Tag: Arnold Schwarzenegger
BE USELESS: SEVEN TOOLS FOR FAILURE
A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new book Be Useful: 7 Tools For Life.
What I’m about to write is by no means a parody of that work. In fact, I thought the book was good and Arnold Schwarzenegger has consistently been one of my greatest inspirations. (You can read my appraisal of his unique mindset by clicking here).
However, after reading his book, I had an idea.
What if, instead of giving positive life advice, I was to create a list of 7 things you should do if you want to fail?
Why would anyone want to fail, you may ask?
Of course, nobody does. However, if by reading the following list, you become aware of what will cause you to fail then it’ll be an important addition to the powerful advice in Arnold’s book.
So, without further ado, here are the 7 tools for failure.
1. Doubt Yourself
When you’ve got your sights set on failure, nothing helps you achieve this objective quite like being unsure of yourself and what you’re doing.
I used to doubt myself all the time.
Initially, I didn’t think I could make it as a writer. All I heard were stories of it being virtually impossible to become a published author or make money from selling books.
As a result, I thought you had to be born with exceptional talent to succeed and doubted my skills, experience and ideas would be good enough.
The outcome of this self-doubt?
I wasted 5 years of my life procrastinating over a book idea I was passionate about but too scared to pursue.
The self-doubt virus also spread to my work as a hypnotherapist.
I qualified at the age of 24 and started seeing clients at 25.
As a new hypnotherapist, I doubted my ability, believing I was too young for older clients to take seriously.
The outcome of this doubt?
I created a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a job where confidence is everything, my lack of it was abundantly clear and few clients came back for a second session (unlike today).
Self-doubt completely stunted my professional and personal development and it’ll do the same to you.
Far better to back yourself in every situation, even to the point of being slightly delusional, than sabotage yourself with timidity.
2. Overthink Everything
When aiming to fail, it’s always best to paralyse yourself with endless thoughts about what you should do.
When I began my career as a writer, back in 2012, sales were slow.
It took well over a year to sell the first 100 copies of my book which, at the time, was called Screw The System.
Looking to give my flagging sales a boost, I bought a course on how to sell books on Amazon. In this course, the creator stressed the importance of a book’s title. Along with the cover, these were the two most important factors when it came to book sales.
So, I got it into my head that Screw The System wasn’t a good title for a self-help book. However, rather than immediately changing the title, I spent two years thinking over the options and wondering whether I should take this step (eventually changing the title to Escape The System in 2015).
Can you see the problem here?
I wasted an inordinate amount of time deliberating over the change. I would frequently engage in mental debates where I went backwards and forwards over the pros and cons of each option. However, rather than provide clarity, this just left me more confused.
This experience reveals one of the most perverse laws regarding the way in which our minds operate.
The more you think about something, the more confused you’ll become.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Clarity is gained through having an idea, briefly considering it and then putting it to the test.
The world will then tell you whether you were wrong or right (and if you were wrong, you can always correct your mistake).
Think fast, act fast.
3. Stay In Your Comfort Zone
If you want to fail, you should allow fear to stop you from doing anything that feels uncomfortable.
I once had a hypnotherapy client who allowed anxiety to dominate her life.
I tried to explain that testing the limits of her comfort zone would enable her to adapt to new experiences and cause the anxiety to subside once she became accustomed to the change.
She wasn’t having any of it.
She believed in the importance of her fears and listened to them all the time. As a result, as time went on, there was less and less she could do (as virtually everything became out of her comfort zone).
It got to the point where she struggled to go on holiday, couldn’t contact organisations that might offer help (for fear of rejection) and even struggled to read her favourite books (in case she lost the enjoyment of reading which was one of her few dwindling pleasures in life).
Don’t stay in your comfort zone if you want to succeed.
Instead, understand that by frequently facing your fears, you enlarge your comfort zone until there are few environments in which you can’t operate.
4. Think Like Everyone Else
Technically, this isn’t a tool for failure (more a tool for mediocrity). Think like everyone else and you can still enjoy a secure and comfortable life. However, if you aspire to live an extraordinary, or authentic, life, then being mediocre might classify as a failure.
Michael Jackson once said, “We can fly, you know. We just don’t know how to think the right thoughts and levitate off the ground.”
Crazy, right?
Maybe.
However, it’s exactly this type of thinking that led him to create the greatest selling album of all time.
Michael Jackson didn’t think like other people. He lived in a realm where anything was possible. When other musicians and industry insiders told him to expect Thriller to do roughly the same as his previous album, Off The Wall, he ignored their input.
His horizons were broader and this enabled him to conceive of an album (and everything that went with it – music videos, performances etc) that EVERYBODY would have to own.
This is what can happen when you have “unrealistic” expectations. You give your subconscious the permission to find answers and solutions that nobody else will look for, and it responds.
So, keep thinking like everyone else if you want a relatively easy, relatively dull, life. Don’t you dare think big or have any grandiose dreams.
5. Give Free Reign To Your Impulses
If you want to fail on achieving your goals, give in to your impulsive feelings.
Lacking the motivation to work on your new business when you get home from your regular job? Then just binge watch a Netflix series for a couple of hours.
Experiencing chocolate cravings a few hours before your evening meal? Give in to them and have a snack.
A client annoys you over what could be a misunderstanding? Express your anger and lose their business.
Controlling your impulses won’t come naturally. They’ll scream to be acknowledged and acted upon. However, this is what weak people do.
In most cases, you must resist the almost overwhelming urge to do as your body tells you. In time, you’ll master your base desires and achieve a tremendous sense of peace.
In As A Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”
Don’t give in to your impulses.
6. Attempt To Control Every Outcome
If you want to fail again and again, then try to force through whatever it is you want to achieve.
You don’t win in life by being a dosser. Success or love or wealth isn’t going to fall into your lap. You’ll have to work for it and you’ll have to exert effort.
That being said, attempting to force your body, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your clients or the market to do what you desire, can be as futile as doing nothing at all.
You’ve got to get the balance right.
The person who micro manages every scenario and fusses over the tinniest details isn’t displaying confidence in their ability to succeed. In fact, it’s the opposite. Underneath their controlling behaviour is a deep-seated fear they’ll fail.
The people who can let go of their need to control are those ones who believe in themselves and their chances for success. They KNOW that they’re good enough and, as a result, don’t need to worry about individual dominoes falling into place.
