Now, before you get in to this, don’t let the title fool you. This is not going to be some motivational, jumped up piece of writing telling you all life’s problems can be fixed with a smile. It is however going to be a post showing that a more positive outlook on situations can more often than not yield better results than if you were to approach these issues with a sense of the world is against you and frustration. So, anybody expecting some Tony Robbins, USA style over hype I’m sorry to say you’re in the wrong place. By all means, keep reading and you may learn, or be directed in the correct direction to learn, about true positivity when it comes to mindset and how it can impact the outcome.
Here’s where this idea came from. I was originally going to write about something different this week but then I was in my room and just looking at some of the books I’ve read over the last 2-3 years and started thinking about similarities between these books which from the outside are completely unrelated. In reality, Phil Knight (The creator of Nike) has a very similar message in his book, Shoe Dog, as Ant Middleton (Ex British Special Forces commander and TV Personality) has in his, First Man In. Both men have gone through tough times in their endeavors, albeit very different, but both of them kept the end goal in sight and wouldn’t let bankruptcy or prison get in their way. Having the skill to slow down, take a breath and figure out the next positive step is crucial. In your fitness journey, and in life, you’re going to be met with moments where you want to pack it in and want the ground to open up and consume you. But the only thing to do is keep moving forward. Read on for the next 2-3 minutes to learn some of the lessons I’ve learned and how positivity can impact your life.
My interest in these sorts of books just happened by accident really. I remember coming out of college and I was about 3 or 4 months into full time employment. It was my first time out of formal education and the first September where I wasn’t going back to school/college. I definitely struggled through those few months, especially seeing as I had plenty of friends still in college and one of my best friends was the student union president of our old college. I was getting a couple books on amazon and a few recommendations came up, so I got those too. This all coincided with some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten.
“Treat your current job as if it’s the job.”
This means that where you may have your eyes on bigger and better jobs you’ll never get there if you don’t work like you already are there. It honestly changed the way I went to work and coached, and it helped make me the coach I am today. I re-framed my situation, and everything changed. I didn’t change who I was as a person, simply my attitude and execution.
This message was reinforced when I read Jon Gordon’s ‘The Energy Bus’. Long story short, it’s about a guy who sees the negative in all situations but is changed to see opportunities for growth instead. He did the same thing; he re-framed his outlook. It’s not as easy as telling yourself to change. You need to actively practice looking for opportunities instead of getting frustrated that you have to get the bus instead of drive because your car tire is flat when you wake up late. This book introduces a rule or life equation, E+P=O. Energy + Perception = Outcome. If your perception is positive and you dedicate energy to the task the outcome will more than likely be favorable.
The book I’m reading at the moment is called ‘The 5 second rule’ and it’s message is simple. Whenever there’s something you need to do but don’t want to do, count down from 5 and do it when you hit zero. Just take the first step. Sounds pretty gimmicky and it kind of is but the author has a bunch of research to back up her little trick. You have 5 seconds to do something before your brain starts making excuses and reasons as to why you shouldn’t do that task. The longer it takes, the harder it is to start.
Whatever challenge is facing you, fitness, financial, life or relationships, you’re not going to be able to fix them or meet your end goal in 5 seconds. However, you can definitely take your first step towards those targets in 5 seconds. From then all you need to do is keep placing one metaphorical foot in front of the other. Keep knocking off baby goals as you go and before you know it, you’ll hit your targets.
This week’s blog is a short one for sure but that’s all I really felt I wanted to say on the topic. It’s not about fake smiles and telling yourself the sun is shining when it’s snowing outside but the power of a positive attitude and perception towards a task can be the difference in completing that task or not. Some of us will be better at it than others, if you’re not someone who finds this way of thinking easy, I recommended talking to a professional about it. There’s zero shame in getting help with your mental health, after all, how many of us seek help with out physical health?
Rory.