There are so many ways to spin a negative into a positive
James smith swears by his tough-talking approach, he tells VICKI-MARIE COSSAR
JAMES Smith does not mince his words. The straight-talking personal trainer is well-known for his abrasive style and telling it like it really is.
Best known for his rants and profanities about the state of the diet industry on social media, personal trainer James, 30, is a breath of fresh air.
He’s passionate about exposing the myths within our diet culture and has called out influencers who promote diet fads to make a quick buck. His weight loss message is simple ‘calorie deficit’ and his first book Not A Diet Book was a bestseller. His latest offering, Not A Life Coach, is about to hit the shelves and is packed with ideas to make you re-evaluate your life. ‘This book is like a big metaphorical slap in the face for people,’ he says. ‘It f**** me off that influencers are like, “if you want to prioritise your wellbeing, drink this avocado smoothie.” I’m like “f*** you, what the f*** is a smoothie going to do in the grand scheme of things?” Wellbeing is an all-encompassing, multi-faceted element to our lives that we must protect and it’s often made up of very basic things that people overlook.’
James’ book is the tough love version of life coaching. He tells you straight, refers to his own experiences in life and makes you laugh along the way.
He’s not pretending to be something he’s not, instead he describes himself as something of a middleman. ‘In my early years, I created a list of mentors and followed these scholars listening and reading what they had to say. I became the translator between the geeks and the people. Someone from Norwich doesn’t want to know about a study, but if I listen to a boring b****** talk about caffeine for an hour, I can translate that into something punchy and informative for them.’
In the book, James talks about anomaly, identity, confidence, fear, and limited beliefs, but he says the main thing stopping us being happy is our values.
‘People tend to follow a mould: work in an office, save for a mortgage, find a partner and have kids. That works for some people, but some seek adventure. You need to ask yourself: what makes you happy?’
Born in the UK, James now lives in Bondi, Sydney. ‘A lot of people come to work in a café here,’ he explains. ‘The café overlooks the beach, they clock off at 3pm, see their mates, having meaningful conversations and watch the sun set. If your values
surround enjoying life and living in a stress-free world then you’ve ve f****** nailed it. Whereas someone in an office who wants the same life is doing a job they despise. Once you understand which constituents make you happy, you can create a life around them.’
So, why are we dead-set on making money, having millions of followers and being successful? ‘Comparison is the thief of joy,’ James states bluntly. y. ‘Social media is about showing off expensive things and six packs. We have an inherent need to compare and we’re surrounded by people in way better shape, with bigger houses. Because of this, we’re prioritising those things over what makes us happy.’
So, what’s a simple way to start turning your life around? ‘Mindset is a choice,’ says James. ‘This might sound like a b******* quote but I genuinely believe that the silver lining is there if people want to see it. Say I miss training, I could easily be p***** off but instead I choose to go home, cook my flatmates dinner and have a really good night.
‘There are so many different ways to spin a negative into a positive. Lockdown is a good example, instead of being annoyed my social rights have been taken away, the positive is, I’m playing PlayStation for the first time in six years.’
According to James, our problems are only as big as we make them. ‘The repercussions of something are never really that bad. Say I send a tweet that goes viral tomorrow and my career goes down the pan and my Instagram and Facebook get deleted by the government... I love dogs and as long as I can afford one and live by the beach, then I know I’m going to be just fine. Obviously, I’d need to shave off my hair and moustache so no one recognises me, but my values are in the right place so I’ll be fine.’
James has always said he’s just a man going around shaking trees and by this he means that he tells you the truth about everything from veganism to the keto diet.
Now he’s doing that with your life. ‘I’m shaking trees to make sure no one is in there that shouldn’t be. Vegans will remain vegans and that’s fine because they’re in the right tree, but everyone else will fall out and think, “that was f****** stupid.” So, if you’re looking for someone to shake your tree of life and see if whether what you’re holding onto really matters to you (an unhappy relationship, a job you hate or financial commitments), then James just might be the man to make you fall out and start living your dream.
■ James’ new book Not A Life Coach is out tomorrow, £20, published by Harper Collins, harpercollins.co.uk