Strike the Match

A Sea of Choices

I spent the entire day shopping in SoHo.  It was amazing.  There was everything from limited edition sunglasses to custom made shoes, from environmentally friendly stationary to hand stitched luggage.  It was a consumers mecca with an unlimited number of incredible choices.

I spent a good part of my day searching for the perfect journal.  I went from shop to shop trying to sift through all the options and their associated variables (price, quality, style, etc.). With all the choices I had a tough time making a decision. After I got back to the hotel I realized why.

My  problem was I didn't take the time to clearly define what composed the perfect journal.  Without having at least an idea of what I was looking for, I was lost in sea of choices.  Once I clarified what was important to me (spiral bound, 8.5 X 11 paper, an attached page marker, and 100 pages or less) it was much easier to make a decision.

This lesson is especially important for the larger aspects of life.  If you don't take the time to define your perfect career,  your perfect relationship, or your perfect (insert item of choice here);  how can you expect to find it? 

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.

Have an Opinon, Not an Attitude.

Not having an opinion is boring.  If someone asks where you want to eat, they are asking for input so provide it.  Even if you don't have a strong opinion, add some substance to the conversation.  Tell them you'd prefer a casual place, maybe Mexican or American. 

But whether you are discussing a place to eat or political party, remember that a lifetime went into forming the other person's opinion.  Whether or not you agree with their opinion, if you had the same experiences you'd likely have the same opinion. 

The challenge is when people develop an opinion, an attitude often develops along with it.  Now that they have a view point, they expect other people to share it.  This is counter-productive because no one wants to engage with someone who has an attitude, let alone admit they're right.

So remember, opinions make people unique and interesting.  Attitudes make people unbearable.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.

Carpe Diem

Seize the Day.

I couldn't say it any better.

Strike the Match. Take Action, Be Extraordinary

Jump with Both Feet

If you want to be extraordinary, put yourself in a position where success is the only option.  Teetering at the edge is where we reach our true potential.

Too often we live at the other end of the spectrum.  We build back stops and safety nets to protect us from failure.  We attempt to start our own company while keeping our day job or learn to play the blues by teaching ourselves with a neighbor's old crappy guitar. 

We think that's the smart decision because we aren't taking much of a risk.  We didn't make a big investment so we can't lose too much. But by playing it safe we're preventing ourselves from being extraordinary.

We need the chance of loss, that sense of desperation, to motivate us.  If there is no other money coming in you're going to work a lot harder on your new business.  If you've spent money on lessons and a new Gibson you'll be a lot less likely to quit after the first week

So when you make a decision, jump in with both feet.  If you're not willing to totally commit there's not much point.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary

You Thought No One Was Watching

"Keep leading...even if you think no one is watching, you'd be surprised just how many people are."

Ryan Zangrilli passed along that inspirational message and I wanted to share it because I deeply feel it is true. 

As you lead your extraordinary life it will likely raise questions and criticism more often than praise and support.   Extraordinary is different and that's a threat to most people.

You cannot let that dissuade you.  There are people who want you to succeed.  They need you to succeed so they can follow in your footsteps.  Even if you don't know it.  Even if they don't know it.  They are there.  Watching.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.

Know When to Quit

Many of us lack the skill of knowing when to quit.  Society celebrates an individuals dedication during tough times but it often ignores the equally challenging action of quiting.

While the route of perseverance can be admirable, I don't think it's always the right choice.  I think people become comfortable with situations they know are detrimental but they refuse to quit out of fear, not out of strength. 

A good way too evaluate whether it's time to move on is by asking "If I was an outsider looking in, what would I give to be in this situation?"  If you aren't willing to give a hefty amount than it is time to make some changes. 

Why a hefty amount?  Because you're giving it your most precious resource of all, your time.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.

In-Between Moments

In Muay Thai, a key to unlocking your true power is the ability to relax.  It's a bit counter-intuitive. You'd think that to create a more powerful strike you need to be tense. 

Consistent with this misconception, as a new beginner my body was constantly coiled and ready to strike.  By always being at 100% I was wasting huge amounts of energy.  When I really needed my power it was already depleted.  To create my most powerful strike I needed to relax.

With much coaxing and practice I became better at relaxing.  I learned to be fluid and in my guard position, waiting for the right moment to strike.  At that moment I'd unleash, tensing at the very last second to deliver the blow and instantly returning to my relaxed state.

This lesson has a great application to everyday life.  Whether it be in Muay Thai or at the office, we are not built for sustained maximum performance.  Our bodies have found numerous ways to tell us but we rarely stop to listen.  If we want to perform at 100% we have to learn how to relax during the in-between moments.  It takes practice to develop that skill but the results are amazing.

In the spirit of this post, I'm taking a few days off to relax. I'll be looking forward to posting a new entry on July 8th.  Enjoy the upcoming holiday.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.

A Jumping Off Point

I came across wikiHow this weekend.  The website is a collaboration of posts on "how-to" do just about anything.  It's similar to wikipedia in that it's maintained by volunteers.

The posts are informative and entertaining.  The ones I read were equivalent to an executive summary, providing enough info to give you an idea of what you were getting yourself into.  There's how-to posts on everything from eating sushi to tiling a shower to switching careers.

If you've got something new you'd like to try, wikiHow could be a great spot to start collecting information.

Strike the Match.  Take Action, Be Extraordinary.