7. Blame External Factors For Your Situation
If you want to remain stuck in life, blame everybody, and everything, for your misfortunes.
External factors are always going to exist and yes, they do, sometimes, prevent you from achieving your aim. However, if you take a deep enough look at yourself and your actions, over the span of decades, you’ll be able to identify a moment where you caused the failure or misfortune you’re currently experiencing.
In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals, Michael Jordan was struck down with flu-like symptoms. Completely drained, he looked lost during the first quarter.
At this point, he had every reason to sit out the rest of the game.
However, despite feeling like shit, he battled on to score 38 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, helping his team win.
How did he play on when most people would have blamed external factors and accepted defeat?
Being able say, “Well, I could have won it/done it if it wasn’t for X,” didn’t give him any solace.
HE HAD TO WIN.
Reach this level of determination and there’s no external factor that can stop you.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
A REQUEST
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THE ONLY 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE AN “IMPOSSIBLE” DREAM
Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2002, I had a dream of becoming a published author.
I wanted to write a self-help book. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of personal transformation and thought it would be amazing if I could inspire other people to change their lives.
At the time, though, I was a clueless university graduate who’d just returned home to his parents’ house. I didn’t have any experience writing books, I didn’t know anyone in the industry and when I checked the Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook, it said that almost all publishing companies didn’t accept unsolicited submissions.
Not a great start.
Compounding my doubt, and crushing my motivation even further, were the comments I received from the people I talked to.
- My parents told me I should look at mainstream careers as it was highly unlikely I’d ever get a publishing deal.
- A friend, who’d just started working for a major publishing company, told me about the massive number of submissions they received and the almost equally massive number of rejections these garnered.
- A published self-help author, who I’d been introduced to, outright told me there was no money to be made selling books and that it was impossible to support yourself through writing alone.
As you can imagine, all of these comments had a negative impact on my mindset.
I started to believe that my dream was impossible.
As a result, for the next 5 years, I did nothing (or, at least nothing related to working on my dream). However, in 2007, after the breakup of a newly formed relationships, I decided I needed something to bring me back to life.
So, I began writing my self-help book.
The Long Road To Success
At first, progress was slow.
It took me four and half years and four re-writes to finally have a manuscript worthy of public consumption.
After contacting an agent, and being rejected – thereby having my negative beliefs about getting a publishing deal confirmed – I decided I wouldn’t waste any more time following the traditional route.
Instead, I’d use the relatively new technology of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and upload my book onto Amazon.
It took a year and 3 months to sell the first 100 copies.
It took a further 5 years to reach my first one thousandth copy sold.
My progress was slow and, baring some great feedback from readers, there wasn’t much in my publishing experience to indicate that the naysayers were wrong.
However, in 2017, I attended a YesGroup (a personal development group inspired by the teachings of Tony Robbins) meeting in London. At this meeting, an author called Brett Moran took to the stage and gave a great speech.
Afterwards, I bought his book, chatted to him and then went home.
After reading the book, I noticed he had a UK publisher and emailed him to ask if he wouldn’t mind sharing his contact.
Graciously, he agreed and I got in touch with someone at Watkins Media.
My first offering to them was Escape The System. It got rejected (although with seemingly genuine praise which made me think it would be worth contacting them again once I’d written another book).
That I did, the following year and, to my total surprise, they liked my book and offered me a publishing deal.
Fast forward to 2020 and my book, Do The Work You Love, was published. A dream, which everyone had told me was impossible to achieve, came true.
What I Learned From My Experience
Getting my book published taught me a powerful yet surprising lesson.
Achieving your dreams is easier than you think.
In fact, I believe you have a 66% chance of being successful (watch this video to discover how I came to this conclusion).
There are only 3 things that you need to do (irrespective of what your dream might be).
They are . . .
1. Take Action
You may have thought that the competition for whatever you want to do is vast. So vast, in fact, that it’s not even worth trying.
Let me tell you a little secret.
SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!
What does that mean?
That 90% of your competition isn’t even going to take the first step to realising their dream. They’re going to believe the statements seen in the picture below, keep working their regular jobs and spend their evenings sitting on the sofa watching their favourite Netflix series.
All you have to do to put yourself ahead of 90% of the competition is take action.
- Set up your website.
- Go on that training course.
- Write the first 10,000 words of your book.
- Find a mentor.
- Create your first product.
Don’t underestimate how powerful these actions are.
Take a look at the picture below.
These are the sales rankings for my book The Rebel Code on Amazon US. It’s actually a bad sales day. Usually, I’d be floating around the 100,000 ranking and then much higher in the categories related to my genre.
However, even on a bad day, you can see that I’m inside the top 1000 motivational authors in the world.
How did I get there?
There’s nothing particularly special about me and I have no outstanding talents (otherwise I wouldn’t have to work SO damn hard for my success).
I simply took action. Again and again and again.
And while this step won’t win you the race, it will put you in the race (and that’s a lot further than most people ever get).
2. Learn From Your Failures
While achieving your dream is easier than you think, it’s not easy.
You’re going to fail (many times). That’s guaranteed.
Failure is tough and it affects us on many levels.
First, it’s embarrassing. No one wants to be seen falling short of the mark, especially if they’ve told the people around them what they plan to do.
Failure is also depressing. Forget the public embarrassment, the private defeat can be even worse. You worked so hard, dotted every i and crossed every t and yet, it still wasn’t good enough. This can weigh heavily on your soul, causing you to consider giving up.
Finally, and perhaps worst of all, our failures can appear to be proof that our dreams are impossible to achieve. What could be clearer? You tried and it didn’t work out. The naysayers were right.
This is the way most people understand failure. However, you can’t be like most people.
Instead, you have to view failure as an opportunity to learn.
Every time you fail, ask yourself these questions.
- Why did I fail?
- What can I do differently to achieve success?
Take the lessons on board and then bounce back stronger.
What does this mean?
As mentioned, your failures can take an emotional toll. It’s understandable you feel depressed in the aftermath of a crushing defeat.
However, you must become an expert in allowing this feeling to fade away as quickly as possible and then bringing even more energy to your work the next time you try.
- Be more dynamic
- Be more inspired
- Be more positive
This, combined with the knowledge gained from your prior defeat, will enable you to breakthrough and reach the next level.
