powerDOJO

Tag: mindset

  • How to Boost Your CONFIDENCE

    How to Boost Your CONFIDENCE

    con-fi-dence: belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities

    Grade 9 was not a confident year for me…

    It was my first year at a new high school where it seemed like everyone knew everyone else because I didn’t come from one of the typical feeder schools and because I skipped Grade 7 and thus didn’t have as many friends from my old elementary school.

    And being 1 of about 5 Chinese kids in a school of 1,000+ didn’t help, either, because, you know, kids can be idiots (and they were).

    Grade 10 got better, because I made some new friends but I remember one day, I was walking beside a mirror and I caught a glimpse of myself and noticed how bad my posture was.

    My shoulders were slouched forward, my head was down as if I was looking at my feet and I just looked weak.

    I didn’t like what I saw, but just kept walking…

    Later that year, my brother introduced me to weight training.

    I was playing competitive hockey and needed to get bigger and stronger, as I was getting thrown around on the ice.

    So, my brother Ty gave me a bench press and barbell set for Christmas and helped me start training.

    I didn’t know much but jumped into it with enthusiasm.

    My workout consisted of Bench Press, Bicep Curls and Skull Crushers (lol) and I performed this workout 3 days a week.

    As most beginners to weight training, I quickly put on some size and gained strength and it was even noticed by a couple of girls at school.

    This felt awesome.

    But the biggest benefit I got was the boost in confidence I got, which wasn’t necessarily from the increased attention, but more from the fact that I committed to something, saw it through, then experienced results.

    This is where TRUE confidence comes from.

    Sure, you can repeat affirmations and say “I’m confident! I’m confident!” all day, but if you don’t actually do anything to better yourself, you’re simply lying to yourself.

    Confidence comes from capability and capability comes from learning + application.

    This is the PROCESS to confidence.

    Once you have the capability, then it’s time to add things like affirmations, visualization and mental tricks (which we’ll discuss in a future article), otherwise they have nothing behind them and your unconscious will know you’re full of it.

    So if you want to be confident, develop new capabilities.

    The best part is that it doesn’t matter what area of life they’re in, whether it’s fitness, business or love.

    Because by experiencing this PROCESS at work, you’ll discover that it applies to anything you want, which instantly boost your confidence.

    Did reading this boost your confidence?

    I hope so, but if it didn’t, don’t worry, just pick some capability you want to gain, follow the process and you’ll get it. I know you will.

    Eric

  • The Martial Artist’s Mindset

    The Martial Artist’s Mindset

    In last week’s video where we went in-depth about our Core Values, I posed the following question:

    What characteristics do YOU think make
    up the Martial Artist’s Mindset?

    Here’s a list of just some of the answers posted:

    • Humility
    • Discipline
    • Patience
    • Desire
    • Persistence
    • Determination
    • Compassion
    • Mindfulness
    • Focus
    • Humble
    • Playful
    • Poise
    • Perseverance
    • Inner drive
    • Willingness to help your training partners
    • Openness to learn
    • Striving to be better
    • Don’t shy away from hard work
    • Commitment
    • And more!

    While many shared different traits, there was a common theme amongst them all and you can clearly pick it out from the list above.

    The reason why I asked this question in the first place was because it relates to the PURPOSE that I’ve chosen for my business, which is: To help martial artists get in top shape.

    And in the video, I stated that I don’t want to just help people who practice martial arts, but also those that adopt the martial artist’s mindset and the list above is exactly why.

    Imagine what it’s like as a Coach to work with
    someone who embodies even just a few
    characteristics from the list above?

    Better yet, imagine that person’s results in fitness and life!

    Could be something like this (still one of my favourite videos):

    In 2004, I started as a Personal Trainer at a local gym and like any local gym, my clients were all your typical person who wants to lose some weight but doesn’t particularly care for exercise.

    Once I started training MMA fighters in 2006, the difference in attitude between the regular peeps and the martial artists was clear and I got so much more joy and fulfillment out of working with the fighters that I slowly transitioned to working with them full time.

    So now, I’ve determined that I will only work with those that either have this mindset or are willing to adopt it, because then, I can be at my best and I can help them become their best.

