Croix Sather

How to get more done

What would you do if you had four more hours in your day? I would give up sleep, or at least 4 hours of it if I could. Sleep deprivation is not a wise move in the pursuit of achieving more. There is a way to add more time into your day.

We all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. Subtract nine hours for sleeping and bathing and you are down to fifteen hours. Now you have to subtract commuting, getting the children off to school, and of course work. For most people the day is over before it even begins. So where do you find extra time in your day?

This may be the single most important success factor in those who achieve more than seems possible. Focus … having a single minded focus. High achievers do the most important things first and stick with it until it is done. To be clear, this is the single most important thing that leads you closer toward your goals. There is a lot of stuff that appears to be important that is really just time wasters. These are things that take up hours of your day. Be careful not to get caught up in the “busy tasks” that appear important. Ask yourself the most important question you can.

“What is the most important project I must finish today?”

Finish that project first and completely before moving on to anything else. Single minded focus is going to get you toward your dreams faster and directly. 

How to be more driven to succeed.

There is one underlying cause why the ultra successful are driven to succeed and this reason is the foundation of their lives. Truly successful people are driven in career, family, spritual, and social life because they all understand this ...

I was reminded of this foundationa.l belief that successful people have while watching Kenny Chesney’s music video “Don’t Blink.” It is a great video and country music is not my first choice. The premise of the video is a 102 year old man giving advice. The song’s message; life is short and goes by in the blink of an eye. Ask anybody in the later years of life, “Did life go by faster then you expected?” Ask a follow up. “What would you do different.”

At the end of your life’s journey will you be happy with what you accomplished? Will you be satisfied with your relationships and how you treated people? Will you be happy with the legacy that you are leaving and the lessons that you taught others.

Those who are driven have a keen awareness of how brief life will be. They are driven because they know that TIME cannot be negotiated or bartered. So every moment must be used wisely. Every moment needs to be used for a fulfilling purpose. What is a good purpose? Quality family time, career, learning, a cause, exercise, rest, fun, giving back and the list goes on. What is a waste of time? TV (most), surfing the web (most), arguing, politics (isn’t it the same as arguing?), fighting (all), the job you hate, and anything that uses time that does not substantially add to your happiness or purpose in life.

How do you become more driven to succeed? It is simple. Stop and think, even visualize what your life will be like in 30 years. If it is not what you want and it is not what you want to be remembered for, use this thought as your drive. And stop doing the crap that is wasting your time. When you find yourself watching useless TV, turn it off in that moment. Not at the end of the show, right there in that very second.

"Don't Blink"

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Croix Sather finishes Ironman Louisville, the toughest race on the planet.

It is often called the most difficult and grueling race on the planet. An Ironman race consists of what might be called three marathons back to back. First is a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike race and then finished up with a full marathon of 26.2 miles. The total race distance is 140.6 miles. There is also a time deadline of seventeen hours. In any Ironman race it is common that hundreds of athletes drop out of the race or do not finish in time. Those who choose to take on the challenge typically prepare for years. Not me, I prepared for the race in just a few weeks. The longest race that I ever completed was a half Ironman just six weeks earlier.

Approaching forty years old, how did I finish this race with such little training, a race that is double my longest race? It is as much about the mental preparation as the physical. I was more mentally prepared for this race than I was physically. When you are mentally prepared and strong you can get your body to do anything that you ask of it. With only a few weeks of training, most Ironman athletes would agree that this is insane and is not nearly enough training.

My philosophy is that when the body is prepared for something like an Ironman and it is given a lot or rest as part of that preparation it can go the distance. There probably is no way to get my race time under twelve hours with this limited training. That would require the typical dedication of training for about twenty hours a week or more. Next year, I plan on having a significantly better race time so I will train more.

You might be wondering how he felt after the race. My wife and I drove home the 13 hour drive the next morning. I drove for a little less than half of it and I felt pretty good. A little muscle soreness as I expected. After a 90 minute massage the next day, I felt like I was as good as new. The one thing I didn’t expect was the mental fatigue for the two days after the race. I felt as if someone had turned the power switch off in my mind. a very bizarre feeling for me. For most racers it takes about three weeks for the body to fully recover from an Ironman race and I will be no different. While I may feel good, my body will be recovering and regenerating for weeks. And as for my race time, 15 hours -49 minutes of nonstop swimming, biking and running.

You CAN achieve anything that you set your mind to. 

OWN IT!

Have you ever wondered why some people always are so lucky! Connections and deals fall in their lap. Doors open wide all the time. Do you realize this can be you? You can be the successful one that everything falls into place.

There is a reason that some people are always in the right place at the right time. It is because they “Own It.” To own it you must fully embrace who you are and who you are going to be. Many people are in a transition. Looking for another job, or starting a business and yet they do not own it. You want to become the best sales rep in your company, then own it. Act as if you are already there. Do the things that the best sales reps do, call the type of people they call, and act like the best act. This is typically very positive and optimistic regardless of many times something does not work out.

