Dan Waldschmidt's Blog, page 21

When Shame Is Worse Than The Pain.

There’s an important lesson you learn when you’re a long distance runner. All the pain goes away when you stop running.

Your blisters stop hurting. Your stressed muscles stop screaming at you.

All the things that hurt start to feel better the instant you stop.

Once you stop, all that’s left is either the shame of not doing your best or the uncontrollable happiness of achieving what you set out to do.

The instant you stop it starts to feel better.

Along the way, you think it’s too much. And it is too much.

You’re banged up, beaten down, sleep-deprived, and in need of food and water.

There are countless reasons to quit. All of them are running through your head.

The pain will go away just a few seconds after you quit. But then you have to deal with the shame.

That’s something you’ll remember the rest of your life.

You’ll remember that you talked yourself out of finishing. You’ll remember the negativity and fear that you let control you.

You’ll remember that you could have held on a little bit longer.

One more step. One more mile. One more hour.

Right now you’re likely facing your own big challenge. And you’re not sure if you have enough within you to keep going.

You are questioning whether continuing on will be worth it. You’re frustrated and beaten down.

You just want the pain to go away. And it will.

Make no mistake: the pain will go away. And when it does, all you’ll be left with is either shame or accomplishment.

The choice is yours. Hold on. Fight on.

Keep moving towards where you want to be. Don’t quit yet.

Find A Reason To Not Give Up.

There’s no special skill to not giving up.

You aren’t born with any special genomes that automatically make you less likely to quit.

The truth is that every day you face tough choices and scary obstacles.

On one hand, you have the things you want for yourself — money, happiness, fitness, friends and fulfillment.

On the other hand, you have a million different unforeseen problems that will challenge you and shake your faith in your ability to keep going — critics, failure, lack of resources and experience, and fear.

The more you think about it, the less logical it seems that you will actually end up winning.

The more unreasonable it sounds that your goal is something that you can actually achieve.

If you listen to the crazy thoughts running through your head, it is a waste of your time and effort to keep investing in yourself when it’s a foregone conclusion that it’s never going to work.

You’re not the only one who thinks that way. Everyone does. Everyone you ever meet thinks about quitting.

What separates winners from losers is something very simple.

Winners find a way to persist. They insist on forward progress.

Even if it’s small. Barely noticeable.

They aren’t willing to throw it all away.

They want more of what could be more than they want the pain to go away.

And so they find a way to keep trying. They get inside their own head to think their way forward:

They pump themselves up with motivating thoughts.
They make silly bargains about quitting later.
They find friends to help them make the journey.
They get angry at themselves for even thinking about quitting.

It’s not pretty. It’s not the formula you would read about in a best-selling book.

But it’s the secret of their success.

And it could be your secret as well.

You don’t have it any worse than anyone else.

Your problems aren’t any more devastating than those around you.

Your ability to think your way forward is ultimately the only thing that will separate you from winning or a lifetime of excuses.

Find a reason to do one more thing. Today. And every day.

You’re Asking Yourself The Wrong Questions.

How do I make more money? What’s the fastest way to get out of debt?

What do I do when other people treat me unfairly? How do I get promoted when I’m not flashy or outgoing?

What’s the fastest plan to becoming a millionaire?

You might not have asked one of these specific questions, but you have asked yourself something similar not too long ago.

These are common questions — based on points of pain or future pleasure.

And all of these questions are universally human.

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world or what you do to earn a living; you will find yourself wondering what it is that you’re missing.

Which usually means you’re going to be thinking about money, your physical health, and your daily emotions. Not just thinking, questioning.

Those questions you ask yourself aren’t usually the right questions. They’re not necessarily wrong, but they don’t dig deep enough into the core elements that drive the change you want.

For example, you might be asking yourself how you can make more money.

In truth, your options are endless.

Which options you choose are a direct result of the resources you have and your urgency in achieving your goal. But “wanting more money” isn’t good enough to drive long-term change. You need to ask yourself a different series of questions.

Why do you want that money in the first place? Why are you in the position where you need more money right now? If you weren’t able to make more money, what’s the worst that could happen?

