DAILY MINDSET

“Your actions speak so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

It’s not about what we talk about, but what we tolerate.

When we think of our greatest role models, those we truly look up to in life, there’s a consistent commonality we’ll notice… their action under adversity. They achieved something great, under incredibly hard circumstances. They overcame a specific challenge in their darkest hour. And for that, we remember them.

Our identity isn’t shaped by the good times… but the challenging ones. In those moments, it’ll never be about what we say, but what we do.

DAILY MINDSET

“If people knew how hard I worked to achieve my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all.” – Michelangelo

Written by someone recognized as one of the greatest artists of time.

“Natural born talent” is a myth. Movies portray it, sports news glamorizes… the “uncontrollable factor” that leads to such heights of achievement. Yet here he is, Michelangelo himself, expressing his backbone to success.

It’s easy to believe that we can’t control tomorrow. To believe that it is by chance. It’s far harder to believe that it is within our capabilities. That there is another level of true grit and unrelenting effort we can choose to go. It’s realizing that the great Michaelangelo simply worked his ass off… and that we can too.

Greatness is never by chance. It is always by choice. The choice to do the work.

DAILY MINDSET

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker

In business, this is ever important for leaders to fully understand. That the culture of a team is everything. Over any marketing plans, product launches… anything.

The same mindset is true for us as athletes.

We’ve all heard the line, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”. And we believe it to be true. The picture perfect strategy, executed half-heartedly, will always be beaten by the less-than-ideal strategy, but executed with full heart.

Our character is our backbone. During round 4 of “Kelly”, or the final minutes of an Open AMRAP, it will not be our “workout strategy” that we fall back to. It’s something deeper. Cultivate that, and everything else falls into

DAILY MINDSET

“Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin

Talk is cheap.

Anyone can talk.

Only the few, choose to do.

There will be a point today where we will feel compelled to express our thoughts to someone. Maybe it’s how something could be done better.

Press pause in that moment. “Ductus Exemplo” is a Latin phrase that translates to: “Lead by Example”. Actions will always speak louder than any words.

WD > WS.

“True strength is the courage to admit weakness.”

Show me an athlete who is afraid to look bad, silly, or stupid… and I’ll show you back an athlete who will lose every time.

Vulnerability is a hot theme nowadays, and rightfully so.
It’s the first step, and arguably most challenging, in facing our fears. It’s an extension of the “awareness” phase, where we admit to ourselves (and potentially to others), that we have soft spots. And much like many other aspects in life, awareness is everything.

Gone are the days where “toughness” is summarized with gritted teeth and bad attitudes. Real mental toughness is facing the demons, the skeletons in the closet, the soft spots, and going on the attack.

Show me an athlete who is *willing* to look bad, silly, or stupid… and I’ll show you back a very powerful competitor.

“Build before you have to.” – James Clear

We are creatures that respond very, very well to pressure situations.
If we are studying for a test, cramming the day before tends to nearly be “magical”. Under such external pressures, we create this urgency that drives results.

But – what if we don’t need that external pressure?
What if we can create it for ourselves, internally, for everyday use?
What a weapon that would be.

Build the skill set before you need to use it.
Build the knowledge before you need to know it.
Be ahead of the game. So that when it comes, we’re playing it, and not vice versa.
Create the urgency today through a commitment to ourselves. Always an eager student.

“No one was ever wise by chance.” – Seneca

Let’s pretend we have two individuals out hiking in the woods.

The first trips over a root, and after scrambling back to his feet, kicks the root in frustration and storms off. The second individual trips over the very same root as well, but has a different response. After gathering himself, he looks around, refreshing himself of the importance to scan the path ahead. He then moves on, now paying closer attention to the ground in front of him.

One took the effort to learn from it, one did not.
Wisdom isn’t by chance. It is by choice.

“Your mind is not your shoe size.” – Jim Kwik

Have you ever taken an “IQ Test”?

Chances are you have of some sort. A test that claimed to tell us our capacity in life. Where the resulting score is the equivalent of looking into a crystal ball on how successful we’ll be.

As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s a nightmare that comes to life for many. A self-fulfilling prophecy that can cut potential at the knees.

The truth of it all however, is that we know so very little about how the mind actually works. It’s still such a mystery to us. Yet, we can find ourselves building an imaginary ceiling over our heads.

In regards to one of life’s greatest mysteries, there’s one thing we can bank on… that our mind is not our shoe size.

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Theresa

Imagine we’re moving. And we have two friends, who both extend an offer to help.

The first friend writes us a check for 1,000 dollars to help with the moving expenses. Incredibly generous. The second friend doesn’t offer a dime, but instead comes to our old place, helps us pack up every box, drives with us to the new house, and unpacks everything with us into the early hours in the morning.

Fast forward two weeks later. Both friends call you to ask for a favor. Which friend are we more likely to help?

We would choose the second friend. But why? If we were to try to explain, we collectively would flow to the same, natural response… “Because they would have done it for me.”

Money has relative value. But time is an absolute.
If we want to make a “perishable donation”, give money.
If we want to make an everlasting impact, give time.

“If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.” – Jim Kwik

Our harshest critic is in between our ears.

We’ve all been there… telling ourselves we suck. That we’re simply not good enough. Too old, too young, not good looking enough, not smart enough.

Each time we tell ourselves these things, we add one more vote to become them. The mind has this incredible power to bring into this world whatever we fixate on.

Yet what can be the harshest critic, can be the most powerful ally. Let’s leverage those thoughts to our best advantage.