When working towards a goal there are always certain tasks that are hard to do. It might getting outside to run or going to class when you are supposed to. It could be getting up earlier to read, study, and plan your day out. For kids, it might be getting your homework done on time or preparing for a big project that is almost due. Goal achievement is hard work! We never want to confuse simply being busy with accomplishing important tasks. Most people “major in minor things”. They are busy all day long doing tasks that have no real value or get them closer to the goals they have set for themselves. Or they procrastinate doing the important things because they know they will be difficult. Don’t let this be you! The golden rule in business is, “I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.” What are your top goals? What do you need to do every day to move you closer to achieving them? Constantly evaluate your tasks and plan for the day. Are there tasks that could be delegated to someone else? Is what I am doing right now important or am I procrastinating doing something more valuable? These are tough questions to ask but they separate winners from whiners!!! Here are a few tips to having very productive days that are filled with progress: 1. Do the hardest things first! When you tackle the toughest tasks early then you will feel great about yourself and you have the rest of the day to look forward to doing more enjoyable things. 2. Have an A-B-C task list. Rate your tasks for the day A-B-C and do all the “A” tasks first. Never do a “B” task when an “A” task is unfinished and you can work on it. 3. Celebrate successful days. Reward yourself for making good choices and doing hard work. Make the reward fitting to the day you have had or the jobs you completed. Rewards are fun so never forget them!!! What separates great martial artists from mediocre ones? Is it talent? Is it athleticism? Sure, all of those things play a part but the real difference between someone who is okay and someone who is outstanding is there discipline, determination, and drive!
They are willing to stretch themselves and push beyond what’s comfortable. Great Black Belts show up on a consistent basis ready to give their very best at any given moment. I love the quote, “The more we grind – the more we shine!” The more we grind it out, push ourselves, and stretch it, the more we grow. When is a rubber band useful? Only when it is stretched. In many ways, people are the same way. For us to reach our true potential we need to constantly stretch ourselves. Author Alan Cohen, author and contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series says, “To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny.” In the dojo that could mean learning a new skill, like BJJ or Hyper. It could mean training with someone who really challenges you. Successful people get comfortable at being uncomfortable! Wednesday mornings are a big day of training for the EFMA staff. We do an hour of sparring followed by a very intense Spartan workout. A typical workout consists of running, burpees, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and more. It’s intense, challenging, and will take your fitness to a completely different level! Sensei Melissa and some of our EFMA members are about to run the Keys 100 race again, which is a 100-mile team relay race from Key Largo to Key West. They will each be logging 5-6 runs in one day, in the hot summer sun. Are they being stretched? I would say so! Richard Branson is one of the wealthiest men in the world. What most people don’t know about Richard is how many times he has failed in his career. He tried 14 different companies that failed. He tried to make it in the burger business, wedding dress business, and even tried to compete with the New York Lottery. He failed. Despite all his “failures”, he is still one of the richest people in the world. So, is he a failure? Of course not! What he was doing was stretching himself, stretching his team, and stretching his brand. So, he failed a few times. Did he fail his way to billions? You could say so! What can you do to stretch yourself? Are you stuck in a comfort zone right now? Elite Force Team LHP is stretching itself with our new expansion plans. We are taking over the space next door and growing the school from 3,300 square feet to 5,000 square feet. We will be adding a full-time Elite Force BJJ program and Re-Birth Fitness will be launching a daytime Yoga program as well. The moral here is stretch yourself. You are capable of more than you think you are. Train hard and be your best. The best is yet to come! There really is no secret to success. It’s quite simple when you think about it. Show up. Work hard. Measure your progress. Adjust as necessary. Repeat. When you look at it on paper, it looks simple. But is it? Not really! I hear a popular term around a lot. People complain about the “daily grind”. They have to get up, go to work, deal with a bunch of crap, listen to an annoying boss (hopefully our instructors at Elite Force don’t say that :), go to the gym, make dinner, and go to bed. Then they have to do it again and again and again. Sounds exciting and fulfilling, right? I think of the “daily grind” as something a bit different. GRIND stands for: Get Ready…It’s a New Day! Mark Cuban said in an interview with YAHOO, “Success is not a straight line, you have to grind it out.” When I heard that, something in my thick skull clicked. Do you think of your days and weeks as mundane and boring? Are your goals exciting and igniting that fire in your belly? Tony Robbins says, “People aren’t lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them.” When you have inspiring goals, you WANT to get up early. You WANT to bust your ass every day. You WANT to stay up late and burn the midnight oil. I see students at Elite Force get that martial arts bug. They went from saying they don’t have time to train two times per week to finding time to attend 4-5 times per week. What happened? Did they find the magic formula to add more hours in the day and days in the week? No. The found a goal, like Black Belt, that inspires them to find the time to get to class so they can make progress. Progress is the magic pill for happiness. We are all happiest when we are seeing progress in our goals. When we move forward with our fitness, health, finances, business goals, and family goals, we are excited to show up the next day and move the ball forward again. That is the GRIND mindset. Get Ready…it’s a New Day! Get on your GRIND today! Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family! My wife left me. My dog died. My truck broke down. I am under paid. My boss hates me, and it’s raining outside.