3. Find A Way To Support Yourself While Working On Your Dream
Let me present you with a couple of likely scenarios for why you, or anyone else, might give up on their dream.
- You save up a sum of money to support yourself for a year. You then quit your job and give yourself 12 months to succeed at your dream. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out. So, a year later, scared that you’re going to run out of money, you get a similar job to the one you had before. You give up on your dream, telling yourself that you gave it a good shot but that it was impossible to achieve.
- You spend 5 years trying to achieve your dream. A little bit of progress is made but you don’t get anywhere near being able to support yourself through this project alone. So, rationalising that any sane person would stop after such a lengthy period of time, you give up.
Both of these scenarios are reasonable, right?
Perhaps.
However, they’re unnecessary.
YOU DON’T NEED TO GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM SO LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP FUNDING YOURSELF.
Plus, by continuing, you give yourself almost unlimited opportunities to succeed.
There are many ways to fund your dream.
- I use tennis coaching and hypnotherapy as a platform to support my writing ambitions. These occupations are reasonably well-paid and allow me the flexibility to set my own schedule.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger used appearance fees as a bodybuilder, running a construction company and real estate investments to support himself while aiming to become a Hollywood actor (it took him 7 long years but, because he could provide for himself, there was no need to give up).
- You might use freelancing, consultancy work, side hustling or working part-time/less hours in your current job.
Whatever the case, you must keep 10 to 25 hours a week free to work on your dream. Do this, and you can go on and on in your quest.
Then, with enough time, action taken and lessons learned from your defeats, you WILL succeed.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
A REQUEST
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Photo by Martin Wyall on Unsplash
FORGET GOALS; HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD GET A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
You’ve probably already set your goals for 2024.
Perhaps you’ve even failed some of them.
Fear not, though, because there’s an even more powerful tool you can use to create the life of your dreams.
CREATING A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
Where are you now? What’s your current life situation – your environment, your relationships, your job, your health and finances?
This is your reality. Your day-to-day life and everything around you are the sum total of your decisions, beliefs, actions and thoughts (of course, your life will also have been impacted by the environment you were born into).
At times, it may feel like this reality confines and limits you, but it doesn’t. Even if it feels like you’ve been living the same reality for years, there’s something you need to know.
Your life CAN change. However, a big part of changing your reality is knowing what you want to move towards.
You must know the answer to the following questions.
How do you want your life to be?
Where would you like to live? What do you want to do each day? Who do you want to spend time with? Would you like to travel? What impact would you like to have with your life?
Now, sprinkle in a little destiny.
What were you born to do? Why is your uniqueness needed?
Answer all of these questions, without notions of what society considers possible or acceptable, and you have your vision.
Now test it.
Is there an emotional draw?
When you close your eyes and conjure up images of how you want your life to be, do feelings of love, inspiration and freedom occur? Does it feel like home?
If you can’t access these emotions then your vision isn’t compelling enough.
Go back to the drawing board.
Answer the above questions again but make sure you’re not limiting yourself in any way.
Remember, the negative energy of society is going to influence you to think so much is impossible. Furthermore, living what society considers a “good life” might not be enough to inspire you.
Break free from conditioned thought. Connect with your heart. Even if it’s telling you to create the first human colony on Mars, go with it. (Elon Musk doesn’t limit his thinking).
Also, be prepared to take your time.
You might have to revisit this exercise on a regular basis and refine your vision until you’ve created something really compelling.
What next?
TRAVELLING WITHIN
Now that you have a vision for how you want your life to be, you need to understand how your reality will change.
The Secret, or some people’s misinterpretation of how the book/film works, has garnered a lot of criticism for the law of attraction and visualisation.
Because thinking about your desire DOES NOT cause the immediate manifestation of your thought, many people dismiss the idea that a vision can change their reality.
On a surface level, these people may be right but how long have they persisted with their visualisation?
Have they contemplated their vision, not just in passing moments, but for every day of their life, for months, years and even decades?
It’s unlikely, because if they did, they might find that something incredible occurred.
James Allen explains it best in his book As A Man Thinketh. He writes,
The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities . . .
Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive and Ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without . . . Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal.
Pay close attention to this sentence, “You cannot travel within and stand still without.” Assimilating your vision (through constant contemplation), changes you at a fundamental level (you “travel within”).
As a result, you show up in the world as a different person. This more motivated, confident, charismatic version of yourself, with greater clarity of purpose, receives a different reaction from his or her environment. Doors that were once closed will now open. Ideas that were once ignored will now be embraced.
The world will react differently to you (you travel without) because, through becoming one with your vision, you have changed.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S VISION
To help you in this process, I thought you might benefit from an example.
Recently, I’ve been reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, Be Useful: 7 Tools For Life. Arnold’s first rule is (and seemingly the most important), “Have A Clear Vision.”
At every stage in his remarkable life, Arnold had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. The following example highlights his vision for becoming a champion bodybuilder. Use it as guidance for creating your own.
When I fell in love with bodybuilding, I didn’t have vague hopes of becoming a champion. I had a very specific vision of it, borrowed from the pictures inside of muscle magazines of guys like Reg Park celebrating their victories. I could see myself on the top step of the winners’ podium holding a trophy. I could see the other competitors on the lower steps looking up at me enviously, but also in awe. I could see their tight smiles, I could even see the colors of their posing briefs. I could see the judges standing and applauding. I could see the crowd going wild and chanting my name. “Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!” This wasn’t a fantasy. This was a memory that just hadn’t happened yet. That’s what it felt like to me.
There are a few things you can take from Arnold’s vision.
First, notice the detail. Arnold created an in-depth scenario which he returned to, again and again, in his mind. Small details like the colour of his opponents posing briefs were included, making the vision more real.
Also, notice where he found the inspiration for this vision. This wasn’t something created entirely in his imagination. He leaned on the pages of muscle magazines to prime his imaginative motor.
You can do the same.
Use something real to base your vision upon.
Below, you can see two images I’ve used to help create my vision.
This first is a tiny photo given to me by someone who was at the 2008 Wimbledon Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Often referred to as the greatest match in tennis history, it saw Nadal emerge out of the shadow of Federer to win his first ever non-clay court grand slam (and become world number 1 soon after).
As a Nadal fan, this represents the ultimate moment of triumph. He’s collapsed, exhausted but victorious, having played his heart out (I know the picture isn’t easy to see but the white mass is Nadal, the white line is the baseline of the court and his racket is about 10 foot below his feet).
