June 2, 2025 • 9 mins
Ever feel like invisible rules are dictating what you can and can't do? In this episode, we dive deep into what's called the "Agreement Trap"—the often unconscious and unexamined beliefs we hold about our own limitations and capabilities. Discover how these silent "agreements" are formed, how they can powerfully shape our lives, and why they often feel like unshakeable facts. More importantly, learn how the disciplined pursuit of expanding your physical capabilities—focusing on functional strength, coordination, power, and work capacity—provides a tangible and visceral blueprint for recognizing, challenging, and rewriting these limiting agreements in every area of your life. It’s time to unlock your true potential.Key Insights & Takeaways in This Episode:
- Understanding the "Agreement Trap": What it means to live by unwritten, often unconscious "contracts" about your potential, formed from past experiences and societal messages.
- The Malleability of Limits: How the dedicated pursuit of expanding physical capabilities (beyond aesthetics, focusing on functional strength, coordination, balance, power, and work capacity) powerfully demonstrates that perceived mental and physical limits are far more changeable than we think.
- Physical Mastery as a Blueprint: Exploring the idea that lessons learned from overcoming physical challenges are visceral and palpable, providing a clear framework for tackling less tangible mental and emotional limitations (the "hierarchy of needs" in action).
- Identifying Your Own Agreements: Questions to ask yourself to uncover the subtle "rules" you live by and the limiting beliefs you’ve accepted about your capabilities in life and in your physical pursuits.
- A Practical Path to Rewriting Your Agreements:
- Awareness: Bringing the unconscious agreement into conscious focus.
- Challenge Validity: Interrogating the "evidence" for the agreement, much like analyzing a stalled lift or a training plateau.
- Set New Standards: Consciously choosing and defining new, empowering agreements that reflect ongoing development and growth.
- Action as Evidence: The crucial role of taking deliberate steps (in life and in training) that contradict old agreements and build tangible proof for new ones.
- Transferable Strength: How the mindset, discipline, and resilience forged in constantly pushing your physical boundaries directly translate into the power to break free from limiting agreements in your career, relationships, and personal growth.
- Pinpoint one "agreement" you feel limits your capabilities—either in your daily life or a specific goal.
- Reflect on a time in your physical training where you shattered a similar perceived limit. What mindset, actions, and persistence did that require?
- Strategize how you can apply that same successful framework to this life agreement and take one small step to challenge it this week.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hello, and welcome back. Today, we're tackling something I call
the agreement trap, the often unconscious beliefs we hold about
our own limits, beliefs that can drastically curtail what we
dare to achieve, not just in our daily lives, but
in our deepest sense of what we're capable of becoming.
And crucially, we'll explore how the discipline pursuit of expanding
(00:35):
our physical capabilities provides a powerful, tangible blueprint for breaking
free from these mental traps. So what is this agreement trap?
Imagine it as a set of unwritten rules you've accepted
about yourself, your talents, your potential, your weaknesses. They aren't
necessarily truths. They are conclusions you've drawn or messages you've
(00:57):
internalized from the world around you, often without any rigorous testing.
You might have unconsciously agreed that you're just not a
risk taker, or that certain levels of success are for
other people, or even your body having certain fixed limitations.
These agreements are subtle. They don't announce themselves. Instead, they
(01:19):
operate like background programs, quietly influencing your choices, your efforts,
your ambitions. For example, someone might carry an agreement that
says I need to stick to what's safe and predictable
to avoid failure, which then stops them from pursuing a
challenging new career path or even a demanding new skill.
(01:40):
Or on a more personal level, you might have an
agreement like I'm just not coordinated enough for complex movements,
or I don't have the mental toughness for truly grueling efforts.
These statements, these deeply felt notions about our overall potential,
what we believe we can or cannot achieve, become or endure,
(02:00):
can feel as solid and real as unshakable facts. Can't they.
But here's where the profound lessons from dedicated physical training
come into play. My philosophy of training isn't about aesthetics
for their own sake or just chasing numbers on a leaderboard.
