Insurance to pay
Credit to reimburse
Loans
Bills, bills and more bills…
Most likely, all of this sounds familiar to you, which is normal. It’s all part of the elaborate system society has created, who’s purpose is to limit your potential and to leave you without the ability to accomplish your wildest aspirations.
– How can I conquer the world when I have loans to pay back the 10th of every month?
– How can I sculpt the body of my dreams when a gym membership costs more than my phone plan?
– How can I start my own business when my crumby apartment sucks up all of my hard-earned salary?
The answer is simple… learn to go for it, and leave your comfort zone
Stop throwing yourself a pity party, and start acting
“If I had more money I could….” nothing. You probably have more money than your parents and mine combined, yet nothing has changed. There is one thing to understand: you have the means to accomplish what you want and become who you want; what you are missing is courage and determination.
In the world of fitness, we can find many different types of people, yet they have one thing in common: they do things for themselves, by themselves. You won’t get the body of your dreams from some PDF or from a high-protein recipe book, you will get it through your determination to wake up every morning, sure of what you personally want to accomplish.
Do you think Arnold waited for someone to tell him how to become a legendary bodybuilder, actor and governor?
Do you think Ronnie waited for someone to lift a ton of iron for him and to win 8 trophies in a row?
How to become the person you dream of being?
Start by believing in yourself- in your potential. Stop comparing yourself to others, and be conscientious of the differences between an oversized ego and self confidence, between selfishness and determination. Here are ten tips I hope will help you on your journey to accomplishing your wildest dreams.
Tip n° 1 : Motivate yourself.
Dare to make a commitment to yourself and to believe. Live through this commitment: wake up with it, sleep with it, breathe it. Say positive affirmations out loud, for example:
“I WILL become an expert in IT, and my knowledge will be recognised.”
“I WILL lift the heaviest at my gym and place at my next competition”
Although you might feel stupid doing this at first, these affirmations will help enforce your convictions and keep you motivated, and will help you truly believe you can accomplish what you aspire. Repeat your affirmation often, and visualize the results you are aiming for until they exist just as much as the progress you have already made (in time, you will accomplish even more).
Tip n° 2 : Leave your comfort zone.
This is what I started doing 9 months ago, when I decided to leave my old life behind and move to Canada with my cat. At first, it was hard to even imagine quitting my job, saying farewell and spending 11 hours on a plane. But I did it, and today I am more than ever confident with my decision. NOTHING makes me “luckier” than you- I just made a commitment to change my life, and to leave a routine that was leaving me just as frustrated as you may be today. I worked hard to earn the necessary money, and I spent my evenings planning in order to be able to leave on the day I had picked. Making specific commitments like these are important, because this specificity will give you the mindset of a winner. Don’t just say “I want to be rich” or “I want muscles” but rather “I will reach my goal weight in 6 weeks” or “in four months I will have enough money to go to Brazil.”
Leaving your comfort zone means accepting and embracing the unknown that awaits you. Don’t panic at the thought of this, I assure you that it’s outside of your comfort zone that you live the most happy and fullest life. So, stop diagnosing yourself as shy- go out and meet people! Stop blaming your genetics if you don’t have the skills or physique you desire- start a new sport! There is unfortunately no remedy for laziness, so it’s up to YOU to act to get what you WANT.
Tip n° 3 : Stop with the “I don’t have time”
Nothing irritates me more than this statement!
Why? Because this is false and false again. You and I are part of a generation that wants more liberty, and who’s members take (a bit more) responsibility for their choices. You have just as much time as anyone else; if you claim the contrary, it’s your management that isn’t yet on par. The happiest people I know are also the people who have realized that they are free to do what they truly want with their lives.
Do I have more time than you do?
I don’t. Sure, my days are long (especially my weekends) but for nothing in the world would I trade the hours I spend. Start by trading your nightly movie for a book; an hour on Facebook for an hour of exercise.
Basically, get “I have no time”out of your head once and for all, and replace it with “ I will succeed.”
Tip n° 4 : Time is precious
There is one thing in life you need to pay attention to more than anything else: your time. Yes, you have it, but it’s precious. The time you spend on Facebook, MTV, etc is time you will never get back.
Think again if you think you can “get it back” at 60- take the world by storm in the prime of your life! Start by riding your bike to avoid traffic jams, sleep less but sleep well- basically, don’t “lose” your time. Spend time with people who bring something positive to your life. No, this is not being selfish- you should learn to measure the value of those surrounding you, and how to stop giving your time to people who aren’t worth it.