Although I gave up on my tennis dreams decades ago, this moment of triumph resonates deeply.
In my mind, I’ll have a similar experience once I’ve sold the millionth copy of my books. I can imagine myself emotional, collapsed and elated that a journey which has taken me so long, and for which I’ve fought so hard, has finally come to an end.
The second image is from a Christmas card I received many years ago.
It resonates with me because it evokes feelings of a warm, loving home and family. I don’t know if I’d describe it as my dream home but the environment is certainly one I want to create, and live in.
These images are powerful to me. They helped me create a vision in my mind that is full of triumph, love and meaning.
OVER TO YOU
You should now create your own vision.
Remember, visions are visual, so use whatever stimulus and inspiration you can find.
Some people like to create a vision board. If this works for you, use it.
Whatever you do, make sure your vision feels real.
Take note of what Arnold Schwarzenegger writes. He describes his vision as, “a memory that just hadn’t happened yet.”
This isn’t a fantasy.
Some physicists theorise that everything that has ever happened is occurring right now, just in a different dimension.
Treat your vision the same.
It has happened.
It will happen.
Of course, you can always settle for the alternative and dismiss the idea of creating a vision for your life.
Treat it as pseudo-scientific, new age nonsense and just allow yourself to be guided by the society you live in.
Do that, though, and it’s quite certain where you’ll end up. In the words of Tony Gaskins Jr, “If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will hire you to help build theirs.”
Visions are more than just the musings of an overactive imagination.
They provide direction.
If you know what your life is about, and where you’re headed, you won’t fall for lesser goals or settle for anything less than the full expression of what you could be.
Stay true to your vision.
Stay true to yourself.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
A REQUEST
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Photo by Rahul Bhosale on Unsplash
BE MORE ARNOLD: 7 THINGS TO EMULATE FROM ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
First, the numbers.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has won 7 Mr. Olympia titles (the most coveted title in bodybuilding).
Movies that Arnold has acted in (of which there are over 40), have grossed a total $4.5 billion worldwide and, at one time, he was the highest paid actor in Hollywood, commanding $20 to $30 million per movie.
In 2003, despite being born in Austria and only becoming a US citizen in his 30s, Arnold was elected Governor of the state of California and then re-elected in 2006.
His net worth stands at around $450 million.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most successful people on the planet.
Furthermore, this success HASN’T come to him through luck.
Arnold clearly has a formula. There’s something about his mentality and attitude that has enabled him to succeed in three different disciplines, making him a perfect example to emulate for those desiring extraordinary success.
There are few better resources for this study than the recently released Netflix documentary, Arnold. Over the course of 3, hour-long episodes, Arnold discusses his life story and shares insights into his winning philosophy.
You could watch the documentary (and I thoroughly recommend it – for entertainment purposes as well). However, if you want the cheat sheet on becoming more like Arnold, then just read below.
Here are 7 ways you can emulate Arnold Schwarzenegger and win in life (all material taken from the Netflix documentary).
1. SEE YOURSELF WINNING
One of the most frequently repeated themes throughout the documentary is Arnold’s ability to visualise.
In the first episode, while talking about his early years as a bodybuilder, he says,
I saw my career in front of me. I saw myself on that Mr. Universe stage . . . and stand there with the trophy, and flex my muscles and I saw the thousands of people in the theatre screaming, “Arnold! Arnold!” It’s not a fantasy, it’s not a dream . . .you have to have a clear vision. And when you visualise something clearly, you believe 100% you can get there.
The message is clear.
DON’T HAVE A LAZY MIND.
Whether working out, or auditioning for a movie role, Arnold always visualised himself achieving the outcomes he desired. He understood the power of the mind/body connection and so should you.
Use every opportunity you have to visualise yourself succeeding and make note of the mini-goals you achieve along the way (Arnold mentions how, in the Athletik Union Graz – his first gym – he would mark on a blackboard every set he completed while working out).
2. IGNORE THE NAYSAYERS
Arnold doesn’t react like most people when an authority figure tells him he’ll fail. In fact, he seems to take a perverse delight in being told something can’t be done.
In the third episode, he says, “But the more someone says, ‘You can’t,’ or, ‘this is impossible,’ the more excited I get over it.”
Throughout his life, plenty of people have told Arnold “no.” The Austrian Army told him he couldn’t compete in the 1965 Junior Mr. Europe so he went AWOL and won. In the 1970s, Hollywood agents told him that it would be impossible for a 230-pound man with an unpronounceable name, and a thick accent, to ever be a movie star yet he went on to become one of the industry’s leading men.
Who’s telling you “it can’t be done” at the moment?
Irrespective or their power or status, perhaps you SHOULDN’T listen to them.
3. USE SUFFERING TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Arnold had a tough upbringing. He grew up poor and in a sometimes-abusive home.
This led his older brother, Meinhard, to become an alcoholic. Tragically, Meinhard died aged 25 after driving under the influence and crashing into a telephone poll.
While reflecting on this loss Arnold remarks, “The very thing that made me who I am today is the very thing that destroyed him.”
Meinhard was broken by the suffering he endured. For Arnold, it made him train harder at the gym and fight through the misery of being on his own in foreign countries. He rationalised that anything was better than where he came from and this gave him the fire to succeed.
How do you feel about your past? How unpleasant are your present circumstances?
They may, or may have been, incredibly tough. However, you have a choice over how you’re going to interpret these circumstances.
Are they going to be the thing that breaks you? Or, are they going to be motivation for never experiencing something similar again?
4. DETACH FROM YOUR EMOTIONS
In the second episode, Arnold declares, “As soon as my emotions bother my training, I switch them off.”
This seems radical. In today’s world we’re told to express our emotions and feel justified in being outraged and anxious.
Arnold doesn’t agree. He says that,
When you are a person that has always a goal . . .the less time you have to think about, “How do I feel today? Am I depressed today? Do I feel sorry for myself? Have I become a victim? Oh my God, I feel so bad about myself.” I don’t have time for this crap. A lot times it’s people they don’t work enough. If you’re busy all the time, you don’t have time to think about this stuff.
I’ve witnessed hypnotherapy clients of mine become so overwhelmed, and engaged, in their anxieties that it completely shuts them down. And, while Arnold’s approach is a little extreme, there’s something to be said for not allowing your emotions to rule your life.
