The Importance of Rest and Recovery (By Daniel Brennan)

"Rest and be thankful" - William Wordsworth

Today we would like to talk about the yin and yang of life. Learning how to rest and recover so you can be productive with much more intensely when you have to be.

Over the past few weeks, I have been traveling, playing golf up and down the East coast of America. Long drives of up to 20 hours, little rest or time to myself and below average nutrition led to an almighty collapse of my immune system during the trip. After about 7 days of the 10-day trip, I began feeling ill and just over a week later and many days stuck in bed/on the couch, I'm finally beginning to feel like myself again. So apart from losing a week in my life, what could I possibly learn from this latest crash of mine?

Well, let's begin to explore where this might have come from. In my opinion, a lot of my problems would've stemmed from weeks/months of going 60-80% all of the time. What do I mean by this? Well during Conor McGregor's preparation for the Nate Diaz rematch, he realized that his preparation for the first fight couldn't have been worse. He rocked into the gym at whatever time, stayed there all day doing bits and pieces of everything and there was no specific structure to his days or his life. Was he working hard? Yes, of course. But he was working hard in the wrong ways. As he explained himself, there were no definitive start or end times to his training sessions nor was there any specific training set for him to do. Therefore he got to the gym and kind of went at 60% for a long period of time which took a massive toll on his body and his ability to endure a 5 round fight. During his preparation for his rematch, however, he did everything he needed to do to prepare him for a 25-minute war inside the octagon. He began each session and ended each session at a particular time and he had a full rest day every 3-5 days and this was the key. He would go 100% during his training sessions in anticipation for his rest day, which he felt he had earned. And when you feel like you've earned a day off, you no longer feel guilty when you take a day off which we all fall victim to. Once a week, he would do a simulation of the actual fight day, in which he would do everything identical to what he would do on the day of the fight. He would get up at the same time, eat the same meals, go to the gym at the time he would go to the arena and then spar a 5 round war with a training partner. Everything was specific and down to a tee.

So what relevance does this have to my life? As I said, I went at 60-80% all day for many weeks in a row and although there were days off in between, there weren't real days off because the guilt would wear me down just as much as a hard training/practice session if not more. This then leads to a lack of motivation and the feeling of being worn out, but all the while, you know you've just had a day off and practice must begin again tomorrow. In turn, between the mental warfare, the long and not so productive days on top of probably a lack of sleep and quality rest, your immune system takes a hit like no other and you become constrained to your bed for a week.

If you were to look at your life as a heart and your days as the heartbeat, you might notice something. What I noticed is that the heart doesn't work at 10,20,30 or 80% all the time. What the heart does is works at 100% for a pulse, and then it rests, and then repeats until one day it stops for good. That can equate to your creative life in the same way. If you can find a way to do work, in short, productive pulses, you'll not only get more done but you'll feel fresher for longer. Keep reading for tips on how to do so.

Intense Focus

In order to enhance your creative life and those creative bursts in your life, you need to cultivate intense focus. Josh Waitzkin talks on the Tim Ferriss Podcast about being able to turn focus on and off so intensely that Marcello Garcia, one of the greatest grapplers of all time was asleep in the minutes before his biggest ever fight. He says he could wake up and just turn it on and that using intense interval training can help you accomplish that.

Interval training can help you cultivate the idea of turning it on and off very intensely. Your only focus in the 45 seconds between sets is to get your breath back and get your heart rate back down as low as you can before going again. Apart from the obvious benefits on the mind that exercise has, interval training, if done correctly can help you immensely in turning your focus on and off. Kind of like the way Conor McGregor changed his training approach but on a micro level. Beginning with interval training or intense focus periods followed by release periods can help you on the road to mastering your creative life.

Switching Off

Another big concern of mine that I noticed about myself this weekend was the inability to switch off. Obviously being sick, I wasn't in much of a state to go anywhere or do anything and it came at the perfect time, to be honest, because the Ryder Cup was on. I sat all day Friday to Sunday watching it but during that time I noticed something. Although I was lying on the couch 'relaxing', I was never really relaxed. Every advert that came on, I grabbed my phone to check social media. The repetition of absolute nothingness that social media is, makes us somewhat brain dead and it controls our thinking without us realizing. The next time you decide to rest and recover and perhaps you do want to watch some TV, I urge you to actually just watch TV and leave your phone somewhere else because when your phone is by your side, you're always on edge and always in between the TV and your phone - the exact opposite of what you need for your creative life.

Caging the monkey mind and giving yourself the freedom to focus on one thing at a time can help the longevity of your focus and energy immensely. The reason is, that when you spread yourself too thin, you wind up in a hole because (a) you don't get as much done and (b) you find yourself in between two minds and neither of which serve you as best as they can.

If you are going to switch off or take time off during the week, that's absolutely fine and necessary in fact, but if you're going to do it, I urge you to do it fully because, ½ switching off means ½ switching on and this isn't what you want in your creative life. Always keep in mind that how you do something is how you do everything.

Creating Your Ideal Day

The power of creating routines and good habits is at the core of this productivity dilemma. The reason being is that if you can create routines that allow you to do 'productive' things virtually on auto-pilot then they will simply be how you live and not another thing on your to-do list. I encourage you to sit down for an hour and create 2 things - the perfect work day and the perfect day off (rest day). What would these look like? How would your day go? What would you do? What time would you wake up/go to bed? What would you eat? Would you workout or watch TV all day? Would you read? Spend time with friends and family? By creating the perfect day, you will soon see that this isn't only possible, but very plausible provided you don't fill it with activities from the sun up to sun down. Once you understand and know the habits you'd like to create, it is as simple as putting them in place and constantly reminding yourself why you're doing it in the first place because motivation is like bathing, it doesn't last.