Tip n° 5 : Stop being nice.
….learn the power of “no”. As the people closest to me know, I have always been “ nice.” Not just helpful, or kind, but too nice, working more and more, without being paid back, time after time.
I learned the hard way that there will always be someone around to take your most precious possession away from you: your time. Your physical capacities for one task, or your intellectual ones for another… It’s not worth it , because these people will always want more, and they will suck you dry. Get away while you can!
Tip n° 6 : Don’t justify your decisions.
“Why aren’t you going out tonight ?”
“Why do you workout this way ? It’s not healthy!”
“Don’t stay at home on a Saturday, you have to take advantage of the night!”
Feeling the need to justify yourself means that you believe you need others to validate and accept your decisions. If you want to live freely, start by living by your own rules. Stop feeling you owe anyone any explanations; last time I checked, no one has any idea what we humans are doing on earth… you are free to create your own destiny.
Hold your head high. Give a minimal explanation, and continue moving forward. Freedom is just around the corner once you rid yourself of the weight of unnecessary justification.
If you need to eat 3000 calories a day, it’s no one’s business but your own. If you need to workout Saturday night instead of going clubbing, do it , if you need to practice what you have learned instead of going out then good for you! At the end of the day, your life belongs to you and no one else, so claim it.
Tip n° 7 : Change your mindset
Want to work less?
Find a way to make more money, invent this way if necessary. You have a brain, learn to use it!
Want to travel?
Buy a plane ticket and leave.
Want to be more productive and accomplish more?
….still have a TV at your house?
Want to love the skin your in?
Ditch the antidepressants and start jogging every morning.
Want to find the love of your life?
Put yourself out there and show the world what you’re capable of.
Hate your job?
Write your resignation letter after reading this article.
Tip n° 8 : Don’t depend on anyone.
This is something I’ve been working on for a while now. Careful, I’m definitely not saying that you shouldn’t have friends, but rather that you shouldn’t expect anyone to help you move forward (if they do, that’s great!)
Don’t believe anyone who says that you “need” their help – you don’t need anyone to accomplish great things, understand this. At the end of the day, you are all you need.
Did anyone help you lift that PR at the gym, or run that entire 10k?
Sometimes, you should try and cultivate the attitude of a “lone wolf.” By spending time alone, you will learn how your potential works, and how to use it to the max. Although sometimes it can be difficult to get away from obligations, finding the time for a few quiet evenings alone will suffice.
I see potential as a closed fist, that slowly opens and develops with calm and silence. TV, crowds, shopping, etc… these are things that keep the first shut, and these are the tools society uses to limit your potential.
Tip n° 9 : Learn to live with less.
Many people fall in the trap of spending more once they start making more, in order to increase their quality of life. A bigger apartment, a flat screen, a new car… At the end of the day though, your situation is the same: your salary has gone up, but stress and anxiety has gone up proportionally as you now have to maintain this new “quality” of life.
Start by getting rid of all the useless things you pay for: (400 tv channels, a phone plan with options you don’t use, magazines, etc…) and truly ask yourself what is essential to you and what isn’t. As I started getting rid of items from my home, in preparation for my move across the world, I truly understood how much of my possessions were useless to me.
By living with less, you will have more money to invest in your projects. Unfortunately, money is a necessity, and whether we like it or not, in our societies, freedom is purchased.
Having enough money means you are free to travel where you want, without worrying about your next pay check. It means you are free to invest in your projects.
Don’t tell yourself that you need more money, this is just another idea society wants us to believe so that we stay dependent of our work contracts.
Tip n° 10 : Take action!
How can you invest your heart and soul in a project if you still depend on a boss who’s success depends on your work?
Once you’ve learned how to say no and to assert yourself, go see your boss and leave your resignation letter on his desk.
Claim your liberty and start by taking action.
Cut all ties with people or things you are dependent on, and focus on what you want to accomplish.
Inform yourself on how to work independently in your country. You don’t owe anyone anything. You are free to continue giving up your time to make others rich, or to invest it in activities that will make you’re life rich. Your choice!
Money can’t buy happiness, no.. but selling your soul to the devil can’t either.
So there we have it. I hope these ten tips will inspire some of you to reclaim control over your lives, and to take advantage of your massive potential.
“Everybody pities the weak; jealousy, you have to earn.” – Arnold, The King
