Building For Tomorrow

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You are tomorrow what you build today and have built every day prior.

The Decision and The Expectation

These two TGIM's really spoke to me.  What do you want to accomplish?  Make the decision to commit fully to it.  Have the sense of urgency to act now.  Relentlessly follow up to see it through to completion.  Most of all, expect it to happen such that there is no other option.

Decide to be great and expect greatness.

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Shoulds To Musts

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*Originally written for the February 2013 issue of "The Source"*

"Everything in your life is a reflection of your musts." -- Tony Robbins

How do you get the car you want?  How do you get the house you want?  How do you create financial freedom for yourself?  How do you improve your relationships with loved ones?  How do you get your health and wellness in order?  How do you start living a happier life?

You turn your shoulds into musts.

This very powerful concept was first introduced to me by Tony Robbins.  Essentially, he says that everything in your life--your health, relationships, financial situation, happiness, etc.--is a reflection of your musts.  What you have chosen that you must have or do compared to what you have chosen you should do.  He says that every single one of us is making as much money as we must make and not a dime more.  Every single one of us has the health and physique that we must have.  Every single one of us is as happy as we feel we must be in order to survive.

Unless we raise our standards and take what we currently believe are actions that we should perform in order to achieve goals that we want to reach and make them actions that we must take in order to achieve goals that we need to reach, those goals will not ever get accomplished.

I have these types of conversations a lot with people who can’t seem to find the time or money to do what they want to do.  As I have said in the past, it comes down to priorities, plain and simple.  How highly do you prioritize your health?  How highly do you prioritize your financial freedom?  How highly do you prioritize your happiness?

Most importantly, how do your actions reflect your alleged priorities?

It seems crazy that any one of us would not want to be healthier, happier, or more prosperous, but do your actions actually reflect that?  You can say you want to do something, but at the end of the day what did you do to actually do it?

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When it comes down to it, our actions fully represent our priorities.  Regardless of what we say or how we think we feel about things, we put our time and effort into the areas of our lives in which we want to make the most progress or the areas we value the most.

Step back for a moment and analyze your life.  Where are you putting most of your time and energy?  Block out your week if you have to and figure out how many hours you spend doing the things you do.  After that figure out how much of your energy and focus each of these things demands of you.  Now, the important question to ask when reviewing this data is, “Why are you putting the majority of your time and energy into these endeavors?”  In fact, this question is going to be how you figure out what your true priorities are.

If you find that, for example, you are spending the vast majority of your time and energy at work, you could sit back and wonder why you don’t have more money or why your career isn’t further along.  But, if you are honest with yourself and you answer the question, “Why?” with, “Because I want to be able to pay my bills and I want to go out and have a good time with my friends,” then you have your true answer right there.  You don’t truly prioritize making more money.  You prioritize having enough money to get by and have fun.  You don’t truly prioritize advancing your career.  You prioritize being stable enough in your career to allow you to pay your bills and have a good time with your friends when you want.

And that is completely fine.  Absolutely, completely fine.  But understand that it is fundamentally different than spending the majority of your time and energy at work to actually make more money and advance your career.  This is just one example and I think you can really dig into all areas of your life like this and figure out what is actually driving you to take the actions you take.

This year is a big action year for me.  I am really hyped and in the right mindset to DO some big things.  As busy as I was in 2012, I have HUGE plans and a jam-packed schedule for 2013, so much so that I am already starting to plan for what I am going to do in 2014 because I’m not going to be able to fit it all in this year (there just aren’t enough weekends in a calendar year!).  A lot of things I have thought about doing or wanted to do in the past, this is the year they are going to happen.  This is the year I am going to take the necessary steps to get them done.

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And this is the year you can, too.

Without being too cliche I want wrap this up by saying this moment right here is all you are guaranteed.  It is all you know you will ever have.  So if you cannot take this moment right here and use it to take steps towards accomplishing what you want to accomplish or living the life you want to live, then those things are not of high enough priority for you yet.  You are banking that what is not guaranteed will, in fact, happen.

But let me tell you, when you absolutely have to get something done, you don’t bank on the uncertain.  You see to it yourself that it gets done by doing something about it this very moment.

