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Sunday, September 23, 2018

WEEK 153: HOW YOUR BRAIN IS REALLY WIRED

It would require a nuclear power plant to energize a computer the size of a city block mimic your brain.    Michio Kaku


REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): I posted something on FB this week, which peaked a lot of peoples' interests. 

It was centered around how your brain is really wired. 

Knowing this can help you move past difficulty and struggle.

Not knowing this will keep you STUCK.

Let me explain. 

Do you the story of Jimmy Foster?

Well, Jimmy was one of the almost famous and important people on Earth. 

He had all the potential in the world and had the ability to impact people on a grand scale. 

And on the surface he made all the right decisions:

-put in the work daily
-spoke eloquently 
-avoided things which hampered his progress
-achieved most of his goals

He even looked the part:

-handsome features
-slim and healthy (not a body builder)
-dressed well

Yet...

What others did not see is the destructive power that laid below the surface.

When the lights were on him, Jimmy made it look easy.

But, when they were off it was a different story.

Although he consciously made the decision to reach for higher levels, he was never able to truly achieve them.

If did achieve them, it would be temporary and he would return back to a previous version of himself.

It was like there were two versions of Jimmy playing a chess match.

Every conscious move he made to achieve his goals, the other version would counter him without him knowing. 

Although he would make progress, it was always incremental at best. The worst part was he would ALWAYS, ALWAYS revert back to where he started. 

In the beginning Jimmy thought this was just a part of the process of growth.

He stayed determined and kept at it.

Yet...the failure started to chip away at his drive and dedication.

One day off, turned to two days off.

Then three, then a week, then a month....

Jimmy snapped out of it after some time, but saw that everything he had worked so hard to build was gone.

He was devastated. 

Blame, guilt, shame, desperation all sank in.

He believed he was not worthy.

This allowed him to forget who he really was...an incredible person with so much potential. 

This allowed him to believe he was a FRAUD.

And lastly it allowed him to stop SHOWING UP to do the necessary work to turn his potential to reality.

Do you remember Jimmy Foster?

You are probably saying you have never heard of his story, and you would be correct that he was never in any headlines. 

Yet...

Jimmy's story is like so many who do not understand how the brain is really wired.

Thus, it does not matter how much potential or promise they have. 

The crazy thing is they all consciously choose to achieve their greatest goals. 

But not knowing how your brain is wired will lead you to same result as Jimmy...never realized. 

So how is the brain really wired?

First, know it is wired for self-preservation...ie, wants comfort and safety at all costs.

Let me give you an example.

Would you pay $100 or $1000 to improve yourself?

Or better yet, would you purchase something with an 75% or 100% guarantee of working?

Willing to bet you would chose $100 and 100% guarantee.

Why is this?

These two choices are actually easier for the brain to comprehend, and makes it feel comfortable.

Yet...

These are the very things which keep you STUCK from achieving your greatest goals.

Did you know you have access to literally cities full of computers at your disposal in your brain.

Do you understand how much power that it...

The thing is you can only access it when you put it in action. When you are actually doing. 

Thus, only choosing to invest in things if they are "Free" or have "100% guarantees will limit your ability to make choices to help you achieve your greatest goals. 

We are talking some MEGA deep stuff here. 

Now, when you get this you get the greatest ROI off your investments.

Which is capital A, Acceleration.

When you do not get this, you will make choices which either keep you STUCK or burn you out so you don't even get to enjoy the very thing you set out to do because you are too tired to enjoy it. 

So, how can you leverage this information to achieve your greatest goals.

1. Know the brain is wired for self-preservation. (Does not matter how successful you are).

2. Know that the best decision you can make to help you grow will often times feel "uncomfortable" and "wrong."

3. Know the greatest ROI you can get is acceleration. Thus if a program, coach, or product gives you that then invest even if it feels uncomfortable or wrong.

*Do your due diligence and vet your options. 

This framework will allow you to start making decisions which can change the trajectory of your life forever. 

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas. Confront to empower daily.
2. Live in Zen. Gives me greatest resource on the planet Energy = Drive.
3. PU. Build Focus, Practice trigger, and rehearse success before it even happens. 

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections? 

Make decisions not based on your current level, but at the level of your HVS.


What are you grateful for?

Abundance to access doctors and medicine to heal our children.

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.


EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

Monday, September 17, 2018

WEEK 152: THE FINISH LINE AND WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW IT

Keep your eye on the finish line, not on the turmoil around you.    Unknown


REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Have you ever ran a long distance. 

A distance you thought you did not believe you could finish before the started?

A distance that almost made you quite before you even started?

Well I want to talk about how you can attract crossing the finish line with the "Finish Line Principle." 

It will help you understand how to achieve your greatest goals.

But before we get into the nuts and bolts, I want to tell you about a run I took this past Saturday.

Now the September in the Hong Kong area is sweltering. We are talking about heat + high humidity = so hot you literally sweat just by going outside. 

I usually run in the morning around 5 am, but I decided to take a run in the middle of day to see what the difference was.

Well, the changes were immediate and I felt the difficulty of what I was undertaking 30 seconds after I started.