A focused mind, with a clear and meaningful goal to work towards, is likely two thirds of the cure for prolonged depression and sadness.
Don’t allow yourself to be sabotaged by the vagaries of how you feel.
5. PROMOTE YOURSELF
One of Arnold’s favourite quotes comes from media mogul, Ted Turner, who famously said, “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”
This is Arnold’s mantra. He was never shy about promoting himself, his movies or campaigning for office. While talking about his movie career he says,
You have to be involved yourself, you have to go in there and say, “here’s why you should see this movie.” It doesn’t matter if the other stars say no because they’re spoiled brats . . . We have to sell everything. No matter what you do in life, you have to sell it.
Arnold makes a great point. Don’t expect your work to sell itself. It probably won’t. Instead, be ready to meet as many people as possible, talk about what you do when appropriate and make your work seem appealing to others.
Arnold highlights one method for doing this during the second episode. He talks about using the schmae (a German word that roughly translates to “bullshit”).
In the 1977 documentary, Pumping Iron, he told the audience that getting a pump at the gym was as satisfying as orgasming during sex. We then see him during the 90’s, bragging about his cigar smoking, claiming he can do it wherever he likes and that he answers to no one.
He’s being brash and outrageous, courting attention yet doing it in a way that’s playful rather than offensive.
Can you do something similar? Can you exaggerate elements of your personality to get people to notice you and your work?
6. TURN YOUR WORK INTO FUN
Daniel Zingale, a senior advisor to Arnold while he was Governor of California, was amazed at his capacity to enjoy what was a very serious and demanding role. He noted,
Another big difference between Schwarzenegger and the other governors I’ve known is how much joy he got from the job. And the “happy warrior” approach has a way of lifting up staff and lifting up the state.
It wasn’t just his work as a governor where Arnold exuded positivity. Despite having to put his body through gruelling, sometimes 5-hour long workouts during his 20s, he always had a smile on his face when in the gym.
Arnold insists that work should be fun and remarks, “Most people don’t know that. They worry and they work and they worry and they work. Where’s the fun?”
Can you change your attitude to your work?
Can you either find a way to make it more fun, or connect with the deeper meaning of your job so it’s no longer a chore?
Adopting this mindset can’t help but have an uplifting impact on those around you.
7. LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH ANYONE
Perhaps the most surprising part of the documentary comes right at the end when Arnold remarks, “You can call me Arnie, you can call me snitzy, you can call me kraut, but don’t call me a self-made man, because I’m not.”
This is an astonishing revelation from someone who’s thought of as the uber example of a self-made man. However, as Arnold reels off a long list of people who’ve contributed to his success, you understand this status is a myth.
You then discover that one of Arnold’s greatest strengths is his ability to work with anyone.
While governor of California, he hired Sarah Kennedy (a Democrat) to work as his Chief of Staff (Arnold is a Republican). He also formed an allegiance with Democrat RFK Jr.
Arnold brings people together and doesn’t understand the concept of having enemies.
What about you?
Are you holding onto grudges, or prejudices, that are preventing you from working with people who could be significant to your success?
Let them go.
If Arnold, supposedly a man with one of the largest egos on the planet, can set aside petty differences for the greater good, then so can you.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
(Image Gage Skidmore flickr.com)
Use These 4 Laws By Robert Greene To 10X Your Following
I first read Robert Greene’s 48 Laws Of Power back in 2021. After reading it, I was, in equal parts, fascinated and shocked.
There’s no doubt that Greene has written a masterpiece. Deep thought and extensive research has gone into this work. Robert Green’s insights into what it takes to attain power are razor sharp, revealing how famous figures from the past were able to climb the greasy ladder and exert their influence on those beneath them.
But so what?
Does possessing power equate to living a good life or becoming a good person?
Probably not.
Instead of making friends, you’ll acquire people you can use. Instead of living a carefree, happy life, you’ll constantly be looking over your shoulder and worrying about whether someone is going to take your spot.
That was my initial opinion of the 48 Laws Of Power. However, with time, a deeper appreciation of the book has grown.
I’m now able to separate some of the more morally questionable laws from the outstanding insights into human nature.
Furthermore, after dipping back into the book for the second time, I’ve noticed how useful it is for creators (writers, youtubers, entrepreneurs, coaches, singers, musicians, influencers) who are aiming to build an audience for their work.
There are 4 laws in particular, which I’ll reveal and explain below, that provide you with all the information you need to grow your following to the level where you can get paid to do the work you love.
Study them carefully and incorporate them into your business and life.
LAW 6: COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COSTS
Stand out. Make yourself a magnet for attention by appearing larger, more colourful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.
– Robert Greene
Robert Greene believes there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Any kind of attention, whether negative or positive, is better than being ignored.
To make this point, he uses the example of 19th century showman PT Barnum. Barnum used to write scathing, anonymous attacks on his own circus show and then submit them to the local papers.
Why?
Barnum understood the importance of getting attention. Even if his circus was being decried, IT WAS IN THE PAPER. That’s all that mattered. People’s curiosity would be piqued by reports of the outrageous acts and want to see if the show was as crass as it was portrayed.
How can YOU gain attention for your books, music, YouTube channel, podcast or product?
Greene offers an interesting insight.
He suggests that something about your style of dress, or a personality quirk, or a catchphrase, should be affected and enhanced.
Some quick examples spring to mind.
- Michael Jackson – white socks, black shoes. Single white glove.
- WWE Wrestler The Rock (before he became a Hollywood actor) – catchphrase “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger – huge muscles, unusual accent.
- Jordan Peterson – always immaculately dressed, sometimes completing his look with a bow tie.
- Andrew Tate – smoking cigars, driving fast cars and calling ordinary people “brokies.”
The thought of copying one of these approaches may seem daunting but that’s the point. As Greene writes, you have to appear larger and more colourful than the “bland and timid masses.”
Of course, don’t do this in a cringey way. You’re not going to don an eye patch unless you run YouTube channel that focuses on 17th century pirates.
Instead, listen to Greene’s guidance,
Society craves larger than life figures, people who stand above the general mediocrity. Never be afraid, then, of the qualities that set you apart and draw attention to you.
Adherence to this law is about having the courage to be yourself. In a society where we’re always being told to play it safe and “fit in,” you must be brave enough to let the world see who you really are.
