My Unusual Obsessions For Extreme Achievement

By Robin Sharma

One of the best ideas I’ve learned in a long time is this one:


WE GET THE BRAINS WE’VE EARNED

I know that’s an unusual line. Maybe it irritates you a little (good–I’m here to disrupt your normal beliefs and behaviors so you make the changes that will change your world). Perhaps it scares you (even better–our greatest fears deliver our finest growth). Or maybe you totally get what I mean.

What I’m suggesting to you–with that line–(and with the awesome respect I have for you as a reader of my blog) is that the brains we currently have are far less the result of genetics and luck and FAR more the result of our daily habits and the routine influences we expose our minds to.

Brain scientists have been making large leaps in their understanding of the concept of neuroplasticity. They’ve realized that–contrary to common belief–the brains we’re born with are not the brains we’re stuck with for life. No. Our brains are plastic. They can be shaped, grown and sculpted into things of beauty (that serve our excellence brilliantly). By the way we use them.

Which brings me to Darwin. And Picasso. And Michelangelo.

Not one of these people was born into genius. The whole idea of natural born talent is mostly a lie we sell ourselves so we don’t have to rise up and feel the fear of doing something great in our work and with our lives. In truth, you can walk with the giants and play amongst the gifted–if you start making the different choices that will yield different results.

These people were pure ordinary-ness (ok–so I made up a word). But here’s what they did to make themselves "special". They followed their "inclinations". In other words, they pursued the work that made their hearts sing rather than doing the things others wanted them to do. And they had the audacity to become the people they wanted to be versus the people others wished they’d become.

BONUS TIP: one of the biggest ways we limit our potential and deny our genius is following The Herd and modeling The Crowd. If you want to win in 2013 and transform the way you work + live, you absolutely MUST break free of The Cult of Mediocrity. You absolutely must stop listening to the chattering voices of the cynics around you. You absolutely must trust yourself–and your instincts.

And that’s what EVERY Master does. They trust their gut. They follow their "inclinations"–those things that when they do them, their work doesn’t feel like work. Instead, it’s joy. Bliss. And LOVE.

And because it feels so good when you have the guts to pursue these activities, you do them a lot. You "work" really really hard at your "work". You no longer see your job as a job but as your craft and your calling and your devotion.

And because of this, your devotion eventually becomes your BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION.

You practice it daily. Constantly. Consistently.

You have no time for TV and Call of Duty video games and Twitter or gossip. You need and hunger to do that thing that fills you. That inspires you. That gives you precious glimpses of your greatest self.

And as you do this, you stop living society’s life. You step into YOUR life. The life meant for you. The days of your destiny. This is how genius unfolds. No magic. Just trusting your passion. And putting in the work.

I so hope I’m not boring you. These words just poured out of me. As the waves cascade. As the sea air moves. As this fireplace flickers.

So please allow me to finish this post with A STATEMENT OF MY 6 UNUSUAL OBSESSIONS. These are the unusual commitments that govern my life. They are not so popular in this world we live in but they mean a lot to me. And my guess is they mean a lot to you.

MY 6 UNUSUAL OBSESSIONS

#1. THE MASTERY OBSESSION.
Commit–TODAY–to becoming a master. Ask yourself what are you best at? What things do you do that when you do them you feel happy + at peace–and sense your creativity and gifts pouring out of you. We get the life we’ve settled for. We get the brains we’ve earned. Start looking for those things in your work (and life) that you can become a Picasso at. Life shifts once you do.

#2. THE PROGRESS OBSESSION.
Yes, I’m obsessed with progress. With making every day better than yesterday. With making this year 1000X better than last year. Drives my team crazy. Sometimes irritates the people around me. But I fiercely believe we are built for growth (not stagnation). For expansion (not contraction). Good enough just isn’t very good as far as I can tell. The whole nature of the game is to see how far we can go–and to express our potential so we create the lives of our dreams. And elevate the world in the process. (Failing to realize your gifts makes the world less of a great place to be, no?).

#3. THE EXCELLENCE OBSESSION.
My friend and colleague Tom Peters made this word even more famous in the circles we work in. But here’s my take on it: leave everything you touch better than you find it. Surround yourself with excellent people. Use excellent words. Drink excellent coffee. Read excellent books. Wear excellent shoes. Create excellent projects. Be an excellent parent. Think excellent thoughts. You deserve no less.

#4. THE HAPPINESS OBSESSION.
Yes, I’m obsessed with being happy. No, I’m not happy all the time (I’m human after all). Sometimes people tell me "you don’t live in the real world". My reply: "Who wants to live in the real world?" A world with negativity and wars and greed and chaos. I want to create a world of my own making–while living in this very real world. I want to do work that matters and live with the people I love and pursue my highest ideals and live the life I have envisioned. I want to be happy–and so I block out the noise. So I can do so.

#5. THE CREATIVITY OBSESSION.
We are designed to create. We are all Artists. Each of us is a Creative (not just the people in advertising and design). Accountants and firefighters, math teachers and breakfast servers. We are all meant to innovate + ideate and use our brains to birth our best ideas into the world. I write and record ideas everywhere. On flight sickness bags on airplanes. On paper napkins in restaurants. In my journal that follows me much of where I go. Yes, I’m obsessed with creativity. And that’s my encouragement for you too.

