“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Life is challenging enough, and it’s easy to become discouraged as you’re beaten down by the daily grind. Amid all this, chasing a BIG goal can seem overwhelming.
Here’s the thing, though: The more we let the “grind” wear us down, the more we fall back on our heels and lose energy, becoming deflated, hesitant, overwhelmed and even scared. Fears and doubts set in. “I’m probably not going to be able to pull this off.” Our belief wanes, our energy subsides, and we become flat-footed. Without really noticing, our actions cease.
We might even tell ourselves or our friends, “I’m just too busy right now,” or, “I’ll get back to it when I have more time.”
BAM!
“What just happened?” You wake up. You snap out of it and wonder, “Did I just raise the white flag? Did I give up hope?”
Was it by choice or by default? In other words, were you like the frog who is boiled to death, where the temperature of the water changes so slowly, so gradually, the frog doesn’t notice until it’s too late?
Do the very best goal achievers — our heroes — experience brutal setbacks?
Of course they do. Do they experience doubt? Absolutely. But they push through it.
In order to push through difficult times, the visual I love so much is Muhammad Ali and his now-famous “rope-a-dope“! In one of his most famous fights, “the Rumble in the Jungle,” versus the larger and much stronger George Foreman, Ali recognized the path to any possible victory meant he’d have to take some punches — and probably a beating. This was his strategy to get Foreman to expend vital energy, while at the same time allowing Ali to conserve energy.
Curled up in the corner, Ali got hammered by the lumbering Foreman. But Ali conserved energy, weathered the storm, and then guess what he did? That’s right, he came out fighting! In a flurry of punches (action) he came out aggressively bobbing and weaving…on his toes!
Like Ali, our path to success is going to involve taking some punches! But with the right mindset, we can use the beating (any difficulty) to learn, regroup, and prepare in order to re-engage the fight!
And, remember, every storm will pass.
So here are some more KEY QUESTIONS for you:
Are others counting you out?
Are you counting yourself out?
Who decides if you’re still in the fight or if it’s time to give up?
Who knows for certain what the future holds in store for you?
What mindset gives you a better chance for success and goal achievement? A doubtful, hesitant mindset or a positive, confident and aggressive mindset?
What are some ways you can stay in your particular “fight” when the going gets tough?
What resources can you tap to help “conserve” energy during whatever “beating” you are undergoing?
How can you tell when you’re ready to come out in full force once again?
In a hurry? Start watching at 42:30. Enjoy!
Until next week,
~mg