elitefts™ Sunday edition

Under The Bar: This Doesn’t Suck

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." –John Wooden

Heartless

Last night I drafted another installment of the "Five Causes of Failure You Want to Avoid." This was titled "Five More Causes of Failure You Want to Avoid." The reason you are not reading that right now is because when I read it over this morning, it sucked! I know I can do better and I didn’t want to sign my name to something I feel is lacking effort. I knew when I was writing it, that my heart wasn’t in it. I was writing it so I would be able to have something to post this weekend and I cared more about the deadline than the quality of work I was writing.

This morning when I read it over, I realized that the reason it sucked is because I didn’t really buy into what I was writing. I created a list some time ago of over 30 reasons why people fail. This was brainstormed one afternoon and was going to be my go-to list with this series. The problem was that when I read some of the stuff from other authors related to the same concepts in the back of my mind I say…

"Ya that is true BUT…"

There always seems to be something left out. They always paint a picture of the golden egg and write material that will get you motivated, but the BIG truth is never there. Well, it is. It’s in the back of my head when I read it and I’m sure it’s also in the back of yours.

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability." –John Wooden

Free Style

I’m not exactly sure where this article will go or contain, as I’m not working off of an outline or any notes. I suppose you would say, "I’m free styling this one." For all, I know this one could end up deleted as well, but for now I’m pushing forward to see what comes out. This is how some of my better articles were created, so who knows? Maybe this won’t suck. I’m actually more comfortable sitting down in front of a blank screen than having to write something off of an outline or something that was assigned. Not that it really matters at this point, as I’m still searching for a topic to really write about.

I know a couple weeks back I wrote about time management and how to best manage projects and I DO all of those things, but just like what I presented above, there are always things that are left out. In this case, you can and should prioritize your work load and make sure your focus is on the most important things. These would be your "A" tasks. Second, would be your "B" tasks and lastly, you have "C" items. The "C" items for me is administrative stuff that isn’t really that important as far as the strategic growth of the company. They are items that will not make or save the company any money and they will not help to empower anyone. It’s just the “crap” that has to be done and I’m not big time enough to be able to delegate all of this off my plate. Actually, over the past year, my "C" work doubled and I’m not really that happy about it. Changes are being made, so this will no longer be the case, but until this, I have to do a bunch of work I really don’t like doing. However, the thing is that if it doesn’t get done, it WILL affect my ability to work on the things I really like to do and those things that will help the company grow.

"It isn't what you do, but how you do it." –John Wooden

The 80/20 Rule

This is where I have some issues with the 80/20 rule. You know, where 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of your work. Yes, I do know it’s called the Pareto Principal, and I also know most business books and articles misrepresent what this really is and means. I’m basing my statements on how these books and writers portray it.

First off, this is bullshit because if you are striving to only be 80 percent of what you can be, you are a 20 percent loser. Next time you do a project, only do 20 percent of it and let me know how that works out for you. In your training from this point on, skip 80 percent of all your training sessions and only give 20 percent effort when you do show up. Maybe the 80/20 rule does apply if you DO 100 percent of the work first and then go back and look at all the items involved. Yes, in your training I’m sure the core lifts will make up 80 percent of your gains, but see how well that works for you to cut all conditioning, warm-ups and accessories. At your job just do 20 percent of the work and see how long you stay employed. The other thing that is missed here is while that 80 percent is made out to be less significant than the main 20 percent, it’s actually what makes that 20 percent even exist in the first place. Maybe I have it wrong and don’t understand the concept, but I have run the numbers on projects, customers, products, etc., and the 80/20 rule has not ONCE panned out. Maybe it’s because I’m a unique person and elitefts™ is a unique company, or maybe it’s because I expect 100 percent to be done. It is not my intention to be “ordinary” and to run an “ordinary” company. I want my life and company to be “extraordinary” and not anything less than 100 percent will do.

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." –John Wooden

Your Best

This brings me to the next topic. Last week I asked on my twitter page, "How do you really know you have given your all? How do you know you have done your best?" I used to have a boss that every time I would submit my work, wouldn’t even look up and say “Is this the best you can do?” For the first month, this would always send me back to my desk there were always change I made that made it better. Once the month was over, he quit asking the question because I made sure everything I submitted was the best I could do. During my 90 day review, I was asked why I felt it was OK to submit sub-par work, when I was being employed to give them the best I could do. I was politely told they hired the guy that was on the resume and who they interviewed and when I agreed to the terms of the position I agreed to provide them with what I “sold” them I was and that during those first 30 days, I was not living up to my end of the deal because I was not working to the best of my ability. The thing about this was that he never even looked at the work the first time it was presented. I KNEW it wasn’t the best I could do and he made me accountable for it. Maybe this is why I deleted the article from last night. To answer my own question, I think we all know if we are giving our best or not. Deep inside...we know. This isn’t really the issue at hand. The issue is – are you willing to give your best on a consistent basis and work to make your best better?