• Create short bulleted lists of the things you want to do on both work days and rest days.
• Put your day up for a brutally honest review.
• Allow yourself time off each day or a full day off every 3-5 days.
• Reading is my #1 recommendation for switching off (especially fiction).
• Short bursts of creative work are best.
• Work hard in anticipation for a day off. You'll appreciate it more and you'll work harder when you work.

Remember, you don't appreciate something until it's gone. Likewise, you don't fully appreciate a day off unless you've worked hard and smart in the days leading up to it so be sure to work hard and smart and don't feel guilty for having a day off. You deserve it.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Rest-and-Recovery&id=9650757

How To Conquer Pressure Like A Brain Surgeon

Some people would say that I have a high-pressure job. I'm a professional speaker. My job is to do what, to most people, is their number one fear: speaking in public. In a few days, I'll be speaking to an audience of 5,000 people - and I'm fine with that. For many people, though, that would be more pressure than they could handle.

You know who I think has a high-pressure job? Brain surgeons! See, if I screw up, what happens? The speech doesn't go well, and I probably don't get invited back. If the brain surgeon screws up, what happens? The patient dies. So I think we can all agree that the brain surgeon is under much more pressure, right?

You know who might not agree? The brain surgeon.

"How is that possible, Bill?" you ask. "Surely the brain surgeon knows, better than anyone, how much pressure she's under?"

But here's the thing. Most speciality surgeons (brain surgeons, cardiac surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, etc.) don't feel nearly the amount of pressure we mere mortals might think they do.

Why is that?

Largely, it's because of one word: repetition.

When a surgeon steps into the operating room, she has performed that procedure so many times before that, in her eyes, it's routine. It's just another day at the office.

The training generally follows a process called WDT, which stands for Watch, Do, Teach.

When learning a procedure, the doctor/student will Watch this procedure being done by surgeons who have already mastered it. And then they'll watch again. And again. And again.

The next step is to Do the procedure - at first under close supervision and then, finally, as the lead surgeon.

The final step, which some say is the most critical, is to Teach others how to do the procedure. When you can teach it to others, you know you have it mastered.

It's the same in your world. Even though you may not be aware of it, you probably went (or are going through) the same steps. And what do they have in common?

Repetition.

When you Watch a skill being performed when you Do the skill, and when you Teach the skill - dozens, hundreds, thousands of times - you are repeating it to the point where it becomes routine. And when it becomes routine, it eases the pressure.

Do you think your pilot starts shaking and sweating when it's time for him to land the plane? Probably not. Why? Because he's done it thousands of times - it's routine.

Why can I get up and speak to 5,000 people without falling to pieces? Because I've spoken to hundreds and hundreds of audiences before.

Here's the equation: As repetition increases, pressure decreases.

Do you recall the pressure you felt the first time you got behind the wheel of a car? If you're over, say, 30, you may not even remember it - but it was there! Do you feel that pressure now? Probably not (unless something out of the ordinary occurs). There's no pressure anymore. It's routine.

Bottom line: Whatever high-pressure skills are involved in your job, practice them. And then practice them again. Over and over and over. Until they become routine.

It works for the brain surgeon, and it'll work for you.

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Conquer-Pressure-Like-A-Brain-Surgeon&id=9933037

Dealing With Reality

We all want to win, but we all need to train for it. That is reality. Without real, hard earned understanding, we just hack at life and cannot live efficiently. When we take the time to learn the in, out and everything in life, we get better results. It is just like when there is a difference between flying to the top of a mountain in a helicopter, plane or air vessel and genuinely climbing a mountain.

When I think about the genuine nature of reality, genuine winners genuinely do not try to cheat. I use the words "try to cheat", because ultimately the very concept of cheating is unrealistic, and ultimately harder than if the honest path were taken to the same goals. Honest "overnight greatness and success" is years of visualization, training and understanding all facets of what is being done. If anyone says otherwise, they are cheating at a very deep level, not only themselves, but the people they are telling that big lie to. It is almost like the concept of the payday loan saying "get three months pay now" without the full disclosure of "get three months pay now, but pay three years pay worth of interest on it" at the very least! So, get this: Cheating is the big fantasy trip, dealing with reality fully straight is the genuinely winning trip anyway. If you travel the real road, you will achieve your genuine goal. Fake it genuinely and you will not make it.

Being real is always worth it, then is it not? A life based on lying and cheating at deep levels always costs more anyway ultimately. Real is the most direct path there is to any goal. It is the genuine journey of the hero, anyway. Reality will deal with you on this level: If you are genuinely willing to take the honest path, reality will rise up to meet you as you meet that challenge. When I say willing as a word, I mean wanting your goal and working your goal so fully and so consistently, with perseverance, that nothing will break you from going for it.

So, in the end, every limitation disengaged and you have fully evolved past it all, were you real or were you a cheater? only your heart and reality can answer that itself within yourself when you face yourself. Think about it. Only you can answer that question genuinely for yourself when you are evolved enough, nobody else can.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Dealing-With-Reality&id=10021967

10 Things I've Learned From Being a Mediator

I'm lucky that I've had so much training and experience mediating issues between others. It's impossible to be a part of the mediation community for so long and not learn a thing or two about oneself in the process. So, I'm going to share, in no particular order of importance, 10 things I've learned along the way.

1) Gossip is boring. I don't mind people sharing updates about family or friends with me, but when it turns into a conversation that has too many oohs, ahs, and smirky faces, I'm out. My threshold for listening to someone jabber on about others is low because I have learned that if they talk about other people like that, they probably talk about me like that. No thanks.

