Greed

Luke 12:15 – Then Jesus said to them, “watch out. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Be careful to place too much value on material objects. Life is more than owning things. If you begin to determine the value of yourself based on the things you own, you prioritize the wrong things. Value your time by doing things you enjoy with people you love. This does not require you to spend any money and helps to put your life in proper perspective. Make sure that you’re not putting too much emphasis on the wrong things…what is truly important?

Failing quickly

Failing is not a bad thing. In fact, often times, it’s a very good thing. You learn most by failure. You learn what not to do, can make tweaks, then try again. But the key is to fail quickly. 

While you won’t ever reach a state of perfection, let’s say that it takes you three tries (or more), on average, to be “successful” in something. Would you rather fail once, go back to the drawing board for a year (not because that’s how long it takes to make corrective actions, but because you aren’t focused and are procrastinating), fail again, take another year to revise your plan, and then finally succeed? 

Or, can you focus all of your energy on your project, try again within a month, fail, tweak, then try again to succeed? 

In this extremely simple example, you would end up with the same result, but in scenario 1 it would take you three years to achieve success, whereas in scenario 2 it would only take three months. 

If you fail quickly, you can get to your desired outcome more quickly. Do not expect perfection. It will never come. People often pose as “perfectionists” when really they are procrastinators. They are putting off implementing their new program because they are afraid that it won’t be good enough. And they’re right. Chances are, in the beginning, a lot of things will be wrong. But you have to get started, otherwise you’ll never get to your destination. 

Taking risks

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

“If failure is not an option, then, most of the time, neither is success.” – Seth Godin

You need to take calculated risks to get ahead in life. The more risks you take, the more likely you are to trip and stumble. But, as long as you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going, you’re also more likely to make the most out of this life. 

If you don’t take risks, if failure is not an option and you’re playing too cautiously/conservatively, be prepared to live a life of mediocrity. You will blend in with the crowd, disappearing into nothingness. 

Physical Fitness – It’s More Than Having Big Muscles

You are only as “fit” as your weakest physical component. Look at CrossFit’s 10 components of fitness. Unless you are a professional athlete and need to be elite in one or two categories, your goal should be to have no weaknesses in any of these physical components. Be a generalist, not a specialist. 

  1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance
  2. Stamina
  3. Strength
  4. Flexibility 
  5. Power
  6. Speed 
  7. Coordination 
  8. Agility
  9. Balance
  10. Accuracy

Take time to practice skills. Practice is different than training. Practice involves working slow, focusing specifically on form, and breaking down movements. Training involves pushing your limits (usually during competition).

Facing Your Fears

“The Stoic tells himself that although the situation may appear frightening, the truly important thing in life is how he chooses to respond.” – Donald Robertson

Are you going to run away? Or are you going to make a stand. Would you rather be fearful and full of regret or courageous?

It doesn’t matter how you feel. Everyone feels fear, pain, and suffering at some point. It’s how you react to it that defines you. 

Do you want to be known as someone who challenges his/her fears, who steps up when things get tough? Or would you rather others view you as mentally or physically weak?