Ordinary or Extraordinary

I posted each of these videos in my log several times over the years. Like I referred to at the start of this article, there are great lessons out there, but they always forget to tell you something. These videos will demonstrate what I mean and truthfully what you already know.

In this video Brock is shown that he is capable of much more than he thought. Now, let’s go back to the 80/20 rule. You think Brock would've realized this same lesson in the first 20 yards, or was it the LAST FEW YARDS that made the difference? Was it 20 percent, or was it the last 1 percent he had left? Now, I’m sure some would say NO Dave you are seeing this all wrong. It was those last 20 yards that made the difference, thus the 80/20 rule applies. REALLY, well how in the hell did he get to the last 20 yards!?!?

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it." –John Wooden

Now onto what we all know: giving your all comes down to your own personal choice and decision. Not everyone will have a coach nose-to-grass up in your ass to get those extra yards. This has to come from within you! Not from some outside source. You may or may not have a coach to do this for you, or a boss who asks, “Is this your best?” To be honest, most of the people I met in my life would NOT want this done and would be insulted if it was. I have friends at other jobs that I know for a fact are not giving close to their best and they know it. If their boss was to ask them if what they are doing is their best work, or question the work they do in any way...they would get pissed off about it – yet they know it’s not close to what they can do. Why? Because this what “ordinary” people do. This is what average people do and this is why they stay average. These people are not like Brock in this video, but they are all those kids that stood up. Each one of those kids, when they stood up were asking themselves..."What if?" After that they had a decision to make. Would they be “ordinary” or chose to be “extraordinary?”

Strong(er)

In this clip, Al Pachino says as we get older things are taken from us. This is true, I can no longer squat, need a complete shoulder replacement and have arthritis and joint pain that will be with me the rest of my life. In the past three years, I’ve sat bedside and watched what remained as one of my best friends fight for for his life dying from cancer, I lost my father, I saw my wife's life be saved by a matter of minutes and looked at the very real reality of being a single father. I also lost an ass load of money in a sour business deals, my personal health is going in the tank and I lost a friend to murder. I almost lost my business (again), have seen how poorly the school system is toward a kid with Asperger’s (my son), as well as other things that I’m not willing to share. Ya, I agree as we get older things get taken away. I’ve seen friends have limbs amputated, their heath go from hero to zero in a matter of four weeks dues to reasons doctors can’t explain. The list goes on and on and I’m sure my list is no different than anyone else's. I personally know of others who have been beat down and hit so many times that I have no idea how they still get up each day – let alone continue to move forward. I would not call these people survivors, but strivers. They strive to grow and get strong(er) each day, damn well knowing that the next hit is right around the corner. These people have learned to dance in the storms of life and I admire the hell out of that. No excuses – just execution.

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." –John Wooden

What Al doesn't say is that as we get older, risk and put ourselves out there, we WILL have to take more hits - we learn to live. We grow. We see the smiles others miss, we hear the laughs ours don't, we smell the flowers others walk by, and we taste things others don't pay attention to (such as gym chalk in the air, sand on the beach). We become strong from these experiences and begin to develop extraordinary resolve (er). This is a strength very few will begin to understand.

 

It’s the strength that gives us the courage to fight when others run.

The strength, not to take a hit and get back up, but to take the hardest hit you can and NOT fall down.

The strength to know when to fight and when to walk.

The strength to know the difference between a challenge and a problem.

The strength to never lose trust in others because of the selfish acts of the few.

The strength to see the world for what it is….Harsh. Real. Uncertain...and AWESOME!

The strength to know the difference between fiction and reality.

The ability to grow strong(er).


 

 

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The Finisher

Grenade Chain Triple Set Cross Body Extensions.

This Finisher will be done at the end of your training session and is only done for three sets. Find a chain weight that will allow you to get between 15-20 reps. Perform one set to failure, with the first arm and move right to the next arm and do as many reps as you can. Switch back and forth for three sets. Thus, the name triple set. Shoot for 20 reps on the first set, 12-15 on the second and 6-8 on the third, but more importantly, take each set to absolute failure. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat for three total work sets.