In 2007 Tiger Woods was the world’s greatest golfer.
He practiced golf 15 hours a day...
His opponents feared his dedication and discipline...
But behind the scenes he made undisciplined choices in other areas of his life.
His infamous car crash and sex scandal in 2009 led to the destruction of his marriage and his career.
We watched the ‘world’s most disciplined athlete’ throw it all away.
It made me re-examine the definition of discipline.
And I decided what discipline really means is…
Having good habits that help you tackle your Level 10 problems in life and move you towards your goals…
While avoiding bad habits that move you away from your goals.
I also realized that…
Discipline isn't 100% transferable.
Just because you are disciplined at X, does NOT mean you are therefore disciplined at Y.
In fact…
I doubt there is a human alive that is disciplined in every area of their life.
The Navy SEAL might be a liar…
The professional athlete might cheat on his wife…
The personal trainer might binge eat…
Everyone struggles with something.
And we all need a specific plan to beat our personal demons.
That’s why today I want to share a 3-step “instruction guide”...
So that you can build the discipline you need to overcome bad habits and solve your biggest problems in life.
Step #1 – Find Your Big Why
I have a note on my phone that simply says:
Everything for my girls
This is my Big Why and my Theme for The Year (and really for the rest of my life).
Don’t want to get up at 2:30am to feed Sofia… and then stay up to write this book so that I can finish my real work when the girls get up at 6am?
Too bad. Everything for my girls.
Don’t want to cut back on lifting and only go to the gym three times per week for 30 minutes because I need more time at home to help with Baby Sofia?
Too bad. Everything for my girls.
Don’t want to lug two cribs, three strollers, four suitcases, 50 stuffed animals, and 600 diapers onto a Spirit Airlines flight to Orlando so we can visit Disney?
… I think you get the point.
My Big Why supports my Vision and dictates every daily decision.
Step #2 – Discipline Through Subtraction
Imagine you and I were running a 10k today.
Everything else being equal we’re both 40-minute finishers.
Along comes a race official and says, “Okay Mr. Ballantyne, you get the fancy shoes that will take 30 seconds off your time.”
And then the official turns to you and says, “And you get a backpack filled with a 50-pound kettlebell.”
Which of these items will have the greater impact?
Obviously the 50-pound weight.
Often the bad habits in life pull us down far more than good habits can lift us up.
If you remove the weights from your life…
Your performance will skyrocket.
That’s why discipline is best achieved through subtraction.
"It is not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." – Bruce Lee
Destroy distractions.
Toss out toxic temptations.
Negate negative people & environments.
Step #3 – Harness the Power of Positive People – Find Your Tribe
One personal development cliché that is as true as the sun is bright goes like this:
“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
Harvard research found that if one spouse became obese, the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increased by 37%.
Research also shows that smokers who hang out with smokers have the hardest time quitting smoking.
Research even shows that if your adolescent child’s friend has an authoritative mother (meaning strict), then your child has a 40% lower chance of getting drunk.
What does this mean for you and your habits?
If your closest social circle drinks alcohol, is overweight, smokes cigarettes or weed, and binge watches Netflix, then it’s easy to predict your future.
You know it. I know it. We all know it.
If you live on lonely entrepreneur island where no one around you has ambition, where no one sets goals, and no one has personal discipline…
Then look out failure, here we come.
This is why it’s so darn important to develop a peer group of like-minded, ambitious men and women with big goals and dreams.
=======
So there you have it…
3 powerful steps to shift your habits from bad to good.
When you put these strategies to work for you…
You’ll see every area of your life start to improve almost automatically.
Success Loves Speed,
Craig
PS - If you’re ready to 2X your income (or more) while working 10 less hours per week...
... Just REPLY to this email with the words “2X 10 LESS” and we'll set up a time to chat with you to find out if we can help.
|
