On achieving the extraordinary

I watched this talk on YouTube by General Stanley McCrystal maybe 8 or 9 years ago.

The takeaway was, make your bed so that the last thing you would see that day would be your success regardless of how the day had gone.

I think about that point when ever one of my clients achieves something that seemed ridiculous 6-12 month earlier.

When I start working with someone they of course have a goal or several goals. Those goals tend to be things that they know aren’t uncommon but currently allude them.

Fat loss without struggle or major time sacrifice.

More clarity and confidence around their business or particular areas.

More energy and better sleep.

They imagine their life as it is now only better basically.

Then wrapped up in the conversation somewhere they’ll mention a dream. They’ll frame it as such too.

It’s something like, I want this but I have no idea how to achieve it so I won’t include it in my goals but please know that it’s something I want eventually.

They used to freak me out too cos I had this idea that I needed to know the steps to get there even if they didn’t.

Now I look forward to hearing what they say because it’s just so blood inspiring to watch.

But the myth that comes with the idea of achieving the dream is that we have to do something radical, that’s what stops them including it too.

The truth that I have witnessed time and time again is that what it really takes is gaining deeper clarity around their current reality and new simple action around life’s current obstacles.

We are something like problem seeking beings.

We overcome all long standing obstacles that are in each area of our lives and there we find ourselves on the next level of the game finding new and better problems to solve.

We don’t just sit in obstacle free land, we go crazy there.

I guess that’s why I’m sharing this.

What ever the problem whether fat loss or more money or less pain, a better relationship, happier home life, more energy or a more organised work life our tendency is to aim for 100% better and apply huge unsustainable effort.

But 10% better and effortless or even less effort that maintaining the problem requires in every area of life seems to result in those far off dreams becoming a reality sooner than we ever thought possible.

Each problem in our lives takes up far more energy and mental resources than we realise.

When we get all of that back upgrades are inevitable I guess.

So... make your bed or something I s’pose.