Wellness Wednesday - Episode 2

Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, we hope you’re typing with all 10 fingers and reading this newsletter with both your eyeballs working properly. If not, we’ve heard the keto diet may be able to help. No promises though.

That was the intro for last Wednesday’s post 4th of July newsletter but because it was… not published that day… we decided to use it anyway! We’re big believers in recycling over here.

Anyway, today’s a quick one and we played one song and one song only. The power of asking specific questions. (Also ChatGPT).

Let’s dive in!

We stumbled onto this gem from David Perrell’s weekly newsletter.

Subject matter expertise allows you to ask better questions and in turn, receive better answers.

In a world of boundless information and countless answers at our fingertips, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of asking generic, vague questions. Whether we're seeking knowledge from an online source or consulting with a coach, the quality of our questions directly impacts the caliber of the answers we receive.

Imagine you pose the question, "What's the best way to lose weight?" It's a broad inquiry that leaves room for interpretation and general advice. In response, you might receive cookie-cutter recommendations like "lift weights, go for walks, and maintain a calorie deficit."

These are all true… but how helpful is this for you really?

The same is true of a question like “How can I eat more protein?” Well… you increase your consumption of foods higher in protein. It’s hard to give good advice for you specifically without knowing how much you’re eating now and how you’re getting there.

Now, consider a more precise question: "How can I increase my daily protein intake from 85g to 115g without relying heavily on protein shakes?" Ah, now we're getting somewhere! By providing specific details about your current situation and desired outcome, you open the door to tailored strategies and practical tips that can truly propel your progress.

The truth is, the devil is in the details. The path to success is paved with nuances and individual circumstances. What works for one person may not work for another. By asking more targeted questions, you empower yourself to receive personalized advice that aligns with your unique needs and goals.

When you present your coach or online resource with a specific question, you give them the opportunity to tap into their expertise and experience. Instead of regurgitating generic advice, they can offer nuanced insights, creative solutions, and tailored recommendations that address your specific situation.

Asking “How do I increase my protein intake?” is like asking “How do I get to Boston?”

Um, well where are you now? If we don’t know where you are, we can’t help you get to where you want to go.

By articulating the specific challenge you face, you invite a deeper level of expertise and guidance. You might discover new food combinations, clever meal prep strategies, or alternative protein sources that perfectly align with your goals.

If you ask boring questions you’ll get boring answers. But if you instead ask about how you can make your favorite cheeseburger fit into your macro goals, you might just get an answer that that changes your trajectory.

By asking better questions, you transform the search for answers into a meaningful dialogue, a collaborative journey toward optimal health and well-being.

Hola amigos! 👋🌟

Guess what? Speaking of AI… we decided to embark on a language-learning adventure with none other than ChatGPT, our trusty sidekick in the pursuit of knowledge. And boy, did we stumble upon something truly amazing!

You see, we've always believed in the power of understanding first principles when it comes to learning anything. Rote memorization just doesn't cut it for us. So, we posed the question to ChatGPT: "Can you teach us Spanish in a way that builds a solid foundation of understanding before reaching vocab?"

And oh boy, did ChatGPTutor deliver! It provided us with traditional lessons, an array of workbook problems (as many as our language-hungry minds desired), quizzes tailored to specific principles we wanted to master, and even section exams. It was like having our own personal language tutor available at our fingertips!

But we had a realization beyond the grammar and vocabulary. It reminded us that we’re learning Spanish because we want to speak it… not because we wanted to pass a test or get a gold star. There wasn’t any reason to cut corners or try to cheat.

Sure, we encountered some bumps along the way. We found ourselves grappling with the infamous "vosotros" form, which is mainly used in Spain and often overlooked in traditional Spanish classes. At first, we were tempted to brush it aside and focus on what we deemed more essential. But then, a realization struck us like a lightning bolt—why limit ourselves? Who cares if it's not commonly used in our everyday conversations? Our goal is again, to truly grasp the language, not to impress anyone.

With ChatGPT by our side, we were able to provide specific prompts like: "I feel comfortable with X, but Y is tripping me up. Can you give me 15 workbook problems focused on this specific principle? Make 5 of them straightforward, 5 challenging, and 5 specifically designed to trip me up based on my struggles."

And let us tell you, the results were mind-blowing. ChatGPT knew exactly how to tailor the exercises to our needs. It even gave us positive feedback when we got things right and explained what were were missing when we got things wrong.

If you're as excited as we are and want to dive deep into the prompts we used, along with the meticulously crafted lesson plans, workbook problems, and lessons we've been working through, we've gathered everything in a handy Google Drive Doc. Just drop a comment below or reply to this email, and we'll gladly share the link with you!

¡Vamonos! 🌟🌍✨

Have an amazing Hump Day! We’ll be here on Friday with all the best things we found this week. It’s shaping up to be a good one if we do say so ourselves…