Motivational Monday: Never Never Never Give Up

You may be hurting. Frustrated. Tired. Feeling powerless. Surrounded by people but feeling alone in the world.

But you will get through this. And you will be stronger because of it.

The SEAL Code

“I will never quit.

I persevere and thrive on adversity.

My Nation expects me to be physically and mentally stronger than my enemies.

If knocked down, I will get back up, every time.

I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission.

I am never out of the fight.”

Consider this quote from the US Navy Seals. Read it again and ponder the words one by one. Contemplate each word and let the message you see develop over time. With patience and expectation discover what these words mean to you.

You have something inside of you that is stronger than anything holding you down.

You have to find the strength to focus on what really matters to you. Your loves. Your joys. The things that make you laugh. And smile. And make you want to share it with the world.

You may not always realise it, but you make a bigger difference in the world than you can possibly imagine. Your smile alone can change someone’s day for the better. And that single day can lead to unimaginable good things in the future.

The ripple effect of a single act of kindness can change an entire life.

Life is hard. And it isn’t fair.

And it really hurts like hell sometimes. But if you focus on what is within your power to change for the better, you can. And you will.

So please, find a way.

You may sometimes feel like the whole world is against you, but it just isn’t true. There are people who don’t even know you, but care greatly about you and your well-being.

It may sometimes feel like no one cares, but they do.

I promise you, they do.

So keep trying.

And never never never give up.

Don’t you ever give up.

That is all –

David

Success Through Being A Persistent Drip

Okay! I know this isn’t the catchiest of titles. After all, who would like to be labeled a consistent drip? Read on and I am confident that you will get my point.

How many of us think we have to be a force of nature to succeed? We look at successful people and stare wide-eyed at their overflowing charisma, their abundant intelligence and their excessive enthusiasm. They appear as if a force of nature and we in comparison, well…

You don’t have be a raging river to make a difference.

There is tremendous power in being a persistent drip.

By focusing your efforts and consistently doing what you can with what you have, you can break through even the biggest barriers standing between you and your goals.

Don’t be concerned if you’re not the biggest, the loudest, the flashiest, the fastest, or the most popular. Just focus on making progress, bettering yourself and your work, and on consistently being the best that you can be.

Whatever your goals may be, even the littlest of things can make a huge difference over time when done with consistency and a persistent focus.

Start now.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

That is all –

David

Learn The Productivity Mindset

Do you know people who get things done? We all do. But have you noticed that productive people tend to be happier and more well-rounded too?

The skills that these achievers use to help them complete tasks, hit deadlines, and finish projects are the same skills that can help you become a happier, more balanced individual in every aspect of your life.

Everyone should aspire to build a productive mindset. Here are seven tips to improve both your productivity and your life:

Have a Healthy Routine

Some of the most productive people in the world swear by similar morning routines. Rising early to have an exercise session, a protein-rich breakfast, and a spot of meditation feature in many productive people’s mornings from big business owners to presidents. Having a good start to the day gives you all sorts of benefits, including a clearer head, a healthier body, a better mood, and more focus.

Be Positive About Yourself

People who don’t get things done are often sabotaged by their own lack of self-belief. If you don’t think you’re capable of achieving anything, why would you try? Productive people don’t allow negative self-talk to steer them away from their goals. Not only does a healthy sense of self-efficacy help you focus and achieve more, but respecting your unique skills, qualities and strengths will make you feel happier too. It’s really a self-fulfilling prophecy — if you pep talk yourself, you’ll probably find that you’ve got much more to cheer about and you are more likely to perform better when you have a positive outlook.

Look at the Bigger Picture

Productive people don’t get distracted because they’ve always got the bigger picture in mind. They don’t think about a report as a piece of administration or see a spreadsheet as a list of numbers - instead they view these things as necessary steps to achieve their goals. And beyond that, they’ll know why this particular goal is of value to them and how it will enhance their life overall. Whether it’s to make money, to gain security, or to revolutionise the world, productive people see tasks as vital cogs in the greater machinery of their project and their life. Whenever you need to do anything important, bear in mind how good it will make you feel to do it or how it will enhance your well-being. Focusing on these positive things allows you to stay motivated and happy at home and at work.

