Here is the complete transcript of the podcast
Welcome back. Welcome back to success with Srini. Today on the podcast, I have an incredible interview lined up with a listener of my radio show, who actually called in, I think, a week ago or two weeks ago into my show. And as I was ending the show, he had some incredible things to share. And I was running out of time, and I couldn’t really get to know him. And I could not spend time with him on the show. But he had an empowering message. So here’s what he had to say, let’s let’s go to the recording. And when we come back, and I’m going to get Sunil Agarwal to join me live on the podcast here. And we’ll hear from him. Stay tuned. Sunil, welcome back to successful training. Thank you for taking time. Thank you for talking to, to all of us here. How are you doing?
I’m doing great, Sunil. And thank you so much for inviting me inviting me on the podcast, I’m really honored and delighted. I’m honored to have you because I’m so sorry, you called in towards the very end of the show, and my time was running out. And I, you know, I just said, No, I need to get you back. And sometimes, you know, with the radio shows, they are always there’s a lot of things, a lot of things happening there, it’s very difficult to really take a listener and talk with them and get to know them. But I was simply as you know, and all the follow up we had since the radio show, I was amazed by your transformation, I want to get into this incredible thing that you have done. Let’s start with that. And we’ll talk a little bit more about yourself and all the success you have created and all but we start with the with with the transformation that you mentioned on the on show 20. So a couple of years back, like I love playing cricket. So a couple of years back, I started playing cricket again, after a long, long years of gap break. And then when I was taking some, when I was running on the pitch, or taking some run, then I realized that I was not able to, like reach to the another point in in the desired time and I got out and my other opponent like he was able to reach to the point. So the thing is, I realized that, okay, now, like I don’t have enough energy, and my weight is really very increased. So I was really not able to run and I never run in my life. But I read that, okay, I found a necessity where I need to improve my health. And that was the turning point of my life. And that happens like, around like, five, six years back, this was the incident. And then I started exploring so many options, I started that motivation came in my mind that okay, now I need to transform and I need to at least make my body capable where I can run, I can play cricket and enjoy it. After that, I started going to the zoom. Luckily, I found some program where like when Jim I found and where I started going, there were some couple of folks who are there, we used to like our group classes, and then I was able to reduce my weight. And earlier I was not able to run for just for five minutes also. But when I set up my goals, my setup my goals, and then after a couple of months, I was able to make really huge improvement in my health and running. And after so many months like and now also, I’m able to like, easily I can run 10k The person like where I was not at all able to run for five minutes now in for one hour, I can run easily. So that was my turning point to improve my health and make some transformation. And, and I was able to achieve that. So I’m really very happy.
Now it’s Sunil every time somebody says that I have, you know, I was feeling like this. And I was going through like this phase in this phase in my life. And I was going through these challenges and, and I I transformed myself and so people say that one of the one of my thoughts is what is the what was the shifting point and what was the what was the thing, something that that might have happened externally? Somebody said something or maybe there was an internal realize Jason, you know, what was that for you that, you know? Did you come to a point where you said, Enough is enough I done with this, I want to change something about me. How did that occur?
I realized that I’m in my like, between 30 and 40s. And I thought like, if I want to close my 40s, I want to I want when I go in the 40s, then I want to be healthy. I don’t want to be in the 40s with some disease in my body or not having energy because after that the body always like go through so many challenges. So that was my turning point where I realized that I need to be healthy for long term and healthy is like everybody says health is wealth if we achieve everything but if you don’t have a health, then we did everything is best. And that was my like my my one of the turning point where I realized that enough is enough. And now I need to take care of my health.
Yeah, now change has to happen, right? Yes. So and do you work out now you exercise? Yes,
I really work out now that has become a habit or you can say like, it’s my, my part of my like daily routine now. And this, this thing, actually, how to build a habit that I learned from one of your podcasts only, like one day, I called off your one of the lightning FM. And I asked Srini Do you have any recommendation of how to build habits? Then you told me just go and read atomic habits book? Yeah. Then you will find then I asked, okay, I don’t have a habit to read books now how to do it. Then you told me the trip that how to read the books. From that day, I started reading more about what it is how to read a book. Oh, you said like, you don’t need to start from first page, just open any period, you start reading and then slowly, slowly, you will like it. Yeah. And then the same thing I started doing like I just open any place, open the book, read one, paragraph two paragraphs, like, slowly, slowly, my habits started became compounding. And then I finished that book. And in that I learned a lot how to build habits, how to achieve the goals, how to create a goals, based on that I created my goals in my health journey. And I use like smart principle based on that I created my goals. And slowly slowly I started achieving and I started getting motivated, that I need to go next, next and next.