When you can answer those questions honestly, you’re ready to achieve your desired goal.

Success demands that you anchor yourself around “why” and “how” and “when” — instead of just thinking about “what” it is that you want.

Maybe you’re not getting the results you want because you’re not asking yourself tough enough questions.

Being Uncomfortable Doesn’t Mean You’re Wrong.

Just because you’re uncomfortable doesn’t mean that you’re doing the wrong thing.

Just because there are obstacles in your way doesn’t mean you’re executing the wrong strategy.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make about success is believing that if you had the perfect plan you wouldn’t have any of the problems associated with making progress.

That’s a lie.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can avoid the frustration of failure by reading enough books or following enough expert advice.

Information isn’t the same as transformation. Knowledge isn’t the same as hustle.

It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how amazing the book you’re reading might seem, you were going to have to try and fail and find a way to try again.

That’s uncomfortable.

But that doesn’t make it the wrong move.

That uncomfortableness doesn’t mean that you’re wasting your time and effort. It means that you’re going through the normal process of attempting break through.

You’re not broken. You’re evolving. You’re growing.

You’re growing.

You’re right where you need to be right now.

Don’t give it all up because you think the uncomfortableness you feel means you’re doing something wrong.

4 Questions Successful People Ask Themselves.

The principles that drive success are timeless. They are not trendy or fashionable.

They don’t just work in a particular region or for one generation. They aren’t governed by how much money you have or what degrees and certificates you have achieved.

The basic building blocks of success and breakthrough are always the same.

Effort, curiosity, personal accountability, and a definite goal — these are the core elements of success.

Ask yourself the following questions.

Am I working passionately and desperately towards getting to where I want to be?
Am I willing to question anything and everyone, even when I look stupid doing it?
Do I take responsibility for the consequences of my actions on the outcomes around me?
What one incredible thing do I want most in life right now?

When you can answer these questions honestly, you are well on your way to finding breakthrough.

The tough truth is that most people don’t work hard enough, don’t question long enough, and don’t take responsibility for enough of what happens to them.

And when you don’t put enough into your formula for success what you get out is never enough.

You are left stuck in a miserable loop of dissatisfaction.

Living with the miserable awareness that you could be better. That you could do more.

Success is possible as long as you’re willing to focus on what really matters.

Those four questions will help get you there.

If you don’t like the answers you are hearing, maybe it’s time for a change.

Uncertainty Is A Certainty.

Most of the time you’re not going to be sure.

That’s the challenge of making hard decisions and trying to pursue your goal without having already been down the path that you need to go.

There are clues that lead you to believe you should be doing what you’re doing.

The insights and perspectives of those you trust are convincing enough that you’re going to follow through on their advice.

You’re locked in and pointed at the target.

But you’re still not sure that what you’re doing is the right thing to do.

You’re not certain. And you desperately want to be.

You sure would feel a lot better if you knew without a doubt that all your effort and strategy and investment is going to pay off this time around.

That’s not going to happen. Not if you have big dreams and audacious goals.

The hard stuff is always the most uncertain stuff. No one else has done it. You’re the first one.

It’s all on you. And all in your head.

Success demands that you be able to handle the uncertainty and fear you feel attempting greatness.

You have to get up and go to work even when you’re not sure that what you’re going to do is going to pay off that day…or any day.

You have to invest in yourself and give value and try even though you’re not sure that it’s going to yield the results you want so desperately for yourself.

It’s really quite a simple decision. You either lose the day waiting to find certainty or win the moment by navigating towards where you think you want to be.

You might lose. You might fail.

All of your effort and imagination might yield none of the results that you expect. Or you might just be fantastically correct.

Regardless, all that matters is that you try. That’s the best you can do.

Uncertainty is the only certainty. Don’t wait until you’re sure. Be obsessed with trying.

Willing To Pay Whatever Cost.

The cost of freedom is fear.

The cost of progress is pain.

The cost of innovation is ridicule.

The cost of believing is loneliness.

The cost of trying is failure.

The cost of friendship is status.

The cost of trust is abuse.

Greatness demands grit.

You can’t change your life or improve your financial position without physical and emotional discomfort.

