Physically Fit, Mentally Fit

Looking at the Mental Fitness Challenge from the eye of Olympic Gold

This morning I watched a video about Michael Phelps; the man who has the chance to become the most decorated Olympian in history.  He's just three medals shy of this accomplishment.  His accomplishment hasn't been without a price.

In the Slight Edge, Olson writes, "Success is not a random accident."  Phelps' life is a testament to this very statement.  Currently 26 years old, Phelps has been in Olympic training for 16 years.  Of that time, he went 6 straight years without missing a single day of training.  That's 2,190 days straight of being up in the dark and arriving at the pool at 6:30am and staying there for the day.  In the video he said he has visited so many fantastic places during his career as a swimmer and yet, he hasn't seen a single one of them outside the pool and his hotel room.  16 years.  Swimming.  Dedicated.  16 Olympic medals.

"Success is not random." Michael Phelps has paid a great price to achieve what few people will ever achieve.  In the 116 years of modern Olympic history the standings are 20 individuals have earned 10 medals or more.  Just 20 people have achieved 10, and yet Phelps stands at 16 with a chance to be the most decorated Olympian ever.  2,190 days straight.  16 years of training.  Sun up to sun down.

"No success is immediate," writes Olson.  Phelps has spent years of his life to achieve what he has.  He wasn't a medalist at 10 years old, not at 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17.....but when he turned 18, he won 2 bronze medals and 6 gold at the Athens Olympics.  And then in Beijing in 2008, at the age of 22, he won 8 gold medals!  The most gold medals every awarded in a single Olympics.  "No success is immediate."  Day after day after day, training for 8 short races.  16 years.  Hard work. 

The power of Phelps' victorious swimming career is the power of the Slight Edge: "The power of daily actions compounded over time."  Michael Phelps used this principle to become one of the most physically fit, most decorated and most successful athletes of the last 100 years. 

If the Slight Edge worked for Phelps with his physical goals, couldn't it work for you and me and our mental goals?  That's exactly what the Mental Fitness Challenge is all about, using small actions, repeatedly over time to achieve an extraordinary result in your life and my life not just in one day, but over time. 

When taking the Challenge there are a few practices that need to be repeated daily:

1. Review Your Goal

2. Take Action Toward Your Goal

3. Listen to 2 Cds

4. Read 15 minutes a day

5. Watch the MFC video

6. Grade Your Performance

Did you read sun up to sun down training?  In a pool?  Swimming lap after lap after lap?  Or lifting weights or strict dietary guidelines?  No!  Just take 6 easy to do steps daily for you mental fitness.  WOW.  What a program.  It's so easy to do, but easy not to do too.

That's the the whole point of Woodward and Brady's Mental Fitness Challenge.  Small incremental steps done over time to create the Life YOU'VE Always Wanted!   Easy to do, easy not to do. 

Isn't the chance to live the life you've always wanted worth some focus and discipline?  We're not talking duplicating the physical endurance and abilities of Michael Phelps, abilities most of us don't have.  But what the challenge is about is no less important!  In fact, in your life and in my life, it's more important!  By training mentally, something everyone can do, stacking up daily disciplines, in the same manner any winner does, you can begin to compound efforts over time by creating successful habits in your life to achieve whatever it is that you and I set our minds to doing.    6 steps.  Every day.  Read, listen, watch.  Set goals. Check your goals,  Take the challenge. 

I imagine swimming lap after lap in a pool over years can get lonely.  Sure there are other swimmers in the water, but none of them can share in his laps with him:  Michael Phelps swims alone.  The Mental Fitness Challenge is different.  In this challenge, there are daily disciplines no one can do with you, yes that's true, but built into the Mental Fitness Challenge is a group of people who are going to go the distance with you.  This group is called a Challenge Group.  

A Challenge Group is an opportunity for you to gather with like minded individuals twice per month to share, discuss and learn together.  What a brilliant concept!  Creating success habits for myself, but not by myself.  Challenge groups are going to take our mental fitness to the next level.  

It comes down to one thing,  "Success is not a random accident."  Michael Phelps has achieved greatness because he put in the daily disciplines to do so over years of time.  It's no different for you and me.  Daily disciplines over time will compound into success.