Amazing. In fact, I want to just add a quick comment on on atomic habits. This book, you can’t believe Sunil I in 2019, I was not I had a long lifetime goal to go climb Mount Everest. And one of the 2019 was the year that I really attempted to go all the way up. And one of the books i i bought in Nepal in Kathmandu, and carried with me in my backpack, and I hiked up to the base camp. And in the base camp for six weeks while we were doing doing rotations into higher camps. I was reading this book, James clear atomic habits. And I’ll tell you, I read that book. At a level at a time when I had oxygen deprivation. I was not eating I was becoming hypoxic. And I was really really sick and falling sick on the mountain. And at that time, it’s very difficult to focus very difficult to read because there’s so many things happening around you. You open the book, you read like one chapter, half a chapter into the book, you get a new study knows there was a big avalanche somewhere. Sometimes the avalanches are happening right in front of you. It was a very difficult time when I read that book. And the funny part is, when I came down the mountain, I completely forgot everything I read, because I was in a place where my mind was not taking in. When I was there I was reading I was enjoying when it came down. I completely forgot. I forgot basic passwords and all because of this oxygen thing. Then I went back to the book sufficiently now, atomic habits I have already done seven times that book, How many times did you read?
I did one time only because I have not a book reader lover but from that book, I really learned so many things. I created my notes and then those things are stick with with me and I always follow that and whatever is there in that book. I applied so many things like how to How to go to gym. If I am not a gym lover, then it says that to tidy up your shoes, and then just go out of your home, you can take a taxi and go to the gym, don’t you do not need to do a zoom, but just go. One day I go second day I go third day I will have I will have going inside. So once I go inside, then do a workout only for five minutes, 10 minutes, and then your mind will start enjoying and then you will do the workout for one hour. Yes, in that book, there is one more thing which I I really loud. And I learned that one, we can we can make like if we make our self 1% better, we can really make wonders. And after a year, we can become like 30 times better version of ourselves. So that quartz that story. And that formula, which was there in the book, I really resonated Roger netted me and I thought if one person better can make somebody 37% times better in a year, then then why I can’t do something like that. So I started going gym, I started running five minutes, six minutes, 10 minutes. Then after a couple of months, I was able to run like 10k and I participated in 5k 10k Also, and it was very, like, enjoying and once I completed that it was kind of like, great feeling that like I achieved something great in my health journey.
Total self esteem, right? Once you Yes. You know, like gates, give me the confidence that if I can achieve this, then yes, we can apply this formula and we can achieve some other goals also in our in our life.
Excellent, amazing. You know, 1% a day is most people think it’s 360 5% at the end of the year, but the compounding effect of it or 1% because 1% today, and what’s 1% Tomorrow is not 1% it’s more than that right? The cumulative effect the compounding effect of that is amazing at the end so it’s
yes, that’s true.
Yes, it got completely a thought.
Yeah, so I’m saying like this compounding effects that the Einstein like he says, by compounding the fact is eighth wonder of the world. Exactly. Three amazing Eighth Wonder so true. You know, the talking about tiny habits. And I I was working very hard to get James clear on my podcast, which I will. And I’m going to actually send your recording to James clear and tell ask him to come and join my podcast. I’ll do that. That’s my promise to you. I’ll send it we’ll see what he says. There’s one thing he talks about two things he says you can you can with at least a promise on the book is that you? You can build good habits. And you can break the bad ones. Did you break any bad habits?
