Hey there!

So, we’ve had 8 guest writers on the newsletter so far. We want to give some appreciation to what they’ve done for us so far, and we would also like to know which of their articles have resonated with you all the most. If you could, please let us know which of their articles have resonated with you the most. Here’s a list of all of the guest writers and their articles we’ve had so far:

• Jaqueline - You Are What You Eat

• Kawah - Delulu is the Solulu

• Lina - Psychology of Morning Routine

• David - The Ultimate Life Enhancer

• Georg - Stream of Consciousness

• Sebastian - Always Up and Down, Never Down and Out

• Anita - The Power of the Imagination

• Sam - How to Maximize Misery

• Alexandra (this post) - So you want a 4-legged running buddy? Here are 5 tips to get you started

Vote on the best article so far.

The guest writer for todays article we actually met via our accountability groups. She found us through some of our postings on Reddit. She’s a journalist in Switzerland, so extra pressure on her article 😛.

Anyways, outside of this, Michael has been busy focusing on his Thesis this week, while working out of a coworking center in Guangzhou. But as of the moment this is sending out he’s doing some KTV (what they call Karaoke here), with a group of Chinese friends.

And Juan has gone out every day for the last week. He is getting good at opening groups of people. His favorite opener is “Hey, did you guys see the fight outside?”. One Australian girl yesterday demanded his Instagram. Good stuff.

GOALS

Doing IS the Goal

In a recent podcast, Alex Hormozi dropped some wisdom that's worth sharing. He argued that the goal itself isn’t what brings fulfillment. There's no magical "goal" that will make you feel completely satisfied once you reach it.

Think about it: people often aim for a specific amount of money, the perfect partner, or a certain level of fitness. Yet, once they achieve these milestones, they still find themselves wanting more.

The True Satisfaction

According to Hormozi, the real satisfaction comes from the journey of working towards these goals. The process of striving and improving is what truly fulfills us, not just the achievement itself.

Embrace the Process

So, the key takeaway is to focus on getting better every day. Enjoy the journey, because that’s where the true happiness lies.

“Journey Before Destination”

My favorite quote, from my favorite book series. It reminds me of hiking the Camino in Spain with my dad. Our destination was Santiago de Compostela, but we didn't actually care about reaching the city. It was all about enjoying the route, the hike, and each other's company along the way. Life is like this in everything. It's about constantly working towards improvement, enjoying the process and the people around you, and not just about reaching the finish line.

"Success is not a destination, it's a journey." - Zig Ziglar

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— Michael

HEALTH

How Smartphones Shrink Our Brains

So we all know the benefits and usefulness of smartphones, but they come with a price. There’s a growing body of research that indicates that smartphones can actually change the way our brains work. Did you know that the mere presence of your phone in a room can destroy your cognitive functioning, even if it’s turned off? Crazy, I know.

If the collective brains of billions of people on Earth have been unknowingly altered worldwide, what does this mean for society?

If you’ve ever felt that phantom buzz or feel anxious when you haven’t checked your phone in a while, you don’t need an expert to tell you that there’s something strange at play.

What exactly are smartphones doing to our minds and personalities?

🤔 Memory

A 2021 study found that excessive smartphone use can reduce the size of the hippocampus (the brain's memory center), especially in developing brains. Another study found that chronic smartphone users have lower gray matter volumes in specific brain regions. Less gray matter usually means a higher risk of depression, Schizophrenia, and Dementia. Even an overreliance on GPS can reduce the density of gray matter in the brain.

“The less you use that mind of yours, the less you use the systems that are responsible for complicated things like episodic memories, or cognitive flexibility, the more likely it is to develop dementia.”
- Oliver Hardt, Mcgill University

😰 Addiction

Between 2019 and 2023, average mobile screen time went up 23% from 2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours 46 minutes. The average user now checks their phone 96 times a day. Imagine, if you lost $1 every time you checked your phone, many people would go broke in a week.

Research has found that excessive smartphone use presents itself a lot like addiction. It weakens vital brain networks that control things like paying attention and stopping impulses.

🧠 Cognitive function

The mere presence of your smartphone in the same room lowers your ability to focus, remember, and solve problems. Researchers call this Brain Drain. It happens because the human brain has a limited capacity to process information. When your phone is nearby, it competes for cognitive resources and your brain must work extra hard to resist its temptation.

