Goals are precious. They're sacred. No one posses them except you. Once they are obtained, they are yours to keep forever. The road along the way seems dark, bleak, and even unobtainable. Unfortunately, for most people when this part of the road is seen, there is a tendency to put everything on hold.
Putting things on hold makes us stagnant, dull, and inept. Goals are great. They make us great. They separate us and helps us give value to the world. That goal may make us look so great, what if you were to stop? What a waste? After all of those hours thinking, fantasizing, and bragging to your closest friends about your anticipated feat. They might actually believe in your crazy idea. Those are people who support you no matter what. Even when you explain your goal, it feels good. But, there might be some doubt in the back of your mind. Shut this train of thought down! Quitting never could more demoralizing. Half of the time we talk ourselves into quitting. We look for affirmations of something being crazy, justifying why we didn't pursue the dream that hour we were supposed to.
Where is the glory in quitting? There isn't any. Then all of the blood, sweat, and tears, will all be a waste of energy. It may take a week or a year. But, you will never get there by quitting. Maybe it's that job you hate going to. Always reporting, always listening, always being told to do something. The focus should be on the income and the means of why you are doing what you are doing. Understand the "why". Never forget it. Because once you do; you will be deterred by anything that steps in your way. All of that great emotional thought would be left there dead and nothing to show for the time that you invested in it. It's yours. Keep it alive and DON'T LET IT DIE!
What I have always liked about the military is that if you don't stay in shape...then you are out! If you stay in shape, your chances of getting promoted are raised exponentially. Sure its something that is easily maintained as a teenager or those challenging years. But, the real challenge is staying in shape in your later years of life. Now this doesn't equate to the fact that you may not die. But, your chances are a lot greater of living rather than not. What if I were to tell you that being in shape is your best promotional tool and greatest employer prospect?
Being in shape is the latest status symbol of promotion in America. Why? Because so many Americans are out of shape and don't even know it. It's why there are so many fad diets that over saturate this place and still continues to thrive. There's a snap gym here and there. There's a monthly fee to workout, there are DVD's, walking groups, and anything else that you can think of.
When you walk into a door. People are sizing you up. The first thing an employer or potential partner is going to look at first is your physique. I can't tell you how many times someone has said something about how big my shoulders were. Or, "look at the size of his calves and traps". It was what jumped out at them. Now, if you walk into a building and are fifty pounds overweight. Then, chances are they are going to remember just that. You could have the greatest speech, a brilliant mind, but they aren't going to listen to you. Why? Because, you look like that you don't love yourself or care to take time out to invest in your body. It's sounds cruel, but it is a simple fact. Have you ever looked at most people in leadership positions? They are meticulous about what they digest and how their clothes fit on them. They take notice and make changes as required. Take Skip Bayless for instance. The last I heard. The man runs about 7 miles a day minimum and can keep up with former athletes that have long since retired. His energy on the morning shows are impeccable and there is no one his age touching him. In turn, it empowers him to continue to have value of what he brings to the table. Now, we see his on FS1 making more money than most people would in retirement age. His voice has no new inflection from weight gain or sound like his throat is raspy from taking in too many cigarettes over time. Let's take Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He is very successful and has the confidence to be in front of cameras and boast however way he would like.
There are a myriad of athletes that have weight maintenance in their contracts if they still want to maintain their revenue. If they start to constantly gain weight, not being disciplined year round, then chances are.. there will be a trade for less money.
Sure, Kevin Hart is big in the movie industry now. But, look at what he does off camera. He gets off a 8 hour flight; gets 4 hours of sleep, but still makes it to the gym to do what he has to do to remain lucrative for more movie roles down the line. Putting the camera to the side, he even can pose for GQ, Mens Health, etc. He just opened up his base for more than just comedy. It has changed his entire circle. Now he's around more people that want to be in pictures with him and even make fun of him from time to time. So, now he has garnered more publicity than he would have if he were just telling jokes. If you are struggling to find some motivation then check out this video from one of my old heroes, C.T. Fletcher. He motivates people from all over the world. I even had the pleasure to work out with him when he came to our gym during the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. This guy is almost 60 and stays ripped all year round. His story is compelling, but his consistency and drive to serve others is what gives him more of a sell. Check it out!
I tell my wife all of the time, "I live a fast paced life and you better keep up." Well the truth behind that is that I do. I am always on the go, doing something. If it's not one hurdle, it's something else. Sometimes I feel like I am just living on a shoestring, just threading along. My wife and I raise eight children, with one on the way out the door. Still, it's bigger than your average American family and we love it. It's never been a problem for us to throw our all into our children. Between the doctors, dentists, teachers, and coaches; we're out all of the time and in some cases we've become the adults of the neighbor.
Of course this doesn't have it's drawbacks. I wear at least 3 different hats and that's not including knocking down my own hurdles. I have obligations and sometimes, I may even get frustrated that there aren't enough hours in the day to get things done. I know some you out there are the same way, because you've told me! So for a busy and gainfully employed parent here is what I would suggest. Get started early in the day. No, not the typical 6am early. I am talking about looking at your clock for what it is. 24hours. That's a very long time. Something I've done before was wake up at 4 a.m. It may sound crazy, but the day for me went by even faster when I started at 4 a.m. Think about it, 6am is halfway towards noon! By the time you actually wake up as a "normal person" almost half your day is gone. It waking up early has a multitude of benefits:
You have more energy to get things done
You have more time to accomplish/work toward your goals
Most the world is still quiet. So you can actually hear yourself think. When everyone else is awake you're stuck with dealing with other people's emotions and personalities.
I did some research and every successful person that I have read about, gets up at 4am. The Rock for example, wakes up at 4am everyday to do his morning cardio BEFORE doing his 12 hour shoots. But, hey don't take my word for it, try it and let me know what you think. Just a little incentive for you to cut out that TV time and actually get to work.
I get a lot of questions about success. Like, “what makes me successful?”Or, “Who did I talk to in order to get where you are?” And I get, “Man how can I be like you?”
These questions inevitably send me into a paradox. Why? Well for a couple of reasons. For one, it’s a shock to me. I am usually taken aback by the individuals who typically ask me because they are usually more talented than I am. Maybe it’s just something that I see in them that they don’t see in themselves. I have had poets ask me these questions and I don’t think that they would have any problem flourishing if they put the work in. It really looks that easy to me. But that’s the problem. The answer is that I see it in them. It doesn’t do them any good if they don’t see it for themselves. I could talk until I am blue in the face and it could all be for naught. The difference between really seeing the fruits of their labor and someone who hasn’t is the dedicated hours placed into passion. It’s not enough to just sit and dream. It means sacrifice and work. It means jumping on a flight to meet someone; not getting a few extra groceries; spending some gas money; stop vacationing; and even turning off the cellphone and cease to exist in the world for a time period. Everyone is just not willing to do that. That’s it! It’s just that simple. Anyone can sing a ballad on Youtube, but are they putting in necessary hours to skill their craft? Anyone can write a book. But is the time being put in to make it a profession? No one wants to own anything. There are many crafts out there to own. Sure the kids may get upset and the wife or husband may miss you. But, it’s up to you to let them know why you are doing something that may seem so crazy to begin with. Then, they will know what it takes to become part of a working process. It will also be a lesson for them to know what work ethic is just to get a little bit. No one ever gets a lot starting, but eventually you will get paid for the work that you have already done. This is called value. Anyone has a value to this world. It’s all over social media. There are amputees lifting weights, people flying, people doing unthinkable things all of the time. It’s just a matter of getting started.
Second, keep it at one. Many people are simply not focused. There needs to be a road map designed on how you are going to obtain your objective. What is your objective? Once that is identified one will have to use all of their time and energy towards it until it is obtained. Some people are just interested in too many things. So resources are spread and then room is developed for disinterest. If money is the motivation, then you will never last. It has to be something that makes you whole. For instance ask anyone who has ever been involved with two people at the same time. The time and dedication is nothing but stress and there is no room for fullness. Some people work 2 jobs and there is no way that they last very long. If they do I guarantee there is something lacking in other areas of their lives. The same applies to your success. Find one thing! Once you find it, everything else is just a hobby. Bo Jackson loved baseball and football was his hobby. He did them both full time and eventually got hurt. It was sad to not see him at his full potential even though he was one of the greatest running backs to ever live. Don’t be that. Go to the day job and be the business owner at night. Don’t go to the gym, but get to work. After working on your craft I guarantee you that you will have more energy. Because, when you do something that you are passionate about you will be on a high like you wouldn’t believe. It’s like being in love all over again and there is no one who can tell you anything about it. Remember there is a difference between being motivated and committed. Motivation will get you to the gym and hyped up for a week. But, commitment is that wedding ring that will drive you to do it again; even when you don’t feel like it.
