Close Enough

“Lots of people put in serious work for a while in pursuit of their goals,” Ben Bergeron said, “and eventually get to a place where they’re comfortable. They may not have achieved all their long-term goals, but they have achieved a good 90 percent, and they feel that they’ve checked all the boxes and are doing well enough to be satisfied.”

The people Ben Bergeron speaks of work hard. They get up and get after it day in and day out. 

The problem comes when they start seeing results. Just as growth is the number one killer of small business, results are the number one reason folks quit on their goals. 

They get “close enough” to their achievement and settle because the last little bit comes at the greatest cost. The first 80 to 90 percent is easy to work. Keep showing up and putting in the work and you’ll get most of the way there. 

It’s that last 15 to 20 percent that requires grit and perseverance. The ability to stick with it and keep putting in the work when results have slowed and it doesn’t feel like you’re taking ground.

True excellence is hanging in there and grinding through that last couple percentage points towards your goal. It is an unsatisfaction with anything less than your absolute best. 

You’re about to walk into a new week. It would be easy to settle this week and not push for that last little bit of growth. 

But you’re not interested in easy. That’s not why you’re here. You want excellence and are willing to stay the course, even when that voice in your ear whispers that you’ve come far enough. 

What gets tracked?

You’ve probably heard the phrase: what get’s tracked, gets managed. 

It reminds you of the fact that tracking and data are important. They inform decisions and help keep you on track. 

This same business rule applies to your life as well. 

If you want to make real and meaningful progress in an area, you’ve got to measure and track it. 

Keep notes on books you’ve read. 

Write down scripture verses you’re memorizing. 

Maintain a workout log.

Things are far more likely to improve when you take the time to track and measure your progress. 

Sadly, the opposite is true as well. The things you pay little attention don’t get better and often deteriorate. 

Simple Not Easy

Reaching the top and achieving your wildest dreams is simple. 

Figure out where you want to go, what it’ll take to get there and chart a plan to make it happen. 

That’s a simple formula, but it’s not an easy one.

It requires lots and lots of hard work. 

Most of all it requires discipline. 

The discipline to:

• focus over a long period of time. 
• drill down into the details. 
• reshape and reform your every habit and routine.  

It takes doing your best at everything you do; reading, working out, laundry, loading the dishwasher, making good food choices, and listening to your spouse. 

It’s a simple road, but the hardest one you’ll ever walk. 

That’s why most people avoid it. 

Hard work and discipline aren’t what they’re looking for. Most people want a quick fix and an easy win. 

But your not most people. You have a drive and commitment to excellence that bewilders the common man. 

You get up and get after it all day because you’re chasing down excellence like a lion on the Serengeti. 

Every decision and every moment bring you closer and closer to victory. 

A victory that isn't bought, or negotiated for. But one requiring character, strength, and patience. 

A victory paid for in the small daily habits of a disciplined life.    

The overload principle

There is a principle in physical training called the Overload Principle. 

It’s used to force your body and mind to grow by consistently pushing past your limits. 

It’s why you can and should put more weight on the bar every training session until you’ve acquired significant strength. 

The military uses the Overload Principle to forge warriors of steal. The most visible example is what the Navy Seals call Hell Week. 

Things like Hell Week have a remarkable impact on those who make it through. They inoculate them to stress by overloading their minds and bodies. They push them to their limits and develop within them the ability to endure almost anything. Navy Seals can move forward and win when things go bad on the battlefield because training prepared them. 

The same principle applies not only in the gym or ranks of the military elite but in your life as well. 

You are going to live through some pretty awful days. Bad things are going to happen and the plan you have for your day, your year, your life is going to get off track. 

This will ruin you and your chances of reaching your goals if you fail to prepare for adversity. 

Preparing for adversity is simple. Overload and stress your mind, your body, your everything to the max. 

Put yourself in uncomfortable and scary positions. 

Think about the worst possible scenarios and plan for how you’ll respond. 

If you want to get stronger physically, put more weight on the bar, train when it’s extremely hot/cold, do things that fill you with fear.  

If you want to give a remarkable presentation, practice every possible disaster scenario. Practice without slides, without handouts, without power to the building. Practice overcoming brutal objections and rudeness. Think through how you’ll respond under the worst of circumstances. 

You get the picture. 

They say circumstances don’t make character but reveal it. That’s hog wash in this case. Harsh, trying and nearly impossible circumstances can help you grow like nothing else can. They will stretch you and force you to grow in ways comfort never can. 

Step out of your comfort zone and embrace adversity. 
 

Who's Responsible For Your Health?

Your health is your responsibility. It’s not mine, your neighbor’s or the government's. 

It is 100% yours. 

You are responsible for it. 

Don’t shrug off that responsibility or give it away. 

Own it. 

After all, you’re the one who has to live with it day in and day out. 

The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can start making the changes necessary to ensure that you’re in the best possible shape. 

Before you get to the changes in diet, exercise, and routine, you’ve got to tackle this change of mindset. 

As long as you think your health is someone else’s responsibility you’ll never grow or improve. In short, you’ll be stuck with the same health issues you’ve always had.