😩 Stress

Smartphones aren’t just changing our behavior. They are affecting human biology, and the health risks can get pretty serious. Smartphone notifications have turned us all into Pavlov’s dogs, training our brains to be in a constant state of fear and stress.

The Rise of the Dumbphone

So what happens when people break away from smartphones completely? Luckily, we have testimonials from heavy smartphone users who decided to ditch their smartphone for a dumbphone. The way they describe their experiences is very interesting. Watch the clip below:

"Sometimes you never realize the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" - Dr. Seuss

Source: Cold Fusion YouTube channel

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— Juan

DOGS

So you want a 4-legged running buddy? Here are 5 tips to get you started

I went from running half marathons and being in the best shape of my life to struggling to run anything more than a 5k and gaining 9kgs (20lbs). It was all my dog’s fault…

Though many of us in Europe are not feeling it quite yet, summer is at our doorstep. 

For years I would see runners jogging with their dogs through the forest, along the promenade, or on the beach. This was my dream: to run with my very own four-legged buddy. A dog who would motivate me, push me out of bed, and best of all, a buddy that didn’t require conversation during runs. 

Before getting Dahl, my running buddy, I was running 15k – 20k per run. The days I wasn’t running I was doing extensive weight training at the gym. 

I was prepared for my dog. I had done extensive breed research, I had a financial plan, I had pet insurance lined up, and pages of dog-related wishlist items saved away on Amazon. I was ready. 

Or so I thought.  

It might sound like I am bragging (maybe I am a little) but I was so woefully mistaken about my level of preparedness. 

Sure, I had the theoretical knowledge about training, breed, and financial foundation for a dog, but what I didn’t fully comprehend was that puppies and young dogs are extremely limited in what they can do in their first 1.5 years of life. 

The general perception is that the first year of a dog’s life is when they are the most active and need the most exercise to keep them out of trouble. However, exercise does not mean physical activity. 

For young dogs and puppies, physical exercise should be limited based on their age and breed. A general rule of thumb is 5 minutes for every month of age. 

“But what do you mean I can only take my 3-month-old puppy out for a 15 minute walk a day! How am I supposed to tire out my puppy?! How am I supposed to be a good pet-parent?” I hear you barking on the other side of the screen. 

Puppies and young dogs need on average 1.5 years for their bones and joints to fully develop. The soft growth plates on a puppy’s leg bones need time to harden, and over-exercising beforehand may lead to damaging your dog’s musculoskeletal structure leading to problems later in life.

I had done my research – I knew this – I was prepared for this. 

Two truths and a lie. Much like with parents to a 2-legged baby, you may think you can schedule everything and keep up with life as it was, at least to a certain extent. However, the reality is rarely amicable.

I spent the first 1.5 years of my dog’s life absorbed in caring for him. 

I took the long-term approach to potty training, which meant that in the short term, I was taking Dahl out to pee at the slightest indication he had to go. For the first few months, this meant at least every hour and multiple times throughout the night.

It cost me 9 kilos (20lbs), my fitness level, and, to a certain extent, my sanity.

There wasn’t time in the day for my deeply entrenched workout routine or 20k runs. My day was about socializing, training, and setting up my dog to be the best adult-dog version of himself.

Almost 4 years later, I can proudly say I accomplished that mission. But it came at the cost of my own health and psyche. I gained a lot of weight and lost my fitness level. 

This is not an editorial to scare you off from getting a dog. On the contrary, this is a letter to my past self: this is the newsletter I wish I had read before embarking on my journey. I would never, ever decide against getting Dahl, he is everything I wanted for so long, but I would have been better emotionally prepared for the limitations I faced.

With all that said, here are 5 tips that I wish I would have had when I got my dog:

1. Say goodbye to your running motivation playlist or true-crime podcast.

   So many things can happen when you are on a run. Many more things can happen when you are on a run with a dog.

   Off-leash dogs can come out of nowhere, someone could be running up behind you which could potentially startle your dog, and a noise in the distance could be more alarming for your dog than you might realize. 

   Wearing headphones and listening to music or becoming immersed in the latest episode of “Who the f*ck did I marry” can be dangerous. Even the most well-behaved and trail-trained dog can be surprised by something. It’s better to play it safe when running with your dog and leave the headphones at home so that you can be more aware of your surroundings while running. 