It's about a constant, intelligent pursuit of expanding my capabilities,
(02:23):
making my body a more sleek, powerful and adaptable instrument,
fully capable of executing what my mind imagines. It's about
removing every controllable limitation. This involves improving functional strength across
multiple planes of motion, enhancing coordination, balance, explosive powering, crucially,
(02:45):
increasing my capacity to do more work, and to do
that work better and more efficiently. In this constant pushing
of perceived physical limits, what becomes undeniably clear is that
our mental limits are just as many, alleable, just as
open to being redefined. The impact of holding on to
(03:06):
unexamined agreements is significant. They become our default settings, the
lens through which we see ourselves and the world. If
you've agreed, for instance, that you don't have great endurance,
you might avoid challenges that test it, thereby reinforcing the agreement.
It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. And this is where
(03:28):
that invisible cage feeling we've spoken about really takes hold,
boxing you in. So how do we start to even
see these agreements, let alone change them? It requires honest
self inquiry. Ask yourself, what truths about my capabilities physical, mental,
emotional have I accepted without genuinely testing them to their
(03:51):
absolute current limit? When I face a daunting task in
life or in training and that voice says I can't,
is that I had an objective assessment or an old
agreement playing on repeat? What kind of efforts or challenges
do I consistently shy away from? What agreement about myself?
(04:12):
Might be dictating that avoidance. This is where the physical
training I advocate for becomes such a powerful teacher. It's
a direct, visceral laboratory for confronting and rewriting these agreements.
When you dedicate yourself to expanding your physical capabilities, you
are constantly meeting these self imposed limits head on. Think
(04:36):
about it. You're working to master a complex movement pattern
you once thought was beyond your coordination, or you're striving
to generate a level of power that initially felt impossible.
Each session where you push a little further, refine your
technique or increase your work capacity, you're not just building
your body. You're actively dismantling an old agreement about what
(04:57):
you thought you were capable of. That old belief I
can't do this many reps, I can't move that efficiently,
I can't sustain this intensity gets shattered by direct, undeniable
physical evidence. This is the hierarchy of needs in action
as I see it. The physical is fundamental. The lessons
(05:18):
we learn from striving for mastery on this physical level
are so visceral, so palpable. They provide an incredibly powerful
blueprint for tackling the often more abstract agreements that limit
us in our mental and emotional lives. When you viscerally
experience your own ability to adapt, to grow stronger, to
(05:39):
become more capable through sheer effort and intelligent application in
your training, it fundamentally changes your belief and your ability
to affect change in other areas. So how do you
actively go about rewriting these agreements using the powerful blueprint
you gain from your physical training. While the process naturally
starts with what we've already don talked about, really identifying
(06:02):
that limiting agreement, truly becoming aware of what it is
and how it's operating in your life. Once you've got
it clearly in your sights, the next logical step is
to rigorously challenge its validity. Think about it almost like
you'd analyze why a certain lift is stalling in the gym.
You'd examine your technique, your programming, your recovery, wouldn't you
(06:24):
You'd look for the real reasons. Do the same with
this life agreement. What's the actual evidence that's been supporting it?
Is that evidence even current or is it based on
something outdated, maybe even a misinterpretation from way back when.
After you've really interrogated that old agreement and seeing it
for what it is, it's time to consciously set a
(06:46):
new empowering standard for yourself. This becomes your new agreement,
the one you choose to live by. For instance, if
an old belief that you held was something like I'm
not good under pressure, you consciously chosen agreement might sound
something like I am actively developing my capacity to perform
effectively under pressure in the same way I train my
(07:09):
body to perform effectively and adapt under increasing physical load.
