Sim Van Daele

06/11/2024

I built this membership section largely out of the frameworks I built for clients.

When I was all over the world on these retreats it dawned on me and on them that there were very few sources that deal with structuring the info on the intersection between neurology, biology, psychology, and philosophy.

So in the interest of bridging this gap, the membership section provides the ecosystem of frameworks and an ecology of practices to close the gap between understanding and behavior.

Helping others understand and change their behavior is arguably the most key part of coaching, so I've poured all of my experience into this membership section to provide you the tools to do so.

MEMBERSHIP Are you ready to gain self-mastery by understanding the deeper forces that shape your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors? Welcome to the membership section of my coaching site, where you’ll gain access to the exact tools, frameworks, and protocols I use with my clients to create real, las...

28/12/2022

Does it end in 12 weeks?

That's the difference between a challenge and a system. A challenge ends. And what do most people do? Go back to exactly what they were doing before.

Either they get back to where they started or are even further removed from where they began.

A system, a process, a lifestyle orientation, they don't have an end date.

It's not about what you can do for 12 weeks, it's about what you can keep building on for the next 12 months, and the 12 months after that, and so forth.

Getting gungho about a challenge gives you some cheap dopamine, to begin with, but doesn't build any consistency, focus, commitment, and determination.

Traits that are reliant on internally produced dopamine (value orientation, perception of being on the right track) and GABA (consistency, structure, routine, long-term orientation) alongside acetylcholine (focus, spotlight effect).

Look at behaviors you can keep replicating, keep doing, and serve your purpose without a predetermined end date.

27/12/2022

Are you actually consistent?

As a coach with over 11 years of experience, you see a lot of consistently inconsistent people.

The cliché consistency is key rings true on so many levels.

12 weeks already sounds like a long time to most people. Let alone if the time extends from there, a total non-starter.

The paradox, in a sense, is to create a process you can do each day without the timeframe ever really becoming a focus.

Consider a diet as an example. If it has an end date, it becomes about the outcome and the duration ticking down to zero hour.

That's not a process, it's not a system nor a lifestyle orientation.

Structuring your system towards something you can be consistent with regardless of the circumstances, that's where the real magic is.

There's no way to hack consistency. It's the beauty of this type of behavior, you just have to do without supplements, tips, tricks, or hacks.

26/12/2022

What can you do in 3 months?

These are Michael's results after 3 months of following my systems approach. Of course, coaching occurred, however, the central idea was to give him the systems so he can put in the work, and he did.

So let me run you through my systems approach, consider it a late Xmas present ⬇️

1. A Braverman test doesn't tell you the whole story, it's a big-picture overview of neurological dominance that demonstrates itself in certain behaviors. As I put forth in point 5: counterbalancing behaviors is still important.

2. Figure out your biological rhythm. How? Stop fu***ng with your biology. All joking aside, all the after-dark bright lights, stimulating media, activity, eating, and drinking booze are biological rhythm killers. There's no space to feel tired, and the hormones are suppressed.

3. Unless there are serious metabolic issues, it is not rocket science. Most people will do well with eating local, seasonal, and organic and increasing their animal protein.

4. In terms of exercise, a structured program with progressive overload, enough rest days, covering all movement patterns, and hitting all reps and sets schemes did the job.

5. Leveraging his strengths and fortifying his weaknesses. In terms of balancing neurotransmitters, relying on supplements is a short-term tactic, but not a strategy. The strategy for behavioral change is to have balancing behaviors. They're generally quite simple, it just takes time, attention, and effort to implement as they "go against your nature".

Consider neurological balance like an arch. If I had only one part of my arch, it would fall over and collapse. The counters (antagonists like GABA) are needed behaviorally to complete the arch, then an individual balance is created.

22/12/2022

Caught by this pervasive paradigm?

The body isn't lazy, it just seeks energy efficiency.

And it only wants to conserve energy in certain states.

Perceived energy levels and perceived effort are exactly the two most fundamental roadblocks to action.

If you think it will cost too much energy because it takes too much effort, guess what the body and the brain say: no.

A car doesn't drive with an empty fuel tank. Why would your body do anything it perceives it doesn't have the fuel for?

The obvious trick is to make the task so small in energy and effort perception that it "flies under the radar".

You'll see that the body is just smart with its safeguards on its available energy.

Maybe it's time to work with your biology and neurology instead of against it?

20/12/2022

What's keeping you from action?

I come from an environment of pretty self-aware people. However, self-awareness and intelligence don't automatically equate to action or a change of behavior.

This conundrum has kept me preoccupied for quite some time. Even when made more aware these people's behavioral change lagged (if it came at all).

Enter neuroinflammation and brain imbalance. It offers (mainly, but not fully) an explanation of why behavioral change and action can be so hard. There are, of course, additional factors.

An inflamed and unbalanced brain has a hard time changing behaviors, especially when they are efficient in meeting needs (or were anyway).

It's not a get-out-of-jail-free card for anyone. Though it offers insight and understanding. Addressing neuroinflammation and brain balance leads to some interesting behavioral shifts.

Reducing inflammation:
✅️ Sleep
✅️ Movement
✅️ Get your nutrition on point

Balancing brain:
Spot your dominant patterns and try to find a counterbalance, which is individual.
Typically it comes down to the same stuff
🏆Routine
🏆Structure
🏆Slowing down
🏆Meditation
🏆Emotional expression.

15/12/2022

Should you use cold exposure?

The effects of cold are highly bio-individual and state-dependent. It COULD be beneficial, but it could also make some things worse.

I'm not saying you can't use cold exposure at all, just that some consideration and strategy comes into play. Intensity, duration and frequency matter a lot.

Do you need to acclimate to your environment? Most definitely. Do you need hardcore cold exposure? No.

Your body's ability to handle cold depends on:
Sleep
Nutrient/food intake
Stress levels
Organ status
For women: where they are in their cycle
Genetic and epigenetic predispositions

Take these considerations into account next time the benefits of cold exposure get thrown around.
4.body
Takes credit for figuring this out on people's brain profile (slide 5).

14/12/2022

A system is a process you can adhere to:
1. It's easy to do
2. Becomes enjoyable
3. Gives you what you need
4. Is flexible in scale
5. Changes according to your needs

Approaching a habit as a process takes away a lot of willpower and thinking.

If you can cut out decision fatigue, that leaves a lot more energy.

If you don't constantly need to use willpower for it, because it's so small, that drastically changes the energy cost.

In the end, systems are about energy and perceived effort, if you start them small enough, and allow them to compound, they'll take you to where you want to go.

10/12/2022

Did you tell them, or show them?

I got hit with that question when instructing Krav Maga and was surprised why they weren't doing what I told them.

I carry that lesson with me and it keeps showing up in every layer because it applies to everything: parenting, relationships, and leadership.

Did you tell your kids what to do, or show them?
Did you tell your partner you love them, or show them?
Did you tell your clients, or show them?

The point is that behavior is our calling card for what we show.

Words are important in context of intention, behavior, and state.

Behavior is important, the caveat being that the same type of behavior can be displayed with different intentions. A paradox to navigate.

The overarching point is: show them, don't just tell them.

08/12/2022

Do you even evening routine?

Although we could talk about a whole lot more when it comes to sleep, this is what I tend to start clients off with.

1. Bright light wakes us up and supresses our sleep hormone. And tells your internal clocks it's noon.

2. Too much stimulation just leaves you wired before bed.

3. The digestive process needs time, if you eat right before bed, a lot of food just sits there undigested and will impact your sleep quality.

Start here, and enjoy the benefits of better sleep!