EP 45 – Crushing Life Through Discipline, Resiliency, and Accountability with Amy Ledin
Hey hey, welcome back to The Bullpen Sessions! I’ve got a very special guest on the show today, but before I introduce her, I want to give you a little bit of an overview of what we’re going to talk about.
You guys know that I am all about mindset. Success in business and in life boils down to the thoughts in your head and the formula you create to see your vision come to life. But there are three elements that are essential to having a success mindset and strong follow-through:
#1: Discipline
#2: Resiliency
#3: Accountability
And my guest today is an expert in all three!
Amy Ledin is part sweetheart, part badass. When I met her in the Fast Foundations Mastermind, I was immediately blown away by this incredible businesswoman with the coolest hair ever, and the more I’ve learned about her, the more impressed I’ve become.
One of my rules for guests on this podcast is that they must think abundantly, and Amy is the total embodiment of an abundance mindset. Just to give you a brief overview — this woman is a fitness consultant who has lost 100 pounds, a mother of six children, and a seven-figure business owner. She’s also been battling stage four cancer, and she does it all with a positive attitude and unrivaled determination. See what I mean? Part sweetheart, part badass!
I am so excited to have Amy on The Bullpen Sessions today! We’re talking through each one of those three elements of a strong abundance mindset and giving you some fantastic tools and strategies for success along the way. I can’t wait to get started, so let’s dive in!
Who Is Amy Ledin?
Amy Ledin is an expert fitness coach and the founder of Lean Bodies Consulting. For most of her teen and young adult life, Amy was overweight. She struggled with body image issues, and the problem only got worse when she became a mom and couldn’t be the active mother she desired to be for her children. She set her mind on losing the extra weight and dropped 100 pounds and kept it off, and now she teaches other people to do the same!
It’s an inspiring story, but it’s not the only incredible thing about Amy. I mentioned earlier that Amy’s been battling stage four cancer, but here’s the thing: She’s been fighting for seven years. And not just fighting — Amy has intentionally maintained her active lifestyle and positive mindset throughout her cancer battle. She refuses to let this disease defeat her, and that’s why she’s still kicking ass!
Beyond being an epic fitness instructor and just an inspiring cancer patient, Amy is one of the best businesswomen I know. She actually owns two separate businesses with her husband, Erik, and she’s a seven-figure earner. She’s also the host of the F* It! podcast, where she talks about the six F’s that influence her life and help her to grow: Faith, Family, Forgiveness, Food, Fitness, and Formula. It’s an incredible show, and I strongly encourage you guys to check it out!
But not before you listen to this full episode of The Bullpen Sessions, because in this episode, we’re going deep into Amy’s wisdom. She’s sharing the mindset hacks you need to stay disciplined, the tips you can use to stay resilient even when it’s tough, and the best strategy I’ve ever heard for maintaining accountability to yourself. This episode moved me, guys, and I didn’t even realize how much until a couple of days later. With that, let’s dive in and talk about the power of creating habits to maintain discipline.
Discipline: “Habits Will Rule Everything”
When I brought up the subject of discipline in my conversation with Amy, she got straight to the point: “Habits will rule everything.” The key to discipline — in fitness, business, and life — is to create habits that support your goals. For example, Amy expects all of her clients to create a morning routine that works for them.
“I want every client of mine to have a morning routine … even if it’s just remembering your ‘why.’ … We forget during the day. We get on the autopilot, and that’s why [someone might be] grabbing a candy bar even though the day before they were crying with how much pain they’re in with where they’re at.” – Amy Ledin
What does your morning routine look like? Amy likes to get up and take a cold shower first thing in the morning. Her husband likes to go for a walk within 10 minutes of waking up. Other people like to meditate, journal, workout, or say some affirmations first thing in the morning. What do you do every morning to get yourself pumped up to crush your goals during the day?
If you’re thinking, “I don’t know, Andy, it’s still hard to create good habits,” I want you to know something: Your environment is the most essential element of habit-building. Amy says:
“Your environment is stronger than your willpower.” – Amy Ledin
And guess what — That’s good news because you can control your environment! Suppose you’re trying to get in the habit of following a healthy morning routine. In that case, you can put your phone in another room before you go to sleep at night and instead set your journal right by your bed, and there you go — you’ve created an environment that’s way more supportive of your goal.
How do you need to change or shape your environment? Do you need to clean out your pantry so you’re not tempted to eat unhealthy foods? Or maybe you need to find a group of like-minded business owners to hang out with on the weekends. It could be as simple as setting your alarm clock a half-hour earlier or later, depending on your schedule! Whatever environment you need to crush your personal and financial development goals, start setting it up today! You’ll find it so much easier to create the habits you need to be disciplined and create long-term, sustainable success.