I could not imagine how I might finish 5 miles in these conditions.

Yet, I focused on getting to the first out of 6 markers. 

The thing was, the heat was no joke this past Saturday.

Usually I feel pretty good passing markers 2, 3, and 4...but on Saturday it was a struggle to get to each one.

Even after I crossed the half way point, where I feel a new reservoir of energy, I felt I could quit.

This actually continued until I reached the next marker.

Although my legs felt like lead weights, and my lungs were burning...I found a way to continue.

It was not until I reached the marker 5 could I imagine crossing the finish line. 

It was like the finish line was actually pulling me to cross, similar how a magnet pulls a metal object to it. 

Energy I did not know I had left in the tank was injected into my legs and my focus sharpened. 

Actually had my best stretch of running from marker 5 to 6 and crossed the finish line.

And the truth, the best thing was not crossing the finish line...

It was the person I became in order to cross the finish line.

This is MEGA...and ties into what I talked about last week about BECOME first, and have second.

Mentally overcoming the challenges and pushing my body to its limits helped me become a higher version of myself.

And that is what allowed me to finish the race.

Don't get me wrong, finishing the 5 miles felt great, but more importantly it was who I became by finishing the 5 miles in sweltering heat which was the true reward. 


***

Now here is the thing. 

Anything worthwhile is going to feel like this sweltering run I took Saturday.

It is easy to make the choice you are going to do it.

Yet, right when you start you do not know how the hell you are going to "cross the finish line."

Why?

You try to think of everything you must complete in order to achieve this and that is just plain overwhelming.

Here is where you must focus on just reaching the next "marker" and taking the actions which will get you there. 

Additionally, there will be points where you will want to quit.

No joke.

Great goals or doing something amazing is not a walk in the park. You have to punch the clock and do the work.

You can not eat one healthy meal and then expect to lose the belly fat that has accumulated over years.

Just not how it works.

In my case, my legs and lungs were burning, yet I kept going! One step after the other. 

Marker 1. Marker 2. Marker 3. Marker 4. Marker 5...

And then you get to that last stretch where you see the finish line and this is where the "Finish Line Principle" comes into play.

The outcome you desire actually pulls you to it.

Literally, the finish line you could not see during the whole process actually pulls you towards it.

The key is to stay in the race and be persistent to get to this point.

This has proven true in every huge goal I have set...getting a masters, self-publishing my book...

Yet...

I see so many people quitting before they get to this point because they face a setback or just do not want to put in the work.

And the crazy thing is some are just around the corner from seeing the finish line!

So, understand the work that is involved but know the end will literally pull you to "cross the finish line" once you see it.


Top three activities that move me forward?

1. ATLAS - confront to empower and create momentum daily.
2. Zen - taps me into the greatest resource on earth - ENERGY and FOCUS
3. Psychic umbrellas - builds up my reservoir of FOCUS for when I need it.


Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

Making decisions based on your current level or default level of comfort keeps you STUCK.


What are you grateful for?

A rainy day (actually Typhoon Manghkut) in with Meggo and the kiddos. No power, no problem! We were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. 


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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.


EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 9, 2018

WEEK 151: WHO YOU BECOME

What you get by achieving your goals is nothing compared to who you become in achieving your goals.   Zig Ziglar


REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Have you felt frustrated, stressed, or even down right angry when you are not able to achieve a goal?

Even though you consciously made hard choices.

Yet, for all the actions you took, you had no results to show for them?

Well, the thing is you were doing thigns in the wrong sequence. 

Trust me, I was doing the same for many years before I learned and figured out this sequence myself.

And you want to know the incredible thing?

After I learned this sequence, what use to be a struggle...what used to be difficult...what used to keep me STUCK...

Just naturally fell into place. 

It was like I was trying to construct a building, but instead of starting with a the foundation I was trying to start with the 10th floor. 

Naturally, impossible!

Now here is the thing.

There are so many people who have amazing things to share with the world, but are fighting an uphill battle continuously (or not even fighting at all).

The truth is it does not have to be this way. 

Taking action, seeing little progress, then an obstacle which derails everything...then back to square one. 

So what is this sequence you need to understand in order to achieve your greatest goals?

It is simple...BECOME first, then have second. 

Focusing on having first, and becoming second will keep you:

-Stuck
-Frustrated
-Stressed
-Hopeless
-Blaming yourself for failures 

blah, blah, blah

This sequence is simple, but like one my mentors has said "it is the simple things we overlook first."

But let's go a little deeper and see what "BECOME first" truly means. 

Well, first it starts with clarity (funny how it always starts here).

What do you want? 

No really, do you have a clear idea what that is?

You have to be crystal clear on what you want. 

This will allow you to understand one, what person you will need to become to achieve this, and two, what actions correlate to this type of person.

And you know what, the two points above have everything to do with the PROCESS, not the results. 

Principles, rules, daily actions, lead indicators, whatever you call it. 

It is an obsession with the PROCESS. 

What actions produced the result?

Then learning from the information and taking different action if it was not the result you wanted.

Going to give it to you straight and tell you this is where you have to put the work in.