2) Everyone cares about something so much that they'll do crazy stuff to defend it. In the world of mediation those things are called core values. But, without going into too much detail about them, I now know that when someone reacts to a small situation in a big way, it's because something they value is being threatened. And now, rather than jump back at them, I'm curious to find out what that "something" is.

3) I don't have to like you. I struggled for years trying to find the good in others, feeling guilty for being too critical of some people, and beating myself up for not making more of an effort with difficult folks. Now? I'm good not to like every single person on the face of the planet.

4) I don't have to fix everything. It's okay, and I mean okay, for me to let other people work out their own issues on their own timeline. I'll just be over here focusing on my own life, thank you.

5) Everyone is a mess. I read a quote once that said something like, "everyone has a life and no one gets out of it", meaning that every one of us experiences sad, bad, and lousy events that mess with us. We all have issues and we're all trying to mask them, deal with them, or sometimes share them in the most inappropriate ways.

6) I can work things out when I'm ready. It's okay to lick to my wounds, think about things, vent to my trusted confidants, wait a while, think about things some more, and then resolve issues with others. It doesn't have to be on anyone else's timeline if it doesn't feel right for me.

7) Giving space to others doesn't mean I'm giving up. If I'm willing to give myself the time and space to think things through, it's certainly okay for me to do that for others. Everything doesn't have to happen right here, right now.

8) Sometimes it's not possible. Mental health issues, addictions, and things greater than all of us really can, and do, get in the way of mending relationships.

9) I truly can be happier walking away. After so many failed attempts to build a relationship that feels authentic and genuine, it's okay for me to let it go. I mean really let it go. I've discovered that the empty feeling I thought would be there is actually a space that gets filled with contentment and peace.

10) I can think whatever nasty thoughts I want. Over the years I've become much better at editing my critical thoughts about others. I've also become much, much better at editing how those thoughts sound when they exit my mouth. But, there are those days when I give myself permission not to edit anything rolling around in this brain of mine. I've learned that I can think whatever I want about whomever I want and that doesn't make me a bad person. In fact, last I checked, it makes me human.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Things-Ive-Learned-From-Being-a-Mediator&id=8778698

Why Training on How to Spot a Liar Is the Most Important Tool in Your Life

Although statistics vary, it is evident we communicate more with our nonverbal behaviors than we do with the words we use. This means, having the ability to read the real hidden emotions of politicians could put a whole new twist on the popularity vote.

When a group of students trained on how to spot a liar was asked only to read a criminal's nonverbal behavior, they were over 70% accurate. This is well above standard as we are only better than chance at detecting a lie. How to tell when someone is lying is very hard especially if you're unaware of the possible signs. Can you actually learn what and how to spot signs of hidden emotions that could ultimately lead to lies?

Absolutely. You can not only learn what to look for, but with practice, you can learn what questions can expose the lie further. But keep in mind, it is not about detecting lies, and it is about identifying behaviors brought on by stress. For example, what if during a sales deal you were able to spot a behavior opposite the words of the conversation. "That's my bottom line," may mean nothing if you spot a quick sign of contempt showing something different than the words. If trained to detect these behaviors, you would indeed protect your pocketbook by negotiating further.

Let's take a quick look at contempt. One side of the salesperson's mouth raised in a split second, indicating he may be hiding something. In this case, the seller knows it is not his bottom line. Can you imagine the impact this type of training can have on your life?

There may be times identifying a lie is not in your best interest, such as infidelity. Or is it? But what about a major sales deal where there are millions on the line. How about during the negotiation phase, you ask what you are purchasing will be manufactured on time. Spotting a leak in emotion could mean millions in sales.

Training on how to spot a liar is incredibly overlooked, but possibly the most valuable asset in your business and personal life. But you get a lot more than how to identify hidden emotions, but more importantly, it teaches you how your nonverbal behaviors can affect the conversation. Knowing what contempt looks like, you can use it to reroute a conversation to your way of thinking.

On any given day, someone will hear nearly 200 different lies. This is disturbing, but what is more concerning, are the lies meant to hurt you personally or your career. Although you will not detect all lies as this is impossible, if trained, you may detect that one lie that could forever change your life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Training-on-How-to-Spot-a-Liar-Is-the-Most-Important-Tool-in-Your-Life&id=9677229

How to Be Always on Time

Being late for an appointment can be very upsetting and often embarrassing, especially if you miss someone or are being charged for your tardiness. It's a matter of training and both your brain and body must be involved. If the appointment is early then do all the preparations for the meeting or whatever the night before. If you are meeting someone important then you can also shower before bed instead of leaving that to the morning.

In recent times I have had to leave home early and on one of those occasions needed to be at the airport at 5.15 a.m. to catch a flight. Everything was packed and ready the night before right down to the clothes I was to wear being laid out on the spare bed. I aimed to rise by 4 a.m. as the airport is some 30 minutes' drive away and I wanted to eat breakfast before leaving. That meant the latest I could leave home would be around 4.40 a.m.

My training in this regard is self-administered discipline and anyone can accomplish the same by being focused and forcing oneself to follow the orders as if you are directing someone else. You are your own boss, so be one.

There is no way that my arrival is late and to the contrary it is usually always spot on time or close to it, erring on the side of early. That means that anyone can use the same techniques to overcome the bad habit of being late for appointments, or worse - not turning up.

Get the paper-work in order as well, if this is appropriate. If you have to take certificates or other things to a special meeting then get them ready the day before and put them into a nice plastic cover or folder so that you look intelligent and on top of things. Impressions are everything and the best you can be when you arrive at a meeting the more you will enjoy it and overcome any nerves.

