Entrepreneurship Archives - A Boundless World

I Did 10,000 Pushups In One Month And Here’s What Happened

[av_image src=’http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/13118222_1350806651612463_659610019_n7d202-1030×1030.jpg’ attachment=’5544′ attachment_size=’large’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’][/av_image]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
This is a particularly lengthy post chronicling my journey to do 10,000 pushups in one month. TLDR: I did 10,000 pushups in April and it changed my life.

At the end of March, I found myself deep in the world of Reddit killing time before calling it a night.

I happened to come across a guy who decided to do 10,000 pushups in one month and documented his progress.

Pretty cool I thought.

The following day, I couldn’t stop thinking about the number 10,000. Who in their right mind would do 10,000 pushups? That’s like doing 330+ pushups every day for an entire month! Talk about challenging.

I let the idea sit with me a couple days, before deciding that I was going to give it a go.

If he could do it.. why couldn’t I?

Now for some context.

Since the beginning of January, I’ve lost 20+ pounds and have made improving my health a priority. I’ve kicked the habit of smoking for good (thanks Pavlok), started meditating on a daily basis, and have gone to the gym with my dad three times a week. I’ve also made great strides in improving my diet.

While I’m not in the best shape in the world, I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in my energy and strength since taking my health seriously.

Back to the pushups.

10,000 pushups is a lot. Especially for a guy who could knock out no more than 50 in a row on a good day.

But my obsession with setting a big goal and making it happen took over.

I decided that on April 1st (April fools days of all days) I’d would start my journey to 10,000.

While I knew doing pushups has many benefits, the goal with the challenge wasn’t just to get ‘ripped’. For me, the challenge was more of a mental game.

Could I set a goal and reach it? Could I continue on in the face of adversity, aka push through the inevitable soreness?

Turns out the challenge was a success as I just crossed the 10,000. To be perfectly honest, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this proud.

My Why

I decided to do this challenge because I wanted to build on the momentum of my recent health kick. I knew doing that many pushups would certainly make me stronger, but I also knew it would be a good test of my mental fortitude.

My goal with the challenge was to get into slightly better shape and hopefully lose several pounds of fat while at the same time adding some muscle. But my main focus was to see how far I could push myself if / when times got tough.

I also liked the fact that I had to show up daily. If i skipped a day or did too few pushups, that would ultimately come back to hurt me (I found out the hard way.)

What parts of your life are you failing to show up?

Besides wanting the challenge, there was no specific reason as to why I chose the number 10,000 or the exercise of choice aside from reading about a random guy doing it through a random link on Reddit.

The Rules

To be honest, because this was a self imposed challenge I didn’t have any hard rules in place. My goal was to do as many pushups as I could and hopefully cross the 10,000 pushup threshold all while sharing my journey even if I failed.

Going in, I knew there was a lot of debate on what makes a “proper pushup.” But for me, I didn’t really care too much about the details as long as I did my best. Several days in, I decided that knee pushups would not count in the tally – something several of my friends said I should consider.

Overall, I’d say 90 percent of pushups throughout the challenge would fall under the category of a proper pushup — with 10 percent landing on the “not the greatest form” spectrum. I did my best to have my chest touch the floor on every single one.

30 percent or so of the pushups were done with my feet balanced on a large mobility ball which helped strengthen my core in the process.

The reason I was so excited about this challenge is because I knew that even if I came up short, I would have done thousands of pushups I wouldn’t otherwise have done. My challenge was a success before it began.

Preparation

After deciding I was going to give the 10,000 pushup challenge a go, I knew I needed a decent system to track my progress – some quick math revealed I would need to do 330 pushups each day to reach my goal.

Again, having not done more than 50 pushups in a row, there was certainly a fair share of doubt. 330 pushups a day was a lot, and I wasn’t sure if my body could handle it.

Going in, I knew that there was a decent chance I could fall flat at my face (figuratively and literally) and not even come close to reaching my goal.

I spent five minutes creating a very basic spreadsheet with the totals and created several formulas to give me an accurate tally at the end of the day. I made a commitment to share the excel sheet publicly (Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc) and promised myself I’d share the journey every step of the way.. even if I failed.