See how that reframes it. It becomes an ongoing process,
a skill that you're intentionally building, and then crucially comes
the part where you seek out experiences and gather fresh
evidence that confirms this new agreement and systematically dismantles the
(07:30):
old one. Action is absolutely key here. It's where the
rubber meets the road. Just like in your training where
you actually have to lift the weight or complete the
reps to prove and build your growing capability in life,
you need to take those small, deliberate steps that directly
contradict the old limiting agreement. So if you had an
(07:53):
old agreement that you're not a creative problem solver, you'd
intentionally seek out a problem maybe a small one at
first that requires some innovative thinking, and you'd commit to
tackling it every attempt you may. Every small success you
achieve builds a stronger case for your new empowered agreement
(08:14):
and chips away at the foundation of the old one.
The constant pursuit of expanding your physical capabilities teaches you
that limits are temporary and that your capacity for growth
is immense. This isn't just about physical prowess. It's about
cultivating the mindset that all limitations are to some degree
negotiable through focused effort and unwavering belief in your ability
(08:37):
to adapt and overcome. So my challenge for you pinpoint
one agreement that you feel limits your capability. Perhaps it's
one you've notice in your daily life. Then reflect on
a time in your physical training where you shattered a
similar perceived limit. What mindset, what actions, what persistence did
(09:01):
that require? Now strategize how you can apply that same
successful framework to this life agreement. That's the first step.
The power you forge in expanding your physical self is
the very power that will help you break free from
the agreement trap everywhere else. Thanks for tuning in, keep
(09:22):
pushing those boundaries
Hello, and welcome back. Today, we're tackling something I call
the agreement trap, the often unconscious beliefs we hold about
our own limits, beliefs that can drastically curtail what we
dare to achieve, not just in our daily lives, but
in our deepest sense of what we're capable of becoming.
And crucially, we'll explore how the discipline pursuit of expanding
(00:35):
our physical capabilities provides a powerful, tangible blueprint for breaking
free from these mental traps. So what is this agreement trap?
Imagine it as a set of unwritten rules you've accepted
about yourself, your talents, your potential, your weaknesses. They aren't
necessarily truths. They are conclusions you've drawn or messages you've
(00:57):
internalized from the world around you, often without any rigorous testing.
You might have unconsciously agreed that you're just not a
risk taker, or that certain levels of success are for
other people, or even your body having certain fixed limitations.
These agreements are subtle. They don't announce themselves. Instead, they
(01:19):
operate like background programs, quietly influencing your choices, your efforts,
your ambitions. For example, someone might carry an agreement that
says I need to stick to what's safe and predictable
to avoid failure, which then stops them from pursuing a
challenging new career path or even a demanding new skill.
(01:40):
Or on a more personal level, you might have an
agreement like I'm just not coordinated enough for complex movements,
or I don't have the mental toughness for truly grueling efforts.
These statements, these deeply felt notions about our overall potential,
what we believe we can or cannot achieve, become or endure,
(02:00):
can feel as solid and real as unshakable facts. Can't they.
But here's where the profound lessons from dedicated physical training
come into play. My philosophy of training isn't about aesthetics
for their own sake or just chasing numbers on a leaderboard.
It's about a constant, intelligent pursuit of expanding my capabilities,
(02:23):
making my body a more sleek, powerful and adaptable instrument,
fully capable of executing what my mind imagines. It's about
removing every controllable limitation. This involves improving functional strength across
multiple planes of motion, enhancing coordination, balance, explosive powering, crucially,
(02:45):
increasing my capacity to do more work, and to do
that work better and more efficiently. In this constant pushing
of perceived physical limits, what becomes undeniably clear is that
our mental limits are just as many, alleable, just as
open to being redefined. The impact of holding on to
(03:06):
unexamined agreements is significant. They become our default settings, the
lens through which we see ourselves and the world. If
you've agreed, for instance, that you don't have great endurance,
you might avoid challenges that test it, thereby reinforcing the agreement.
It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. And this is where
(03:28):
that invisible cage feeling we've spoken about really takes hold,
boxing you in. So how do we start to even
see these agreements, let alone change them? It requires honest
self inquiry. Ask yourself, what truths about my capabilities physical, mental,
emotional have I accepted without genuinely testing them to their
(03:51):
absolute current limit? When I face a daunting task in
life or in training and that voice says I can't,
is that I had an objective assessment or an old
agreement playing on repeat? What kind of efforts or challenges
do I consistently shy away from? What agreement about myself?
