Ep 191: Pushing Teens to Their Full Potential

Anthony Lynch, author of No Limits,  comes on the show to
explain how the right mindset can help teens reach their full
potential. Plus, how teens can find their purpose and passion.


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Full show notes


Kids tend to have big dreams…but are constantly told to be more
“realistic.” When they say they want to be an astronaut, pop
star, or professional athlete, we might lightly suggest they pick
a safer option. Have they thought about accounting? What about
coding? Maybe they should just stick with something stable and
consistent, and stop trying to disrupt the status quo.





But what if we could step outside of our limited way of thinking
to see infinite possibilities for our teens? What if, by striving
for the seemingly impossible, our teens may just exceed
everyone’s wildest expectations? If they’re dedicated,
persistent, and hardworking enough, they may be able to
accomplish something extraordinary. This week, we’re discussing
how letting go of limits might be the key to truly successful
teens.





Joining us is Anthony Lynch, author of No Limits: How to Build an
Unstoppable Mindset. Anthony is a certified fitness professional
who focuses on youth athletic performance training, as well as a
bestselling lifestyle and fitness author. In his work he helps
both kids and adults reach mental, physical and financial
prosperity. In our interview, he’s helping parents see how a
strong mindset can propel teens into the life of their dreams!





In the episode, Anthony explains why it’s critical for your teen
to have a “high-agency mindset.” Plus, we discuss why physical
health is a jumping-off point for success in all areas, and how
we can help teens grapple with big dreams and find their life’s
purpose.



Why Mindset Matters





When teens have big, wild ambitions, people tend to try and talk
them out of it…parents included! Of course we want to see our
teens successful, but we’re also scared to see them fail–so we
encourage them to stick to safe and small goals, for fear that
they’ll bite off more than they can chew. But Anthony says that
it’s the teens who can strive for what they want despite
naysayers that will truly find success.





 He calls this a “high-agency mindset”– the idea teens might
trust their dreams more than their critics. When someone tells
these teens their ideas are impossible, they don’t just give up
and go for something simpler, they continue to work towards their
goal in spite of others’ opinions! The teens who choose to
persevere are the ones who’ll really find success, says Anthony.
While most people allow fear of failure to hold them back, those
with a high agency mindset rise to the challenge.





However, some teens have the confidence to defy critics…but lack
the clarity, Anthony explains. They want to aim for greatness in
something, but they’re just not sure what they’re passionate
about yet! Without passion, people tend to get bored, disengaged
or frustrated with their goals, leading them to give up at the
first sign of trouble. But if teens are working towards something
they truly care about, they’ll have a reason to show up everyday
to do the work!





If teens want to cultivate a strong mental capacity, Anthony
believes that they’ll have to simultaneously build up their
physical strength! In the episode, we’re talking about how we can
get teens off their phones and out the door to get some exercise.





How Physical Wellness Creates Mental Stability





When we watch Olympic athletes dominate the competition, we know
that it's more than just brute strength that makes them such good
players. It’s also mental power–how they use strategic
information and determination to masterfully defeat their
opponents. Anthony explains that life works the same way. Being
mentally strong helps us strategize and conquer life’s
challenges, but being physically active helps us stay happy,
confident and focused. By combining the power of both, we can
reach our full potential.





For some teens, physical activity isn’t exactly the top priority.
They’re more concerned with scrolling on Instagram or playing
games on Discord than they are with their physical health! With
the pandemic forcing us all to stay inside, teens have become a
bit more inclined to lie in bed on the weekends when they could
be out in the world, riding a skateboard or hitting the gym. In
the episode, Anthony and I discuss how annoying it can be for
parents to constantly beg teens over and over to get out and get
some exercise.





Anthony recommends helping teens find some kind of physical
activity that gets them excited! For some teens, it could be
hiking, for others, it might be playing basketball with friends
down the street. These activities won’t just help teens be
physically healthier, but also encourage them to set new goals,
like winning a weekend pickup game or setting a personal best!
When they put in the hard work to achieve these goals, they’ll
learn an important lesson about what it takes to go above and
beyond in the quest for greatness.





So your teen has cultivated the physical and mental strength
that’s necessary for success…but do they know how to set a goal
or what steps to take to reach the top?  Anthony and I are
talking about how we can help teens orient themselves by asking
the right questions and setting concrete goals.



Setting Their Goals in Motion


To help teens define their goals, Anthony recommends asking them
some big questions. Questions like: if you could change one thing
in the world, what would it be? Or: if you had all the money,
time and resources possible, what would you do? These questions
help teens begin thinking about who they are and what they want
to accomplish in their life. Anthony encourages you to sit down
and do this with your teen, asking yourself the same questions!
It might bring the two of you together–and help teens see that
they’re not the only ones still figuring it all out.





In the episode, Anthony and I talk all about creating vision
boards, and how you can do it with your kids at home! This
involves taking a piece of cork board or poster board and putting
pictures, quotes, inspirational people and more on the front.
These boards are a way for your teen  to visualize and
materialize their wildest ambitions, and then have a physical
reminder of them everyday! 





But how can teens take these general ambitions and turn them into
reality? Anthony suggests starting with a mission statement. This
is a direct statement of what exactly your teens’ plan is and how
they intend to go through with it! For example, if your teen
plans to lose weight, their mission statement might state how
many pounds they aim to lose and in what time frame. They could
add specific actions they’ll take to do it, like running twice a
week or eating less junk food. This propels teens from just
dreaming to actually doing!





In the Episode….


Anthony’s perspective on motivation is fascinating, and can be
helpful to both teens and parents! On top of the topics discussed
above, we also talk about:


Why we should reject conventional wisdom

How we can encourage teens to dream in a realistic way