When you own it, you speak and act in a confident manner. Others see your confidence and it makes them confident that you are the right person for the task. Not cocky, confident. Tiger Woods was ask by a reporter (possibly paraphrasing here), “What do you think about the other players?” Tiger responds in a matter of fact way, “I don’t know why the bother to show up.” Meaning that he is so good and he is so committed to the game that there is no chance they can win. He owns the win before the game begins.

Owning it also means you must be committed to the process. You see a pro like Tiger Woods, or a performer like Angelina Jolie for a couple of hours in the game or on stage. What you don’t see is the commitment to being the best. You don’t see the thousands hours of training, hours of being coached, hours tweaking and refining. They fully own it - in every way.

You can be the next overnight success, if you are willing to commit to it and own it. Even if it takes ten years to be an overnight success.  What do you own?

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MAN SURVIVES HOTEL FIRE ON BUILDING’S LEDGE

A 55 year old man was caught in a hotel fire where he climbed out his window and kneeled on the ledge. Holding on to the window with flames shooting out and his hand literally burning off. He could have given up, ending the unimaginable pain of third degree burns over more than forty percent of his body and plunge to his death, and yet he held on until the firefighters came to save him.

After reading Sumner Redstone’s opening chapter in his biography about how he survived the hotel fire, I was reminded on how fragile life is. Life can end on a second’s notice and yet few people make the changes needed to achieve the life of their dreams. Even if you live out the typical lifespan of seventy-five plus years will you achieve all of the things you dream? See all of the places you want to see? Experience all of the events you desire? Most have to say no because most are not taking the steps to make their dreams happen.

Our world is filled with superstars that make it happen everyday; Tiger Woods, Martha Stewart, Sumner Redstone, and Nelsen Mandela as well as thousands more from every culture. They do what others are unwilling or are unaware of that they must do. The difference, superstars have consistent and never-ending movement towards their dreams. They act in spite of fear and they get up more times than they are knocked down. Superstars hold on longer than anyone else will. They say, “yes I can” more times that everyone else can say, “you can’t do that.”

After fifty hours of surgeries and months of rehabilitation Redstone Sumner is doing well thirty years later. Sumner is one of the richest men in the world in all meanings of the word. Doctors said he might never walk again. Today you will find him playing tennis nearly every day. Most of us will never go through an event Sumner did and so most of us do not have any excuses to let life pass us by without taking action on our dreams.

What is your dream that you want to pursue? What is holding you back? Don’t listen to the naysayers or even your own negative psychobabble. Yes you can, and it is time that you did. 

Disciplined Not Needed To Get Everything You Want

You don’t need discipline to get what you want. Most people and even experts say that discipline is the how you achieve your goals. They’re wrong. You already have the discipline and you already have the follow through to make things happen. So why aren’t you getting the things that you want in life such as a great marriage, big house, fancy car, sexy body, and fat bank account?

You don’t have all of these things that you deserve because you are very disciplined at doing the wrong things. Being disciplined creates a habit. If you are overweight and unhealthy it is because you have developed a great discipline that became a habit of eating too much and too many of the wrong things while not exercising.  If you are broke, you developed the disciplines of broke people such as spending money instead of investing money.

Wealthy people develop the habits of wealthy people, such as determining the outcome before a project is started. Healthy people develop and cultivate the discipline of eating well in the right quantities and exercising consistently. People with great relationships nurture their relationships to constantly grow and strengthen so that it is always a happy, healthy connection.

It is not about discipline, it is about doing the right things, the right disciplines at a consistent level. Sitting on the couch watching the tube every night on a flat panel TV you can’t afford is going to give you ugly relationships and make you broke. Do the right things like getting specialized education, studying, connecting with others, and starting your own business will get you more of what you really want. And yet, few people do any of these things.

Your wealth will manifest in many different ways. A truly wealthy person is healthy, has amazing relationships, has plenty of flexible time to do all of the wonderful things life has to offer, and has the finances to support an amazing life. Its not difficult to become wealthy, its just different.

Start doing the same habits of the wealthy and you will become wealthy too. 

WANT MORE? BE MORE GRATEFUL

If you are wanting more out of life, it may be because you are not grateful for what you already have. Not grateful enough anyway. I have always been thankful for the blessings in my life, but it was not until I became thankful for failures and the challenges in my life that I started seeing significant results in achieving my goals and in my overall happiness.

 

Life is a blessing. The greatest gift we have. Any day that you wake up and can look down is a great day. Meaning, if you are alive, you are blessed. This is a difficult disposition to have on the more challenging days or seasons of life. It is at these times that you must be diligent to say thank you, thank you, thank you to your greater power.

 

Gratitude is a lot like faith. Faith is the belief that something is real even though you often cannot feel, touch, hear, or see it. Have faith that living in a state of gratitude will bring you more of the good things in life and get you through the challenges faster. In my studies of the great achievers of the world and in every culture, a common trait is the endless and faithful amount of gratitude for all events in their lives.

 

I am grateful that we live in a world that technology allows us to connect with each other in easier and faster ways than ever before. What are you grateful for?

