So I’ve started writing (what I think will be) my first book.
It started out as a self-serving manifesto of principles I’ve found useful in making better decisions in life and business.
However… its since occurred to me how anyone would find these principles useful in navigating the world whilst pursuing your own hopes and dreams. (so watch this space for the finished article)
Meanwhile one of the first principles I wanted to share today was the one from the title of this email.
===> It starts with YOU.
I wrote down this first principle after I read the book, Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willick.
The book itself is NOT for everyone but the message definitley IS.
It’s a message the whole world would benefit from.
In a nutshell its this…
Before blaming the diet, the training program, your job, your boss or your spouse etc START WITH YOU.
It was certainly a message I needed.
See as a business owner I’ve made the mistake many times of blaming others when things haven’t gone so well OR when I’ve fallen off the fitness wagon blaming time or “being too busy”… when ultimately the buck almost ALWAYS lies with ME.
So these days whenever things don’t go to plan, rather than reacting to the problem or blaming others, I always try first to remind myself, “It starts with YOU Matt?”
When I first started applying this principle to my life I’m not gonna lie, IT WAS BRUTAL.
Accepting your own failures (almost daily) is NOT for the feint hearted.
I believe this is partly because it’s not something we get taught at school.
Instead the focus is always on being right and in many cases you will be punished for being wrong (another bug bare of mine with the education system).
The irony of all this is within the many people who we regard as super successful.
…The majority got there by being WRONG and failing a heap of the time!
The difference is, they learnt how to NOT think of these experiences as failures but as progress.
This should be life-lesson no.1
==> Failure itself isn’t a bad thing. NOT learning from these experiences and adapting is.
I think weight-training is the best analogy for this principle.
The whole point of weight training for muscle growth is to reach failure right?
But as we know, whilst this sounds like a negative, the opposite is true.
This is coz the act of breaking down muscle fibres actually creates the growth and strength we all want.
It’s the bodies natural adaptation mechanism at work.
Let me phrase it a different way. The very thing that breaks us down makes us stronger.
But here’s the biggie…Your mind works exactly the same way!
Trying new things that you’re almost certain to fail at initially actually creates courage & growth in the mind.
Unfortunately way too many people quit before reaching this growth point.
I’ve lost count of how many times someone has told me their diet failed them OR they failed the diet.
NO. NO. NO.
The failure was not the diet OR you.
The failure was in NOT taking the time to think about what this experience has taught you and questioning what tweaks in strategy are required.
So if you want to see what REAL progress in any endeavour of your life remember,
….It ALL starts with YOU.
Have a great day
PS. As mentioned. Telling the TRUTH by starting with you can be BRUTAL. But just like when you ease yourself back into exercise after a lay-off you can do it gradually.
I’m going to be running a 5 day “Start with YOU challenge” next week where I’ll be sharing a less brutal way of stepping up and taking ownership of your progress.
If you would like to increase your confidence or strength of mindset then you should definitely take part.
And its FREE in Mastering YOU.
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