Written By Jason Shields
Don't be outworked and don't give up. These two are synonymous with each other so I include them as one principle. “I will not be outworked period!” Actor Will Smith quoted the above statement. Other people may be more talented than you, they may be smarter and they may be sexier, but all of that doesn't matter. You have to possess an “I will not be outworked and I will not give up” attitude. I like what Will says, “you might be all of those things [sexier, smarter, more talented] but if we get on a treadmill together – there are [one of] two things [that are going to happen]: you're getting off first or I'm gonna die.” It is truly that simple: do not let others outwork you. The one who is willing to hustle the most out on the court of life is the one who will pick up that loose ball and score.
There is an ongoing daily battle that takes place within ourselves. One moment, we feel on top of the world and the next, down on ourselves and others. There are two parts of our psyches that are at odds with one another from time to time. For example, it is a cold, winter morning and you are warm and snug in your bed when the alarm goes off. Depending upon the day and your feelings, the alarm may sound like nails on a chalkboard as you hit the snooze button and bury your head deeper under the covers. Or, it may be a day where you are starting a new job or a new project that you conceived of and are excited to jump out of bed and jump into the day with a curiosity of what wonderful things your day may hold. In this instance, you hustle out of bed with an excitement that you once felt when you awoke as a child on Christmas morning.
The principle of “don't be outworked and don't give up” can be summed up in one word: hustle. To hustle means to get going, to keep going. Hustle above and beyond your “call of duty”. Hustling means That you have to work long hours and well into the night on your dreams and goals. Hustling may mean getting up an hour early in the morning so that you do have extra time to meditate or workout. Success comes from going that extra mile above and beyond the competition. Am I suggesting that you ignore your family responsibilities? Of course not. It is what you do in your spare time that matters the most. Many people are content with getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home and then watching television for the rest of the evening only to get up the next morning and experience the same routine. Yet, in this roundabout routine, we still expect that our lives will get better. We erroneously expect that we will eventually earn more money and experience more abundance but without the extra effort.
Successful people do not wait until their circumstances “get better”. They create their own circumstances via thought and persistent action in spite of how good or bad they feel at that moment. For example, there are some days where I just do not want to go to the gym to workout. I have a set routine where I workout different body parts each day and if I am to experience growth and more strength, I need to go to the gym whether my mind or body feels like it or not. It is interesting how recent events in my life fit so well with what I am currently writing about. Yesterday was a tough day for me gym-wise. My lower back pain was excruciating due to lifting heavily the week before and I just did not want to set foot into the gym, let alone continue with my exercise regime.
Then I heard Will Smith's voice in my head saying “You gotta hustle!” So I told myself, “I may feel like crap today, but I'm getting out there and I'm going to do it and get it done!” And I did! I felt the pain, but I pushed through it and gave it my all. Of course, I came home to a pile of dishes in the sink and some laundry. Again, I heard that voice, “Hustle!” and I kept moving and got it all finished. In spite of what you feel or think, do it anyway! Finish the task! You may feel so tired right now that you believe that you can't move another muscle, move forward anyway! Once the particular task for today is finished, then you can collapse on your bed and I guarantee that when you do collapse, there will be a smile on your face and a feeling of “I did it!” that will warm your body and soul.
In reality, you are competing against you; nobody else. It is perfectly fine to look around you to see what others in your particular field are doing or how they are doing it. This is how we learn. Yes, I know that there are bodybuilders that are bigger and more trim than I am. I know that there are psychics who appear to be more successful than I am at this time. However, instead of falling into the comparison trap, I simply look at my colleagues and admire them and try to do my best to learn from them which in turn, makes me a better bodybuilder or psychic or life coach.
What this success principle really comes down to is the battle within our psyche. There is a tiny voice within us which I call the “cranky child”. It is constantly complaining and making excuses about why it can't do something. It is the lazy part of us that expects that everything be brought to it on a silver plate. We all have this cranky child within us from time to time. How does one tame this child? Become your own parent! A good parent will firmly but lovingly instruct their child that they are to do what they are told whether it be chores or going to football practice, or even homework. Well, in a sense, as adults we have chores: dishes, laundry, cleaning. We have “practice” which we call working out our body through exercise. Most importantly, we have our own “homework” which we relate to dream and goal fulfillment. Recall when you were in school and you had homework to do that was “extra,” above and beyond what you learned at school or college that day. What did you do? Chances are your parents made you turn off the television and or the radio and sit in your room or at the table to study and finish the “extra learning” required for successful completion of your degree/grade.
This is the same concept used for us only our homework has to do with our real dreams of what we truly wish to accomplish and experience. Your job as your own parent will be to say to yourself “You WILL work on this tonight whether you want to or not! You have to get this done!” You may be in a job that you despise while secretly wishing for the career of your dreams. Ask yourself this question, “What am I doing in my spare time to go after that career (goal)?” If you have a family and other extra obligations, you will have to hustle even harder. I promise you that there are thousands of successful people who have had a full-time job and a full-time family and still managed to accomplish their set goals. It may have taken them a little longer and many sleepless nights, but the fire within their soul kept them going! Dear reader, you can do whatever you set your mind and heart to! Hustling sometimes means that you forgo your nightly television viewing and working on that novel that you always dreamed of writing. It may mean declining an offer to friends who want you to go out to drink and play pool and instead, practice on your hobby or skill that you wish to hone and use in the future. It may mean that in spite of feeling tired, overwhelmed, depressed and in pain, that you still “get moving” and move that much closer to your desired end.
“Do not be outworked” means to outdo yourself. Take yourself and your work beyond the comfortable box you're in and go the extra mile. You will adapt. At first, it will be stressful and there will be times where your inner “cranky child” will cry and stomp around and throw a fit. All the while, though, it is your job to take charge and make yourself do it and the child will eventually grow up.
Namaste!
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