I’ll admit, having held myself publicly accountable helped me reach my goal. There were several days I didn’t want to do a single pushup, but the thought of telling everyone I know that I “skipped” a few days motivated me to hit the floor and twork up a sweat.

In hindsight, announcing such a “epic” challenge on April fools day probably wasn’t the best of ideas. Several of my friends reached out doubting my sincerity. It didn’t take long after seeing my Snapchat stories filled with sweat for them to take me seriously.

After posting my challenge on both Facebook and Twitter, the responses from my friends and family were mixed. Many were supportive, but quite a few questioned whether or not I’d be able to pull it off. To be fair, they weren’t the only ones who had concerns, as I also was not sure if I could make it.

While losing weight wasn’t the primary goal, I decided to take a “before” picture to see my transformation at the end of April.

Putting In The Work

One of the most difficult aspects of this challenge was the fact that there was no middle ground. I either hit my daily goal of pushups or did not.

There was no faking it.

This was both motivating and discouraging at the same time. Motivating, because I knew that if I hit my goal each day I’d be successful no matter what.

Discouraging, because on the few days I only did a few pushups, I questioned whether or not I’d be able to make up the difference.

As you can see from my chart, there were several days I only did 40 pushups which was well under my goal for the day.

Physically the challenge was extremely tough, but to be completely honest it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be – the hardest part was mental.

One reason I think the challenge wasn’t as difficult as imagined was that throughout the process I was constantly getting stronger. I did my best to give my body as much rest as possible between each day so that I could attack each round rested and refreshed.

Weight Loss?

I’ve received a lot of tweets and emails asking if I lost a bunch of weight during my challenge. The truth is, throughout the challenge I heavily neglected my diet so didn’t see the results I probably could have.

That being said, as I mentioned, this challenge wasn’t for the physical benefits but rather a way for me to test myself.

I did end up losing a few pounds and definitely became stronger. So from a health perspective I certainly can’t complain. 🙂

What Do You Do When No One Is Watching?

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” – John Wooden

Because my challenge was self imposed, there was no ‘true’ accountability embedded. I had originally considered recording myself via my computer but that process proved to be too cumbersome to make sense.

With no one watching and me doing my pushups on my own, there was technically nothing stopping me from “adding” a few pushups to the tally to “reach my goals” each day.

While I never entertained the thought seriously, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind once or twice throughout the project – especially on the days I failed to hit the daily minimum number of pushups needed.

“If I don’t reach my goal.. I’ll be letting people down.”
“If I don’t make it, some of my friends will give me a hard time.”
“Several people have written to me saying this challenge inspires them.. if I don’t make it they won’t be inspired anymore.”

Of course, many of these thoughts were self serving and me fudging my numbers would defeat the entire purpose of the project.

Perhaps the best part of the experiment for me, was that I can honestly say I did 10,000 pushups.

The Cost of Procrastination

Intuitively we know that procrastination can be bad for us. It prevents us from reaching our goals, causes loads of unnecessary stress, and keeps us from getting stuff done.

When I began the pushup challenge, the math told me I needed to 330 pushups a day to reach my goal – a large but not entirely unreasonable number.

The first few days, I wasn’t able to reach the 330 due to straight up soreness, but I knew that over the next few days I could do a few extra to catchup.

After a few days of catching up, I started to wear down even more. It wasn’t long before I had several 40 pushup days. Whether it because I waited until late at night to start, or didn’t have time to do them throughout the day, the “procrastination” really added up.

As you can see from my chart, I had to knock out several 500+ pushup days just to hit my goal. Obviously, it would have been MUCH easier had I just did 330 each and every day.

The funny thing was, despite being such a physical challenge it taught me a lot about how procrastination could be hurting other areas of my life.

What areas of your life are you procrastinating? Take some time to evaluate where you’re “holding back.” It might not seem like a big deal when it happens once or twice, but when you keep putting things off the ‘cost’ goes through the roof.

Break Your Goals Down

Another super valuable I lesson I learned through this challenge was the power of breaking things down. If you’re even somewhat interested in the world of personal development you’ve surely heard the importance of “breaking your goals down.”