Yes. Okay, so in that book, I learned that if you want to read or if you want to build a good habits, then you have to, like I don’t have the exact line. Yeah. Right now, but it says that good habits then make good things easily accessible if you want to leave the bad habits that leave those things. unaccessible Yeah, so let’s say if I need to do if, so what I did, I just took a gym membership and I paid for my one month, not one month one one year of membership, well in advance. And that was an everyday it used to remind me that okay, I’m really paying that much. Why you should not make use of that. So I started going to gym like in a week I used to go one day today only then slowly, slowly. I made a habit. Then I started going five days a week, right. And the bad habit which I broke is I used to wake up around like 730 or 830 a little late. But I thought that I identified couple of times I went like I went gym, evening time. Morning time I realized that morning time really works better. So I Brett broke my habit of getting waking up late to waking up early so I put alarm likewise 30 And I thought I gave a signal to my mind that yes, I need to wake up the sun. I don’t want sun to Wake up, wake up. So I want everyone to wake up tonight. So before sunrise, I need to wake up and go to the gym. And that is my perfect timing where there is no other chores or there is no other dependencies or any other work that 530 to like seven o’clock is my time and I go gym, I do exercise, I get some extra energy in that because in the morning time when we do exercise, it really pump up our body, which gives them more energy and our day really goes good.
Amazing, amazing. Sunil every time I do a podcast, which by the way, my podcast has, has no guests. And just recently, we started, you know, my idea was to bring on listeners who listen to my podcast, and I want to celebrate people who, who otherwise whose success is not celebrated at a level that it should be celebrated. So there are so many experts, there are so many promoters in a lot of people, celebrities who do a lot of podcasts, and they’re all over the, in the podcasting scene. They’re everywhere. But someone who works very hard and, and creates results. They are unsung heroes, in my opinion. And there is not a platform or a podium where they can share their story and that’s exactly what I, I emailed you earlier I said, you know, the reason and, and this was this was a thought in my mind for a long time. That’s what that’s how the radio show happened. And and the podcast is celebrating, you know, people who are regular people, people like me who do things and and who gets things done. You know, it’s amazing when when when what you’re sharing Sunil and what others are also been interviewing a lot of people and they are telling things. Recently I interviewed a guest who talks about sleep cycles and biohacking and, and I was amazed I knew those principles, but not at a level at a depth that this this individual was sharing. So greatest ideas greatest insights come from people who take action and that was my drive on that was my intention to have you on the podcast today. And before we actually talk before we do any interview, I usually introduce my guests and I started this this podcast as if I know you because you call into my radio show. So and I did not give an I did not even ask you to introduce yourself. So let’s let’s let’s do a formal introduction. Tell us who Sunil Agarwal is. What does Sunil Agarwal do? How does Sunil Agarwal ‘s family look like? Who are all his inspirations and all that?
Yeah, so, my name my myself Sunil Agarwal. I live in Dublin, Pleasanton here. In my family here. I have one beautiful wife and beautiful kid, my son, and my, my family, my mother and father grandparents. We live in the joint family in India. So I’m from Jeju. By profession, I’m a software engineer. I have been working in this field for last 15 years, staying in the US for last 10 years. I am enjoying like, liking the US life here. And yeah, so my profession, I’m a software developer, I enjoy developing software. That’s what I do amazing. Very, very rarely I hear somebody say I’m a software developer. I enjoy doing software development. I rarely hear that like every second call, it tells me I need to get out of you know, tech and I’m really burnt out I need to go to next level. Or maybe I’ll do a start a business or something. I keep hearing that very rarely i People tell me I really love doing what I do. And when you when you when you hear people when they say that I love doing what I do. You hear no anxiety, no conflict, no self doubt. None of that stuff in their voice and you know that they’re congruent, you know that they really carry their identity wherever they go. See, anybody who’s listening to the podcast right now Sunil before you said that you love what you do. Even before you said that anybody is listening to the first part of this or for the last 1015 40 minutes. They know that you are a congruent individual. They know that you are a solid solid, they get what you know they get the same version that which you are saying and that comes from deep rooted self esteem. So congratulations on, on on everything that you’re doing. Who do you attribute your success to Sunil?
I attribute my success to Oh Srini Saripalli
No, no, no, don’t no, no, no, no, no, no, listen, no, no, thank you.