Take the Challenge.  Become mentally fit.  Achieve your own gold medal in life and 

Live the life you've always wanted. 

Your Influence Goes Farther Than You Think

There is a story in the book Trust, one of the LIFE products I read recently, about Harmon Killebrew.  He remembers as a child playing baseball in the backyard with his dad, and his mom yelling out the window, "You are going to ruin the grass!"

To which his dad would reply, "We ain't  raising grass, we're raising boys!"

Most of my backyard is the perfect shape of a baseball diamond.  My kids and I have completely ruined the grass! And that worn out baseball shape means everything to me because it's an example of sacrifice and of dreams accomplished.  It reminds me of what one can do with hard work and an opportunity! An opportunity like the one we all have with the LIFE business.  Orrin Woodward and the Life Founders have provided an unbelievable vehicle for dream accomplishment.  I am so thankful for the information and example it has provided.

The reason I love my imperfect backyard is because of how it came to look the way it does.  Can you imagine how many hours it takes running back and forth over grass to wear it out?  Not just a path-but to solid dirt?  My boys are out there every day as soon as they can, staying as long as they can, not ruining the grass but chasing their dreams!  Why would two young boys spend so much time playing baseball?   Because they have examples to follow. Others who have followed their dreams. Examples like Orrin Woodward and the policy council and my teammates.  These examples are my children's heros!  Not too long ago my son Jackson and I were in the backyard and he said to me, "Dad you know I am going to accomplish my dreams!!  You know why?  Because so many people around me are accomplishing theirs!  Mr. Woodward, Mr. Brady, Mr. Schill, Mr. Hartmann, Mr. Kroll, and Mr. Kern, actually all your friends and especially you Dad!"

How can you put a price on what example this association is? You can't!  Orrin always reminds me "Never underestimate the influence you have with others."  I just want to say to all of you LIFE members that are influencing others' lives. Thank you for influencing my family with your incredible example of men and women chasing their dreams and standing for truth.

God Bless
Marc

Living Life Intentionally!

13 resolutions, 13 affirmations, 13 weeks: Farrah Sargent is Resolved to make a change!

After reading Orrin Woodward's book, Resolved, 13 Resolutions for Life, Farrah found an inspiration to begin a growth process that is creating amazing changes in her life, and I know this first-hand because I have personally watched her improve in great strides over the last 2 months.

Having the opportunity to mentor Farrah, along with growing a personal friendship, it was evident to Marc and me that something had changed in Farrah's life.  An excellent student she has always been, but  it was clear she had hit a new level.  Of course, I was curious (and excited!) about what we were seeing, so I had to ask.  I was so impressed by her answer, that I thought we would share it with everyone.

Farrah began her study of "resolutions and affirmations" after finishing Orrin's book.  She started putting thoughts together on how to improve in each area of her life.  She started with a list, a long list, of areas and thoughts to improve upon and statements to say to herself.  She started using the list in her life daily.  That's when the real growth spike in Farrah as a leader started to appear.

Always the student and never satisfied, she went to work on her list.  Working with it and the Resolved book tweeking and changing what she had written, she arrived at an excellent source of personal growth designed by her, just the right size to fit her family, business and personal needs.

After weeks of thought and practice, Farrah arrived at her final product, well at least for now.  Armed with color coated note cards, the Sargent Resolved Affirmation Plan goes something like this.  Each week she reads a set of cards focused around each Resolve.  Week 1, is Purpose, because Purpose is the first resolution in Woodward's book. So on her card she has her Purpose driven affirmation and her Purpose driven tasks or skills or any area in which she is  striving for growth related to her Purpose.  Every day for week 1, she reads just that card or cards.  Then week 2 she moves on to resolution #2, Character and repeats the same process for 13 weeks covering each of the 13 Resolves.  At the end, you guessed it, she will start over!

What impresses me most about Farrah's plan is that she created it over time, making sure that each part reflected her life and her specific plan for improvement in each one of the resolutions.  We are already seeing the results of her hard work, and we are certain it's just the beginning for this truly Resolved for Greatness lady. We look forward to watching over the next weeks and year to see the resolutions take shape in Farrah Sargent's life.  Keep on striving for excellence; the world needs more people like you.

Kristine

Living a Resolved LIfe!