My experience with meetings is rather extensive as I am often sent to meet with people on matters of importance. My spirituality took me away from business and it allows many to be healed instantly by the Spirit, with whom I am linked. With memory of my reincarnation and with much to tell others I do public speaking and other things that require punctuality and good presentation.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Be-Always-on-Time&id=9439582

How To Upgrade And Enhance Your Professional Development Plan

Your professional development plan should not be boring. In fact, it should be making you feel eager and excited. This plan will help you develop the skills you need to thrive and excel in the workplace. It will also make you a standout employee in nearly every commercial environment. Following are a few ways to ramp these efforts up for increased enjoyment and greater benefits.

A lot of people think that their training always has to be industry-specific. Unless your employer has strict requirements that you must adhere to, you have unlimited options in learning to choose from. This means that you can start participating in instruction that you actually like and that also moves you a bit closer to your own personal goals.

Sign up to learn a new language. Not only will this add value to your CV, but it will also increase your ability to engage with foreign clients. Choose a language that is commonly used in your current work environment. In addition to becoming a fluent speaker, make sure that you develop strong, bi-lingual writing skills as well. This is known as being bi-literate and it can increase your professional value many times over.

Think about getting your license to perform a service that your company usually outsources. This could save your employer a hefty sum of cash. This is also a great way to prime yourself for promotion. Just make sure that you are fully certified before the position you want becomes available.

Look for a diverse range of training opportunities as this will make your professional profile more appealing to prospective employers. Veering outside of the norm will set you apart from the colleagues that you are currently competing with in your field. It will additionally give you the ability to supply more services and solve more problems for any company that you work for.

Take a writing class to improve your written communication skills. Do not be afraid to experiment with different writing types as all of these can benefit your ability to draft impressive letters and word yourself in a formal and appealing way. You may even be able to help your company maintain its professional blog once you have complete a creative writing workshop.

Learn stress management skills by attending a special seminar and retreat. Not only do your employers want you to be adept in managing their operations, but they'll also want you to know how to continue functioning well in tense and stressful situations. Not only will you learn how to control negative and unpleasant emotions while you're away, but you're virtually guaranteed to have some fun in the process.

Start learning web design skills, even if your current employer isn't in the technology industry. This will give you the ability to troubleshoot website problems and make informed selections on how to improve company web pages. SQL training courses, CSS and HTML classes will all make you infinitely more valuable in every professional role you fill. Courses like these are always worth the necessary investment of money and time.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Upgrade-And-Enhance-Your-Professional-Development-Plan&id=9384578

The Most Enduring Man in the World

                

A SUCCESS editor trains with the man who tackled one of the most improbable athletic feats in history, completing 50 Ironman races in 50 days.

Ready?” He asks with a grin as he sets up some weights.

I nervously nod and force a half-smile.

We step out of his garage onto his driveway to start the day’s workout. And after a simple warmup of a few lunges, squat jumps and other exercises, I’m already winded. He can tell because he asks whether I need a drink of water. I need it, but I’m too proud to say yes. For some frivolous reason, I feel as if drinking water right now is a sign of weakness, and I don’t want to seem weak in front of a guy who is possibly the most physically enduring man alive.

Six weeks before our workout, he accomplished perhaps the greatest display of physical endurance in history: He completed 50 Ironman races in 50 consecutive days. In 50 states. An Ironman is a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon. Simply finishing a marathon is challenging enough. If you’ve never competed in one, you’re in for months of devoted training as you work up to perhaps four, five or more hours of exhausting running. Now imagine adding a six-hour bike ride on top of that and then continuously swimming for another hour and a half. (These times assume you’re a very well-conditioned athlete.) But he didn’t just do this once; he did it 50 times on 50 consecutive days while traveling across the country.

When I think about all of that, I’m embarrassed that I’m already panting after our warmup, but I shouldn’t be. Despite what he has accomplished, he doesn’t act like he’s better than I am or judge me for being out of shape. He’s just James Lawrence, 39, husband and father of five from Orem, Utah, south of Salt Lake City.

We step inside his garage to begin the weights portion of our workout. His garage looks like yours probably does: a little messy with random tools and old things hanging everywhere on the walls—except he doesn’t park his car in here. In the middle of his garage is a workout pad surrounded by sets of weights and other equipment such as his stationary bike. This isn’t where you would expect an athlete of his caliber to train for Ironman races, and he likes it that way. He says he takes pride in not being rich. He lives in a normal-sized home on a cul-de-sac in a typical middle-class American neighborhood.

Lawrence wasn’t always a world-class endurance athlete. And he has no particular natural gift for endurance racing. A native of Canada, Lawrence wrestled in high school, and he was pretty good at it—ranking fourth nationally at one point. But he didn’t even run in his first race until he was 28, when his wife, Sunny, signed him up for a 4-mile fun run. He failed miserably then.

“I didn’t have a great experience, being passed by women pushing their kids in strollers,” Lawrence says. “My wife said I was pathetic, signed me up for a marathon that was five months later, the Salt Lake City Marathon, and basically just said figure it out.”

He didn’t really figure it out.

“Again, I had a horrible experience. I didn’t want to allow being beaten down by a marathon to define me as an athlete.”

He didn’t. Lawrence decided to start doing some research on endurance competitions and began training for sprint marathons with a friend. But he took things slowly; he didn’t compete in a triathlon until four years later, finishing the 2008 Vineman Triathlon in Sonoma County, Calif., in 11 hours and 10 minutes.

And that’s how it started.

In 2010 Lawrence broke the world record for completing the most half-Ironman races in one year. He ran 22 of them in 30 days. But he wasn’t satisfied, so two years later he broke the world record for finishing the most full Ironman races in one year. He ran 30 races in 11 countries, beating the previous record of 20 races in one year.

