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6 Essentials To Achieve Success

April 18, 2013 by Sons of Strength No Comments

1. Find Something to Fight For.

Every great warrior has his purpose.

Achilles fought for pride. Spartacus fought for vengeance to kill them all. Both brothers in Warrior battled for theirs. And every one of the 300 Spartans that gave their lives at Thermopylae did too.

 

EVERYONE HAS A PURPOSE.

 

You need one too. A purpose that keeps you going when you could easily quit. A reason to make you push that extra mile, refuse that random cheat food, or get into bed an hour earlier. Ultimately, these will be the sacrifices that are going to make you victorious; a true champion.

 

Your fight is completely your own – your wedding, your high school reunion, to live longer to see your children’s children, to be able to take your shirt off at the beach with confidence. Whatever that may be, it must be two things:

 

Your fight has to be REAL and most importantly, something you TRULY WANT so that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

 

Batiatus: What would you do to hold your wife again, to feel the warmth of her skin, to taste her lips, would you kill?
Spartacus: Whoever stood between us.
Batiatus: How many men? A hundred, A thousand?
Spartacus: I would kill them all.

 

2.    Determine a Deadline. 

Does it bother you when someone asks, “Are we there yet”?

 
You have your purpose. But when do you need it by?
Certain goals seem easier to accomplish because they have a direct deadline; your wedding, your birthday, or a competition.

 

But what happens to the others that are more subject to “when you get around to it”?

 

This mindset has to go if you ever REALLY want to get anywhere. Stop pushing it off and declare a finish line.

 

Furthermore, you need to set a punishment or creates stakes if you fail to reach it. Gamble on yourself, bet big, then put the odds in your favor. Give yourself a sense of urgency; a reason to be on your toes a little bit. It’s easier to stay committed when you HAVE TO weigh a certain amount to physically fight, or HAVE TO fit into that wedding dress come the big day.

 

Determine your fight night.

 

3.     Abandon your comfort zone. 

Cliché but the truth; get comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

 

Believe me, it is not going to be easy.

You know that.

Chances are that is exactly why you’re not where you want to be right now. When the going got tough, you…well you got soft.
In my youth, my mentor would greet every complaint I had about my progress with a simple, but UNDENIABLE truth.
“If it was easy, everybody would do it.”

To this day, that is what sticks inside my head whenever I feel like breaking. Recently, cutting from 200LBS. to 163LBS in little over a month for a fight was NOT EASY by any means. Trust me. There were days I felt like diving into any sugar-laden food I could get my hands onto. Then, there were the days I would do anything to stay in bed and bail training session. But that little saying is always what kept me going and keeps me unbreakable. And I will continue to use it for the rest of my life.

Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Break bad habits. Say no when it’s easier to say yes and vice versa. You need to make sacrifices that others aren’t willing to make. If it was easy, then everybody would do it. REMEMBER THAT.

 

4. Difficult doesn’t mean complicated. 

Set yourself up for victory.

 
Far too many times, I’ve seen individuals get so determined and motivated that they dive right into the deep-end and come up gasping for air. Hell, even I have done it multiple times and it has cost me big in the end.

 

They lay everything down on paper “perfectly”, or least what appears that way.

 

Training program. Training schedule. Nutrition plan. Sleep schedule. Latest gadgets. Advanced technique. Everything and the kitchen sink.

 

But what ends up happening? The minute something doesn’t go according to your “perfect” plan everything else falls off the wagon with it.

 

Perfect example: the typical American dieter. They have a perfect “low-carb, low-fat, gluten-free, diary-free, sugar-free” diet planned out, but then that slice of heavenly caramel pecan cheesecake makes it way onto the table and all of sudden it is Thanksgiving in May. You already fucked up so why stop there? The cupboards have been ripped apart, there are seven different stains on your shirt, and it hurts you to breathe. Yep, you’re “perfect” diet just went to shit. The chances you’re going to continue your feast tomorrow is 99:100.

 

Make your plan of attack simple and reasonable, but challenging. Don’t fall into paralysis by trying to figure out what the absolute BEST method is. Instead, just start doing it.
You can take your tongue off the computer screen now...

You can take your tongue off the computer screen now…

 

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

– Bruce Lee

 

 

5.    Set milestones along the way. 

Stay motivated. Celebrate your progress.

 
And no, not celebrate it with more cheesecake, you animal!

 

Divide your big goal into smaller ones along the way. Feeling the success of these little goals will mentally satisfying you that progress is happening and keep you motivated to hit the next mark.

 

America is a place where we can get anything on demand. Let’s face it; most of us are impatient and don’t like waiting for things. This is why so many of us struggle with body transformation. Losing fat or building new muscle never happens fast enough and that discourages most of you.

 

But remember, slow progress is still progress.

 

If you’re goal is to lose 10 pounds of fat in 6 weeks, break it down into smaller parts that you can focus on. Maybe it’s a pound this week and two the next. Give yourself weekly check-ins that you strive towards. You’ll find yourself closer to that 10 pounds with every passing milestone.
Having one bad meal doesn't mean you are allowed to turn into a monster. Get back to focusing on your goals ASAP.

Having one bad meal doesn’t mean you are allowed to turn into a monster. Get back to focusing on your goals ASAP.

 

6.     Be able to adjust.

It wouldn’t be any fun without a couple challenges along the way.

Nothing is ever going to go according to plan.

 

Ever.

 

So be prepared to handle the unexpected. You need to be able to adjust without missing a step. Keep on going.

 

No one has ever said it better than the legend, Bruce Lee.

 

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” 

– Bruce Lee

 

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