Take Control of What You Can Control

Uncertainty.

Political agendas.

Lies.

Quarantine.

Government compliance.

There’s a lot happening in the world right now that you can’t control. Wherever you look, the world is running scared. But what’s new? Things have always been crazy. There have always been liars, thieves, and scoundrels.

And despite what you may think, you’ve never had control over everything. You can’t control the weather. You can’t control how other people think. You can’t control the stock market. You’ve never been able to, and you never will.

So why sweat it? Why waste your life worrying about stuff beyond your ability? It’s deadly!

Spend all your time thinking about the stuff you can’t control, and you’ll wind up depressed. Feeling helpless and hopeless. Locked in your house, afraid to leave, afraid to take chances.

But that stuff doesn’t have to destroy you. You don’t have to let the uncontrollable chaos kill your drive and your joy. Because there’s a lot of stuff you CAN control. And that’s where you have to focus. That’s the stuff that matters. That’s the stuff that helps you move forward.

This is true in all areas of life. Whether you’re talking about relationships, health, business, or life in general, focusing on what you CAN control is how growth happens. This mindset is what makes champions. It’s why impossible odds get beaten every day. It’s how average people live extraordinary lives and do extraordinary things while the whole world is against them.

Sick of living in fear? Sick of focusing on problems you can’t fix? There’s a better life. It starts when you take control.

You can have control

In a world that’s out of control, it can be hard to pinpoint opportunities for control. But they’re there if you look. In fact, they’re everywhere. You may not think these opportunities will change the world, but they will change YOUR world. Once your world is in order, you’ll be ready and able to do the same for others.

So what can you control?

1. What time you wake up…

2. What you eat…

3. How hard you train…

4. The thoughts that occupy your mind…

5. The amount of effort you put into your marriage…

6. The distractions that keep you from doing deep work…

7. How you treat the people around you…

8. Your response to hard times…

Don’t think you have control over these? Then you don’t. You’re owned and operated by your circumstances.

For years, that was me. I was overweight. Lazy. Undisciplined. Depressed. I believed what other people said about me, and I’d accepted my fate as a loser.

Then, something snapped.

I stopped ignoring that voice in my head that said I was meant for more and started taking it seriously.

I stopped letting things happen to me and started taking control of everything I could control.

I stopped feeling sorry for myself and started taking action.

I stopped eating shit and started being careful with what I put in my body.

I stopped spending my days on the couch and started working out.

I stopped dreaming of being an entrepreneur and started taking hard and scary steps to become one.

I stopped wishing I was present for my family and started getting my priorities straight.

The great results didn’t come overnight. It took days and weeks and months and years. But they came. By focusing on what I could control, I experienced serious change. Long-lasting change. The kind of change you can’t see until you’re a decade down the road.

All because I took control!

How control leads to growth

Taking control pays MASSIVE dividends. When you stop focusing on what is out of your control, your vision changes. Instead of obstacles, you see opportunities. Those habits that defined you for years lose their power. You aren’t bound by who you were or what you’ve done. You seize every moment to become a better version of you.

If this is new to you, you may be overwhelmed. You suddenly realize how much control you’ve given other people. That haters’ opinions drive your action. The latest news cycle dictates your mood. And you backed off your business passion because someone said it wouldn’t work.

What should you do? Be thankful for the clarity and get to work.

Stop caring what the haters say. Cut negativity out of your life. Ignore the news cycle. Get in the gym and push yourself, no matter how much your body screams at you to stop. Stop your affair with your phone and listen to your wife and enjoy your kids.

Then be prepared to do it again. Take control and grab it again every morning.

As you do this, you get wins. Every day, you stack them up. While these wins don’t seem like much from the outside, you know the truth. You know that these small wins pile up until they make a mountain.

A challenge when facing uncertainty

COVID-19 has stripped us of the lie that we’re in control of everything. But this isn’t a bad thing. It’s a gift.

Instead of thinking you can change the world, you know you can’t. But you can change part of the world. You can change yourself. And with the right mindset, you hold the power to change the world. So what are you waiting for?

Stack those wins daily! Control what you can. Concentrate on what counts. And never sacrifice your freedom, happiness, and self-mastery!

Do these things and you’ll gain control over your eating habits. You’ll find the strength to get to the gym every day. You’ll live in the moment. You’ll build a business empire. You’ll surround yourself with positivity that acknowledges the reality of today but knows tomorrow can be better.

The world’s a crazy place. Much of what goes on is beyond your control. But much of it is, and no one can take that away from you unless YOU let them. Are you going to let them take your control any more?