Sounds like the lyrics to an old country song, doesn’t it? But I am willing to bet that you know a few people that talk like this all the time. They walk in to a room with that negative look on their face. They are angry at the world and it is NEVER their fault. These people actually brighten the room when they leave! I’m sure deep down they are great people, but they let their negative outlook dampen their day and the day of those around them. Well, I am going to say it. It’s complete BS! I know many of you are thinking of a very colorful expression that should not be said around kids. It’s really not the BS that you are thinking of. It’s their BS! BS meaning…Belief Systems. It’s their Belief Systems that is the real problem. We know those people that think everything happens to them. They have bad luck. They never get the breaks, the promotion, or the accolades. They get angry when others are doing well, seeing gains, making progress, and moving forward in life. They feel helpless and think there is nothing they can do to change their life or circumstances. They are the victim and it’s everyone else’s fault. So how does a person change their BS? It all starts with your attitude. When you start to understand that it’s your outlook and your attitude that makes the difference, you are then on the road to success and happiness. Tony Robbins says, “Nothing has meaning except for the meaning you give it.” You might see people around you on the climb. They are losing weight, training hard, getting better, and inspiring others. You might say, “It’s easy for them because…(insert some BS excuse here!”) :) Or you could view it differently. You could say, “Good for them. If they can do it, it’s possible for me too. If it’s to be…it’s up to me!” When you ask yourself questions, you will get great answers to those questions. What questions are you asking yourself? Why did this have to happen to me? Why can’t I catch a break? Why is this so hard? Or you could ask yourself some empowering questions, such as… What can I learn from this? What is the opportunity here? How can I make the best of this? Occasionally, you may get an injury. Many times, people say they can’t train. I would encourage you to view it differently. OK, your knee hurts. You can still work your in close boxing on the wall. You can still do upper body strength training. You can still practice your weapons. It’s not what you can’t do. It’s what you can do! Want to improve your attitude? Start with this book: Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude It is one of the best books on attitude I have ever read. Put the right information and inspiration in your mind, and you will change your BS. What else can you do?
Want a better, more fulfilling life? Change your BS! Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family! ACTION TNT APRIL: Action Creates Motivation
By Shihan Craig Haley, Elite Force Martial Arts This is one of the most powerful messages ever. Most people have an idea of what they want. Some people are vague but have a general direction, which is not the recipe for success. Others have very clearly defined goals and action plans. Those people will flourish because they have taken the right steps and have clarity. Clarity is power! However, we all have those days when we wake up and are dragging. We wake up tired, didn’t sleep well, and overall are just feeling lazy. On those days, it would be a lot easier to sit on the couch or go back to bed. Here’s the problem...many people will do just that! Action creates motivation! When you take action first, the energy and emotion always follows. Tony Robbins says, “A body in motion will intensify your emotion.” Many times, people don’t feel like coming to class, but once they get there they are so glad they did. And after class they feel like a million bucks! So sometimes when you are considering blowing off a class or a workout, think about how you are going to feel after the class and that will get you to go in the first place. Think about when J.K. Rowling was writing her first Harry Potter book… Her bills were piling up. She had a baby girl to take care of. She had to face cold rainy winters in Edinburgh...and we can go to the beach every day! She was in a constant battle with depression. She had no guarantee that anyone would even read her book, let alone have thousands of dollars in pre-orders for it. Despite all of this, somehow, she managed to spend 5 years writing consistently. I have never regretted the workout I did do, but I sure have regretted the workout I didn’t do that I was supposed do. So, the next time you are feeling lazy and unmotivated, take action! Do the workout! Go for a run. Start reading the book. Do something and know that when you do you are building momentum and creating an unstoppable energy force that will lead you to success! Action TNT – Today, not tomorrow! Experts say that procrastination is the thief of time and enemy of goal achievement. All successful achievers have goals that motivate and inspire them to take action. They review their goals daily and do something every day.
The mistake most people make is they can’t do everything they want to do in one day so they do nothing. In reality, doing something (even something small) that will move you closer to your goal is better than nothing. They say there are 3 kinds of people in the world:
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” - Abraham Lincoln ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Black Belt Champions eliminate distractions so they can focus on the most important tasks that will move them closer to their goals. They know that time is always moving and once it’s gone, there is no getting it back. Action TNT April is all about taking-action every day towards your most important goals. Happy James Hons is a professional instructor at our Lighthouse Point dojo. James is eligible for his 3rd degree black belt in October of 2017. Since the black belt cycle began, he has picked up the frequency, intensity, and duration in his training. He is running, training every day, and even attending the Friday morning "fight club" class at 6:30. Happy James is taking action every day...and not waiting until tomorrow! What are your top 3 goals for 2017? Tony Robbins says, “The more you measure it, the better you can manage it.” Good luck and crush it! Everyone deals with challenges, obstacles, and difficulties in their life. Scheduling challenges, financial pressures, and work dilemmas are real concerns!
