“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by the dogma- which is living with the results of others people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice.”
– Steve Jobs
This post isn’t intended to teach people how to be inspirational. This post is intended to write about how most of the people in the world that have done something great and inspiring had to do something to the point where people thought they were crazy.
No matter what your feelings are on Elon Musk right now, what were the odds that Tesla would have been successful as a start-up car company in 2008 when Chrysler and GE were on the brink of bankruptcy?
What were the odds that in 1980 that Apple, a company started out by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in a garage would become the most valued company to exist?
People had to think that Elon Musk, Steve Jobs/Wozniak, or anyone like that was crazy at the time for starting those companies and putting their life into them.
To go back to the Steve Jobs quote, your time is limited. Most people want to live a life that is normal and when you step outside that zone that makes them think that they could be doing better, they become insecure. That insecurity is when others try to talk you out of something.
If I told my own mother 7 years ago, that I was going to run a 50-mile race or even a 100-mile race, she would have said “Drew, you can’t do that. That’s crazy.”
In fact, she told me before about some of these races that it was crazy. Some of the races that I have finished, afterward about it. Today, she doesn’t even blink an eye when I tell her this is what my goal is. She believes in my judgment now as a concerned mother.
Photo by Frederik Löwer on Unsplash
Standing On The Shoulders of Previous Success
The more you do something that others think is crazy and succeed at it, people will doubt you. They will believe that you can do it. Not only do you become more comfortable sharing your goals and aspirations but others will start to encourage you along the way. Breaking out of the mold initially is hard.
When I started doing GoRuck events, ultra marathons, OCR races, and such, I started to be around more like-minded people. People that wanted everyone to be successful. For 99% of the people at those events, it wasn’t about winning. It wasn’t about cutting people down to make themselves feel better. It was about lifting everyone up to a new level. Only if corporate America was like that.
Have Belief In Yourself
Having belief in yourself is important. It takes more than belief to inspire others though. Belief in what you are doing is an important spark to keep up your action. Becoming the inspiration you want to be is truly what matters. However, all of our actions begin with thought. If you do not have your mind right, you will quit and fall back to your old ways of thinking.
It is difficult to start thinking in a new way. At first, you will feel like you’re lying to yourself because your subconscious is still wired to think in the way you don’t want to think in. Eventually, after going 90 days straight waking up to workout or writing 30 articles in 3 months, you will start to believe in yourself.
The key here is to not allow lack of external feedback force you off the path. If you want to become a writer and write 10 articles a month for 3 months and don’t gain a lot of new followers, do not let that discourage you. Believe in your system and make small adjustments. I don’t usually bold words in my writing but I bolded small because small is important. I’ve fallen into patterns in my own life where whether it’s a workout routine or a writing routine. If I don’t see a lot of progress in a month or two, I’ve flipped the board and started over. This is the worst thing you can do because you never actually learn what was working for you and what wasn’t. It also reinforces that “magic pill” mentality that there is a better way to do this faster and more efficient.
Document Your Challenges Along The Way
So much success from the outside perspective appears to happen in a vacuum. So many people think that when they see someone that is now successful that they were just always that way. That they just magically have some talent that makes them successful. That’s not the way it is though.
I’ve kept a journal for about 8 years now. Looking back on some entries, I’ve noticed I’ve actually grown quite a bit. Growth happens at a rate that we usually can’t perceive so documenting it will help reinforce that we are making progress. I would recommend keeping a journal or a video journal for yourself. You don’t need to write extensive entries. I would recommend just jotting down your thoughts and feelings from the day. Remember there are no rules to journaling.
You must be the change that you want to see in the world. — Mahatma Gandhi
Do Not Lie
No one likes a phony. How many YouTube fitness guys are out there that show how they got shredded in 4 months but truthfully they just started taking steroids? A lot of them are being called out now by other YouTubers but that doesn’t change the fact that they are being dishonest about what they are selling and people still believe them.
Be someone who is open and honest about your struggles and how you got to the point where you are. If being dishonest catches up to you, and it most likely will, you will be tarnished and good luck building yourself up again.
Conclusion
To truly be successful, you may have to do something to the point where people think you’re crazy. Waking up at 4:30 am to write or work out? Taking online classes on your lunch break at work?
99% of people would think that’s weird and crazy. That’s because they don’t believe in themselves or that working hard will get them anywhere. I would make a bet that if some divine power came to them and told them that if they did all those things and in 2 years they would be massively successful, they would do it. Most people think it’s a waste of time though. Most people just want to coast through life and not take the risk of trying for more.
Is that you?
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
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Photo credit: Katrina Wright on Unsplash