(04:12):
Might be dictating that avoidance. This is where the physical
training I advocate for becomes such a powerful teacher. It's
a direct, visceral laboratory for confronting and rewriting these agreements.
When you dedicate yourself to expanding your physical capabilities, you
are constantly meeting these self imposed limits head on. Think
(04:36):
about it. You're working to master a complex movement pattern
you once thought was beyond your coordination, or you're striving
to generate a level of power that initially felt impossible.
Each session where you push a little further, refine your
technique or increase your work capacity, you're not just building
your body. You're actively dismantling an old agreement about what
(04:57):
you thought you were capable of. That old belief I
can't do this many reps, I can't move that efficiently,
I can't sustain this intensity gets shattered by direct, undeniable
physical evidence. This is the hierarchy of needs in action
as I see it. The physical is fundamental. The lessons
(05:18):
we learn from striving for mastery on this physical level
are so visceral, so palpable. They provide an incredibly powerful
blueprint for tackling the often more abstract agreements that limit
us in our mental and emotional lives. When you viscerally
experience your own ability to adapt, to grow stronger, to
(05:39):
become more capable through sheer effort and intelligent application in
your training, it fundamentally changes your belief and your ability
to affect change in other areas. So how do you
actively go about rewriting these agreements using the powerful blueprint
you gain from your physical training. While the process naturally
starts with what we've already don talked about, really identifying
(06:02):
that limiting agreement, truly becoming aware of what it is
and how it's operating in your life. Once you've got
it clearly in your sights, the next logical step is
to rigorously challenge its validity. Think about it almost like
you'd analyze why a certain lift is stalling in the gym.
You'd examine your technique, your programming, your recovery, wouldn't you
(06:24):
You'd look for the real reasons. Do the same with
this life agreement. What's the actual evidence that's been supporting it?
Is that evidence even current or is it based on
something outdated, maybe even a misinterpretation from way back when.
After you've really interrogated that old agreement and seeing it
for what it is, it's time to consciously set a
(06:46):
new empowering standard for yourself. This becomes your new agreement,
the one you choose to live by. For instance, if
an old belief that you held was something like I'm
not good under pressure, you consciously chosen agreement might sound
something like I am actively developing my capacity to perform
effectively under pressure in the same way I train my
(07:09):
body to perform effectively and adapt under increasing physical load.
See how that reframes it. It becomes an ongoing process,
a skill that you're intentionally building, and then crucially comes
the part where you seek out experiences and gather fresh
evidence that confirms this new agreement and systematically dismantles the
(07:30):
old one. Action is absolutely key here. It's where the
rubber meets the road. Just like in your training where
you actually have to lift the weight or complete the
reps to prove and build your growing capability in life,
you need to take those small, deliberate steps that directly
contradict the old limiting agreement. So if you had an
(07:53):
old agreement that you're not a creative problem solver, you'd
intentionally seek out a problem maybe a small one at
first that requires some innovative thinking, and you'd commit to
tackling it every attempt you may. Every small success you
achieve builds a stronger case for your new empowered agreement
(08:14):
and chips away at the foundation of the old one.
The constant pursuit of expanding your physical capabilities teaches you
that limits are temporary and that your capacity for growth
is immense. This isn't just about physical prowess. It's about
cultivating the mindset that all limitations are to some degree
negotiable through focused effort and unwavering belief in your ability
(08:37):
to adapt and overcome. So my challenge for you pinpoint
one agreement that you feel limits your capability. Perhaps it's
one you've notice in your daily life. Then reflect on
a time in your physical training where you shattered a
similar perceived limit. What mindset, what actions, what persistence did
(09:01):
that require? Now strategize how you can apply that same
successful framework to this life agreement. That's the first step.
The power you forge in expanding your physical self is
the very power that will help you break free from
the agreement trap everywhere else. Thanks for tuning in, keep
(09:22):
pushing those boundaries
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