But if you’re like me, you often roll your eyes, and pretend the advice doesn’t apply to you.

Stop doing that. 🙂

The neat thing about this challenge was it was a ‘big” goal, but not too big when viewed in the lens of a single pushup.

At the beginning of the month many of my sets consisted of 10-15 pushups at a time. I finished the challenge with several sets of 50.

Another reason I found the challenge to be easier than anticipated was because the challenge was designed to where it could be easily broken down. I wasn’t required to do a certain amount of pushups per set.

In fact, many days I just did dozens of sets of 5 or 10 pushups at a time. This really helped me break my goal down into much more manageable pieces.

Don’t let your ambition of a big goal prevent you from taking any action at all… break it down!

If you want to start running, don’t say you’re going to run every day for a year straight. Instead, focus on one run at a time.

Over time those “single” runs will add up and you’ll go much further than just dreaming about what could be.

If you want to start a blog, don’t get bogged down with all the non necessities! Break your goal down to actionable steps. What do you need to get a blog going?

You’ll probably need a domain, some hosting, and that’s pretty much it!

If you want to start eating healthier, start with one healthy meal each day. Sure, it might be nice to think you can go cold turkey and eat nothing but healthy good, but in my experience, that’s just not the case.

Setting big goals can be super powerful, but only if you take the time to break each and every step down.

Break your goals down, and watch the results pour in.

Somebody’s Always Watching

When I started the challenge, I knew a few of my friends and family would be following along. But it was SUPER cool to see some of my Twitter followers decide to join in on the fun!

My good friends Jon, Marshall, and David of Need/Want tweeted me saying they were going to do their own pushup challenge! (Feel free to tweet them to check in on their progress!)

It was REALLY humbling to know that because I took action on something, that other people around the world were also starting to take action. I can’t tell you how great of a feeling that is.

It goes to show, that every action we take can affect other people’s lives.

Instead of focusing on why you can’t start a blog… focus on the thought of impacting other people’s lives!

Instead of focusing on the discipline it will take to eat healthier, focus on the potential friends and family you might inspire to do the same!

Instead of focusing on how much you dislike your current job, focus on doing work that fulfills you and watch how many people you inspire!

When we focus too much on ourselves, we lose sight of what matters… making the world a better place.

Becoming A Better You

No matter where you are in life right now, you can decide to improve any area of your life.

It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight.

But making the decision, and committing to personal growth will set you on a path of amazing discovery.

Want to become better socially? Start taking people to coffee or use Meetup.com.

Want to improve your relationship? Do a 30 day challenge with your partner.

Want to improve your fitness? Buy a gym membership and commit to going 3 times a week.

You don’t need anyone’s permission. You don’t need to wait for the “perfect circumstances.”

Even if you set a goal and come up short, you’re in a much better place than if you did nothing at all.. you literally cannot lose!

As the popular saying goes, the secret to getting ahead is getting started.

What’s Next

Well, first things first.. I don’t plan on doing anymore pushups for the foreseeable future hehe.

I do plan on continuing on with a 30 day challenge theme and will definitely be sharing my journey along the way. Right now I’m considering something that involves my diet, or building the A Boundless World brand.

I invite you to think about a 30 day challenge you can incorporate in your life. It doesn’t have to be super fancy, or mean anything to anybody. All that matters is you decide you’re going to do something and give it your best go!

I’d be delighted to hear if you’re going to do a 30 day challenge. I can honestly say doing 10k pushups truly changed my life.

P.S Thank you so much for the support, whether it be emails, tweets, phone calls, or texts. I couldn’t have done it without the awesome support from the ABW community.
[/av_textblock]

by Bud 1 Comment

9 Life Changing Lessons I’ve Learned As A Waiter

I’ve been relatively quiet in the online world the past few months. I’ve been heads down working on making the small changes stick, which fortunately have had some pretty awesome results. I’ve lost 20lbs, I’ve quit smoking (for good), I’ve meditated daily, and have also made going to a gym a regular habit.

It may sound silly, but I genuinely believe one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to make so many positive changes in my life is because I became a waiter.

