KB#25 - The Friday Four - Never Peak Too Early

Heads Up: Summer Survival, Anyone?

Hey folks, it's summer. Kids are out of school, and if you have kids, I bet you're juggling between the joy of having them around and the horror of having no 'me' time. We all know it’s tough to keep your health and fitness in check during this season.

So, guess what? Starting next Monday, I'm launching a month-long crusade at the Mindset with Muscle Academy, and it’s got a badass name: "The Summer Survival".

We'll get down and dirty each day with four simple challenges.

1. Stretch: A 15-minute stretch from my Summer Survival Stretching Sessions.
2. Steps: Stomping out 8-10k steps.
3. Sweat: getting a daily sweat on with my gym and home workouts.
4. Stress: Using my academy's tools to keep your stress levels in check

And here's the fun bit - I'm throwing in a juicy carrot of £300 for the rockstar who totally kills it!

The Academy is an absolute steal at just £19 a month.

Jump in here and let's get started.

Time's ticking, though...

We're shutting the doors this Sunday for the rest of August, so we can focus on smashing the challenge as a crew.

Get your summer groove on with the Mindset with Muscle Academy.

#1 - A Deep Sense of Meaning

Ever heard of Viktor Frankl?

he was a Holocaust survivor and a famous psychiatrist

I was reminded this week of an incredible quote by him…

"When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure."

That's deep. And seriously, true!

We're all in the pursuit of something. Money, success, even a mouthwatering sandwich.

But is your pursuit meaningful or just a distraction?

It's simple. We're like kids chasing candy without a genuine purpose - it's all about immediate gratification.

So, how do you find meaning? There's no magic formula. It's about passion.

If what you're doing lights your fire, then you're on track.

Meaning + determination = success.

Think of life as a road trip. Pleasure is the scenic route - great for a while but doesn't get you to your destination.

Meaning is the map guiding you to success.

Frankl nailed it! We use pleasure to distract from a lack of meaning.

So, find your purpose, chase it, and let success chase you!

#2 - Never Peak Too Early

I'm going to tell you a story…

It's a story about a man who reached for the stars, touched them, and then...well, let's just say things didn't go as planned.

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was on top of the world!

(or should I say, out of this world?) in 1969.

He was a bona fide American hero, travelling the world, dining with influential leaders, and being treated like a rockstar.

But here's the kicker: he wasn't prepared for the following adulation.

He was an engineer, a scientist, a fighter pilot, not a movie star.

The fame, the publicity, it was all too much. And within a few months, he was exhausted.

Why? Because he had peaked.

He had achieved the greatest goal he could ever imagine, and then he was left asking, "What now?"

He had no more mountains to climb or moons to walk on.

He was aimless, without purpose.

And that's when the depression hit.

He started drinking, lying in bed for hours, and even his work seemed meaningless and unfulfilling.

He had reached the pinnacle of his career, and he had nowhere to go but down.

When you reach the top too soon, you're left with a whole lot of life and no more mountains to climb.

You're left feeling aimless, just like Buzz Aldrin.

So, instead of rushing to the top, pace yourself. Enjoy the journey.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. And sometimes, the people who peak later in life are the ones who end up the happiest.

So, don't worry if you're not a billionaire at 21 or a world-class athlete at 18.

Your time will come. And when it does, you'll be ready!

#3 - Making Mistakes

I came across an incredible picture this week on the internet...

That’s the world before you made a mistake and the world after.

Look closely. Did you change the trajectory of Earth's orbit?

Did the continents suddenly shift?

Nope.

The world still spins, birds chirp, and Netflix asks if you're still watching.

(judgemental much, Netflix?).

So why do we inflate our problems until they blot out the sun?

We all screw up. We make mistakes.

We miss deadlines, send text messages to the wrong people, and occasionally forget our mum's birthday (sorry, Mum). But hey, guess what?

The world still spins, the universe goes about its day, and life...well, life goes on.

The point is, when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture

(or two pictures of Earth, in this case),

our problems start to look a lot less daunting.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying your problems don't matter or that your feelings aren't valid. Absolutely not!

But what I am saying is this - our problems and our mistakes don't define us.

They don't have the power to shift our world off its axis unless we let them.

Developing a healthy mindset starts with perspective.

Remember, you're a tiny speck on a slightly larger speck, hurtling through the vast, endless universe at thousands of miles an hour.

It makes that typo in your last email seem a bit insignificant, doesn't it?

Making a mistake doesn't end your world. It simply allows you to learn, grow, and become a better version of yourself.

So, take a moment the next time your heart is pounding because you goofed up.

Close your eyes, imagine those two pictures of Earth, and say to yourself, "I made a mistake, and the world is still turning."

Boom. Just like that, your problem doesn't seem quite so world-ending anymore, does it?

Because it isn't.

#4 - The “Right Time”

I’m full of quotes on Friday Four this week, and here’s another cracker…

“There’s no “right time” in life, there’s just time, and you get to choose what to do with it” - Rachel Wolchin

Life isn't like a train station where you must wait for the "right" train at the "right" time.

It's like being given a plot of land and told, "Grow whatever the hell you want!"

You've got the seeds, the tools, the soil - it's all there, waiting for you.

What you cultivate, well, that's up to you.

Time doesn't discriminate.

It doesn't care if you're Elon Musk or the dude who paints graffiti on the local library.

What sets successful people apart is how they use their time and the mindset with which they approach it.

Instead of waiting for the "right time," successful people make the time right.

They don't wait for motivation to knock on their doors; they create it.

They don't dream about opportunities; they build them.

In the process, they shape not just their day but their lives.

Your attitude towards time is your blueprint for success. Remember, your moments are your currency.

So instead of spending them mindlessly, invest them wisely in actions that inch you closer to your goals.

Wolchin was onto something when she said that there's no "right time" in life.

So take that concept, stuff it into your mindset machine, and watch your life transform.

Because, as we all know, time waits for no one.

But success?

That waits for the ones who know how to use their time.

TL:DR

👉  A Deep Sense of Meaning: Meaning + determination = success. Once you have these in your life, you won’t have so many distractions from short-term pleasures.

👉  Never Peak Too Early: The worst thing you can get in life is everything you ever wanted, with half your life still left to live. Pace Yourself

👉 Making Mistakes. Your mistakes in the grander scheme of the universe are non-existent. Be ok with making them.

👉  The “Right Time”. There will never be a right time to do anything in your life; the right time is now.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Friday Four; see you next week for another instalment.

Jay Alderton