It’s going to cost you something to achieve breakthrough.

The free or easy option you’re looking for is just a slow-release poison that will rob you of everything magical and wonderful you’ve been wanting for yourself.

The things in life that don’t cost you anything don’t mean anything to you.

They aren’t valuable. They’re just a distraction.

Don’t let those distractions waste the precious time and resources you have to pursue your greatness.

Invest generously in your dreams. Believe that your goals are possible.

Know that the cost you’re paying right now is a small price to pay for the wonder you expect down the road.

Only Focus On What You Can Control.

A lot of life is outside your control.

Most of the time, no matter what you do, you can’t force other people to do what you want to do.

You can’t instantaneously impact nature or economic trends. You can’t control the weather or the decisions that are made by other people in authority over you.

It’s a complete waste of your time to worry.

The longer you try to fix or focus on things that are outside your control, the more depressed and hopeless you’re going to feel.

It’s inevitable that you’re going to give up. Quit. Decide that life is too unfair for someone like you.

That’s probably because you’re focusing on something you can’t fix. You’re fixated on the wrong thing.

The truth is that for every thing in life you can’t fix, there’s another part of life that you can fix.

Which is powerful, if you can embrace it.

For every thing in life you can’t fix, there’s another part of life that you can fix.

Look around you. Those fixes are everywhere:

You can’t control the weather, but you can control that you live in a place where you mostly enjoy the weather.
You can’t control the decisions that you’re boss makes, but you can control how long you work for that boss.
You can’t control how much you weigh right now, but you can control what you eat and how you exercise from this moment forward.

What you focus on most determines how successful you become.

Your thoughts and dreams and aspirations are a direct result of what you spend your time obsessing about.

Don’t waste that power you have.

Quit whining. Double down on working. Focus on being awesome.

The post Only Focus On What You Can Control. appeared first on Keynote Speaker, Business Strategist & Ultrarunner | Dan Waldschmidt.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Welcome To Whatever.

There is no greatness without pain and struggle.

Change demands friction and adjustment. Both of which are uncomfortable.

The hard truth about accomplishing big things is that it is going to cost you more then you ever expect.

You think you’re ready to play the game. You think you know the risk involved.

But somehow, no matter how much you have planned and prepared, you find yourself breathless — reeling at the personal investment demand.

You have probably told someone when speaking about a goal or change that you want to see for yourself, that you’re “willing to do whatever it takes in order to be successful.”

Remember that moment.

“Whatever it takes” is always a little bit more than you expect.

That’s not a reason to give up or back down from accomplishing big things.

It’s just a reminder that if you’ve already started, you might as well finish.

You’ve already gone this far. It makes no sense to give up now. You’ve endured and battled your way to where you are now.

Keep going. Keep working. Keep fighting.

Get back up on your feet and keep driving towards where you want to be.

There is no greatness without struggle and pain. Persist.

The post Welcome To Whatever. appeared first on Keynote Speaker, Business Strategist & Ultrarunner | Dan Waldschmidt.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Welcome to Whatever.

There is no greatness without pain and struggle.

Change demands friction and adjustment. Both of which are uncomfortable.

The hard truth about accomplishing big things is that it is going to cost you more then you ever expect.

You think you’re ready to play the game. You think you know the risk involved.

But somehow, no matter how much you have planned and prepared, you find yourself breathless — reeling at the personal investment demand.

You have probably told someone when speaking about a goal or change that you want to see for yourself, that you’re “willing to do whatever it takes in order to be successful.”

Remember that moment.

“Whatever it takes” is always a little bit more than you expect.

That’s not a reason to give up or back down from accomplishing big things.

It’s just a reminder that if you’ve already started, you might as well finish.

You’ve already gone this far. It makes no sense to give up now. You’ve endured and battled your way to where you are now.

Keep going. Keep working. Keep fighting.

Get back up on your feet and keep driving towards where you want to be.

There is no greatness without struggle and pain. Persist.

The post Welcome to Whatever. appeared first on Keynote Speaker, Business Strategist & Ultrarunner | Dan Waldschmidt.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...