9 Life Changing Truths I’ve Learned As A Waiter

Effort Matters

The energy and effort you put into your life directly correlates to the results you’ll get. Sure, luck certainly plays a part in many areas of your life — but if you put in the effort, over time trees will grow.

When I first started waiting tables, I was constantly frazzled, running around like a chicken with his head cut off. I’d mess up orders, forget to bring refills, and on a few occasions spill drinks on unsuspecting guests.

It wasn’t pretty. And I wanted to quit.

Despite a rough first few weeks, I started to notice something. People were understanding of my rookie mistakes. My mangers new I was giving it my all. Guests knew I was trying my best. Some weren’t nearly as understanding as others, but the majority of guests knew I was working as hard as I could. And it made all the difference.

Your effort is contagious. Whether you’re starting a new job, trying to raise money, or looking to improve your relationships, your effort plays a significant role in how things play out. Of course, results matter in the end. If I continued to make mistakes, I probably wouldn’t have a job. But when you give it your all people take notice.

No one likes a person who phones it in, and unfortunately that’s quite common these days. But if you embrace any challenge or new adventure with a mindset of growth, you’re sure to leave a mark.

You can’t always control the result, but you can always control your effort….

Focus on What You Can Control

As a waiter you quickly learn that you have to focus on what you can control, or you won’t last a week.

You can give the best service ever and still have the one guest leave upset.

You can take the order perfectly, but if the kitchen runs low on food, your guests will be left waiting.

You can suggest a great dish that your guest ends up not liking.

It can be frustrating at times, not being in control, but that’s just life.

Instead of worrying about the thousands of things you can’t control, focus on the things you can.

You control your effort.
You control your attitude.
You control your preparation.
You control how you respond to adversity.

When you zoom in on the things you can control you set yourself up for success.
Focus on what you can control, and safely ignore everything else.

Do Your Condo’s

After being hired, I noticed that I was scheduled to come in a few hours before the restaurant opened. What?

Turns out, there were hundreds of salt,pepper,and condiment containers to fill.

Oh boy.

It’s not the most enjoyable line of work, but I soon realized it was necessary. The little things are almost always overlooked.

We hear a lot about overnight success stories, where the entrepreneur or media phenomenon comes out of nowhere. But what we almost never hear is the stories of the men and women putting in the working and doing their condos — the little things — years before anyone hears of them.

Little tweaks to your diet add up.
Reading 10 minutes of uplifting material each day positively transforms you.
Drinking more water helps you feel better.
Talking to just one customer each day helps you better understand your business.
Having those “small” but difficult conversations matter.

Like many, I’ve fallen into the trap of looking for the sexy “magic fix”, but nearly 100 percent of my successes in life came as a direct result of doing the small things.

As you study more and more successful people from all walks of life you’ll find that the common factor in nearly all of them is that they are willing to put in the work.
Do your condo’s. Plant seeds. And you will prosper.

Control Your Time

One of things I struggled with most when I first started waiting tables was thinking I had to respond to whatever was in front of me.

A guest would ask me for a refill and I’d completely neglect the other dozen (more pressing) issues at hand. As a result, I was running around and not getting much done.

Tables got frustrated, and I didn’t leave a good impression.

But thanks to my excellent management, I had a little more training and it made all the difference.

The bottom line is you have to control your time. You have to prioritize. You have to make calls and then do your best to execute.

Each day there are literally hundreds of things you can be doing, but how many of them are really moving you forward? How many of them are really helping you reach your goals?

Controlling your time makes all the difference. Making a conscious effort to take care of what needs to be done matters.

Sure, there are things that pop up every now and then, but if you’re always playing defense you’ll never give yourself the opportunity to score.

Your time and focus is your most important asset. Choose wisely.

Be A Team Player

On a busy night, as a waiter you can literally be in charge of more than ten tables at any given time. Talk about overwhelming.

But I’ve found the more I would go out of my way to help my colleagues the easier those tough times would be.

Don’t show up expecting to the do the bare minimum. Unless of course you want bare minimum results.

Going the extra mile and being a team player not only helps those around you, it builds a foundation of trust which helps everyone in the end.

Notice a coworker swamped with the latest report? Offer a helping hand.