Accentuate your quirks. Give free reign to your individuality through your dress, the things you say and the way you behave. Not only will you gain attention, you’ll enjoy the freedom gained from being authentic.
LAW 13: WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE
Robert Greene points out that, “In your quest for power, you will constantly find yourself in the position of asking for help from those more powerful than you.”
Very few, if any, people make it on their own. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you’ll be the exception.
It’s more than likely you’ll need to build relationships with various kingmakers who can give you access to a wider audience.
- How do you get someone with a following of hundreds of thousands, or millions, to retweet your work?
- How do you join an author promotion that’ll give you access to over a hundred thousand email addresses?
- How do you get your paintings featured in a prominent art gallery?
- How do you get your song on national radio?
Greene warns against appealing to a kingmaker’s sense of justice, expecting them to help because of the righteousness of your cause.
They don’t care about how hard you’ve tried or how many years you’ve put into your project. Instead, they want to know what you can do for them.
Dale Carnegie echoes this sentiment in his book, How To Win Friends and Influence People. Principle 3 states, “Arouse in the other person an eager want.”
When approaching or making an offer to a kingmaker, think about how you can help them. How are THEY going to benefit by what you have to offer?
- Maybe it’s a share in your profits.
- Maybe it’s a chance to look charitable and magnanimous.
- Maybe it’s some behind the scenes work you can do that will save them time.
Apply this law to your marketing as well.
Your website, your leaflets and the landing pages for the products you’re selling, should all be about how you can help your customer and clients meet their needs.
LAW 32: PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES
People don’t want to believe that years and years of hard work and effort is the answer to their problems. Instead, they want to be sold a fantasy.
- Tony Robbins claims that, “change happens in an instant.”
- Tim Ferris told his readers they only needed to work 4-hours a week.
- Politicians tell voters they’re going to reduce taxes AND increase public spending.
- New cryptocurrency projects emerge every week, enticing investors with the promise of becoming an overnight millionaire.
Although all of these promises are see through, they often seduce audiences because most people want to avoid the harsh realities of life.
Pay attention to this flaw in human nature and start to think about what fantasy you can offer.
- Could it be the fantasy of a dream body, achieved without restriction and discipline?
- Could it be the fantasy of the best version of yourself, without the limitations and doubts of the past?
- Or, could it be the fantasy of a new world to explore and get lost in, created through either your writing or music?
All of these fantasies carry a tremendous appeal. People will be drawn to them and won’t question their, somewhat, dubious claims because they’re so desperate to believe that such an outcome could be true.
Furthermore, a fantasy doesn’t have to be a lie. Sure, it has to be fantastical to seduce an audience but you can attempt to deliver on your promises as best you can.
Offer the stars and people might just settle for a trip into space.
LAW 34: BE ROYAL IN YOUR FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE
This law is about self-belief.
Do you believe you’re destined for something amazing? Can you look in the mirror and see greatness?
Robert Greene uses the example of Christopher Columbus to highlight the importance of acting like a king.
He points out that Columbus knew very little about navigation, couldn’t work a quadrant and had never led a group of men. Furthermore, when appealing to the queen of Spain for the funds to discover a quicker trade route to India by travelling west, his proposal had no clear plan for achieving the objective. However, what he did have was a cast iron belief in himself and his mission, so much so he fabricated an aristocratic lineage in order to impress the royal court of Spain.
Bemused by Columbus’s bearing, Queen Isabella rationalised that there must be something about this man, and his bold claims, and agreed to fund his expedition. The rest is history.
Robert Greene instructs you to be, “overcome by your self-belief.”
Have no doubt in your mind that you are the person you say you are and can do the things you claim. Let it radiate out of you. Be so convinced that people can’t help but be won over.
Living with this level of self-belief plays a psychological trick on the people around you. Because you set such a high price on yourself, people will rationalise that you must have a reason for being so confident. As a result, they’ll follow you and purchase your products and services.
Act like a King to be treated like one!
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
(Image taken from Goodreads)
Excerpt from my New Unreleased Book: The Personal Freedom Manifesto
CHAPTER 5: CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Back in 1903, James Allen’s book As A Man Thinketh was released. The title is an abbreviation of a bible verse from the book of proverbs. In its entirety, it reads, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”
To our modern world, this is a curious promise. 21st century life is about the material. We value what we can see, touch and, most of all, possess. This is real. The laws of nature, which we believe we’ve discovered, govern how our universe works. As a result, we live with the belief we have almost everything figured out.
Compared to these discoveries, what is a thought? The materialist would probably dismiss it as irrelevant mental chatter or understand it as a reaction to the events of the day. However, what if the relationship was reversed? Is it possible that the thoughts in your mind determine the circumstances and events of your life?
It’s a dangerous idea. After all, if you follow this line of thinking then you become responsible for everything that occurs. If you spend too much money and slip into debt then you only have yourself to blame. Likewise, if, after years of stress, poor diet and lack of exercise, you experience a heart attack or develop a terminal disease, then you must accept responsibility.
Although both of these examples appear to have a physical cause – too much spending and poor lifestyle choices – there is a deeper trigger point. The debt might occur after persistent thoughts of impressing people with your gadgets, cars or clothes. Likewise, the illness might occur as a result of focusing on money to the exclusion of your health.
How do you feel about this diagnosis? Are you angry or upset? Do you dislike the idea of being responsible for your misfortunes?
While total responsibility can be a bitter pill to swallow, there is a silver lining to this way of thinking. Surely, if you create your reality through thought then, within your ability, is not just the potential to harm your life, but the possibility of setting yourself free. Persistent thoughts of success will lead to their material and spiritual realisation. Likewise, persistent thoughts of health and harmony will lead to an optimally functioning body.
Society never promotes this idea. We’re taught that the individual is powerless. Not only are we subject to the laws of nature, but we are also governed by the rules of society. As a result, life is very much out of our control. Illness, breakdown of relationships, accidents and our successes and failures have little to do with what we did. Instead, we are granted the comfort of excuses. It was our genes, our personality, our mental disorder or bad luck.
Which option do you prefer? Are you willing to shoulder responsibility in return for the opportunity to create the life you want? Or, would you rather allow external factors to govern the direction of your life while you remain blameless?
After reading this chapter, my hope is that you will choose the former. In doing so, there is an important point to remember.