And until you can do that, until you can take that one should and turn it into a must by raising your standards and expectations and not accepting your current state as good enough any longer... all of the ideas in your head... are just going to stay ideas in your head.

Right now, what is one “should” that you are going to turn into a “must”?

Be great, my friends.

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Drive

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There once was a time in our evolutionary history as a species where we were motivated to acquire or accomplish only what we needed in order to ensure our survival.  Soon the motivation to meet our basic needs was joined by our motivation to exceed them--to have more than we currently needed in order to fulfill desires that went beyond survival.

But there appears to be an additional type of motivation, as well; one that is not stimulated from acquiring anything tangible or receiving some type of extrinsic reward.  This type of motivation defies basic economic rationale.  This type of motivation fuels the unending quest for mastery.

This type of motivation is what Daniel Pink investigates in his book Drive.

Drive goes into detail about this third type of motivation, from giving tips on how to cultivate it within yourself and others to how to keep it alive once you have it.

If you are involved in any type of organization that is needing new leadership or wanting to improve the leadership it already has, Drive is a book that I highly recommend you read.  Additionally, if you are looking to make changes in your own life or are wanting some insight on how to develop the necessary motivation to achieve more, Drive would serve as an excellent resource.

Be great.

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10 Seeds of Greatness

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I am a firm believer that what we think and what we feel every day is what we manifest for ourselves and what we perceive to be our reality.  In order to be great, you must think great things, and that can only be done if you are feeling great emotions.  These emotions are the seeds of your greatness, and according to Anthony Robbins, there are ten of them:

1. Love and Warmth
2. Appreciation and Gratitude
3. Curiosity
4. Excitement and Passion
5. Determination
6. Flexibility
7. Confidence
8. Cheerfulness
9. Health
10. Sense of Contribution

Every time you are presented with a situation you have a choice as to how you want to react to it.  What if your reactions are not without consequence?  What if every time you felt or thought negatively about something it limited your ability to achieve whatever it is you want?  Would that change how you respond to things you don't necessarily like or situations that you are skeptical of?

What if by looking for ways to express the ten emotions listed above you were feeding the greatness within you?

Be great.

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Relentless

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What do Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and I all have in common?  We have all read Tim Grover's new book Relentless:  From Good To Great To Unstoppable.

Grover, arguably the most highly-respected basketball trainer in the world, has been the personal trainer and performance coach to hundreds of players, three of whom are mentioned above.  Despite his impressive list of clientele, this book is not about the physical aspect of training.  On the contrary, what Grover admittedly reports 80% of his job consists of, this book is about what it takes to mentally go from good to great to unstoppable.

Grover breaks down people into three categories:  Coolers, Closers, and Cleaners.  In a nutshell, coolers are people who follow other people's lead and need to be told what to do.  Closers are people who show up for a big performance at the very end but struggle with the day in, day out consistency.  Cleaners are people who are great every single day and expect nothing less of themselves while they're at it.  There's an associated lack of emotion with achievement with Cleaners as they are continually striving for better, for more, for unstoppable.

Throughout the book there are some really cool stories about MJ, Kobe, and Dwayne and how they approached things in life and on a day to day basis.  Being a basketball fan and a huge Jordan fan, these stories were really fun for me to read, but they also gave an inside look into what makes these three people of world-class caliber tick.  It reminded me of the summer I spent seeing Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers train right before each won their Super Bowl rings (Drew was a year before Aaron).  It was an inside look at the mindset of greatness.

For me this was a really fun book to read.  If you are looking for a training book, this isn't your stop.  But if you are looking for rare insight into the minds of people who are considered the best of the best, this book is a must-read.

Be great.

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Is Greatness Limiting?

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For a number of months now I have been on a #CreateGreatness push to try to bring out the greatness in others in order to empower people to remove the limitations from the thoughts and actions that they set for themselves. But today I want to explore the idea that greatness itself may be limiting.

I believe that we all have ability to be great at something, but most of us struggle to find what that thing is. We let social norms and expectations, material possessions, and the fear of failure dictate our actions and desires. This makes it exponentially more difficult to sell out for what fundamentally stimulates and excites us--the area of our lives in which we are most likely to excel. Without this complete commitment to the cause that we care most about, the likelihood of achieving the subjective level of greatness, and subsequently our ability to positively impact others, appears to suffer.