A friend going through tough times? Genuinely be there for them.

I get it. Sometimes you have your own “life” going on. Sometimes, you just need to focus on yourself. But in my experience it’s precisely those times that you can go beyond and step up and help a friend of coworker in need.

Success always tastes better when you enjoy it with company.

You Don’t Get What You Don’t Ask For

I quickly learned, that one of the best ways to increase tips was to be suggestive when taking orders.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Generally ends in your table ordering waters.

Compare that to “Would you like a diet coke or glass of wine?”

Big difference.

What areas of your life do you just get by?

Being specific and asking for what you want almost always results in progress.

Looking to get a raise? Set up a meeting with your boss!
Thinking of asking that girl out? Go up to her and ask!
Want your friend to lend more support? Tell him!

Asking for things can be difficult. Many times it’s downright uncomfortable. But when you don’t ask you’re leaving so much opportunity and experience on the table.

As the hockey great Wayne Greksty once said “ You’ll always miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Everyone Is Just Doing Their Best

I’ve been fortunate to connect with a lot of great people during my time waiting tables, whether that be colleagues or chatting with guests with fascinating stories.

One common theme I’ve discovered is: Everyone’s just doing their best.

What an empowering thought!

Whenever I get frustrated at a low tip, or someone cutting me off in traffic, I immediately tell myself “they are just trying to do their best.”

Whenever I get frustrated with a coworker or a friend making the same mistakes, I try to to inject as much empathy as I possibly can.

Of course, it doesn’t always make things better. Some people truly are employed as a full time grouch, but giving people the benefit of the doubt puts a positive twist on an otherwise negative experience.

Most poor experiences are the result of bad communication not downright malice. So whenever you’re tempted to unleash your fiery rage, remind yourself of this little mantra.

Serve

Serving tables is called serving for a reason. Your primary job is to serve your guests. It’s the same for your job, your business, and your relationships.

If you want to be ahead of the game you must adopt a mentality of service. Quit thinking about what’s in it for you!

Your product makes the world better! Your positivity can have a tremendous impact on the person you least expect!

When you operate from a serving mindset doors you never knew existed will one day fly open and beckon you to walk through.

Recently, we introduced a premium priced item on our menu. I was in a “what’s in it for me mood” and suggested the item when I knew it probably wasn’t a good recommendation.

A young child decided it sounded good and placed an order. When I went back to ring it in, something just didn’t feel right. I knew it was a premium priced item and probably wouldn’t make mom and dad happy when they got the bill.

Fortunately I did the right thing. I went back out to the table and explained the cost of the item and suggested a tasty alternative.

Mom left happy.

No matter what you do in life make sure you’re serving. And the rest will take care of itself.

Have fun!

The first few weeks of my job were quite stressful. I was overwhelmed and felt like I wouldn’t last.

I started being overly hard on myself and as a result began dreading work.

It wasn’t until my manager pulled me a side and reminded me that it was just food — and that I should be having fun!

I still have some stressful shifts, but that one piece of advice made all the difference.

Not everything in life is going to be fun. You’re not going to jump out of bed for every single thing on your to do list.
But you can always try to inject more fun and purpose in your life!

Work to minimize the amount of doing the things you dread.

Yes, put in the work. Yes, do what needs to be done.

But don’t forget to have fun along the way.

by Bud 2 Comments

How To Adopt A Mindset of Growth

Without question, one of the most impactful decisions you can make to improve your personal and professional life is to adopt a mindset of growth. In this article, we’ll explore what a growth mindset is and how you can adopt one in your everyday life.

Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, become the best at your job, or improve your relationship with your significant other; you can’t possibly succeed in the long run without the right mindset.

Unfortunately, many of us, myself often included, instead choose to view life as an endless fountain of obstacles that we can’t overcome.

We make excuses as to why we can’t be the person we want to be. We blame education, the government, our family and friends. We blame lack of time, resources, and doubt our ability.

And in doing so we make ourselves powerless. We forget that every situation is an opportunity to grow.

The reality is, life is hard. I don’t mean that in a negative or condescending sense. I literally mean, life is filled with problems, setbacks, and just bad luck. It’s filled with pain, sorrow, and loneliness.

