Reading Time: 3 minutes
“If people aren’t getting the results they want in life, they need to just sit in a room and fully internalize that they are solely responsible for the nonsense they are creating.” ~ UJ Ramdas
Whether you agree with him or not, UJ’s words get to the heart of the matter in transformational change. When you take full responsibility, anything and everything is possible. Why? Because you’re the one who is controlling the outcome. You and only you. My guest this week is UJ Ramdas, founder of Intelligent Change, whose first product was a journal I’ve found quite useful in my life. It is called, simply, The Five Minute Journal. Ridiculously simple, it provides a daily structure that prompts you to ask yourself great questions — and limits the amount of room you have to answer. The key to the journal is that it only takes five minutes. The idea being that practicing this habit each day for five minutes is better than doing it once in a while for longer sessions.
I asked UJ to come on the podcast because I was intrigued by the simplicity of his journal, as well as his open-source mindset as a book writer and publisher (the contents of the journal are available on his website for free). UJ shared about both those things, plus a whole lot more. Like the fact that less than two years ago he was in a horrific accident that nearly ended his life. And that his roots are still in India, having only come to Canada a short time ago on nothing more than a wing and a prayer (and a scholarship).
UJ’s mission is to help the world improve, change, and transform — hence the name of his company. He’s incredibly insightful, is well read, and has great tips for each of us to consider as we go through the daily rigors of life.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
Links Mentioned
Intelligent Change — The website of UJ, the Five Minute Journal, and the Productivity Planner.
The 4-Hour Workweek — by Tim Ferriss.
Siddhartha — by Hermann Hesse.
The Art of Learning — by Josh Waitzkin.
Thinking, Fast and Slow — by Daniel Kahneman.
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success — by Phil Jackson.
Heart Rate Variability — Article that explains the importance of heart rate variability for your health.
Elite HRV — UJ’s heart rate variability tracker of choice.
Andy is a certified CHEK Practitioner and holistic lifestyle coach. He holds a spectrum of certifications from CrossFit and is also a Vivobarefoot certified running coach. He has trained as a Zen buddhist and graduated with a Master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Andy founded CrossFit LA one of the first and most successful CrossFit training centers in the world and the first to be featured in national media. He is the co-founder of the Whole Life Challenge, Inc, currently its president, and is also a consultant and life/business coach. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Julia, and son, Dashel.