But is greatness something that itself limits someone's ability to reach this level? Meaning, once you are considered great, does that make continuing to be considered great more difficult? Does the slope continue to get slipperier and steeper as you ascend? More importantly, and the question that is really on my mind, does setting your expectations on greatness limit your ability to achieve beyond this?

Are you, in a sense, setting yourself up for achieving a lower level of greatness than if you had your sights set on something higher, or nothing at all? Or will having such a high marker to reach only allow you to catapult yourself further once there? Are there different levels or a continuum of greatness that can be achieved, or is it a finite point that is equal for all? And are we measuring greatness by what everybody else is currently doing, what has been considered the best up to this point, or what we believe the individual has to offer?

I want to explore these types of questions on this blog throughout the month of March and possibly beyond. If all goes well, I'm not sure that I will actually answer any of them, but rather I will only find more questions to pursue further. And to me, that would be a month very well spent because while my thoughts may not be any closer to finding answers, my actions may be.

But maybe that's the point, because if greatness is to be attained, I'm not sure the answers of "how" are necessarily needed, or if it is the continual formation and exploration of questions and the pursuit of achievement that allows someone to create their greatness.

Be great.

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Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

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Arnold:  The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Douglas Kent Hall is a great look into the life and mind of Arnold as he was first introduced to lifting weights and bodybuilding and throughout his rise and dominance of the bodybuilding world.What I really liked about this book are the descriptions of Arnold's mindset as he was realizing his potential and understanding that he could be the best in the world at something.  I think most people today see Arnold as the former giant muscle-bound dude with a funny accent who was in movies and now is in politics, but I think people may forget that he was truly, truly great at bodybuilding.  The book describes how his entire career he only lost three bodybuilding competitions, and all three of those times he took second.  That type of feat is extremely unheard of today and I think there is a lot that can be learned from someone who has accomplished what Arnold has.

In the book, Arnold describes a period early on where he would spend hours day after day lifting weights.  Nobody could really see what he was striving for so a lot of people questioned why he spent so much time doing what he did.  Nobody could see the vision he saw for himself.  His parents thought he was being a bum and his social engagements became more and more limited so his friends were kind of put off by what he was doing, as well.  But Arnold had found something that he loved and was passionate about and made him feel good.  He had found a goal and the drive and desire to achieve it.  Because of this, he cut out basically everything else he was doing and chose to put everything he had into reaching this goal.

This all-out, burn your boats type of effort is a rarity.  Considering how common exit strategies and the development of plans B, C, and D are, it's no wonder why people's plan A usually doesn't work out.  Then they sit back and think, "Wow, good thing I had plan B."  Well, maybe their plan A didn't work because they took time to develop their plan B instead of leaving themselves with no other option but for plan A to work.  This is the kind of attitude Arnold takes, and when you have that combined with his extreme self-confidence that he has the ability to get it done, that's the type of combination that allows you to become the best in the world.

You can be really good from purely raw talent, but everybody at that level is talented, so what separates the top guy from everybody else?  And then what allows him to stay there for the remainder of his career once that point is reached?

I think these questions can be answered in part by looking at how Arnold approached what he did, and I think those are highly valuable lessons to understand.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants to achieve something great.  The first half of the book will be perfect for you.  The second half is different weight lifting routines that Arnold put together, but I think the really valuable part of the book is that first 150 pages or so.

Your body.  Your training.

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The Alchemist

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"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish.  Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is." -- King of Salem

Every once in a while you read a book where you find yourself relating the events of the plot to the events that happen in your life, where you take the protagonist's story and try to mold it with your own.  Every once in a while you read a book whose deeper insights are ones you have held for years prior.  Every once in a while you read a book whose message speaks so clearly to you that it gives you immense confidence in your future through the confirmation of your life's actions on its pages.  For me, one of these books is Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist.

The Alchemist is about a shepherd boy named Santiago who, when we meet him, is experiencing a recurring dream about a child leading him to find treasure.  After receiving consultation about this recurring dream, Santiago is advised to search out his treasure.  This takes him on his Personal Legend through foreign lands where he encounters thieves, love, war, prosperity, and many new people, including the alchemist, who teaches Santiago about following his heart and speaking the Language of the World.