Again, Lawrence wasn’t content. He wanted to push his mind and body to new limits. He asked himself what was the craziest thing he could come up with, and he devised the 50-50-50 Project: 50 Ironman races on 50 consecutive days in 50 states.

That’s why I’m nervous about this workout. I’m here to push myself, but I’m not sure just how far this man who knows no mental and physical limits will push me. This is a man whose muscles and body became so toned and defined after his 50 Ironman races that he says he now suffers from body dysmorphic disorder—anxiety about his body appearance because his muscles don’t look the way they did at the peak of his 50 days. (After our interview, the photographers and I asked him whether he would let us photograph him with his shirt off to show his abs, and he adamantly said no.) I have no idea what kind of workout to expect from a guy like this. I told Lawrence what my exercise habits are like—I play soccer and run a couple of miles a few nights a week, but I also haven’t lifted a single weight in over a year.

"I’m here to push myself. Going into this, I have one goal in mind: Don’t stop."

He hands me weights that are a few pounds more than what I think I can handle, but I don’t ask for something lighter. I’m here to push myself. Going into this, I have one goal in mind: Don’t stop. So as I struggle to lift a kettlebell over my head, I remind myself of that. And when I lose my balance doing a one-legged squat and feel my hamstring twinge, I remind myself of that again.

The first part of our workout consists of lifting weights and medicine balls, more lunges, pushups, hopping on plyometric jump boxes, and holding a one-minute plank that seems like an eternity. The workout is fast-paced, but both the pace and the weights are manageable. I take pride in finishing the first part of our workout, although my sense of achievement quickly fades when he tells me that this workout was more of a warmup for him when he was training for The 50.

Simply planning the logistics of 50 races in 50 states was no easy feat. Lawrence says he spent almost an entire year mapping all of the routes for his swims, bikes and runs. He had people on the ground in all 50 states who volunteered to help plan. “It was literally like running a small business,” he says. He was his own marketer, travel agent, accountant, manager, everything.

But Lawrence knew he couldn’t do it alone. He asked Dallas Makin, a sports chiropractor and owner of Utah Spine and Sport, to help with his recovery and injury prevention. Natalie Rasmussen came on as Lawrence’s massage therapist, and his friend David Warden coached him. “Many individuals have miscalculated James, but perhaps none so much as me,” Warden wrote in a blog post following the completion of Lawrence’s mission. “To be James’s coach was one of the greatest gifts I’ve received, a huge personal and professional boon that I now feel unworthy of.”

Warden wasn’t the only one who doubted this goal. Lawrence’s parents told him he was crazy. Friends told him it was impossible. But none of that stopped him. Lawrence was convinced he would accomplish his goal, and he had a lot of reasons to do so. His top five reasons were his kids: his daughters, Lucy, Lily, Daisy and Dolly, and his son, Quinn.

“I told them what the goal was,” Lawrence says. “The personal purpose of this was to find my mental and physical limits, but it was also to set the ultimate example for my kids.”

After months of training and planning, Lawrence began his 50-50-50 challenge in Kauai, Hawaii, on June 6. He then flew to Anchorage, Alaska, and on to the Lower 48, where he traveled by motorhome until wrapping up the adventure on July 25, back in Utah. (Amazingly he posted the best finishing time of the entire trip that day, needing only 12 hours, 46 minutes and 42 seconds to complete his final Ironman.)

“I had the mindset going into it that I was going to have to be in a hospital [to stop],” Lawrence says. “Obviously I’m smart enough with five kids that I was never going to risk exiting this life, but it was going to take a serious injury for me to stop moving. There was never a moment when I was like, ‘I’m quitting.’ It wasn’t an option; it wasn’t even a consideration. When you’re trying to accomplish something of this enormity you have to have that mindset."

"There was never a moment when I was like, ‘I’m quitting.’ It wasn’t an option; it wasn’t even a consideration. When you’re trying to accomplish something of this enormity, you have to have that mindset.”

For part two of our workout, we drive up to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the Wasatch Mountain Range—fairly close to Lawrence’s home. He tells me he often ran on this trail when he was training for The 50. I’m anxious again because I don’t know what to expect, and I’m also concerned about my hamstring after those one-legged squats. Lawrence is anxious, too. He’s biked and done some light workouts since finishing his challenge on Day 50, but he hasn’t done any running whatsoever. He’s not sure how his body is going to respond or how his knees and ankles are going to fare.

As we begin our uphill run, light rain begins to fall, and the wind hits our faces. After a few minutes of running, I can feel the elevation start to get to me. We’re up 5,500 feet—about 5,000 feet more than I’m accustomed to back home in Dallas. He likes to talk while we run, but I mainly just listen. I’m just trying to focus on my breathing and keeping up with him. Even though he hasn’t run once in the last six weeks, he takes on the inclines of the trail like they’re nothing. For me, the hills take a toll. With each step, I can feel the muscles in my legs and thighs exert themselves more than they possibly ever have.

The rain picks up, and the soil quickly becomes soggy. I can’t figure out how much of the moisture on my face is rain and how much is sweat. Now I’m not just focused on keeping up with Lawrence and breathing, I’m also focused on where I’m stepping. The last thing I want is to get hurt, or worse, fall on my face in the mud with photographers around. Though, as we continue running, I realize all of these things—the inclines, the rain, the soggy ground, the wind, the elevation—are excuses to not finish.

Lawrence had a lot more excuses that he could have used during The 50. He injured his shoulder during his fifth race, in Santa Cruz, Calif., forcing him to complete the next several swims with one arm while his shoulder healed. On Day 18 in Chattanooga, Tenn., his exhaustion caught up to him in the 30th mile of the bike portion. He fell asleep and fell off of his bike while riding, although luckily, he only suffered road rash. He lost some toenails during the adventure. He suffered a hiatal hernia. He pushed his body so hard that his heart had to focus on pumping blood to his major organs, causing him to lose feeling in his extremities. Six weeks after finishing The 50, he still experienced numbness in some of his fingers and toes.