2. Demotivation will happen. Prepare accordingly.

   There are days we just don’t want to run. It's inevitable. Even the most hardcore athlete has off days or off weeks. 

   The winter season can be cold and uninviting and the heat of the summer months can press down on you. 

   Or you want to run – but you just don’t want to run with your dog. 

   Firstly, this is nothing to feel guilty about. You can love your family or your partner to the moon and back and there will still be days in which you need to do your thing on your own. Feeling guilty about this won’t help anyone. 

   While I can’t help with advice on how to manage family and partners when you need alone time, I can give you some tips on how to leave your dog behind when you need a solo run. 

   While consumerism is ruining society and the planet, it has brought about thousands of pet products to engage your pet without your participation. Lick mats, puzzle games, and slow feeders: these are just a few options you can bring out to keep your pet entertained. There are even specialized pet cams that can connect to your phone or smart watch that notify you if there is a disturbance in your apartment (aka – your dog is mad that the birds are on your property and is letting them know they should step off quickly). 

   

3. I don’t want to talk to strangers on my run – neither does my dog.

   The number one misconception that new dog owners make is that socialization equals meeting and greeting all dogs along the way.

   I can count on one hand the number of people I truly enjoy surrounding myself with. The idea of stopping and having a conversation with every single person I pass on a walk or run would have me locking myself in my house. 

   The same applies to your dog. 

   Sure, dogs may be curious but the best gift you can give your dog is the gift of neutrality. The ability to run past any furry acquaintance without having to say “hi”. There’s a chance the two dogs find themselves on opposite ends of the political spectrum, which could result in a scuffle and ruin the run.

   

4. Don’t blame the equipment.

   In this case, this long-standing proverb is invalid. 

   Gear is important to help make your run with your dog enjoyable and stress-free. 

   Harnesses, bungee leashes, easy access treat pouches: Use the best tools that you need to ensure success.

   

   Just like certain running and workout gear is uncomfortable for us and can cause things like chafing and uncomfortable pinching, so too can dog gear be the wrong fit for your dog. Seek out advice and don’t jump into a purchase without properly understanding your dog’s needs.

   

5. Training and physical therapy is not just for humans.

   Dogs show pain and discomfort differently than we do. 

   They don’t whine due to muscle soreness like we do at the office when we want to subtly brag to everyone within earshot that we went to the gym. 

   Talk to your vet about how dogs display discomfort, incorporate vitamins and food for joint health, and look into how you can provide physical therapy for your dog. 

   An option that is increasingly popping up around Europe is hydrotherapy for dogs. Basically, hydrotherapy is a form of physical therapy that uses the power of water to provide exercise and rehabilitation. It offers low-impact exercise and helps dogs build strength and mobility.

   It might sound silly, but just like we humans should stretch and incorporate low-impact training to build up our muscles and protect our joint health, so too should our dogs. 

   This will help keep your buddy matching your pace for years to come!

   

   Yes, this is a real thing

If you have any questions or are looking for more tips & tricks, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram: @Dahlthedog

Happy running! 

Alexandra & Dahl

TLDR:

Before making any decisions on getting a dog, consider the circumstances surrounding your work, private life, and finances. 

Consult a veterinary and get a good understanding of the costs that will arise throughout a dog’s life. A good principle is “If you can’t afford pet insurance, you can’t afford a pet”. 

Please do extensive research before committing to being a caretaker for a dog or any animal.

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— Alexandra

TAKING ACTION

Sign up to our Accountability Clubs

Want a community to keep you accountable? Willing to put your money where your mouth is? 😂

How it works:
💸 Everyone makes the same deposit at the beginning of the month.
✅ Every day you succeed, you get paid back a small amount from your deposit PLUS the money from others who failed that day.
❌ Every day you fail, your money for that day goes to people who succeed.
🗓️ It is 5 times a week. Month-to-month contract. You can join or leave at the beginning of each month.

June Clubs you can join:
🏋️ Exercise 5 times a week.
⏰ Wake up early during weekdays.
📵 Digital minimalism during weekdays.
📝 Signup to join for June

Updates from this week:

We’re starting our new wave of groups tomorrow. The number of participants that we have going for each of the June groups are:
- 5-Day Exercise Group: 10
- 3-Day Exercise Group: 6
- Wakeup Group: 6

Highlights from Exercise Club: