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Elizabeth Cutler, SoulCycle Co-Founder

Aug 8, 2018 1h 2m 14 insights
After having two kids, Elizabeth Cutler had a friend suggest she try spin classes as a way to lose weight and less than a year later, she and her business partner Julie Rice launched SoulCycle. After the pair sold the multimillion-dollar company in 2016, Cutler decided to take her family on sabbatical, pulling her kids out of school so they could take classes online as they traveled all over the world, and all the while she tried to keep a regular morning meditation routine.
Actionable Insights

1. Cultivate Inner Fitness Coach

Develop an internal ‘coach’ by committing to a fitness practice, allowing you to adapt and maintain your routine even without external motivation or specific equipment, by translating the motivation you’ve experienced into self-guidance.

2. Prioritize Daily Meditation

Make time for daily meditation, even during travel, by replacing less beneficial habits like social media use, as consistency improves well-being and you’ll notice when you don’t practice.

3. Fully Commit to Retreats

During a meditation retreat, fully commit to the experience by maintaining a slow, mindful pace and paying attention to every action, even when alone in your room, as this can accelerate progress.

4. Find “Space Behind Thoughts”

In meditation, practice finding the ‘space behind the thoughts’ to sink into a state of mental well-being and happiness, which also contributes to long-term brain health.

5. Unplug During Workouts

Use your workout time as a dedicated, unplugged reset, focusing solely on personal accountability and self-improvement without distractions from phones or external demands, to leave feeling stronger and clearer.

6. Own Workout Intensity

Take personal accountability for your workout intensity by honestly asking if you’re doing your best, rather than relying on external monitors, as you already know the answer.

7. Re-engage After Lapses

If you fall out of a meditation routine, use the noticeable increase in inner ‘obnoxious weather’ as a powerful reminder and motivation to return to your practice, clearly seeing its benefits.

8. Explore Meditation Styles

Experiment slowly and methodically with different meditation styles, such as focusing on breath or sounds, to discover what specifically resonates and works best for your personal practice.

9. Sustain Post-Retreat Practice

After a meditation retreat, ensure you continue with a consistent daily practice and establish a regular rhythm of attending future retreats to hold onto and deepen the benefits.

10. Start Meetings with Meditation

Introduce a short group meditation (e.g., three minutes) at the beginning of meetings to shift the collective vibration and improve the atmosphere for all participants.

11. Prepare for Retreat Challenges

Before attending a meditation retreat, brace yourself for the initial challenging period of transitioning from a busy daily life to an environment of silence and constant mindfulness.

12. Beginner Fitness: Pace Yourself

When starting a new fitness class, especially in a less judgmental environment like a dark room, don’t feel pressured to know everything immediately; dial it back and allow yourself to learn and find your way over a few sessions.

13. Seek Business Mentorship

If building a company, seek guidance from experienced entrepreneurs or mentors to help problem-solve, overcome obstacles, and accelerate growth to make things happen faster, smarter, and stronger.

14. Provide Podcast Feedback

Visit 10percenthappier.com/survey to provide feedback on the podcast, including desired topics, guests, and formats, to help improve the show.