Dont Be SoftDont be soft, stop being a sissy. Harsh words I know. But it’s true. I so often encounter people who are just soft. Too many people complain. It’s too cold, it’s too early, I’m too old, I’m too young, it’s too hard (that’s what she said), I’m broke bla bla bla. Whenever people approach me and ask “how do I become successful, eliminate debt, get fit” etc, my first instinct is too simply say “dont be soft”. Is it any surprise that you don’t produce results if everything is just too hard and requires too much effort? It’s a no-brainer really. In my years in the fitness industry I have had people complain about being overweight but in the same conversation they also tell me they can’t make it to the gym before work because it’s too cold to get up that early or in the afternoon because they’re too tired. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Life and all the juicy stuff requires effort and a little discomfort. The only people who ever succeed are the ones who put in the effort, the ones that get up early, the ones that make phone calls when they know they will be rejected with 99 percent of them. When I was in primary school I got picked on quite a lot. I was small, my family moved around a lot so I never made stable friends, I was shy and unsure of myself and didn’t know how to approach people. I took up martial arts and boxing because I so desperately wanted to be tough, accepted and to have a marketable skill. So off I went at age 12 to a boxing class at the local PCYC. I weighed in at a massive 42 kg (about 88 lbs). It turns out that I was quite the natural. I was fast on my feet and could pack a surprisingly big punch for a little bloke. My coach was a short, fat leprechaun of a man. He was old school like the trainer from Rocky. When it was time to spar I got a little scared, I was apprehensive and asked if my experienced, much larger opponent would go easy on me because I was a beginner. The leprechaun coach shoved me in the ring and told me “dont be soft, rip into it”. Not wanting to look like a skirt I jumped in the ring and went at it with everything I had. Needless to say I got my arse kicked big time. At this point my brother, who started boxing with me, gave up because the training was too hard, the coach was mean and it hurt to get hit in the head. No shit Sherlock, it’s boxing, the aim of the game is to BOX the other guy’s head in, it’s an activity where you punch each other in the head. Boxing is definitely not for those who want an easy sport where there will be love, flowers, lollipops and Barbie dolls. So on I went with my training. Every week I would come home with black eyes, bleeding knuckles and sore muscles. I loved it. I mean I was finally putting myself out there, taking a risk, doing something uncomfortable and building character. Now it might not be the most recommended way to do things, it’s not for everyone. However, it taught me a lesson… DONT BE SOFT! Just get out there and take a risk, put yourself outside of your comfort zone and go for broke. No one cares how many times you get rejected or fail. What really matters is what you eventually accomplish because you dared to make the effort despite the fear and discomfort it initially creates. This strategy isn’t just for people who are a little on the wild side like me. Take a look at entrepreneurs and world leaders. Their motto should be “dont be soft”. It’s only when a person does what no one else wants to do that they stand out and achieve something. Just a thought. Some ramblings from the mind of a mad-man. But it’s not such mad advice when you think about it. I mean what’s the worst that could happen, seriously? You might get tired. Maybe you will get cold if you go running in the rain. Heaven forbid that you should get rejected when you make a business call. And OH MY, what if you have to sweat at the gym in the middle of summer and the workout is just too much effort? Will it kill you? Not if you go about it intelligently. So dont be soft, stop being a big skirt, take some risks, you don’t have to be polite ALL the time. Tell it how it is, do what’s uncomfortable and make shit happen.
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