But no, I, I want to tell one thing that I am really a great listener or you can say like, I listen all your podcast whenever I go to gym, I go to treadmill and electrical. I just look for what is your latest podcast? Thanks. So I just played that and I get motivated in next 10 minutes 15 minutes. I learned so many new things from your from you. It is really amazing. And I joined one of your class also mastering peak master peak performance. And I really learned a lot in that class. here four years back.
Yeah. Wow. Okay. I hadn’t so we spoke before you were CSV we spoke before the master peak performance class also.
Wow. Amazing. So how long you have been listening to my radio show? So your radio shows for last like so many years around like, and we don’t, but it will be like two three years okay. We never met in person direct. Yeah, we never met in person but so many times we talk the show.
Thank you for this. No, I was my question was more around you know, like, if you asked me you know, what are your top five who are your top five influencers? I have five in my mind. And you know, obviously parents do influence us but then there are three slots there that I attribute to different people that who significantly changed my game for good. And, and when I was asking Who was your and I was thinking of someone who you really okay, this individual, or this person came to my life and and and, you know, instilled these beliefs and these values, of course, parents and teachers, but I’m looking for that, you know, anybody else who you attribute to?
Uh, yeah, my parents I learned a lot from my uncle, I learned a lot. I grew up in a joint family joint family so the the values which we learn in the joint family the different type of things which we seen the and it’s really enjoyable and after that I got married to my beautiful wife and sees a really great woman and how she is not on this on this podcast.
Hi, I actually see my kid to the park I want to talk to Srini so you just let you guys go like enjoy with his friends in the park and then it all goes how old How old is your you said your boy dot boy and five years old five years old. Wonderful, wonderful, amazing. And you know 2023 is coming up Sunil and we are towards the flag end of this year, what are some of the big things that you have planned for yourself a bit things I planned like continue my health improve health transformation journey, get some good muscles and keep doing keep like setting up SMART goals for me in my health journey and make some more transformation. So again is learning new things start at least I want to read new books and so many things. So yesterday I attended one of the seminar or some training like crucial talk. So planning to like complete that book. Yeah, Crucial Conversations are crucial conversations meeting program offer behind it.
Yes, I want to get that habits of reading books. Yeah. So earlier point right when when you said that I talked I shared some some principles on how to read books or some techniques on how to read books. See one of one of the and you’re point to the habit of having the you know putting on the shoes and leaving the house and all you know in along those lines on this podcast, I talked about how to leave your how to keep your shoes next to your bed in the room. Most people don’t take the running shoes or jogging shoes into the into their bedrooms. And by simply doing that when you wake up in the morning, you look at them. You are now forced to put on those shoes. On the podcast. I also talked about how to go to the gym and get on a treadmill for only 60 seconds, just 60 seconds only. You can’t get on a treadmill for 60 seconds. It’s just silly to get on and get off the treadmill So you once you’re there, you will do it. I talked about reading a book by building accountability, which is a technique that I used where I used to go to Costco, parked the car outside and read one chapter before I go into Costco. And once I collect everything, I put the stuff in the in my car from Costco, I would read one more chapter. Now imagine the Costco parking lot Sunil. And look at the traffic, people are waiting to get into your slot. And I’m sitting there reading a whole chapter, where the guy who’s about to park the car is costing me literally costing me and I would read one chapter. And that’s the accountability I have. So that’s how I used to. These are some self constraining, yet empowering techniques. And I have a list of those at one point, I had like 70 ways I constrain myself to achieve an outcome. I had that written down and I’ll find it and if I find it, I’ll send it to you. And I’ll make it available to everybody on the podcast. But these are some techniques I’ve shared over over time. Oh, one more thing is to read a book from behind on backwards, not from chapter 1234. But reading the last chapter, first before I read the first chapter, because that gives me because success is always backwards. So I want to know the outcome that this book is delivering me before I read the you know how to send a book. So reading chapter 1234, going in that sequence feels as if you’re trying to ascend the mountain. But once you start reading the chapters backwards, it feels that you’ve already accomplished the book. And all you’re doing is a formality.