For example, you can not say I want the perfect body and go to the gym once or twice then expect to have it. 

You have to do the daily work, no matter what, in order get the results that you want. 

This is what it means to "Become first."

Whereas, trying to "Have first" focuses on the results. 

Expecting results without work is an epidemic today. 

You want without actually putting in the work. 

But why?

Want to learn what 100 of your friend did today? 

Swipe your thumb up Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media app.

Want to know who won that game?

Google it.

Want to know what is trending in the world?

Search on Twitter. 

Want to order your favorite coffee at 9:04 am to your office?

Order it on an app.

Life today is built on instant gratifiaction. 

Yet, this need makes you want to "Have first!"

Which, in terms of your greatest goals is like trying to build a house starting at the 10th floor...impossible!

Want to stop struggling...

Want to stop feeling burnout...

Want to stop feeling frustrated, stressed, angered....

Want to achieve your greatest goals? 

Remember this simple sequence BECOME first, Have second.

It is easy as 1 - 2 - 3 and will work if you are a "pro" or a dreamer just starting out!

See you on the other side...J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas Rituals...create momentum, increase confidence and power, and subscribe to an empowering reality daily.
2. Zen...Taps me into the greatest resource on the planet. Energy and Focus.
3. Practicing my psychic umbrellas...builds up my reservoir of Focus.


Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

Become first (Obsess over process), Have second (lag indicators take care of themselves).


What are you grateful for?

My children having the help and education to accelerate their learning at such a young age!

-----
PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.


EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

WEEK 150: TRUST THE PROCESS

We trust our process. We don't get scared and say "Oh, no, this (film) isn't working."    John Lasseter


REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Have you ever undertaken a challenging task or goal?

You did you feel in the first week?

Highly motivated, engaged, like nothing could stop you.

But...

How about in week 6 when the pressure builds and everything around you is telling you to quit?

What did you feel then?

Stress, overwhelm, pain...

Additionally, there is more temptation to get out of the "ring."

Yet this is the time, week 6, not week 1 where you need to focus and trust the process!

I have talked about the idea of being a "pro" last week and this is one of the main reasons they are "pros!"

They trust the process.

Not only when it is easy, when everything is working out, but the times when they are saying "what the hell is going on."

Why?

Because they know it is the right thing to do.

Yet...

I see it too often.

High performers who throw in the towel right before their break.

The secret to achieving success is persistence. 

Trust the process.  

Og Mandino (check his stuff out if you want to up-level your life) said

"The prizes of life are at the end of the journey not near the beginning. It is not given to me exact amount of steps that are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I might encounter at the 1000th step, but yet success hides behind the the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies until I turn the corner. "

Now, I am not going into detail of how the find the "process" for you, but know it starts with clarity.

What do you want?

Figure that out and invest in learning vicariously through someone else's mistakes. 


BUT...

Do not get lulled into a myth that everything will work out just by investing into a program. 

Trust me, I have been there. 

"If you buy the program the rest will magically fall into place."

A bunch of BS.

Yes the first step is the investment, but then you have to do the work.

It is like buying a membership to an exclusive gym, yet you never go, but expect the fat to roll of your body to reveal your amazing psyique.

Hate to bust your bubble, but it does not work that way.

You have to have 100% conviction, not effort, in the process. 

Actually effort, discipline, determination, etc have nothing to do with it.

Why?

To highlight my point let's talk about something everybody struggles with.

Your weight...duh, duh, duh

Does this story sound familiar?

You get the motivation to start eating healthier and working out. 

You find a program.You are really excited about it and follow it to a T for the first day.

Then the second.

The novelty is starting to wear off, but you continue the third day.

By the fourth day you start "getting" tired of the same thing and start thinking you might be able to deviate from the program "a little."

But...

You still keep with it. 

Yet it gets harder and harder to "stick with the process" and easier and easier to revert back to your old ways.

But you stay disciplined and determined. 

Yet...

A stressor a colleague yells at you, you spill something on your new pants, your spouse looks at you funny in the morning...and the wheels fall off!

You binge on the all the things you have deprived yourself.

Then once the dust settles you feel guilty, shameful, and altogether disgusted. 

But what about the effort, the discipline, the determination...why didn't those help you stick with the process?

You had no conviction.

And you might argue that you were good most of the time, but just that one cheat meal.

But here is secret I want to share, 95% conviction is like 0% conviction.

That last 5% will defeat you every time.

You know what I am talking about, as you keep getting stuck in the vicious cycle of making progress and not fully achieving what you want. 

Want to achieve your greatest goals?

It is simple...have 100% conviction and trust the process!

Not only when it is easy, but when it is burning!

Do the right thing and know what you feel is only temporary (it will pass).

The results if you trust the process?

You cross the threshold and step into a higher version of yourself!

A higher version of yourself who gets to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving what you set out to!


Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas Rituals.
2. Having 100% conviction!
3. Zen. Continuing learning...I know what load days should look like now. 


Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

Having 100% conviction is the ability to release CONTROL and surrender to your true self where anything is possible!


What are you grateful for?

The abundance to enjoy a birthday weekend with my amazing wife!

-----
PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.


EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!