Kids deal with school and homework challenges, peer pressures, bullying, and much more. The shoe rack theory is all about helping you deal with challenges in a more positive and proactive way. When you leave your shoes in the shoe rack at the martial arts school, place all your worldly troubles in your shoes. This way you go on to the mat with a clear mind and can focus solely on your martial arts training. At the end of class, you hear a positive and uplifting class message. Many times, after class your challenges are gone, minimized, or you are at least in a better frame of mind to deal with them. Your endorphins are flowing and you are feeling great! Implementing this philosophy is simple to do but not always easy. Challenge yourself the next time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, come to class, put your problems in your shoes, and see how you feel when class is over. Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family! Being ten feet tall and bulletproof is a mindset of strength and confidence.
In life, we all deal with obstacles, challenges, and tough times. Most people start throwing a personal pity party and complain about what’s happening to them. They are quick to throw in the towel and stop trying. When someone has the mindset of a champion, they don’t focus on what happens. They focus on what they can do with what has happened. In other words, they focus on the solutions, not the problem. They focus on what they can do to make the situation better. They accept 100% responsibility for their attitude, actions, and behaviors and they move forward. David Parker is an Elite Force Black Belt and very successful realtor in South Florida. He had to overcome double shoulder surgeries after earning his Black Belt back in 2013. Now he is back in action and training for his 2nd Degree Black Belt. That is being 10 feet tall and bulletproof! So how does a person develop a ten feet tall and bulletproof mindset?
It’s awesome to see high level martial artists train and continue to get better and better. What they do is rather simple when you think about it.
They show up every day. They do their martial arts training, they eat right, and they drink lots of water. They are on track with their supplements. At the end of the day, what they do is simple, but somehow, it’s not easy. Why is it that some people can be so consistent and continue to grow while others slide along laterally, never making progress? I believe it lies in their attitude. Champions look at training as something they get to do, not something they have to do. They get excited about the idea of getting on the mats, learning, growing, and getting better. They love the feeling they have at the end of a workout, and they think about how they are going to feel at the end of their workout before it begins. Champions get fired up about their goals and they know that every time they get that workout in, they are one step closer to that next stripe, belt, or goal weight. How do you feel Monday morning when it is time to get your week started? Are you dragging your feet saying, “I hate Mondays!” or do you wake up excited because Monday is the start to the week and you get the chance to crush it? Zig Ziglar says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Your attitude about what you do all day long will determine how successful you become. One thing I can say for sure is being positive doesn’t guarantee success but being negative guarantees failure. What can you do to shape your attitude? The biggest thing you can do is decide that you are going to be enthusiastic about your goals and training. Decide that you will have the “get to” mindset and not the “have to” attitude. Read an empowering book on attitude. Start with Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. Follow an inspiring mentor on YouTube or plug into a Podcast that is informative and inspiring. Positive in – Positive out! Garbage in – Garbage out! Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family! Jimmy Johnson has had an incredible coaching career. Johnson was the first and one of only three football coaches to lead teams to both a major college football championship and a Super Bowl.
Jimmy recalls a motivational story he told the Dallas Cowboys before a game they needed to win to keep their season alive. “I told them that if I laid a two-by four plank across the room, everybody there would walk across it and not fall, because our focus would be that we were going to walk that two-by-four. But if I put that same two-by-four plank 10 stories high between two buildings only a few would make it, because the focus would be on failing. Focus is everything. The team that is more focused today is the team that will win this game.” Johnson told his team not to be distracted by the crowed, the media, or the possibility of losing, but to focus on each play of the game itself just as if it were a good practice session. The Cowboys won the game by 52-17. How good is your focus? Are you easily distracted or can you eliminate distractions? In the martial arts, we have a philosophy called the Shoe Rack Theory. When a student comes into class, they are encouraged to leave their challenges and problems in their shoes. They go to class, have a great workout, are surrounded by great people, and hear a positive class message. Many times, after class their problems are gone or they are in a better state of mind to deal with them. How can you apply the shoe rack theory in your life? Did you ever get a new car and when driving down the street you noticed how many people have the same make and model car that you do? Why do you “all of the sudden” notice this? It’s what you are focused on! In business, the greatest management principle in the world says, “Whatever we praise, recognize, and reward, we get more of.” So, what happens when we focus on good behaviors and positive results? We get more of them. It’s all about focus! When training a puppy to go to the bathroom outside dog trainers will tell you to give them a treat when they go outside. Why? Because puppies learn better through positive reinforcement. So, the answer isn’t to yell at them when they have an accident in the house. Focus on them doing the right thing in the right place and watch what happens! By the way, people are the exact same way! Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family! |
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