Yes, yesterday, I really agree with that. And I would love to like know those 70 secrets and the techniques which are saying once you find it, and along with that, like the Costco story, which you mentioned, the Costco like concept. Like, I would like to share my concept where like how I read the book is whenever I wake up, then like it is just kind of funny, but it does matter work for me. I drink water. When I go to the restroom, I just read the book there. Correct. And I just read one paragraph, two paragraph, or three paragraph or one page in five minutes, whatever time I spent. Earlier, I used to spend that by checking social media, I used to waste the time I realized that I’m just wasting my time that 10 minutes, 15 minutes, so why not use the time to read books. Then I started reading book there. And that’s the magic. Like I just completed the book. Reading every, like couple of paragraphs every day, during that restaurant by amazing music, I just this was about three years ago, I was having a coaching client I I stocked his entire entire toilet with books stacked literally stacked entitled books. Because initially with magazines and later with books, and and I made him so his challenge was he goes to toilet it doesn’t come out. Internally bad habit. So I was thinking okay, well how do I turn this bad habit, a good habit. And then I said, Okay, I’ll start the books, put books, as many books as you can and make it a rule. So we the principle is this, you stack like 30 books in the toilet. And, and, and you start reading book, and you do not move those books out. Unless you build up the second stack, which is the you’d remove one book, after you’re done. You put it on the ground, and you keep moving book one book at a time to the second stack after you’re done reading. So you’re spending 3040 minutes on toilet and doing whatever. God knows whatever it is not complete books there. That was my thing. It’s silly. It’s so silly.
This method works a lot. Yeah. And he’s working. Yeah, it’s really great.
So, um, so I wanted to ask you something. Sunil when you said you are in your 30s Right, late 30s Correct. Yes. Very like this all all all the way like academic studying focused. Or you had your own distractions along the way when you were growing up.
When I was growing up like I was kind of like yesterday. Yes, studious. Okay, yeah, I want to see myself at the top. Okay. But the thing is, I realized that how it became how I got addicted or I will not say addicted like that success or they’re attracted me that one concept which I always follow that Sometimes like we get motivated from internally, sometimes we have internal motivation sometimes external motivation and sometimes like, the motivation comes from like rituals. So, what I follow is result oriented motivations, if it is an internal motivation, I noticed that it will last for some time it might go away, if it is external motivation, we make we get we get motivated, and then after some time, the intensity of that motivation goes away, what what I follow is like result oriented and motivation, so, set a SMART goal, let the result motivate. And I realized that I never like followed that. Like, it was like in unconscious mind, like when I was in fifth class, sixth class, I was like I got first rank, second rank, then that result is started motivating me that, okay, if I can come first in the fifth class, then why I can’t come in the sixth class, okay, let’s study more than in the seventh class also, now I have to be top three. So keep those previous results started motive motivated me. And now when I realized that, how it worked, then I realized that the results motivate something. And the same principle I applied in the health journey also, like is set up by smart, smart goals, and the SMART goals with the smart principle, if I achieved then results started motivating me if I can achieve this, then yes, now I can achieve more, I can achieve more. And I started achieving goals like that. So that’s the principle I follow. And yeah, in you know, in programming we say, if then else, right? Yes. And then in philosophy, or in the common coaching or common self improvement circles? If, if this then back, right, there’s also a phrase like that, but then I modify. I personally modified, which I think you are now saying without saying, which is, if this, then why not that? That’s what you said just now. Yes, that’s why not that right. So now you’re pushing. You’re pushing the boundaries, you’re pushing yourself, you’re breaking the comfort zones, you really are stretching yourself. Amazing. So yeah.
Sorry. Good question. I would like to share one more thing where like, when it came to that running, I know, like, 10k is not very us. It’s really easy. Nowadays, people are running marathon. But marathon was never my goal. My goal was like how to reach 10k. But I started setting up the SMART goals were like, earlier, I set up the goal that I want to run. But my goal was never a specific. It was never a measurable, never actionable. So I was not able to do that. But then when I started setting up SMART goals that okay, if I want to run 10k, then in a week, I just started doing five minutes, every five minutes, when the when I was able to achieve that. Then next time, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, you start running one mile, and then two miles. So my previous results started motivating me that if I can run one mile, can I run 1.25 miles? Let’s try. When I started running for like, 5k I completed then I saw okay, if I can complete 5k Is it really possible for me to set up my bar high and go to 6k 7k? And like that, I started setting up a bar high and I achieved like 10
Excellent, amazing. So, so happy for you. Congratulations, your this is amazing. No, this is great. Sunil Is there anything that I you think that I should have asked you. But I did not. That you think every listener of this podcast will benefit.
