8 of 8-Practices of Powerful People-PROGRESSION

Here we are... the final post of this last 2 months of writing. After the other 7 which were:

1-Praxis, 2-Praise, 3-Permission, 4-Protect, 5-Pause, 6-Protege, 7-Philanthropy

And last but not least#8-PROGRESSION.

Like most of the last practices, this one to me at first seemed dull, boring, and kind of obvious.  However, I want to show some items of how focusing on progression can make you so much more successful and powerful as a person in every area of life.

Here is the deal, I am a musician and like most musicians, I have what I call, "the musicians curse"  which means that everything has to be PERFECT.  Every note I sing HAS to be perfect, every video I put out HAS to be perfect, every thing that has anything to do with me HAS to be PERFECT.  Anything less than that and its a failure.

Now I ask myself, "Self, is it so bad to strive for a perfect song? perfect performance?  perfect anything?"  The answer is NO.  Having something of quality and setting yourself apart by being above mediocre is what success is all about.

My argument is that the fastest way to get to that point is by focusing on progressing little by little, NEVER on being perfect every time.  Why do I say this? Because focusing on progression causes less stress and frustration and creates more energy and momentum.

This cannot be overstated, our ENERGY is the most powerful and crucial component that we have.  Everyone has the same time, everyone has same opportunity with money, but our ENERGY is unique to each person.  All of these practices is just as much about how to create more energy than it is anything.

I remember after I had my appendix burst, I was not able to move around for almost a month.  Before that happened, I was working out 1-2 times in a day and I loved it, doing well, great shape and then I got smacked by this appendix bursting and threw me off my game.  Then next thing I know I had not worked out in a good routine for over 3 months and it was showing.

I lost what I had gained in strength and endurance.

At this same time, p90X came out to the market and I decided to try it.  Now, perfection complex would have suggested that I do everything PERFECTLY the first time with no patience or regard for my condition.  In my mind, I was determined to be perfect, because I had been in a good place before.

I went through the test DVD to see where I was fitness wise and that fried me.  The next day I tried my best to go as long as I could and I barely made it through the first, but I was so frustrated that I was gassed and even more frustrated that I did not feel I gave my best effort, I was half assing it to make it through the end of the DVD.

I then had a realization that I was expecting myself to be perfect with this DVD, to go through the entire thing when I needed to give myself a break.

SO then I decided from then on out that I would commit to working out every day, except Sunday with no exceptions, sick or not, did not feel like it or not, but I HAD to work out, the catch was, that the time I worked out did not matter.  If I could only go ten minutes, then I would go ten minutes, if I could go 2 hours I would go 2 hours.

This for me released pressure on myself and gave me permission to relax and focus on fitness again instead of perfection.

When I first began, I probably for the first 2-3 weeks only did about 10-20 minutes worth of each DVD.  At about the month marker I started to go all the way without having an issue fitness wise.

When I focused on progression, I got farther then I did when I was focusing on perfection.

I need to clarify a statement that I mentioned earlier, I do not agree that perfection should be something we go after, but rather EXCELLENCE. 

There is nothing more frustrating to humans than to give them something that they cannot ever achieve.  Hence perfection.

Just look at your own life in which you are striving to be perfect in, your job, business, relationships, money, kids, friends, whatever.  You fail constantly because you are fighting against the inner critic who ultimately says you are not good enough since you are not PERFECT.

Look at Rhonda Rousey, one of the most successful and powerful women in the MMA industry. 

She talked about how she wanted to kill herself, and that her life had no more meaning because she wasn’t the Champ any longer. While on the The Ellen Degeneres Show, Ronda said:

“What am I anymore if I’m not this? Literally sitting there thinking about killing myself. In that exact second, I’m like, ‘I’m nothing. What do I do anymore? No one gives a s?—?about me anymore without this.’”

Now of all people, she had money, men wanted her, women wish they could be her because she was sexy and tough, she had it all, but because she lost her championship and was no longer perfect, she was contemplating killing herself.

This is obviously an extreme example, but it hits home!  Do you think to yourself that no one will want you since you have bankrupted? Gotten a divorce? Lost a family member? Been through abuse?

Now does this mean we just sit around and be depressed since we cannot be perfect? Absolutely not.

I remember when I was serving an LDS mission on the Navajo reservation.  I was working with this man who desperately wanted to stop smoking.  When I met him, he was a smokestack smoking 4-5 packs A DAY>> CRAZY!

He believed he would never be able to get off of them completely, because every time he tried to quit, he would quit cold turkey and never made it a day.

So what I suggested was 2 things.. 1-to realize that God loves him no matter how many he smoked, and 2-He could be smoke free within 3 months. 
He did not believe me...

So here is what I did.. All I told him was.. we are going to work on having 1 less pack a day every two weeks... so First 2 weeks, he had 4 packs a day, second 2 weeks, he had 3 packs a day, third 2 weeks, he had 2 packs a day.  At this time we were half way to the goal.  On the fourth 2 weeks we went to 1 pack a day.  On the fifth 2 weeks we went to half a pack a day.  On the sixth 2 weeks, he went one cigarette a day.  By the 3 month mark, he went cold turkey and never went back.

In this situation, the perfectionist halfway through would have beaten him up because he was imperfect in accomplishing his smoke free goal and was still smoking.... that thought could have paralyzed him, but instead we focused on getting better one day at a time.

How can you do that for yourself?  What can you do a little less of each day that may be holding you back?  Little by little you can take away any addiction or weakness that you may struggle with... now on to the positive side of what you can ADD to your life....

EXCELLENCE not PERFECTION is the key to progression itself.

Going back to music for a second, if I strive for the perfect song, I will get ultimately frustrated because first off.. what is the perfect song ( besides Stairway to Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsody ;)  And secondly, there is always someone who will argue what is the perfect song! Admit it, you argued one of the songs I suggested didn't you!

Now then on the other hand, if I strive to create excellence in my music, in my art, THEN I am able to reach something that most do not because they are frustrated not being perfect.. that is.. excellence, being above the mediocre.  Someone can argue if a song is perfect or not, but quality and excellence are something that cannot be argued with whether you like the song or not.

So here are my questions for you...

FIRST

1-Where in your life do you expect yourself to be PERFECT with no exception or mercy for yourself?  Identify and LET GO by asking yourself where that came from?  Family? Parents? Friends? Society?  Take the first step by CHOOSING to change it.

2-Ask yourself, in every area of life, how can I be the best that I can be in this area... how can I achieve excellence in my family, business, job, money?

3-Take 1 thing in each area and focus on becoming BETTER not PERFECT, BETTER at.. every day. 

4-Be willing to take feedback from others especially in relationships, ask what you can do better at, do not get offended when someone is honest and blunt with you on what you need to do better on.

I genuinely hope and pray that these 8 practices this last 8 weeks have helped someone out there in the ethos of the interwebs.  I know for me its been good to get my thoughts out on virtual paper.

Try and apply just one of these and I Promise you will see a change.  I hope you strive for excellence daily and use the practices that I spoke of.. to become your own version of a Power Person.

Peace out.