Jamie Pugh is a hero

So many people are held back in life because of fear. So many dreams are crushed, so many books are never written, and so many true loves are lost because of fear. What have you been missing because of fear?

Jamie Pugh acted in spite of his paralyzing fear of singing in front of an audience. Working at two jobs that do not fulfill him, his dream was only a wish until he stepped out on the stage. Uncomfortable and shaking, Jamie sang. And wow could he sing.

Jamie is a hero because he faced his fear and overcame it. This is what heroes do. He is a hero to his family and an inspiration to the world. Anyone who can inspire others is worthy of a title like “Hero.”

Watch this clip and then ask yourself, “What would I do if I knew that I could not fail?” What would I do if I didn’t have any fear? Or if I could act in spite of my fear?

Believe in yourself and dreams come true!

What is Normal Anyway?

The greatest issue for children and teens is the acceptance of their peers. Most rate the importance of acceptance higher than that of getting a good grade on an exam. Do you remember in high school how badly you wanted to fit into a particular group or be considered “cool?” The pressure could be brutal at times.

I recently joined Facebook (yeah I know, I am late to this game) and have been taking a walk down memory lane. I am now reconnected with peers from every age of life. Even as far back as 33 years to my kindergarten comrades. FB is an amazing social tool to stay connected with everyone in your life, but this post isn’t about FB (probably a future post).

A teenage pal, Heather Ann reminded me this past week that I was not a normal kid on the block. And so did Kimya and a few others. It seems I was always a bit (understatement) of an adrenaline junkie and like to do or invent things that were … well extreme and this was long before X Games made mainstream.

My childhood buddies gave me the perspective that reinforces something that I have learned in the past few years. Since embarking on an intense journey of personal development study, mentoring, formal study, and inner study I now understand that I don’t have to fit into “the norm.” In fact I don’t want to. Besides, what is “the norm” anyway. Norms are very different for different cultures, social groups, and locales.

I have stopped trying to fit and now fully embrace “me.” Like you, I have unique and extraordinary skills and traits. Why fight what nature gave us to be more like others? Why try to be like someone else’s extraordinary style? Why fit into the “ordinary” expectations of our culture. We are all so different and that is one of the most amazing aspects in life. Genetically we may be nearly identical, but we are worlds apart in personalities, beliefs, and norms.

There is a remarkable freedom in being your unfettered self. After listening to Dr. Mel Levine in his talk “How should young minds be aligned?” (can be found at Simplyaudiobooks.com) my perspective was widened even more when he talked about how a disadvantage in one aspect of learning (or life) can be a significant advantage in another.

 

It is now at this point in my life that being an adrenaline junkie has paid off in a big way. It goes far beyond the wild experiences of Bull shark diving, scuba to 220 feet, FIREwalking, Fire-eating, 

pole climbing, or jungle cable zipping (to name a few) because my core need for uncertainly and excitement had helped me get my book published, launched my speaking career and will propel me through the rest of an amazing life.

Is your life extraordinary and amazing? Or do you wonder how you got to where you are and wonder what went wrong? If your life isn’t or becoming all that you dreamed of, you might want to stop and ask yourself, “Am I trying to fit into someone else’s mold and denying my true purpose in life?”

I now embrace my genetic traits and personality tendencies to search out answers I have always wondered about such as … “Why would someone jump out of a perfectly good plane?” “What does it feel like to fly like a bird?” “How can I change the world?”

Go out and search for the answers that have always tugged at your heart.

Why Did You Learn to Walk?

Have you ever thought about why you learned to walk?

I didn’t either until I had a conversation with a great friend and amazing public speaker, Jerry. We were talking about our children and lives when he said an interesting thing (in his sophisticated accent that makes him sound smart even when ordering a sandwich). “Croix, did you learn to walk because you were encouraged to? … or did you learn to walk because you wanted to be like those you admired?" 

At first I responded that it was because my mother never gave up teaching me. And that is partially true. However, that is not the “why” it is the “how.” The “why” is that I wanted to be just like my mom and dad and everyone else that I looked directly at their feet when I was crawling. Just like every child wants to be just like the ones they love and admire.

The conversation between Jerry and I continued and we discussed who we admire today. Who do you admire? Do you admire them or do you emulate the character traits they have cultivated? Most likely the things you admire about someone is a character trait that can be learned and honed. Traits like hard work, integrity, honesty, and intelligence. Or it might be a skill such as public speaking, selling, networking, and coaching. These are things we can learn, do and become if we decide to.

Just like when you were a baby, first you learned to raise your head, then your upper body, then rollover, then raise to all four, and then crawl. And this was all before you even attempted to walk. But through focus, determination, and persistence you were successful in learning to walk. 

I admire many people for specific traits or skills that I want to learn. I will study their life and work (usually books, programs, biographies) and sometimes I will even hire him or her as a coach. For example, I didn’t learn to be a great public speaker over night. It took years of passionate learning, practicing, and being coached or mentored. I still continue today so that I can become the best I can.

Who do you admire today? Find someone that is doing what you want to be doing and emulate that person. If you have enough passion to become like that person, then you can succeed.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates