Have a clear vision

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s number one tip to becoming successful.

Many great life lessons are found in Jocko Willink’s conversation with Schwarzenegger in his podcast with him here.

One part that stuck out to me is when Arnold, before he was well known, reflected on how people would ask him why he smiled so much in the gym when others usually didn’t. He said that it was because of his clear vision. Arnold went on to say that he always knew that he would be on that pedestal, winning Mr. Olympia; he didn’t know when, but someday it would happen, so whenever he went to the gym, he knew he was at least one step closer to that pedestal.

Learning the purpose of pain was another lesson that Arnold shared. He recounts his time spent in the military, and he was blessed with the pain, discomfort, and torture. He says it is like an investment because, after you have endured that, you realize that things don’t bother you. He warns against always looking for comfort, saying that comfort is the root of all evil.

So that’s it. This is why we pursue hardship; this is why we cold plunge; this is why we do saunas; this is why David Goggins runs. He runs because he hates it; he runs because it’s about the mind.

When hard times come, we want to be able to conduct ourselves with calmness, focus, and ultimately unbothered so that we might produce an outcome that is a net benefit.

If we do not train ourselves, the chance that we will be able to make good out of a less-than-desirable situation is slim to none.

Originally published at https://korublog.substack.com.