About this episode
How is your week going so far? Are you attacking your goals or are you dealing with the same old issues? Are you feeling like you are on track or do you feel stuck? I am finding more often than not that most people are cycling through the same problems. …and these problems are almost entirely struggles with the mind. Sure there are challenges and obstacles in life, but most of them involve our mind or perspective. So…I want to focus today a little on Hacks for the Mind…because I feel like the DAILY battle with your mind is the BATTLE you must win if you are going to live your best life. Recently, I've had to deal with some super challenging situations and I’ve found myself looking to my mentors and lessons learned for advice, counsel and answers. So, I’d like to share some of those with you… When I’m starting to struggle a bit there are certain mentors I go straight to based on what I know helps ME cope and get on top of the situations in my life…David Goggins is right on top of the list so let’s start with him today… David Goggins is well known for his ability to push past the normal limits of his body and the average person. David says that most people live 40% of their best life. In other words most people quit at 40%. They quit their relationships, their businesses, their fitness goals, and everything else they do. He says it's like a car with a governor which limits the speed you can drive. The car can certainly go faster…and if you are in my car, it definitely likes to go fast…lol But, the governor is added to slow the car down. No matter how much you try it won’t go above a certain set speed. This is what our brains are doing to us when we start to encounter difficulty in our lives. Our brains are designed to keep us safe, comfortable, out of difficult situations, so it sends us signals that make us want to quit and slow down or walk away from a challenge. The problem is that usually our minds quit at about 40% of our potential. I find this really crazy because our minds really are our greatest tool…but you start to realize that they are also our greatest weakness. And to make it worse, our minds know all of our dang weaknesses and have the language that it knows will make us slow down, doubt our abilities, create fear and basically make us quit. Your mind knows you better than anyone or anything in your life….But guess what… Believe it or not…YOU CONTROL YOUR MIND…You are the driver of this incredible tool. You are not your mind. You are the driver of your mind. The key is to NOT let go of the steering wheel. That's what most of us do. We let our minds do what they want and shut us down. And when you let go of the wheel and let your mind wander enough times, you form the habits of giving up, being lazy, “settling for less”, and ultimately a mediocre life…at 40%…you start to coast through life. How many of you feel like you might be just “going through the motions right now?”…waiting for a break in the storm…waiting for something to change…waiting for answers?…Well you are the answer. You have the answers inside you... So, why does this happen? Why do we settle and give up on our relationships, business, and all types of things in life? Basically, it's because we crave comfort and many times don’t see solutions to fix the problems so we quit. But, this is when we need to look to give ourselves the most hope. Because you do have the answers. The solutions lie on the other side of quitting…on the other side of the 40% mark. See the key is to do what prosperity Principle # 3 says… ACT IN SPITE OF YOUR MOOD. None of us wants to get up and go to the gym… None of us want to set feelings and ego aside and work through challenging relationships None of us want to get to work building our business after a long day at the J O B or dealing with life issues. But the truth is it's only at the 40% level that David Goggins says we can truly create new habits and find real solutions. It's at that point that the brain learns to become creative…not before. You see your best life lies inside the pain and past your comfort zone…past the 40% mark. Your solutions will only come to you WHEN you are “experiencing” the difficulties. The brain (your mind) is very resourceful, but it is also very tricky. It knows your weaknesses. It steers you toward comfort. “Go back to bed. Start Monday instead of today. Give up and find a better opportunity, relationship, business, or gameplan.” When you tell yourself you are going to quit at that 40% level…your brain shuts down. It wants to shut down. It wants the easy way out. But don't let it control you. You control your mind... This is when you need to tell yourself that “I am never going to stop or give up”. Tell yourself that you have no choice but to succeed and your brain will go to work finding a solution to what you are dealing with. It will look for the answers and help you be creative. Eric Thomas says…when you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe…that’s when you will be successful. Stop worrying about finding solutions to the problem and start focusing on never giving up. This is going to be a daily battle with your mind. You can develop habits, but just accept the fact that you will be battling your mind throughout your life…make it a challenge. make it a game. And this is where it will become productive…become fun…become fulfilling…become success. You see we have been searching most of our lives for happiness and fulfilment in the wrong place. We spend our lives wanting happiness, but looking for it in places of comfort and easy paths. I know I have... Goggins continually emphasizes that you won't find toughness, resilience and fulfilment in a comfortable environment. This is why he challenges himself every single day. He looks forward to being uncomfortable because that is where you will find your greatness and the greatest rewards in life…in the difficulties. Learn to love to challenge yourself. Science has shown us that you get small dopamine hits even with small accomplishments. -overcoming a challenge -losing a few pounds -not giving up on that business or relationship You don’t need to get to the end goal to actually experience the fulfilling emotions…the dopamine hit that you and your brain desire… Victory lies inside the smallest of steps…the smallest of accomplishments… You will truly experience your best life and emotions by simply choosing to place yourself inside the battle. Place yourself inside DISCOMFORT. Let yourself get past the 40% mark where most people quit, cause that is where your greatness lies. Let me suggest some ways you can help yourself get to this point and beyond: -visualize what lies inside or beyond the battle -learn to disconnect from external needs for fulfilment…the fulfillment emotions are already inside you. -know that the most fulfilment truly comes from the emotions you experience in the little moments of victory…THIS IS WHY WE SAY ITS THE “LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE that count" -visualize with clear and specific EMOTIONS…try this -learn and discover what motivates you (music, pictures, objects, emotions) -find a person or thing that drives you with something to prove -use past failures to DRIVE yourself Just remember “one more rep”…that's a perfect example of being at the 40% mark and pushing through to your greatness. Ed Mylett…new book…the principle of “one more” Also, you have to realize that you do not have to have a trainer, coach, or specific tools. You have all the tools inside you right now. Your mind creates most problems and has the power and tools to overcome those problems. I’ve spent most of my life searching for fulfilment, happiness and joy in the rewards and successes. What I’ve learned is that ultimately we are all just seeking the emotions that these accomplishments or things will give us. The secret is that we can experience those same emotions right now. In the moment. In overcoming small challenges…not just end goals…you’ve already experienced happiness in your life…visualization and small wins will bring those same emotions back into your life right now. Learn to live beyond the 40% Learn to live in the gaps most people avoid Learn to never quit on your relationships, business, fitness goals and desires Learn to value the daily battle with your mind See it as an exercise in uncovering your greatness… Look forward to the battle because it will bring you the happiness and fulfilment you desire. Find ways to challenge yourself daily so that you can ultimately live the life you are capable of living…Push past the 40% mark. Your Brain will find the tools to solve your problems Yes, Your Thoughts Create Your Life…Yes, You are the One Who Steers the Ship…Your Mind. Start Today to Challenge Yourself to become the Best Version of Yourself. Learn to love LIVING inside UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS. And as David Goggins Says….STAY HARD