Streamline Your Life

You might marvel at how much productive people seem to get done in a day, but what you’ll usually find is that they’ve set things up in a way that makes it easier for them to succeed. Whether it’s putting automated systems in place, delegating, or just having all the necessary tools ready to hand, productive people have a head start because they’ve simplified and streamlined their processes. If you invest a little time in decluttering, preparing, and organising, you’ll not only save yourself time in the long run, but you’ll save yourself stress and headaches. And you’ll have much more time to do the things you really value later on.

Be Solution-Focused

If you focus too long on a problem, it can really start to bog you down. You can end up going around in circles, feeling more and more frustrated and worried about the pickle you’re in, rather than doing anything to fix what’s wrong. Productive individuals take one good look at the problem and then immediately move on to search for solutions. Focusing on finding answers helps you feel more in control and gets you out of the problem more quickly. Finding solutions helps you accomplish things, and the sense of pride you get from that can make you feel happier too.

Know Nothing Has to Be Perfect

If you tried to be perfect in everything you did, you’d never ever get anything done. Perfection is an impossible marker, and trying to live up to it just leaves you feeling frustrated and depressed. Productive people focus on doing their very best, but don’t allow a few flaws to delay their dreams or stop their progress. Not only does letting go of perfectionism allow you to get more done, it also takes the pressure off you, letting you enjoy what you are doing and have more fun with it.

Respect Time

If you really thought about what’s precious in life, you’d realise that time is one of the most valuable commodities — it’s one that we only get a certain amount of, and once it’s gone, we can’t get it back. Productive people know the value of time and have a healthy respect for it, which is partly why they are able to stay so focused. You’d find it far less tempting to play Candy Crush if you knew it was your last day on Earth. Respect the time that you have in the world and it’ll be easier to live your life to the fullest, cherishing and enjoying every moment.

Let me know how you adopt these seven principles of productive people into your life.

That is all - 

David

My Ten Best Fitness Quotes

Looking for inspiration? Lacking motivation in your training? Here are 10 quotes to help you reach your goals.

"In training, you listen to your body.

In competition, you tell your body to shut up.” ~ Rich Froning Jr., four-time CrossFit Games champion

“You shall gain, but you shall pay with sweat, blood, and vomit.” ~ Pavel Tsatsouline, father of the modern kettlebell movement

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger, seven-time Mr. Olympia

“If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.” ~ Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, professional wrestler and actor

“There comes a certain point in life when you have to stop blaming other people for how you feel or the misfortunes in your life. You can’t go through life obsessing about what might have been.” ~ Hugh Jackman, actor and member of the 1000-pound club

“I will sacrifice whatever is necessary to be the best.” ~ J.J. Watt, defensive end for the Houston Texans

“There’s no secret formula. I lift heavy, work hard, and aim to be the best.” ~ Ronnie Coleman, eight-time Mr. Olympia

"You have to push past your perceived limits, push past that point you thought was as far as you can go.” ~ Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and 2010 Super Bowl MVP

“You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.” ~ Michael Phelps, swimmer and 18-time Olympic gold medalist

“We run for the people who think they can't.” ~ Dick Hoyt, retired Lt. Colonel who has pushed his quadriplegic son through over 1,000 marathons, triathlons, and Ironman races.

Motivational Monday: Where Are You Now?

Almost half way through the year and there is no better time than now to look at your goals for 2015 and take an accounting of where you are. 

Look at the list of goals you made at the end of last year.

Wait. Some of you don’t have a written list of goals?

Outrageous!

No worries, you can still play along.

Write your goals down on paper now.

I’ll wait for you.

Are you on track to complete your goals? Are you behind on some of your goals? Have your priorities changed in some way that means your goals necessarily have to change now? 

Goals are also nothing more than happy talk unless you review your progress and make adjustments to stay on course. If you are on track, congratulations! If you are off track or falling behind, now is the time to decide what has to change and to make some new commitments.

What Needs to Change?

What do you need to do differently in order to reach your goals? What do you need to do more of? What do you need to stop doing? What goals did you commit to at the start of the year but haven’t yet taken any action on? What new goals do you need to commit to now?

Goals are meaningless unless you take massive action to reach them, which is why I create Discipline Lists. Lists of things that I have to do daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly in order to reach my goals. I find this to be easier than reviewing my goals every week, because I have what I need to do automatically showing up in my task manager every day.

What needs to go on your Discipline Lists in order for you to reach your goals? 

  

Use the comments box to send me your thoughts, your ideas, your stories, and your questions.

  

Do good work this week.

That is all –

David