I don't want to get too deep into the plot summary.  The plot is very entertaining, don't get me wrong, but if you are a dreamer or a visioneer, if you feel like you have a higher calling or a purpose in this world that goes beyond what you are currently doing, my friends this book is for you.  If you look at your life and know there is something great out there for you to achieve but don't know how to go about starting or if you feel like you are missing what is truly valuable and important to you--like you are missing out on your life's treasure--this book is a must-read.

Be great, my friends.

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Four Step Plan For Success

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Want to reach greater heights than where you are now?  Martin Rooney lays out some big time advice on how to go about it.

Four Step Plan For Success by Martin Rooney

Your Body.  Your Training.

Which M.T.E. Are You?

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Do you aspire to mediocrity or greatness?  Your actions will determine which category you fall into.  Check out this article by Martin Rooney for more.

Which M.T.E. Are You? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Process vs. Outcome

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Many of us have an idea where we want to end up. We have our destination in mind and we work hard to arrive at our intended destination. Whether it be in regard to finances, education, health and fitness, relationships, or any other area, we have certain "things" we desire, and when we put action behind achieving these desires, we could say they become goals. These goals are our intended outcomes and to improve our likelihood of achieving these outcomes we often seek the advice of those who have already achieved either the outcome in its entirety or more of the outcome than we presently have. In other words, we look to external sources in order to improve the quality of an internal process.

Now, there are certainly situations where seeking the advice of those who have come before you is incredibly beneficial.  For example, if a college professor were to give the same exam year after year, it may be worth your time and effort to gather as much information about what is on the exam from those who have already taken in.  The crucial point, though, is that they don't dictate exactly how you prepare and study for the exam.  Because people learn in different ways, in different settings, and at different speeds, it would be asinine to prescribe a predetermined syllabus that says what, where, and for how long somebody else needs to study each bit of the subject matter.

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What about something like baking a cake or constructing a Lego set? These formulas for success have time-tested variables in terms of the physical process that needs to happen in order for the desired outcome to be achieved.  There still is, however, a lot of variation in regard to how long it will actually take someone to, for example, bake a great-tasting cake.  Some people will need more practice than others before they acquire the necessary skills as well as conceptualize why each step is important.

You see this all the time in fitness and training.  Trainers and coaches are constantly pushing the mindset of, "This is what I did and it worked for me so it will work for you, too."  The flaws with this line of thinking are very apparent when it comes to baking or learning math and yet we still, as an industry, try to carry on with it in fitness and training. "This is what I did to lose weight so you should do it, too." "This is what I did to develop into a professional athlete so it will work for you, too." "This is how I got stronger so this is the method you should use." Really???

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Are we that unable to look beyond ourselves and see that this person's biological make-up and their life experiences may be completely different from our own such that we think our way is the best way for them?  And not just the best way, but the only way, such that there is no other option.  This is completely outlandish.

Tom Purvis, founder of RTS, speaks of this kind of mindset in his "6 + 2 = 8" vs. "8 = 6 + 2" scenario.*  In the first equation there is one and only one correct answer.  In the second equation there are literally an infinite number of correct answers.  The problem we have as both a society and an industry is we see the two equations as exactly the same.  Our personal experiences are the first equation, while those of the people we are working with are the second equation.  We both know what we want, but that by no means it is an indicator that our processes should be the same.  But, because we have gotten a "correct" answer in the past, we stop looking for new answers and instead try to plug everybody and everything around us into our own personal equation.

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Offering advice to others based off of your own experience can be incredibly valuable to them, but we must be cautious when administering orders without first taking into consideration the individual's specific abilities and goals.  We know the outcome want, but in all honesty we are rarely certain of the process. This uncertainty can only be reduced if we are able to objectively analyze each individual's unique and ever-changing situation.  Without doing so, we are shooting in the dark and hoping for the best.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder of Self Made_® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL.  He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP’s.  He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

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*There is more to this scenario than what is elaborated on here, but for the purposes of this post that is as far as I will discuss it.