But life is also filled with many joys, many triumphs, and and an abundance of opportunities to grow.

That’s not to say you can never feel angry or complain. That’s not to say you’ll always feel on the top of the world. Quite the opposite actually.

Adopting a growth mindset won’t make your life easier, but it will make your life more bearable. It will allow you to grow stronger from each and every time you feel like giving up. It’s not a quick fix, by any stretch of the imagination, but arming yourself with the best tools and mindset available, will equip you for the best chance at long term success and happiness.

So how can you adopt the mindset of growth? Let’s take a look.

Start From Where You Are

Whenever we try to grow or improve any area of our life, we have a tendency to compare ourselves with people who’ve “made it.”

You want to lose some extra weight so you search “skinny” or “six-pack” on Instagram.

You want to quit your job so you fantasize over the entrepreneur on the cover of INC who is ‘certainly’ an overnight success.

You want to travel the world, so you think that by starting a blog you’ll be able to accomplish what it took others decades to do.

I see it time and time again — including in my own life.

But when we project our future we are inherently setting ourselves up for failure. When we compare our starting point to the thousands of others who have “found” success, we are being unrealistic and in turn creating expectations that are impossible to meet.

This obsession with comparing ourselves to the best has a cost. There’s certainly nothing wrong with being inspired by people who are doing awesome things. In fact, part of the growth mindset means consciously surrounding yourself with ambitious and uplifting individuals.

But too often we self sabotage ourselves by believing we have to hit nothing but home runs, when a single could change our life.

Starting from where you are means you accept the fact that you won’t be perfect when you start. You won’t necessarily be able to quit your job overnight. You’ll make mistakes. You might not get the promotion next month, but if you put in the work now you’ll eventually get to where you want to go.

Being ambitious is a noble trait, but don’t let the obsession with success prevent you from taking the first step. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish you must first start from where you are.

Be honest with where you are today. Only then can you climb the ranks of greatness. Small steps today become miles tomorrow.

View Life As An Experiment

In most academic settings today, we’re taught to view life and success in black and white. This paper was great so you get an A. This project wasn’t very good so you get a D.

We carry that mentality into our own personal lives.

You didn’t get the job you wanted… so you’re a failure! You asked that girl out.. And she said no! Single forever.

We have been taught to avoid failure at all costs. We are led to believe that failure makes us less of men, less of women.

The problem with this line of thinking is that by avoiding failure we avoid opportunities for personal growth.

If we choose to view life as an experiment however, we empower ourselves to march through our setbacks and become stronger for it.

After being rejected for a job, you no longer feel inadequate. You assess the situation, figure out where you can improve, and know that the next interview will be even better.

After getting turned down for a date, you brush it off, and begin working to improve yourself.

After gaining a few extra pounds over the holidays, you look at your diet and make a few small tweaks.

Experiments are empowering. Because failure cannot exist when looking through an experiment lens.

Failure is feedback. Success is feedback.

And with feedback there’s nothing you can’t do.

Embrace The Suck

We all suffer from some degree of perfectionism. It’s natural to want to create and ship the best. But when we let our desire to be perfect delay the boat from shipping, the captain never makes the route.

Whether you’re starting a new job, exploring a hobby, or launching your own business, you must embrace the suck.

When I started this blog in highschool, I literally had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I had to write. After a quick few Google searches, I stumbled upon WordPress. I did some research and then bought my domain.

I started. And it was hard.

Many times, I felt like giving up. Who am I to talk about how to live life? Who is going to listen to what I have to say? But as I continued on, I knew that over time I would get better.

My writing would get better. My communication would improve. I knew that by showing up and putting in the work good things would happen, and it turns out they did.

The suck isn’t fun. It’s not pretty. There will be plenty of doubts and times you feel like giving up. Even with the right attitude, you’ll often be pushed to the edge.

This is to be expected.

Your first time speaking in public might be filled with ums and uhs.

Your first project proposal might be met with dozens of your colleagues rolling their eyes.

Your first product launch might fail to sell a single product.

While most give up at the first smell of adversity, those who adopt the growth mindset know that the beginning is always just a test.

