Earlier this week, I took the day off from work to take my son Magnus to Six Flags for his 15th birthday. We invited Magnus’ friend Phineas along for the day of adventure. I had to go because they can’t drive. And also because I FREAKING LOVE ROLLER COASTERS! (Did I type that too loud?) In fact, if I could take a roller coaster to work, I would be living my ideal life.
I picked Magnus and Phineas up after their strength and conditioning session in Mequon, Wisconsin, at 9:30 am. We drove a giddy hour to the park, which is just north of Chicago. We chattered about all the rides we couldn’t wait to hit.
Then we arrived at the park, and crushed it!
In fact, I didn’t drop Phineas off at his home until 11:30pm. (This is the point where I warn you that if I invite you or your kids to an amusement park, we are going to stay until they kick us out.) By the time those boys got to bed, it was midnight in Mequon. And Montgomery.
But early the next morning, when I dropped Magnus off for strength and conditioning at Homestead High School, I saw Phineas bouncing across the parking lot with his large jug of water, ready to run and lift weights.
I love what these high school freshmen did in those 24 hours.
First, they worked out hard in the morning.
Then they played all day, and practically all night long. Like Lionel Richie. They rode 11 different roller coasters that flipped, spun and dropped them until the park closed. Neither of them ever hinted at wanting to quit early. Or barfing.
They got home late.
They got to bed late.
But the next day, they woke up early and got right back to work.
That is a work hard, play hard, work hard approach to life. Wiz Khalifa-style.
Through their own actions, those boys are telling themselves that they are the kind of people who will soak up as much fun as they can. And they will still keep their commitments the next morning.
They will do hard things, even when they don’t necessarily feel like doing them.
Because to be highly successful, you do what you have committed to do, even when you don’t feel like it.
Through such actions, you tell yourself that you are resilient, determined and focused. And when you believe your positive self-talk, you stick to your commitments. And you build momentum. Like a roller coaster on that first drop.
That type of discipline will get you everything in life.
Keep up the strong work, boys.
You’re training. yourselves to be great.
Key Takeaway
To achieve great things, you need to take action. You need to commit to hard work. Even when you are tired. Even when you have good excuses not to. Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when you played hard the night before. But when you stick to your personal commitments, you send a powerful message to yourself. You tell yourself that you do do hard things. That you are committed, disciplined and determined. Those actions build trust in yourself. They build self-confidence. And they lead to outstanding results.
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+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.
Adam Albrecht Blog 