And to top everything off, he averaged only 4½ hours of sleep per night, even struggling to get that, considering the discomfort of life on the road.

But Lawrence refused to let any of that stop him.

Quitting was even less of an option for Lawrence because he was surrounded by so much support. His family traveled with him through all 50 states. His eldest daughter, Lucy, ran a 5K with him in each state. But the support didn’t just come from his family; it came from strangers, too. Hundreds of people turned out to run, bike and swim with him or simply cheer him on.

“It was this awesome game of pingpong where I was inspiring people to come out, and because they were coming out, I was being inspired to continue to move,” Lawrence says.

The most motivation came from Dell Finney, whom Lawrence met on Day 39, in Benton Harbor, Mich. Finney weighs 326 pounds—down from 390 pounds at his heaviest. After running cross-country and track in high school to earn a college scholarship, Finney blew out his knee and lost a nerve in his right leg. Despite being told by doctors he would never be able to run competitively, he eventually worked his way back to running in 5Ks and later full marathons. Finney failed to complete the Wisconsin Ironman in 2014. He tried again in the 2015 and missed the bike cutoff by 73 seconds. When Finney heard what Lawrence was attempting, he came out to support him and run the last 5 kilometers of the marathon portion.

“I sprinted—we will call it a sprint—up to the front where [Lawrence] was, and I said, ‘I won’t be able to keep up with you for long, but I wanted to tell you my story and how you are an inspiration,’” Finney says. “After listening to my story, he told me that he wanted me to email him, he was rooting for me, and on race day he would be tracking me—which filled my heart with hope to the point of bursting. I half-expected to never hear from him again. Why would he care about just another overweight guy? I emailed him, and you know what? He emailed me back. It all started there.”

With the training help and encouragement of Lawrence, Finney will attempt the 2016 Wisconsin Ironman again in September. Lawrence guarantees Finney’s third attempt will be successful.

“He embodies [the idea] that no goal is too big, no dream is too big, and to never, never give up,” Lawrence says of Finney. “Nothing is impossible. His ‘impossible’ is one Ironman. Everybody is on a different journey in their lives, and for him that’s it.”

Lawrence’s “impossible” was to complete 50 Ironman races in 50 days. Finney’s is to complete one Ironman. Today my “impossible” is to complete a single workout with the Iron Cowboy, as fans have affectionately dubbed Lawrence. While our goals differ in size, our common denominator is our determination to achieve our objectives.

“The thing with The 50 was that there was only one person who needed to believe in me and that was myself,” Lawrence says. “To whoever is trying to accomplish their next big goal, I would say the biggest thing is to have over 100 percent conviction in what they’re doing.”

***

To finish this workout, I need to follow two of Lawrence’s examples: First, I need to stop thinking about the excuses I can use to quit. And second, I need to believe that I can. I think to myself, If he could complete 50 Ironmans in 50 days, I can complete this one workout.

Lawrence says the scenic views of Utah’s mountain ranges make the place a playground for endurance athletes. He’s right. As our run continues, we round a bend on the trail that reveals a gorgeous view of the valley below. He points out Brigham Young University and Utah Lake west of it. We pass sagebrush and other plants, but I keep looking at the aspen trees on Cascade Mountain in the range adjacent to us. He tells me the leaves of those trees will change colors in a few weeks, and the mountain range will glow in different shades of red, orange and yellow. I’m so taken by the scenery that for a while I forget I’m even running.

I ask Lawrence what he thought about while he was on The 50. He says sometimes he would have long conversations with himself, but most of the time, it was about focusing on what he would do in the next minute. Lawrence says he tried not to think about how many miles or days he had left; he just wanted to be perfect at whatever he was doing—running, biking or swimming—for the next minute.

For the rest of our run, focus is my focus. I focus on where I’m stepping. I focus on breathing right. I focus on keeping up and taking in the beautiful terrain—not on things like what I’m having for lunch or what time my flight leaves. I just want to focus on what I’m doing in that moment.

And before I know it, I’m done. The workout is over. I have accomplished my “impossible.” There aren’t 3,500 people here to celebrate with me—like those who came to see Lawrence on Day 50 but I did it. It was challenging, and while I know completing this workout is nothing compared to what Lawrence did, I still feel satisfied.

“I knew aside from being hit by a semi-truck [on Day 50], I was going to accomplish my goal,” Lawrence says. “I exceeded mine and everybody’s expectations. To have pulled it off and accomplished it, for myself and as a team, it was an incredible feeling of satisfaction.”

Walking back to the truck to head down the trail, I realize I’m still not exactly sure how Lawrence’s feat was humanly possible. Conviction, support, focus. What else?

“Patience and consistency,” Lawrence says. “You have to do a lot of little things right over an extended period of time. You have to focus on the basics, and you have to be perfect at them. That’s ultimately why I succeeded: I was perfect with the basics, and I had patience. I became an expert at a lot of little things, and that’s how I became successful—that’s one of the keys to success if anybody wants to tackle something of this enormity.”

“The size of the goal doesn’t matter. What matters is having the desire to improve yourself, push yourself to new limits and adopt the right mindset to make it happen.”

After leaving Utah, I felt sore for three days but also inspired. If a 39-year-old dad who didn’t run more than 4 miles until he was 28 could complete a goal of this magnitude, then 24-year-old me could at least get into better shape.

Since our workout, I joined a gym and started exercising six times a week. I decided my next “impossible” will be to run a 10K. My next goal still doesn’t compare to what Lawrence achieved or what Finney is training for, but if I learned anything from meeting and training with Lawrence, it’s that the size of the goal doesn’t matter.