The Bible states that, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.” On first reading, this may appear to be an oxymoron. After all, we don’t think with our hearts. However, on deeper inspection, the Bible hasn’t made a mistake.
Thinking with your head is something that, according to a 2005 National Science Foundation study, occurs 12,000 to 60,000 times a day. Most of these thoughts are repetitive (95%) and have little to no (direct) impact on your life. We can all attest to the fact that merely thinking once about a million dollars or a brand-new Ferrari doesn’t result in their manifestation. However, thinking with your heart is something entirely different and is far rarer.
Thinking with your heart occurs when your thought generates an emotional reaction. This might happen when you’re thinking about an upcoming presentation and a wave of anxiety hits you. Alternatively, you might be thinking about achieving your goal and it generates a feeling of joy. This is thinking with your heart and it shapes your reality.
Understanding the distinction between these two types of thinking reveals what it means to be a positive thinker. The common misconception is that positive thinking involves imagining yourself doing well. For example, throughout your day, you might deliberately visualise yourself meeting your future husband or wife or reaching your sales target.
The reverse applies with negative thinking. Throughout your day, you might repeatedly, although this time unintentionally, see yourself failing. However, what happens if these thoughts, whether positive or negative, fail to trigger an emotional response?
Not a lot. The thought, lacking emotion, won’t penetrate your subconscious and form a belief. Instead, it will be dismissed.
Therefore, to be a true positive thinker, you must be a positive feeler. You must be skilled with your thoughts and aware of your emotions. Don’t get frustrated running hundreds of so-called positive thoughts through your mind wondering why nothing is changing. You’d do far better to relax, choose one specific goal, or outcome that you know would make you happy, and, from time to time, focus on this.
After a while, you’ll build up a connection with this goal or outcome and will train your subconscious to respond with a positive feeling. (In NLP this technique is called anchoring, although is typically performed by touching some part of your body or through a routine). When this occurs, changes happen. You’re able to raise your energy and this will have a dramatic impact on your work, creativity, relationships, sports and anything else that is important to you.
Remember, though, this discipline takes time. Your first step is to adopt traditional positive thinking. Imagine yourself doing well even if, at first, you feel no emotional reaction. Work on releasing the negatives as well. If you catch yourself dwelling on an unpleasant memory, or fear of an event in the future, remind yourself to let go.
With time, you’ll figure out your triggers and be able to generate a positive emotional response. When this happens, you’ll discover that your mind operates in a similar manner to a computer. It has to obey your instructions. Positive thoughts, backed by emotions, will bring you answers and encounters that will advance you in the direction of your dreams.
Why you shouldn’t place limits on your thinking
Perhaps your dreams are on an epic scale. Like Elon Musk, you have visions so great you imagine colonising Mars. Or, like Michael Jackson, you believe you can fly (He was once quoted saying, “We can fly, you know. We just don’t know how to think the right thoughts and levitate ourselves off the ground.”)
Crazy, right? These kinds of people are unhinged and don’t live in ‘the real world.’ However, look at what they accomplish.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX created the first privately developed rocket to carry a commercial satellite into orbit. Michael Jackson, despite being told by everyone around him that it was impossible, created the greatest selling album of all time. So, are they crazy for having outrageous dreams or is this kind of thinking a prerequisite for achieving goals that seem out of the ordinary?
We’re always being told about our limits. According to society, so much is impossible. For example, for a long time, it was deemed physically impossible for a human to run a mile in under 4 minutes. However, since Roger Bannister broke that limit in 1955, over 500 people, in America alone, have matched this feat.
In Arnold’s Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, Total Recall, he mentions that,
In weight lifting, for many years there was a 500-pound barrier in the clean and jerk . . .But as soon as the great Russian weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev set a new world record of 501 in 1970, three other guys lifted more than 500 pounds within a year.
Another limit gets broken. How much proof does humanity need before it opens its collective mind to the idea that there are no limits (or, that’s it’s not useful to think of them)?
Perhaps you are apprehensive of removing the limits on your thinking for fear of what other people might say. To prevent this shutdown, we’re going to make a deeper analysis of Michael Jackson’s comment about people flying.
Of course, to date, no one has been recorded achieving this feat. And, perhaps, no one ever will. However, cast your thoughts back to the mind-set of a human living 600 years ago, ponder the possibility of machine powered flight from this perspective, and you’ll see that you’re presented with a similar situation.
Back then, if someone had said that humanity will crisscross the skies in giant flying machines within 600 years, it would have been considered utterly impossible. However, fast forward to today, and this is our reality.
Do you get the point? For the so-called impossible to occur, it takes people with a mind-set like Michael Jackson and Elon Musk. Such a person, living 600 years ago, would have been interested, rather than dismissive, about the possibility of machine powered flight. As a result of this curiosity, research would have been undertaken, prototypes built and, as the centuries passed, and other illuminated minds continued their work, actual flight would finally occur.
A similar situation might occur with thought-powered flight. Or, it might not. Whatever the case, it serves no purpose to dismiss ideas on the grounds that they challenge the paradigms of our day. For, as we have seen with the examples of Jackson and Musk, thinking outside society’s limitations is beneficial for both the individual and for humanity.
To achieve your dream, you will also have to let your imagination soar. Allow yourself to contemplate the so called impossible, go to possibilities in your mind that have never been conceived before and, by doing so, unlock your full potential.
Never say that it can’t be done. What’s the point? If it can’t, then you’re no worse off than before and, if it can, you could be the one breaking new ground while everyone stares in amazement.
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The 4 Steps to Achieving the Impossible
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela
I did it!!! The picture you see above is of me holding my first ‘published’ book. While I signed the book deal with Watkins Media back in December of 2018, it wasn’t until I held a copy in my hand that it really sunk in.
I’m a published author.
I’ve done the thing I was told was impossible.
My Impossible
I was first told becoming a published author was impossible by my parents when I mentioned my plan way back in 2002. Later, it was reinforced by another author I met and a friend who worked for a major publishing company. Finally, and most convincingly, the general consensus opinion, gathered from reading The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook, magazines and being influenced by the media, also indicated this was the case.
Getting a book published was impossible or, so difficult, it’s just wasn’t worth trying. Furthermore, the royalties were so poor that hardly any author could make a living selling books alone.
Unfortunately, I believed what I was told. As a result, I was fighting two battles. Not only was I competing against authority figures, I was also competing against myself.