Personal growth doesn't happen through wishes or luck. Personal growth comes when one chooses to change. The Wolschleger family is an excellent example of a family resolving to be their best!

Jeff and Gail have been on the LIFE subscription series since November 1st, when it launched with Orrin Woodward's book, Resolved, 13 Resolutions for Life.   After reading the book, the entire Wolschleger family got together to launch a family growth plan!

With Lindsey and Wesley, their two children, by their side, the Wolschleger's resolved to become better.  At a family meeting, each person, with the help of the other family members, picked one area to focus on as a future strength.  Allowing each family member to provide input allowed for immediate feedback to be sure everyone was working on an area that needed improvement.  What a show of trust.  It's difficult enough to admit that one could stand a little improvement here and there, but to allow others to comment? This family is serious about being their personal best.

With the target in place, the next step was the game plan. (See chapter 5 of the Resolved book.)  The family decided to post the target areas of growth on a white board for all to see.  Under the list is each family member's name.  When the principle is violated, the responsible member is called upon to place a tally mark under his or her name.  (Now that's using the scoreboard!)  He with the least tally marks at the week's end wins!

The best part of the Wolschleger plan is, it's truly a win for all!  A family working together to improve can have no loser.  But, in true Resolved spirit, this family is KEEPING SCORE! When I heard their story, I was excited to see people living their lives intentionally, together.  This family is a true example  on so many levels.

Lindsey expressed to her mom that she couldn't  wait until the week was over.  "Not talking so much is killing me!" she said.   Gail, true to the spirit of personal growth replied, assuring her daughter, the idea isn't to do it for one week.  The idea is to do it for life and next week build another skill on top of this one!

Congratulations to the entire Wolschleger family for being an example of what the LIFE business is all about!

Swing Through Failure

      "Leaders learn from failures while most others avoid them," Orrin Woodward.  The question is why such an avoidance of failure?  Did you avoid failure when you were learning to walk? Did you avoid failure when you were learning childhood games?  Why then do we fear it now?  The older we get the more conditioned we become by our culture that "failure is fatal".  "What will people think of me?" is the self talk we listen to.  This mind frame then becomes the biggest reason we hold ourselves to a settle-for-lifestyle, a justification to not do our best!
     In Orrin's book Resolved he states, "Perseverance is one of the traits that all long term successful people have in common."  The ability to fail forward.  Failure is not only part of perseverance but an essential part of success.  Imagine making a decision to start a new hobby.  You decide to take up golf.  You watch the golf channel you go out to the local golf course and watch people hit balls, you talk with successful golfers but because of your fear of failure you don't ever swing the club. You say to yourself, I will study the game and then go out and show the world that I am a success!  After three months you finally decide you are ready, so you go to the golf course and tee up the ball on the first tee. You address that ball, pull back the club and proceed to miss the ball several times before eventually shanking it into the trees!!  WHAT DID YOU EXPECT WOULD HAPPEN?!  You can study the game forever but if you don't get out and continue to swing the club through repeated failure to ultimately succeed you may as well just watch the golf channel and live through others' successes!
It is easy to see in this example that we wouldn't learn the game this way.We understand that we have to put in the time if we want to be good at THIS GAME.  What about the game of life?  We are capable of so much, but we allow a warped view of failure to hold us back. Success needs failure.  Success does not come without it.  It is a package deal.
     Orrin and the Life Personal Development system have taught me that success is getting back up after each failure knowing because I did, I am that much closer to success.  I don't fear failure anymore in life because I realize that I must welcome it as part of that package deal.  If I want to succeed faster then the answer is fail faster!  You must reframe your view of failure.
As far as the self talk, what will people think of me?  As Chris Brady says "When you are on your death-bed the farthest thing from your thoughts is what people think of you!"  Living a life of no regrets means to go for it all!  Swing the club as many times as you can, all the way to success!

God Bless

Marc

traverse city trip

traverse city trip, a set on Flickr.

Orrin and Laurie Woodward, One of a Kind Leaders!

I saw this article about Orrin and Laurie Woodward and wanted to share this with you.  They truly are the most amazing people we know.  Read all about this awesome couple yourself.  Click on this link: Orrin and Laurie Woodward Founder of Founders.   Thanks for leading the way!