Dream big! Grind and Fail! Get uncomfortable!
Whenever I’m looking for direction or inspiration; whenever I’m looking for guidance or motivation to achieve the things that I want to achieve, I look to the very people whom inspire me the most.
A former employer of mine once gave me some invaluable advice with regards creating success (a multiple CEO, OBE holder and multiple millionaire- I listened!).
I had asked for advice concerning my career path and the starting of a business and within ten seconds of our sit down he asked me a question that stumped me instantly.
“Who’s business model do you admire within the industry and why?”
The reason this stumped me was because I had spent so long focusing on what I was going to; obsessing and fixating on making an impact that I had no real idea about how I was actually going to do it because I had never looked at the people who were already doing just that.
The advice he gave me was simple but extremely important...
“Emulate the people who are already successful- reinventing the wheel comes later, if ever at all”
This stuck with me and it’s a notion I remind myself of often. Success is relative of course, my current idea of success might not be to become a millionaire however this advice is transferable into almost any endeavour; losing weight, building muscle, making money, lifestyle change, racing, learning to crawl, walk then run. The list is infinite.
From that point on my perspective changed, I had a far clearer idea of what I needed to do to be successful in the field that I am passionate about. I knew I needed to surround myself with people I could learn from, I knew I needed to gain employment somewhere I respected with someone who shared similar values, beliefs and ethos.
I’m not saying I’ve attained any real level of success yet but like I said, success is relative and the advice is infinitely transferable, that’s why I look to my heroes and those who have done before me what it is I wish to do now for knowledge and inspiration.
Here are three lessons I’ve learned from one of my heroes that really help me stay on track, move forward and inspire me to succeed.
1) Dreaming Big!
Arnold Schwarzenegger has probably got to be the most clichéd role model on the planet I reckon but anyone who has studied, listen to, watched and read about him will know that the reasons for this go far beyond his impressive physique achievements. Not only did good old Arnie dominate the world of bodybuilding from his early adulthood, he played a huge role in turning what was a fringe sport into a multi-billion dollar industry. While winning every trophy there is multiple times, Arnie made his first million, not from bodybuilding (there was no prize money back then) but from investing in property with money he made through a stone masonry venture. All this before forcing his giant physique onto the big screen during a time when the macho ‘superheroes’ were slight and relatively small framed and later forging a successful political career in his adopted homeland.
According to Arnold his success can largely be accredited to his desire to achieve what everybody else believed to be impossible but to him was simply inevitable.
He dreamed big and went about achieving with an unrivaled tenacity; he viewed making small goals as short changing his potential and a premature admission of defeat.
2) Grind and Fail!
Being afraid to fail is something that I have suffered with for most of my life without really even acknowledging it until recently. Many a time in my past I have passed on opportunities because I undervalued myself or viewed rejection as a negative instead of something to learn from. Reading about Arnie’s humble beginnings and his rise to success, one thing is blatantly clear: His abundance of self belief, stubborn desire and brutal drive.
He isn’t afraid to fail and he knows the value of failure and the importance of grinding on, relentlessly moving towards his goals, sidestepping any blockades that come his way.
Anyone who has learnt to ride a bike already knows this; it’s just a matter of applying it to everything you do. You try, you fall, you dust yourself off and you try again until one day it just happens.
For me I try to bear this mind when the chips are down; this didn’t work so I’ll try that; that didn’t happen but it might next time and so on.
3) Get uncomfortable!
During his bodybuilding career Arnold would train to the point of vomiting, to absolute exhaustion because he knew there was always someone out there training harder and he wanted that person to be him.
He threw himself into the deep end because he knew if he wanted to learn to swim there was no better way. Okay so I’m getting a bit metaphor heavy here but you get the point. You have to learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable if you want to break out of the rut and succeed. Every week I write a blog post knowing that someone could slate me or challenge my views and that’s a prospect that sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable, however the idea of giving into that feeling and not even trying is a far more uncomfortable prospect and so I have to get comfortable with occasionally being uncomfortable because I know that it will eventually lead to somewhere better.
Whoever your heroes are, whatever your goals are you need to look to those before you, to those who have what you want and then you need to listen, learn and open your mind to their lessons and teachings because if you dream, grind, fail and get uncomfortable enough for long enough, I believe success is inevitable... at least I hope so anyway (wink!)
Go lift stuff,
Ollie