The Golden Rules (#1 - 5)
Today we are releasing a new segment called the "Golden Rules".
The Golden Rules are ideals, guidelines, maxims, & lessons that we support for helping you live a happier, healthier, & more successful life.
Props go to Ben Settle for introducing us to this concept, with his infamous "Email Players Rules" that he frequently talked about on his podcast.
Here are the first 5 Golden Rules:
Golden Rule #1: Always Be Moving Forward
The concept of "Always moving forward" is a concept that I'm sure you've heard time and time again.
When we were first introduced to this concept years ago it really struck a chord with us.
Always. Be. Moving. Forward.
It's such a simple statement and thus such a powerful statement.
This applies to your general life as well as any specific thing that you want to do.
Do you want to lose weight?
- Do something everyday that moves you forward towards that goal
Do you want to gain muscle?
- Do something everyday that moves you forward towards that goal
Do you want to become a better husband, partner, friend, person?
- Do something everyday that moves you forward towards that goal
It's important to always do something every single day that moves you towards your goal---even if it's as little as taking 10 minutes out of your busy day to focus on it---for one very important reason.
It builds momentum.
And you NEED positive momentum if you are ever going to accomplish anything in your life.
I remember hearing a story about the basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
Kobe was one of the best basketball players ever to grace the game and he had a CRUCIAL habit that he performed before every single game without fail over the course of his 20+ year career.
He would get to the stadium hours before anyone else would even think of getting there.
Say 1 pm for an 8 pm game.
Then would start shooting shots.
He would post up in about 10-20 positions around the basket and he wouldn't stop until he hit 15-20 CONSECUTIVE shots in each position.
Then when the game would start, guys would be amazed at how nearly every shot he took would go in.
They would think to themselves, the game just started, but how is he playing like he's already on fire?
That's because before they even arrived at the stadium for the game, he was already there, taking his shots and always moving forward.
The way of always moving forwards is the path of growth and the path towards success in life.
It builds momentum and propels you towards whatever goal you want to achieve.
Ignore it at your peril.
Golden Rule #2: Master The Basics
People love to overcomplicate things in life, business, and in the gym.
We think it's just like a disease or plague of the mind.
"It can't be that simple to only focus on the basics, right? There must be some hack, some trick, some tip I can follow that will push me forwards." Many people like to think to themselves.
But the reality is this, the more you know, the more you realize that you actually don't know anything at all and that all of this extra stuff is just fluff.
We see it with exercising all the time.
People will come to us and ask:
- "What's the best protein powder to drink?"
- "What's the best time to workout?"
- "Which diet & training program is the best?"
And so on and so forth.
The reality is that it doesn't really matter.
The basics will never let you down, and fads will always fade away as time goes by.
Make sure you are:
- Eating enough whole foods everyday
- Staying active every single day
- Following a diet + training program that fits your lifestyle and that you enjoy doing
Then... BE CONSISTENT.
Always be moving forward.
The basics will never betray you.
Golden Rule #3: Your Body Is Your Castle
Most people treat their bodies like trash cans, just throwing in whatever garbage they come across into it.
It's no wonder why over 50% of Americans are overweight/obese and are on anti-depressants.
Listen.
If you want to live a happy and successful life, then it all comes down to how you treat your body.
If you treat your body like garbage, then you will turn into human garbage.
If you treat your body like a castle, then you will turn into a king,
Say this out loud:
"MY BODY IS MY CASTLE."
When you walk into your home, you don't just piss all over the floor do you?
You don't throw garbage on the ground, never clean, and just live in a big old pile of filth, right?
(We hope not.)
So why do so many people treat their bodies this way?
Eating terrible foods, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, not getting enough sleep, and slamming enough caffeine to kill a small child just to make it through the day.
It's horrendous.
You only get ONE body in this life.
And your body is AMAZING at keeping you alive!
It will squeeze every morsel of nutrition and energy out of the crap that you give it for as long as it can.
But eventually it won't be able to anymore.
And you'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting a losing fight to try and undue all of the damage you've done to it over the years.
Listen up...
What you put into your body is exactly what you are going to get out of your body.
So treat your body like a castle and live like a king for the rest of your days.
Golden Rule #4: Your Mind Is Your Master
If your body is your castle, then your mind is your master.
Ever hear the phrase, "mind over matter"?
Of course you have---and for good reason.
It's true.
How you choose to see the world is entirely up to you.
Sure, you're going to be fighting an onslaught of opinions, ideas, and other peoples perspectives every moment that you are alive---thanks social media---but at the end of the day...
IT IS UP TO YOU TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO BELIEVE IN.
You want to know something crazy?
When we lived in Vietnam we would drive past street vendors on our motorbike every single day.
These were EXTREMELY poor people that literally lived in TIN SHACKS on the side of the road and sold bananas just to make some money to live on day-to-day.
Every time we drove past them or stopped to pick up some fruits, they were the happiest, kindest, people with giant smiles on their faces.
Here were people living in conditions that we literally could never imagine and they were enjoying themselves and happy.
Then we go back to America and we're hanging out with some friends who are bankers and are making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and they are MISERABLE.
Spending thousands of dollars on the weekends drinking, partying, and chasing tail.
From the outside looking in they might be successful, but their minds are corrupted beyond belief.
Their master (mind) in their head is a terrible dictator that rules and ruins every waking moment that they are not pursing their vices.
Not a great way to live in our opinion.
Whatever you choose to believe about yourself and your life, it's going to come true.
The important thing to realize is this simple fact:
Everything in your life is your fault.
Accept that, come to terms with that, and realize that all of the good & all of the bad is largely in part because of how you choose to perceive it.
Master your mind, master your life.
It really is as simple as that.
Golden Rule #5: It Takes As Long As It Takes
Life is the longest thing that you will ever experience.
That may sound like a stupid thing to say, but really, life is long so what's the rush?
Now-a-days especially after the rise of social media, everyone is in this mad dash to do more, be better, and achieve more.
Don't get us wrong, it's great to have goals, and you should always be moving forward in your life to make the most of it.
But as a wise man once said:
"Be patiently impatient because it takes as long as it takes."
There is literally no such thing as an overnight success.
We know.
We've searched far and wide and quite literally have never found one.
You know why people believe in overnight successes now-a-days?
It's because of the media, it's because of social media, and it's because of the internet.
- You don't see the 1,000's of hours that people put in
- You don't see the years of practice, of solitude, of doubt
- You don't see the breaking points, the light before the end of the tunnel, the darkness all around
All you ever see is the finished product.
- This guy looks amazing and just won a bodybuilding competition
- This girl's company took off and now she's rich
- This gymnast that just won a gold medal at the Olympics
And so on and so forth.
People love to focus on the results, nobody likes to zoom in on the effort.
Everyone loves to chant along with the influencers, like Gary Vee, that say "hustle, hustle, and hustle some more!"
But you know what everyone doesn't do?
The don't actually hustle for very long.
Friend, anything you want in life, if you put in enough time and effort into it you WILL achieve it.
By always moving forward you are literally GUARANTEED to achieve your goal.
You almost always will never end up with what you originally thought, but you will always end up where you belong.
That's a stone-cold truth about life.
Be patient. Put in the work. Never give up.
You can't fail.
So how long does it take to become successful?
It takes as long as it takes.