    The characteristics I’ve chosen that embody the Martial Artist’s Mindset are the following:

    • Being humbly confident
    • Being a student (coachable and always learning and progressing)
    • Embracing long-term goals
    • Being consistent
    • Taking pride in doing things right
    • Releasing tension

    At some point in the future, I’ll go in more depth into my thoughts on each of these, but for the most part, I feel they’re self-explanatory.

    This list isn’t better or worse than the list above, it’s just the list of characteristics that I’ve found the best people to work with exhibit.

    Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve shared
    the direction I’m headed and who I want
    to come along with me on this journey…

    I’m going to take the next couple of weeks off from writing blog posts or emails (I’ll still be hanging out on FB once in a while) to focus on ensuring everything is on point for my upcoming product launch.

    That means you’ll be getting a little break from me. 😉

    I want to leave you with one little tip that’s really helped me keep focused on what’s truly important to me: minimize the amount of input coming in to your brain.

    And here are 3 of the ways I’m doing it:

    1) Stop reading the news.

    Nothing important really happens and if it did, you’d hear about it.

    2) Unsubscribe from 90% of email newsletters.

    I now receive only 3 newsletters and it’s actually enjoyable to be able to go into my Inbox and I don’t end up where OTHERS want me to go. [Yes, that includes my newsletter if it doesn’t resonate]

    3) Stop surfing the web (or channel surfing) randomly.

    When I’m not conscious of it, I’m guilty of the following loop: TSN.ca, thestar.com, cagepotato.com, mmafighting.com, my FB page, lather, rinse, repeat.

    Now, I do my best to choose what I want to read when I want to read it and it’s freed my mind up to be more productive and creative.

    The web (and to a lesser extent, TV) is designed to trap you and guide you along all sorts of tangents and this is a way your brain’s connections go haywire.

    Bruce Lee said:

    I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

    When you browse the web mindlessly, you’re practicing 10,000 kicks once.

    But when you direct your focus to what YOU want, you’re building that muscle and those neurological connections to GET WHAT YOU WANT.

    Now, I’d love to hear your thoughts about the Martial Artist’s Mindset or the tip I shared to minimize the input below and we’ll talk in a couple of weeks. 😀

    – Eric

  • Our 5 Core Values In-Depth

    Our 5 Core Values In-Depth

    Here’s the vid:

    After watching the video, I’d love to hear your answer to the question…

    What characteristics do YOU think make
    up the Martial Artist’s Mindset?

    I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the Comments below and in a few days, I’ll share the characteristics I believe define it and exactly who I want to work with.

    – E

  • Mental Training for MMA – Interview with Jeff Joslin

    Mental Training for MMA – Interview with Jeff Joslin

    Fear, nerves and self-doubt are 3 enemies that are as dangerous to you as it would be for a beginner to go up against Anderson Silva (or Chris Weidman, for that matter).

    In this interview, I grill ex-UFC veteran and my good friend Jeff Joslin about mental training for MMA and how to develop the warrior mindset.

    We also talk about his new book called “Monster in the Cage” in which he shares the strategies he used to ensure he was 100% mentally prepared for his fights.

    Jeff launched his book last week but I got a few angry emails because I gave you guys short notice about the Monster in the CAGE launch special and the bonus MMA training workshop he threw in.

    So I asked him to extend the sale for my subscribers, just in case you missed out and you wanted to grab the book (and bonus).

    The extended sale ends Wednesday at midnight EST, so get on over there if you want to grab the book and ensure your mental game doesn’t sabotage your chances of fighting to your physical potential. Click here to grab Monster in the Cage or to learn more.

    sale

    monster-in-the-cage-banner

  • The MONEY Set

    Today, I’m going to issue you a challenge.

    Before reading what it’s all about, I want you to agree to take part in this challenge.

    You may be thinking, “How can I do this without knowing what it is?”

    Here’s how…

    If you’re on this site, I’m assuming that you workout. (If you’re on this site and you’re not exercising regularly, stop reading and start doing something! Knowledge without action is a waste of time.)

    No, actually, not workout, that’s the wrong word.

    I’m assuming you TRAIN.