What matters is having the desire to improve yourself, push yourself to new limits and adopt the right mindset to make it happen.

http://www.success.com/article/the-most-enduring-man-in-the-world

Concentration Exercises for Training the Mind

Concentration exercises sharpen the mind and improve the ability to concentrate.

Read the article first, or go right to the concentration exercises below. These are mental exercises that will strengthen the power of your mind.

The Power of Concentration - Practicing Concentration Exercises

Sharpening the needle of concentration requires practice, like everything else in life.

Do you go to the gym? If you do, how many times a week and for how long?

Have you studied a foreign language? If you did, for how long did you practice, until you had a basic knowledge of the language?

It is the same with developing your concentration. You need training and practice. Even only ten minutes a day of concentration exercises will do you good.

Your mind does not like discipline, and will resist your efforts to discipline it. It loves its freedom more than anything else, and won't let you master it. It will make you forget to do the exercises, tempt you to postpone performing them, or make you feel too lazy. It will find many tricks to occupy your attention with something else.

The choice is yours, to be mastered by the mind and its whims, or to be its master.

Below, you will find a few simple concentration exercises. By practicing mental exercises, it is possible to train the mind and master it, and put it in its proper place, as your servant, and not as your boss and master.

You are not the mind, nor the thoughts that pass through it. Though it might be hard to accept this idea, the mind is not you, the real you, but only a tool that you use. It is an instrument, which has great value, but it has to be taught to obey you.

Most people believe that they are the mind, and erroneously believe that controlling the mind means holding themselves back and denying their freedom. They feel that controlling their mind is not natural, and that it is some sort of repression. These beliefs are not correct.

The proof that we are not the mind comes with training. Accept the idea in theory, and in time, as your control over your thoughts grows, you will know it as a fact. In reality, you, the real you, is the one mastering the mind. It is not the mind mastering itself.

Advice for Practicing the Concentration Exercises

Find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed. If you wish, you may sit crossed legged on the floor, but most people would find it more comfortable to sit on a chair. Sit with your spine erect.

Take a few calm deep breaths and then relax your body, by directing your attention to it, and relaxing each muscle, from head to toe.

Practice each of the exercises below for about 10 minutes, and after a few weeks of training, lengthen the time to 15 minutes.

Start with the first exercise. Practice it every day, until you are able to do it without any distractions or forgetfulness, and without thinking about anything else, for at least three continuous minutes.

Every time you get distracted, start again, until the 10 or 15 minutes pass away.

You have to be honest with yourself, and proceed to the next one, only after you are convinced that you have practiced it correctly and with full concentration.

There is no timetable, since this could be frustrating. If, for example, I tell you to practice a certain exercise for a specific number of days, two things might happen. You might get disappointed, if you cannot get the desired concentration within the allotted time period. You might also proceed to the next exercise, without practicing correctly the previous one.

Mastering the exercises successfully can take days, weeks, months and sometimes even more.

Put your whole attention into the exercises, and do not think about anything else. Be careful not to fall asleep, daydream or think about other matters. The moment you find yourself thinking about something else, stop the exercise and start again. After you become proficient, lengthen the time, and if possible, include another session in the afternoon.

Do not attempt too much at the beginning, and don't try to perform them all at once. Go slowly, without overdoing them or tensing your brain.

If you find it too difficult, or thoughts distract you and make you think about other matters, don't despair. Everyone encounters difficulties along the way. If you persevere and never give up, in spite of difficulties and disturbances, success will crown your efforts. Remember, even those with powerful concentration had to exercise their minds.

It does not matter if your concentration is weak now. It can be developed and strengthened like any other ability, through training.

In time, you will find out that you can concentrate anywhere, anytime, no matter where you are. You will be able to focus your mind, think and function under the most trying circumstances, while remaining calm, relaxed and collected. The reward is worth the effort a thousand fold.

Now to the exercises. For the full benefit, it is advisable that you practice each exercise for one additional week, after you are convinced that you are practicing it correctly and with full attention.

Concentration exercises

Exercise 1

Take a book, any book, and count the words in any one paragraph. Then, count them again, to be sure that you have counted them correctly.

After a few times, do so with two paragraphs.

When this becomes easy, count the words of a whole page. Do the counting mentally and only with your eyes, without pointing your finger at each word.

Exercise 2

Count backwards in your mind, from one hundred to one.

Exercise 3

Count in your mind from one hundred to one, skipping each three numbers, that is 100, 97, 94, etc.

Exercise 4

Choose an inspiring word, or just a simple sound, and repeat it silently in your mind for five minutes. When your mind can concentrate more easily, try to reach ten minutes of uninterrupted concentration.

Exercise 5

Take a fruit, an apple, orange, banana or any other fruit, and hold it in your hands.

Examine the fruit from all its sides, while keeping your whole attention focused on it. Do not let yourself be carried away by irrelevant thoughts that might arise, or thoughts about the grocery where you bought the fruit, how and where it was grown, its nutritive value, etc. Stay calm, ignoring, and showing no interest in these thoughts.

Just look at the fruit, focus your attention on it without thinking about anything else, and examine its shape, smell, taste and the sensation it gives you when you touch it.

Exercise 6

This is the same as exercise number 5, only that this time you visualize the fruit, instead of looking at it.

Start, by looking at the fruit and examining it for about 2 minutes, just as you did in exercise number 5. Then close your eyes, and try to see, smell, taste and touch the fruit in your imagination. Try to see a clear and well defined image. If the image becomes blurred, open your eyes, look at the fruit for a short while, and then close your eyes and continue the exercise.