What do you think happens when you have to work against this backdrop of doubt?
16 years pass in between you accomplishing your objective.
I didn’t start writing in earnest until 2007. That’s 5 years of procrastinating because I didn’t believe it was possible. Then, even when I’d completed my first book – Escape The System – back in 2012, I didn’t approach any publishing companies.
Getting a book published is impossible so why waste time emailing publishers? That was my thought process and it lead me to self-publishing my first book.
More years of grind followed, as I attempted to build an audience and learn about marketing – something that was very alien to me. However, during this time, I learned a valuable lesson.
Getting your book published is possible.
While searching the web, I started to hear stories of authors who had self-published their first book, built an audience and then used their following to leverage a deal with a publishing company. There was nothing special about these authors. Sure, their books were good but so was mine. Maybe I could do it.
Then, in 2017, I met an author at a YesGroup meeting in London. His name was Brett Moran and his first book, Wake The F##k Up, was published by Watkins Media. I bought a copy, wrote him a review and asked if he would share the details of his contact at Watkins.
Fortunately, he agreed and I emailed them, asking if they’d consider publishing Escape The System. After reading the book, they declined but seemed genuine in their praise and request to hear from me in if I had any future projects. A year later, Do The Work you Love was complete and I sent them the manuscript.
Was I surprised when they emailed me back offering a publishing deal?
I was delighted but only partly surprised. I believed in the book and, now that I knew it was possible to get a book deal, I adopted the mind-set of ‘why shouldn’t I have one?’ What once seemed so far away and incomprehensible, had now become ordinary.
Can YOU Achieve your Impossible?
What about you? What are you currently struggling with that, so far, you’ve found impossible to achieve?
Perhaps your impossible is based around your health and recovering from an injury or illness. Maybe it’s overcoming an addiction. Maybe it’s finding love or simply getting a girlfriend or boyfriend.
There are unique reasons as to why we don’t believe we can do certain things. What one person may find impossible, another finds easy.
Don’t be disheartened by this. The only person you’re competing with is yourself. We all bring different capabilities, and perspectives, to the task at hand. Where we all unite, though, is in benefitting from the experience of overcoming our respective impossible.
With that in mind, ask yourself the following 4 questions. Answering them will let you know whether, you too, can achieve your impossible.
- Has someone else done it before?
If someone else has achieved your impossible then you can do the same.
It has been done. Therefore, no matter how many people tell you that you can’t do it, another person has.
What’s so different between you and them? (Read steps 2 to 4 and you’ll discover that it’s less than you think).
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his autobiography Total Recall, tells the story of the first man to clean and jerk over 500 pounds. Up until this point, it was viewed as impossible for a human to lift this amount. However, in 1970, when Russian weight lifter, Vasily Alekseyev, lifted 501 lbs, three other men broke the 500 lbs barrier within a year.
Knowing that someone else has achieved your impossible awakens your mind to the idea that you might be able to do it.
Even if it’s never been done, this shouldn’t stop you from trying. After all, the Russian weight lifter was breaking new ground. Why not you?
2. Do you have a natural talent for whatever it is you want to achieve?
I don’t want this step to be misconstrued. Talent is not the be all and end all. However, it helps.
I’ve been a tennis coach for 17 years. During this time, I’ve seen again and again, with both boys and girls, that there’s a natural predisposition to the sport. Some young children can just pick up a racket and hit a ball. Most can’t. Those that can, learn faster and progress quicker than the others.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that those without this talent will fail to become good tennis players. However, it’s harder and they’ll need to put in substantially more time to reach the same level as their more talented counterparts.
Having said this, though, there’s a limit to what talent can achieve. Time and again, I’ve seen players with greater talent lose to, and fail to progress as far through the rankings, as a children who play more, are surrounded by others aiming to be professionals and are obsessed with reaching the top level of the game. Over a long enough time frame, desire beats talent.
What can you learn from this example?
Choose something you already have an aptitude for. Be smart and pick your battles. Maybe it isn’t wise to take on the world. Instead, find something you’re already good at, or know you’ll learn quickly, and make your mark in this area.
3. Are you prepared to move heaven and earth to achieve your mission?
It will take extraordinary commitment to achieve your impossible. After all, this is something that, at the onset, you can’t see yourself achieving.
A mission like this requires everything you’ve got. You’ll have to think about it everyday. You’ll have to work on it almost every day. It must become your main life priority.
As a hypnotherapist, I’ve seen a lot of clients who struggle to lose weight. They would come to the session and tell me, for various health and personal reasons, why it was so important to them. However, when I’d tell them that, at least for the period of time it takes to form new habit – typically 66 days* – taking the steps necessary to lose weight would have to become their main life priority (above work and children), they’d baulk at the suggestion.
As a result, things might go well for a week or so but then, when their workload picked up, and they started having to stay late (and, as a result, fell back into bad habits like eating takeaways), they’d believe their failure was justified. Of course, it wasn’t, as we almost always have options (they could have refused to work past their contracted hours) if we’re prepared to take them and face the consequences.
Ultimately, they just didn’t understand the level of commitment needed to achieve their impossible. You have to be prepared to die for whatever it is you want to achieve.
4. Will you ignore the Lies?
What I was told by my parents, the other author I knew and the friend who worked at a publishing company, and what I heard in the media, was a lie.
Having now achieved my impossible, I realise I could have done so in half the time. My procrastination and doubt stopped me, not a real block that prevents people from becoming published authors.
Remember, other people, or The System you live in, are not the keepers of the truth. For whatever reason – sometimes they genuinely believe they’re protecting you, sometimes it’s because they’re jealous of you pursuing your dream – they are just promoting their scared version of reality.
Don’t let it become yours. Ignore the lies and work towards your dream regardless. History reveals there are very few, if any, desires or ideas that are impossible to achieve.
Final Thought
Achieving your impossible f##ks with your head in a positive way.
If you can do the thing they told you was impossible, how many of the other goals and dreams, that you were led to believe were off limits, can you also accomplish?
Achieving your impossible opens your mind to a new world of possibilities. It makes you realise that you, and you alone, are the sole determiner in how far you can go.
Do The Work you Love
My new book, Do The Work you Love, will be launched on the 11th February 2020. To pre-order your copy, click the link here.
* Research undertaken at the University College of London in 2009