I will just say like, in case if we have any goals, you asked me everything, but I never thought like any specific questions, but just to listeners, I would like to say like, sometimes like we set up a goals, but the only difference which I noticed in my personal life, that the goals which are achieved and the goals which we don’t achieve, the only difference is whether those goals are a SMART goal or not. Like if I set up a goal that I want to run to make my health good. If you try we need to think is it really a SMART goal or not? If the goal is not as smart, sometimes I may feel very like I I may or may not achieve if I say my So, okay, I want to run to make my health good, then I may or may not achieve. But if I start making my goal at a SMART goal we say Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and time bound. When I learned this principle, I started my I started setting up my goal that I want to run 30 minutes, five days a week, for 30 minutes, I want to run. And by this, this, my goal is a SMART goal where like, it is very specific. I want to run for 30 minutes and for five days. And I want to see the results, which are T is like 30 minutes I want to run. And is it a time bound? Yes, is the time bound is there in a week, I want to run for five days. So if my goal is very smart, most likely the chances to achieve that goal will highly increase. Yes.
Yes. Amazing. Listen, Sunil all the power to you. This is amazing. I wish you all the best. I have a gift for you. I’ll follow up with you and get your address later on. And this is something that I want to send you. And understand every time I send a gift, obviously there is you can get the gift what it is, can you book, there you go. I’ll send you a book, look at what there is, there is something more to it. Also, we just have a we just launched a pot a t shirt for our podcast listeners. And I’m going to give to you I’m going to send a t shirt to you. And obviously that book, that’s for sure. And then something that is and I’ll see what else but but I will follow up with you. That’s my appreciation of you. I wanted as we wrap up this, this this interview, I want you to set a goal for yourself a very specific goal that that you want to set you up for yourself publicly today on this podcast. And and maybe a year from now or whatever timeline you have. And I will bring you back again on the podcast and and see where you are with that if if that is my question to you, what would be that goal that you are setting publicly? Or publicly, that’s the record.
So when I see my goal setting principle, which I have, then based on that, I want to set up in the same space in my same health journey where and a year from now. I want to myself capable and participate and run half marathon.
Excellent. Wonderful. I love that goal. I will I will occasionally keep poking you to see where you are with that goal. That’s a good goal. That’s an achievable goal. And that completely fits into the timeline. And and you’re saying one year, maybe we’ll do it in next two months. Right? Who knows. And it all depends, you know, how you know, how we apply ourselves to that goal. And wonderful. Awesome, Sunil, I wish you all the best in everything that you are setting yourself up to accomplish emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, financially. And, and I look forward to seeing you on the top.
Thank you so much, Srini for having me on the podcast. It’s I’m really delighted and humbled that I joined. You invited me and helped me in the podcast. Thank you so much. And the honor is mine. Listen, you you spent a lot of time on this podcast thanking me for for for all the things. Thank you. But and you said that same thing on the radio show also. But I want to tell you listen, there is a saying that a teacher appears when the student is ready. But there’s a second part to that statement, which I talked a lot on my podcast, which is a teacher disappears when a student is ready. So it is not as much as we can credit a lot of people. But truly if if somebody doesn’t have the thing within them, there is no outside force can do anything. You can put people on the top forcefully but if they can’t attain that stature, they can’t stay there anyway. So you can’t make anything possible unless the individual you know, you know themselves they have the desire to make the change. See you are a success driven individual from day one. You You found me, I didn’t find you. Okay. And everything that you have done so far is through your hard work, your commitment, and your application of yourself to the cause. And which will happen regardless whether James clear is there or whether I’m there or somebody else there you will continue to grow.
And he’ll continue to explore new boundaries, set new boundaries cross those boundaries set more, that’s going to happen anyway. So we just asked simply catalyst there one way or the other credit completely goes to you. And I really mean it. I said that on the show also, when you call them and I’m saying that here also. So again, all the power to you. I look forward to seeing you up there with many more successes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Srini. Thank you so much.