You may imagine holding the fruit in your hands, as in the previous exercise, or imagine it standing on a table.

Exercise 7

Take a small simple object such as a spoon, a fork, or a glass. Concentrate on one of these objects. Watch the object from all sides without any verbalization, that is, with no words in your mind. Just watch the object without thinking with words about it.

Exercise 8

After becoming proficient with the above exercises, you may try this exercise.

Draw on a piece of paper a small triangle, square or a circle, about three inches in size, and paint it with any color you wish.

Put the paper with the drawing in front of you, and concentrate your whole attention on the shape you have drawn. For now, only the drawing exists for you, with no unrelated thoughts or distractions.

Keep your attention on the drawing, and avoid thinking about anything else. Be careful not to strain your eyes.

Exercise 9

The same as number 8, only this time visualize the figure with the eyes closed. As before, if you forget how the figure looks like, open your eyes for a few seconds and watch the figure and then close your eyes and continue with the exercise.

Exercise 10

The same as above in number 9 but the eyes open.

Exercise 11

Try for at least five minutes, to stay without thoughts. Do this exercise, only after you have practiced all the previous ones successfully. If you practiced the preceding exercises correctly, you will be able to impose silence on your thoughts, even if this is at first, just for a short while.

Constant practice is the secret of success. The more time you devote to the exercises the faster you progress, but you should do it gradually. Start with ten minutes, and as it becomes easier, and your ability to concentrate improves, increase the time.

When you start to see results, you will begin to love the exercises. You will be able to concentrate your attention easily and effortlessly, upon anything you want to concentrate on.

Do you jog, exercise at the gym, or study a foreign language? How difficult it was when you first started? How many times you wanted to quit? Despite the difficulties, after a while, you started to like what you were doing. It became a habit, and did not require special effort. So it is with developing the power of concentration.

After some practice, it will be easier to concentrate, and your mind will learn to be calm and relaxed. People, circumstances, and events that used to agitate and anger you, will not disturb you. You will experience happiness and contentment, and gain self-confidence and inner strength. You will be able to cope more easily and efficiently with the outer world.

You will feel a new form of consciousness growing in you, bringing you peace of mind. At first, you will experience it sporadically and for a brief moment, but in time, it will grow and fill you completely. You will be able to make the mind work for you in a most efficient way, and you will also be able to silence it when you want.

After your concentration gets stronger, your attitude and reactions to events and people will change, and you would discover many things about the mind, how it functions, and how to use it efficiently.

http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000005.htm

3 Ways That Mindfulness Enhances Performance

Enhanced performance in the workplace may be achieved by intensive training sessions - but neuroscience is showing that some time alone may be just as effective.

Of course I am not talking about functional training like learning how to write a report properly or process an insurance claim efficiently, but in more general terms about clarity of thought, decision making and handling pressure.

Neuroscience is showing how increased self-awareness can help us in many aspects of performance. Mindfulness is essentially a state of being actively focused on the present and major organisations like Google are taking notice: its 'Search Inside Yourself' program focuses on helping its staff members develop emotional intelligence through mindfulness.

Many of the benefits of meditation and mindfulness have been known for centuries. This knowledge is now entering the mainstream because advances in neuroscience enable researchers to better monitor brain activity and 'prove' these beneficial physical effects on the brain.

Following are three key ways mindfulness can help you in and out of the workplace.

Improve attention and focus

You don't have to suffer from ADD or a mental disorder to lack attention and focus. It happens to us all at times and it can have an incredibly negative impact on performance.

The process of meditation, where we clear our mind of its clutter and start to focus on the present through our 'breathing' for instance, is like training the mind. The mindfulness that results from this helps us bring our thoughts under control better and prevent them from straying; it may also help to minimise emotional distractions, because part of the meditation process is to recognise and acknowledge the emotions we are feeling and to let them go.

The process of becoming more aware of yourself and observing your thoughts and feelings will help you maintain self-control and self-regulate your actions, reducing the harmful effects of chaotic, distracting or stressful situations and bringing focus back to them. You will learn to recognise the signals when your mind is beginning to stray and then, through increased awareness, be able to correct this behaviour.

Lower stress and negative emotions

Neuroscience is awash with studies showing the calming effect of meditation on the brain and the lowering of stress levels.

Of course, the more that you practice the better you are able to control stress. With enough embedding of the techniques it will become second nature and, when faced with a potentially high stress situation, you will find yourself able to automatically slow down your breathing and routinely control your own response to the situation better.

This starts with the awareness of how you normally react in such situations - your pre-programmed behaviour if you like; practicing meditation will help you 'switch' to another mode when a similar situation arises, helping you to 'rewire' your brain to respond less emotionally and to recover faster from upsetting emotions.

David Vago of the BWH Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory at Harvard Medical School says:

"Through continued practice, the person can develop a psychological distance from any negative thoughts and can inhibit natural impulses that constantly fuel bad habits."

Improves decision-making and leadership

Mindfulness has the ability to strengthen the meta-cognitive, or executive functions, in the brain. The neural pathways that control our 'higher thinking' qualities are made stronger by meditation, and new pathways are created. This positively impacts our ability to make better decisions, because we are less likely to fall back on automatic, emotional, irrational responses that stem from the more primitive parts of our brain.

This is especially useful for leaders, who must often make quick and important decisions in times of upheaval and stress - the mental clarity and sense of control that comes from mindfulness is a valuable asset at these times.

One of the many advantages of learning mindfulness is that you don't have to spend months in a temple or monastery learning it. It will take time, but it can be learnt and practiced at home, and you will feel many of the benefits of meditating for 10 to 20 minutes a day almost immediately.

https://ezinearticles.com/?3-Ways-That-Mindfulness-Enhances-Performance&id=8662415