#6. THE CONTRIBUTION OBSESSION.
This one’s my oxygen. I’m revealing it to you here. My Dad instilled this value in me. Deeply. As I grew up, he spoke of Gandhi. And Mandela. And Martin Luther King Jr. And Mother Teresa. And other Saints of Humanity who on my best days I acutely remember. My father told me that the real purpose of life is to serve. To be of use. To uplift those around us. To be helpful. And for this ideal–I owe my Dad the greatest debt of gratitude. Yes, I run a business. Yes I want to win. But above all else, I want to serve. It’s my obsession. And I make zero apologies for it. Ever.

I really hope this post has moved something within you. To stop playing small with your gifts, talents and Dreams. Think about what I’ve shared. Talk about this post with your team + family. Share it with your friends. And then go out and change the world.

62 Fast Tips to Get UnStuck

62 Fast Tips to Get UnStuck

By Robin Sharma

Believe in your vision and gifts when no one else believes in your vision and gifts.

Start your day with 20 minutes of exercise.

Make excellence your way of being (versus a once in a while event).

Be on time (bonus points: be early).

Be a celebrator of other’s talents versus a critic.

Stop watching TV. (Bonus points: sell your tv and invest the cash in learning and self-education).

Finish what you start.

Remember that your diet affects your moods so eat like an athlete.

Spend an hour a day without stimulation (no phone+no FaceBook+no noise).

Release the energy vampires from your life. They are destroying your performance.

Write in a journal every morning. And record gratitude every night.

Do work that scares you (if you’re not uncomfortable often, you’re not growing very much).

Make the choice to let go of your past. It’s dusty history. And polluting your future.

Commit to being “Mozart-Level Good” at your work.

Smile more (and tell your face).

Do a collage filled with images of your ideal life. Look at it once a day for focus and inspiration.

Plan your week on a schedule (clarity is the DNA of mastery).

Stop gossiping (average people love gossip; exceptional people adore ideas).

Read “As You Think”.

Read “The Go-Getter”.

Don’t just parent your kids–develop them.

Remember that victims are frightened by change. And leaders grow inspired by it.

Start taking daily supplements to stay in peak health.

Clean out any form of “victimspeak” in your vocabulary and start running the language of leadership and possibility.

Do a nature walk at least once a week. It’ll renew you (you can’t inspire others if you’re depleted yourself).

Take on projects no one else will take on. Set goals no one else will do.

Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable at least once every 7 days.

Say “sorry” when you know you should say “sorry”.

Say “please” and “thank you” a lot.

Remember that to double your income, triple your investment in learning, coaching and self-education.

Dream big but start now.

Achieve 5 little goals each day (“The Daily 5 Concept” I shared in “The Leader Who Had No Title” that has transformed the lives of so many). In 12 months this habit will produce 1850 little goals–which will amount to a massive transformation.

Write handwritten thank you notes to your customers, teammates and family members.

Be slow to criticize and fast to praise.

Read Walter Isaacson’s amazing biography on Steve Jobs.

Give your customers 10X the value they pay for (“The 10X Value Obsession”).

Use the first 90 minutes of your work day only on value-creating activities (versus checking email or surfing the Net).

Breathe.

Keep your promises.

Remember that ordinary people talk about their goals. Leaders get them done. With speed.

Watch the inspirational documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.

Know that a problem only becomes a problem when you choose to see it as a problem.

Brain tattoo the fact that all work is a chance to change the world.

Watch the amazing movie “The Intouchables”.

Remember that every person you meet has a story to tell, a lesson to teach and a dream to do.

Risk being rejected. All of the great ones do.

Spend more time in art galleries. Art inspires, stimulates creativity and pushes boundaries.

Read a book a week, invest in a course every month and attend a workshop every quarter.

Remember that you empower what you complain about.

Get to know yourself. The main reason we procrastinate on our goals is not because of external conditions; we procrastinate due to our internal beliefs. And the thing is they are stuck so deep that we don’t even know they exist. But once you do, everything changes.

Read “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”.

Know your values. And then have the guts to live them–no matter what the crowd thinks and how the herd lives.

Become the fittest person you know.

Become the strongest person you know.

Become the kindest person you know.

Know your “Big 5″–the 5 goals you absolutely must achieve by December 31 to make this year your best yet (I teach my entire goal-achieving process, my advanced techniques on unleashing confidence and how to go from being stuck to living a life you adore in my online program “Your Absolute Best Year Yet”).

Know that potential unexpressed turns to pain.

Build a strong family foundation while you grow your ideal career.

Stop being selfish.

Give your life to a project bigger than yourself.

Be thankful for your talents.

Stand for iconic. Go for legendary. And make history.

This is YOUR time. Now’s YOUR moment. Let’s do this! :)

Complete Speech By Swami Vivekanand From Chicago USA in 1893

Bum Bholenaath