I have always been a bigger proponent of struggle. Not struggling just for the sake of struggle. But, to struggle with progress. I often think back to times growing up and seeing how hard the necessary resources were hard to come by. There was always some sort of sacrifice and that really bothered me. I would always ask the question. Why are we always struggling? Shouldn't some of these things come easy. It looks like everyone is succeeding except us!
There was a woman who I went to visit in the hospital one day who told me. "No test, no testimony." Without any struggle there was no progress. There could have been many things that could have transpired to make things easier at the time. But, I would have just become weaker as time progressed.
I often thought about the movies that I liked...they had some struggle included in all of them. There was a hill to climb and there was victory at the end. Life is mandated to have conflict. There needs to be an element to the story that requires us to have some sort of hurdle to clear. I often wondered if people were to see my movie; what would it be like?
I don't think our movie is designed for us to have a silver spoon in our mouths and then go on being that stagnant throughout the rest of life. I want my movie to look like there is something impossible to overcome. I want to see a movie where I would have to live in a dumpster for awhile, eat some food from scraps thrown away, and have people look down on me for a time period. Then, I would want to climb from the bottom and have people inspired to hear and never get tired of my story. I've been homeless. I've washed paper plates in my apartment. I've had ketchup and syrup sandwiches. Those are stories that I keep near and dear to me as I grew up in my early 20's. They were like hell, but I could smile through them. Why? Because I made up in my mind early that I wouldn't stay that way. And I made sure of it! Now that's a movie that I believe anyone would pay money to see. You have a mission. And it might just be to inspire others. The weekend is here and this is where the normal will be celebrated with leisure and drinks. But, there will be those who will make it a work day and keep grinding. Keep pounding.
I find a lot of people don't like to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. But, I believe it sucks. And it should suck. On the flipside of that. I never ran into anyone that was successful because something was easy. The easy thing is clocking in and having someone else tell you what to do on a daily basis. I can't stand having a boss. And whenever I did have a boss...I was taking the initiative of taking MY priorities of work to him/her and there would be no reason for them to be on my back, because I am mission oriented. I have goals, sub-goals, and time hacks.
4:30 when you think about it is just around mid morning. 6AM to be exact. I can remember I used to work in manufacturing and I would get there at 4:30 in the morning. Why? Because, I was the supervisor and there was no way in the world that I would let any of my subordinates tell me where pieces were at and where we were on the production schedule. The normal time to come in was 6:30 and from there the first break was at 9am. There was no way that I would be worth a grain of dirt in production meetings if I didn't have enough information on where pieces were; the status of those scheduled to ship; and how many pieces I got out the door. There was just no way in the world. I was embarrassed in a meeting ONCE. And that's all it took for me to start waking up early.
What I found was astonishing. I was getting to work faster, because there was no traffic. I could walk around the facility at will due to me being one of the few there. My actually work day would be shorter, because I did all of the dirty work early. So I could cruise for the remainder of the day.
The amount of work that I could get done with it being quiet is second to none. I would guarantee that anyone who ever hit the gym early or on a Friday night to explain their experience. It's empty and the quality of work to get done is exponential. There is no way that anyone who has the gym to themselves not have enough time to get the work in. If it's 4 in the afternoon the gym starts to get crowded. And when it's crowded. It backs you up and you have to wait for others to finish sets, etc. That's annoying to me. When my heart rate is pumping I don't want to have a downer by trying to rejuvenate my heart rate.
This method to life works exceptionally well if you are someone who has children. I found that I could never get anything done after 8am. I would have to wait until late night to do entrepreneurial work and then go to work tired as all get out. That didn't last long. And neither will you if you try to go full force everyday. It's just that simple.
Part of the trick is to get to bed early. Taking sleeping pills if you have to. But, get the cycle started now. Forget the fun stuff. You've already done all of that. There is no more time to be wasted. It's time to be a producer and not a consumer. Stop the Netflix and Hulu binging. Save that for days you are breaking. Which shouldn't be anymore than 1 or 2 days a week. Max. Why watch people make money when you could be making it? I never understood that. I know people that have worked numerous hours just to spend it to watch someone else work. With DVR and the social media sites there is no reason that anyone can be out of the loop on what's going on. If you are not ready to kick entertainment to the side. Then, you are not ready. Go with the regular people and make regular money. Check out my friends here on this clip and see what they have to say.
Happy Sunday and I know it’s late, but I just finished reading an amazing book about the Comanche warrior Quanah; in Empire of the Summer Moon. There are really some great books out there that need to be read and I can’t even remember how I came across this one. I’m pretty sure that it was the cover. It had a picture of a Comanche warrior that looked like he was ready to kill and take over any white men that wanted to step to his tribe. I read this thing in a week and leisurely reading for me that is fast! I usually leave all of my intense reading back to my days in grad school, but this was definitely grad school reading material. Not only could it have been a history text book on the American West it also told a great story that kept me interested.
So Ahmad, what the hell does this have to do with me? Well, I’m glad you asked! Most days are spent watching television by most Americans and all we ever do is listen to cable news or sports stations babble about how in some crazy way they are an expert on the government shutdown or the next Super Bowl winner. In other words, they exercise their minds to twist some angle to justify their stupidity of consciousness. They crazy thing is we watch it everyday! Yes we are all suckers for the same thing and the producers know it. It’s our crack!
With this knowledge I took the opportunity to do something new this final quarter of the year. I plan on reading 50 books. Not just some comics, but 50 real books. As a writer it is a rule of thumb that we all read four to five times more than we write in order to stay sharp. And it works! Reading just makes you smarter. It stirs creativity, expands vocabulary, and creates new ways of wanting to live. I can’t explain the feeling of turning on the Easy Listening station on Pandora and sitting back with a great book to read. It really does slow down the rest of the world and really makes you feel a sense of accomplishment once completed. How much better can life get? So the next book I have on the list is The Red Rooster by Michael Wallace. Nothing like a great thriller novel to read.
But all in all, get your brain turned up. We only get one and it’s one of the best ways to keep yourself sharp into your older years. Happy Reading and see you next Monday.
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.
