To Do, or Not To Do, That is the Question

Two Weeks.  14 Days.  336 Hours.

Two weeks can seem very different to two people.  Depending on the circumstance, some might see it as a long time, or a short span.  For instance, one could be in a job that they dislike or a hospital bed, and those 14 days could seem to stretch forever.  Another could be on a luxurious beach vacation and the time could seem to fly by.  In either case, two weeks is 14 days and what each person does in those 336 hours will determine their outlook.

The last two weeks in my life have been nothing short of amazing. Although some parts seemed long and others quite short, I hope you might agree that my last 14 days might be hard to believe:

 

This two week span challenged the mental fortitude, physical strength and professional skills that I have worked to develop over the last few decades.  In those 14 days, I traveled the globe, worked with athletes and coaches of the highest levels in sport, and saw some of the wonders of the world.  The 14 days began at Fort Benning, Georgia where I was honored to return and train the Army Ranger elite instructors.  From there, I took a 15 hour flight to Beijing, China and stood atop the historic Great Wall, rode a 200+ mph bullet train, presented for over 24 hours to over 500 high level Chinese athletes and coaches in the top sport province of Shandong, walked the cobble stone floors of the Forbidden City and tried some exotic foods that I would wish to forget.  Upon returning to the US, I watched my top fighter and training partner, Jim Miller win “Submission of the Night” in a UFC Main Event Fight in Nashville, TN and then hosted a 2-day TFW Certification event in NJ for 23 new members.  The final night of the 14th day was a surreal finish when I saw that 9 players from the Patriots and Giants with which I have previously worked would be going to the Super Bowl as I performed the final sign off on my third book with Harper Collins.

I didn’t list those things above to impress you.  I listed them to impress upon you that what caused those events to happen are not as a result of what you think.  Every week, I receive emails and questions from people around the world who ask me what is the one thing they need to do, eat, read or exercise to have have a week or two like this.  What I tell them, however, is not what they have to do to make it happen, but instead what they DON’T have to do.  Getting to present in China was not easy.  Neither was writing a 420 page book or having the courage to step into a room full of Army Rangers and discuss what it means to be a warrior.  In a world where people are constantly either looking for or being sold a silver bullet, I have come to the realization that those two weeks actually took 20 years of not doing a lot of things to make them happen.

 

Confused?  Good.  Because the purpose of my blog to get you to think (and then act, of course).

Life is cumulative.  To me, this means that where you currently are in your life is not just a culmination of all of the things you have done, but more so all the things you chose not to do.  Many people, however, choose to believe that the things you do are the ones in which you are measured.  Although this may be true, doing the wrong things can lead to mediocrity.  Removing them is what leads to eventual greatness.  Removing the inappropriate things from your life may just be the faster and easier route to achieve your goals in life.  So, instead of believing my life is measured by the books I read and places I went, I like to think my life is measured by all the parties I missed, the TV I didn’t watch, the bad food I didn’t eat, the video games I didn’t play, the bad or negative people I didn’t surround myself with and workouts I did not miss.  It was the missing of all these things that was actually what allowed the other things to happen.

 

Using my philosophy, what do you need to quit right now to succeed?  Where are you spending time that is going to hold you back?  Many people think a “Bucket List” is all the things you would like to do in your life.  I have a slightly different approach.  In order to achieve your “To Do” Bucket List, I first think you should make a “Not To Do” Bucket List of the things you shouldn’t be doing.  Start checking off that list and I promise the “To Do” Bucket List will get much closer to reality because the easiest way to get what you want is to first remove what is holding you back.

 

 

Using this approach, you should see that adding a few new items to an already poor diet is not going to reduce body fat.  Instead of worrying what it is you need to eat to get lean, first start by removing all the things you know you should not be eating and I guarantee you will immediately get leaner.  Then add the healthy things you know you should be eating and you will be well on your way to the body you want.  This is much easier and less confusing that spending hours reading another fad diet book that you won’t stick with.  Helpful hints here would be removing processed sugars and replacing most liquids you drink with water.  Then worry about the benefits of quinoa and kale.

 

 

I hope that you see there is a secret in this philosophy.  To have a few weeks like I listed above is not reserved for the rich or naturally talented.  It is reserved for the one that is prepared to do (and not do) what it takes to be great.  The secret is that it is all under your control.