Resiliency: Anchor Into Gratitude
You don’t survive a seven-year battle with cancer without some major resiliency. Amy knows how to remain calm and collected in the face of serious obstacles, and her secret is simple:
“The biggest lesson that I have learned is [that] everything happens for you. … My husband laughs because I always tell him that getting cancer was the biggest advantage that I’ve ever had in my life. And he’s like, ‘How has this been an advantage?’ … I just see the world differently.” – Amy Ledin
There was a moment on her journey when Amy’s doctor told her she had four to six months to live — that was two years ago. Because of that moment, Amy has intentionally chosen to anchor herself into gratitude. She’s thankful for each day and everything that happens because she knows how easily it can all be taken away.
“I do what’s called anchoring every single morning. … I have a folder on my phone where it’s like people that have passed away or inspiring stories that remind me in that moment [to be grateful.] … It’s why I have massive gratitude. … I’m like, ‘Man, I’m so thankful that this happened to me because … I won’t take my health for granted.’” – Amy Ledin
No matter where you’re at in life, you have things to be grateful for. You woke up this morning, for one thing. You have countless opportunities every day to make healthy choices and strive for success, and that’s plenty to be thankful for. Take a few moments today to think about and even write down some specific things you’re grateful for. Really anchor into that gratitude and allow it to reshape your mindset.
From there, resiliency is easy. Amy says that “resiliency can become a practice where it’s just reminders.” Take a little bit of time each day — even incorporate this into your morning routine — to remind yourself to have a mindset of gratitude. Fully incorporate it into your outlook on life and success. You’ll be amazed at the abundance that flows to you!
Accountability: It’s About Daily Commitments
I love Amy’s perspective on accountability, which is that you need to be accountable to yourself first. The truth is, when you’re pursuing a goal, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You have to maintain integrity within yourself to build the discipline and resiliency you need to achieve your desired success.
“Put it this way: If you’re not being honest with yourself, you’re definitely not being honest with others … I started by just jotting down some of … what I needed to follow through on. And then, from there, I just saw the power of decision making. … This is what’s changed my life: Your word matters the most. And it doesn’t matter what other people see; you feel like a badass because you did it.” – Amy Ledin
But sometimes, holding yourself accountable is tough. In those moments when you’re tired, discouraged, or just frustrated, it’s not easy to stick to even your best-laid plans. So what can you do to keep yourself on track? Amy has an awesome tool she loves to use. Every day, she makes what she calls “DAC’s” or “Daily Agreement Cards.”
“I have like an actual outline where I choose one nutritional agreement, and it can be anything. … It’s about you deciding what’s bothering you. … Maybe you’ve been eating too late at night. So maybe your agreement for tomorrow is, ‘I’m not going to eat late at night.’ … You need to have something that takes you out of your comfort zone. … And the way I work it is if I have a loss, the rule is that I have to write down two strategies that would have had me getting a win.” – Amy Ledin
So every day, Amy writes down a specific nutritional goal, and she repeats that process for a physical activity goal, a behavior goal, and a personal growth goal. Then, she goes about her day, keeping those goals in mind. At the end of the day, she has to check back in with her cards: Did she succeed? If so, great! If not, the deal is she has to write down two strategies she could use to win next time.
These Daily Accountability Cards are a fantastic way to set your intentions for the day and force yourself to check in with your success at the small, micro-level goals that will add up to massive success. I’m going to try them myself, and I encourage you to, too!
Why You Should Listen to this Amy Ledin Podcast Episode Right Now…
Amy Ledin is such an inspiration. She shared so much incredible wisdom with me — this post barely scratched the surface! I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her here on The Bullpen Sessions, and I look forward to watching her create even more success and impact with her life and career!
“It’s all about you leveling up. You have to level up from within and see where your environment is.” – Amy Ledin
Are you ready to level up? Are you ready to learn how to level up your career, your physical fitness, or your mindset? Then you do NOT want to miss this episode! It will give you the tools and inspiration you need to transform your life, so make sure to check out the full audio.
Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! I really hope this episode moves you as much as it moved me. Please share it with your friends on Instagram, and make sure to tag Amy, @amy_ledin, and me, @andy_neary with a screenshot of the episode and your biggest takeaways. And if you have a minute, please leave me a five-star review over on Apple Podcasts. Every review helps new people find this podcast!
I’ll catch you guys next time —