    The difference between someone who works out and someone who trains is seen best in this example:


    Johnny shows up at the gym. Changes into his Nike Dri-fit top and matching shorts. Laces up his Nike Frees.Cues up his iPod.

    He then walks out of the changeroom, into the gym, and thinks to himself, “Soooo, what should I start with?”

    Martin shows up at the gym. Changes into a similar outfit.He even comes in with an iPod too.

    But when he steps into the gym, he’s got something else in his hand.

    A piece of paper.

    On this piece of paper is a list of exercises. Each exercise has specific reps, sets and rest periods.

    When Martin walks into the gym, he thinks to himself, “Let’s do this.”

    Between the two, who is working out and who is training?

    If you said Johnny is working out and Martin is training, you’re bang on the money.

    When you’re training, you’re following a program.

    Not some random program, but a program for your specific goals.

    When you’re training, you know what you’ve done before, what you’re about to do, and what you’re going to do next.

    When you finish a training session, there’s a real feeling of accomplishment and confidence knowing that you’re 1 more step closer to your goals.

    But when you’re just working out, who knows what the hell is going on.

    You’ll randomly choose exercises. You’ll probably pick the ones you’re most comfortable with, neglecting those your body needs.

    You’ll do whatever # of reps makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something. You’ll then leave, possibly making gains, but likely not doing more than breaking a sweat and maintaining.

    Sure, it’s better than nothing. And working out randomly can be good for you, if you’re deloading for a period of time between training phases or programs.

    So that was a little aside, but something I had to get across, because I still see 90% of the people in gyms simply working out.

    If you want to be average, join the 90%.

    The unfortunate majority in our society…

    If you want to be one of the top achievers, look around you and do the things that the majority AREN’T doing.

    And one of those things is today’s topic:

    Here’s your Challenge:

    Think of an upcoming training session, either strength or conditioning specific.

    Pick one set, from one exercise and blow your previous results out of the park.

    Some examples would be:

    • On your last set of Squats, regardless of what the reps are, don’t stop until you know in your SOUL you can’t do another
    • On your last interval, even though it’s only supposed to be 1 minute at 9.0 mph, go for 2… or even 3, if you want to feel like a KING after

    When you’re done, report your results here.

    Not just what you did, but how it made you feel.

    If you’ve read this far, you’ve agreed to this challenge already, so not reporting back is a broken commitment, to me AND to yourself.

    If it’s easy to break commitments to yourself, the worse your life will get, I guarantee it.

    So take this opportunity to strengthen your commitment and follow-through muscles by coming back here and reporting your results when you’re done.

    Now, here’s why THE MONEY SET is an awesome training tool…

    Although we always do our best to train at a high intensity, the human body simply cannot go 100% all-out, all-the-time.

    Think of each energy system and your central nervous system as separate batteries.

    It’s simply not possibly to completely drain each battery, give them no rest, and expect them to continue to perform at a high level indefinitely.

    This is an old-school mentality that has caused more injuries than any stupid circus-act exercise or fitness fad out being performed in big-box gyms around the world.

    I can think of ONE functional use of this tool…

    But what THE MONEY SET does is gives you a clear focus on where you’re going to direct most of your mental and physical energy.

    [It’s a concept I’ve integrated quite heavily into my MMA Ripped 8-Week Training Camp]

    Focusing all of your energy into this one set is like a powerful laser-beam that can burn a hole through a steel vault.

    You might just astonish yourself at what you’re capable of, bringing your confidence to a whole new level.

    So think about what you’re going to do, then you’ll automatically start gearing yourself up for one of the best sessions ever.

    I can’t wait to hear how it goes.

    – Eric

  • What’s Your ‘Sacrifice’?

    “The only question to ask yourself is, how much are you you willing to sacrifice to achieve this success?

    – Larry Flynt, Creator of Hustler Magazine”

    Yeah, I know that Larry Flynt may not be the most inspiring of sources for a quote, but his quote is relevant to what I want to talk about and it was one of the first that came up when I searched “success sacrifice quote” in Google.

    I’m writing this post after meeting with Joe, a mixed martial artist who wants to have his first MMA fight in April 2010.

    (more…)