You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.
- Winston Churchill

Is selling out the new keeping it real in the age of the life hack?
The term life hack refers to any sort of trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life.

Hard work, patience and critical thinking are slowly becoming an anathema. We are transitioning to a society of retrieval learners.
- Rumors become fact in 140 characters or less on Twitter, the home of the internal monologue.
- Google has now become the one click information authority. Misinformation runs rampant and undoubted.

Cultural trends, the financial crisis, and political turmoil have us all debating the value of integrity. The “right thing” to do is a muddle. The brain defaults to a lack of action and we defer to feeling. Feeling good has been prioritized above being good. Feelings are important but they have a short life cycle. Thus, the need for the next fix.

Despite a global recession, the multi-billion dollar business of 4-Hour life strategies, 90 day total body transformation, guaranteed fortune, spiritual well-being in 5 easy steps and miracle elixirs is still robust. Immediate gratification is being represented as a lifestyle solution when in fact, it is a product. There is a new theory born every minute to capitalize on the insatiable demand to be happy.

“Get it fast, get it easy” because you deserve it. Oh, entitlement makes for very slippery moral landscape. Are you genuinely seeking to satisfy need or ego? Life hacks are about illusion. Essentially you must distract the eye to play on the brain. Here is a blueprint.

• You must keep things “real” and appear simple.
• Show pretty pictures and testimonials.
• Keep the transactions fast and promise results in 30, 60, or 90 days.
• Attribute your methodology to the end result
• Stay positive above everything.
• Don’t forget to call your critics “haters.”

Yes, “keeping it real” is the new magic beans. No one can argue with anecdotal evidence.

I love this scene from the film, An Education.

In the next scene, after the Carey Mulligan has left school and her life hack has imploded does she understand the value of her education. It’s a come to Jesus moment. For many, integrity is not desirable if it complicates access to a reward. In my experience, Life has demonstrated there is always a price to be paid for the shortcuts we take. It is always a matter of when.

With KINETIC Sculpt®, my main goal is to build better bodies. I desire to plant the seeds of lifetime learning. This is difficult to hold on to when I watch lesser talented people than myself make a fortune exploiting peoples’ desires and weaknesses. The temptation to throw in with them is always there. I like money too.

We must all weigh what “having-it-all” looks like and how far are we will to go to get the next place. What is the potential damage of circumventing the system? Can you maintain your results? Can you sustain the intensity?

Daily face-to-face accountability, week after week, year after year, is what it I have learned it takes to make in-roads in fitness, education and personal well-being. It requires a willingness to get down in the dirt and work through your issues. Human beings have patterns and we repeat patterns until we repair them. Selling out is no less a pattern.

Question of the Week:
I promise you if I found a guaranteed to make ALL DREAMS COME TRUE I wouldn’t sit on the secret. I’d put it in a pill, and sell it in 4 easy installments. Until that day, I walk the line. Where do you draw the line on life hacking?

Perspirationally, KINETICALLY and Authentically,
Erwin

KINETIC Sculpt® What’s in a name? from Erwin Gonzalez on Vimeo.