Because…

Your next time speaking you finish with one less um.

Your next proposal attracts the support of a few of your favorite coworkers.

Your next product launch blows past any and all expectations.

You can’t find greatness by sitting on the sidelines, you find greatness by embracing the suck.

Find Growth Magnets

The people you surround yourself with matters. It’s been written about time and time again. If you surround yourself with people who look for the worst, your vision will be tainted with the same line of sight.

The opposite is also true. If you surround yourself with people who attract and welcome growth, you’ll eventually see an abundance of opportunities.

Negativity and pessimism has unfortunately embedded itself into the daily lives of most of us.

We see it in that one family member or friend constantly nagging out the economy. The coworker who finds yet another reason to hate the boss. The endless amount of depressing stories on the front page of the news.

It’s a constant battle. And yet… It’s unrealistic and naive to expect the world to be ridden of all the bad. After all it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to move to the mountains and be one with nature. But don’t use that as an excuse as to why you can’t start taking control of your own life. You start by focusing on the things you can control.

Instead of watching the news, read an inspiring book.

Instead of flipping through the TV, listen to a chapter of your favorite author.

Instead of staying up late surfing the web, head to bed early so you can start your day fresh.

Instead of reading the latest click bait article that makes your bed boil, meditate for ten minutes.

Instead of hanging around with your friend that always complains, go to coffee with the girl who inspires you.

If you surround yourself with people who view growth as something positive, you’ll also start to see opportunities in the world. One of the reasons I started the A Boundless World podcast, is because I love talking with otherwise ordinary people doing some remarkable things. Without fail every time I end an interview I can’t help but feel uplifted. So I start to write. I start to build I start to ship.

Growth magnets are anything that improve your life even just slightly. These small choices add up.

Guard your mind and body from the constant barrage of why you can’t. And find the people and habits that tell you, you can.

Find Your Invisible Scripts

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always been inclined towards the more creative pursuits, writing, poetry etc. And as I grew older I began developing the idea that I would never be good at math. That I just didn’t “get it.” And it’s little surprise to know that I struggled in every math class all the way through college.

Of course, I was perfectly capable of learning math. It may not have been my favorite subject, but there was nothing stopping me from learning it like the rest of my peers. Because I self identified as someone who would “never” get math, it came true.

I learned the concept of Invisible Scripts by Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich and have since been on a quest to find and conquer all that I can.

One of Ramit’s invisible scripts growing up was that he would always be a “skinny Indian” and could never gain weight. It wasn’t until he started to examine how silly that was that he was able to put on weight and significant muscle.

We are held back by invisible scripts that we are often to afraid to face. We often use these scripts as excuses to not do the work.

Sure, you may not be physically or mentally capable to become a rocket scientist over night, but most of what you desire is well within reach.

Think or some of the excuses you’ve used for yourself over the last few months. I know for me, there were plenty…

“I can’t learn a new language because I’m old and I’ll never be able to have a true conversation!”

“I can’t write well because I never took a formal writing class.”

“My family has a history of being overweight, so I can’t lose weight.”

“Why will anyone listen to me? I didn’t go to an amazing college.”

Finding your invisible scripts won’t happen all at once. It takes a significant amount of time and effort, and you’ll always struggle with various barriers in your life.

But overtime you’ll slowly begin to see some of the scripts that have been holding you hostage for many years and learn to face them directly.

What areas of your life are being held back because of belief that you haven’t recently tested?

Adopting A Mindset of Growth

Be wary of the teachers, blogs, and podcasts telling you that life is always meant to be easy. That certainly hasn’t been my experience and I’m guessing not yours.

How you choose to view the world is one of the few things in life you can actually control.

You’ll still have setbacks. You’ll still want to scream. You’ll still have days where all you do is eat ice cream and watch Netflix.

And…

Success will still take many years, if not decades to forge.

But consider the alternative. Consider continuing to view life as an endless amount impossible obstacles.

With a mindset of growth, you know setbacks are just temporary . You know that with the laws of momentum and consistency on your side, you’ll eventually begin to shape the foundation that will last the test of time.

Choose the path of growth and you’ll be rewarded with a much richer and fuller life.