light radiating out from my body bringing positive light energy into every space I am in throughout the coming day.
This simple 3-step process fills me with positive energy and great momentum for the day.
Closing Thoughts:
What is one thing you can do this coming week to improve your Fitness, Money & Life?
Here are some ideas:
- Implent the work + steps habit-stacking strategy
- Create a plan to get your Roth IRA maxed out this year
- Try out the short but powerful Morning Routine above.
Remember, making progress is the most reliable way to create happiness & fulfillment in one's life.
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I am sending you all lots of growth energy!
Your Fitness, Money & Life Coach,
Justin David Carl
Whenever you're ready, here is how I can help you:
I run a custom-tailored 1-1 & group mastermind coaching program that will empower you to get into fantastic shape, master your money, & live your best life.
Yup, it's a proven Fitness, Money, and Life Coaching Program unlike anything else out there.
You can book a free consultation with me here or just drop me a note on Instagram to find a time to connect.