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My first article on three books that helped me pass the $100K mark was very introspective, and I love the books showcased in that article — they truly changed my life. I still listen to them often; they never get old, and I learn new things each time.
But, fair warning, the books in this article are a complete 180 degrees from the books listed in the first article, but I love them just as much, and when used in tandem, opportunities are endless.
There is something about the balance of spiritual growth as well as physical exertion that unlocks a certain level — a level I didn’t even know existed. There is something about pushing yourself SO hard physically that it reveals things you didn’t even know were possible, and that has a huge effect on your mental mindset, which will make you stronger in all aspects of life, including running and growing your business!
Related: 3 Books That Made Me 6 Figures That Aren’t About Business At All
Book #1 — Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
I’ve written about David Goggins before, and this is 100% the book that made me realize I can do (very) hard things. My “hard” isn’t even as hard as his was growing up. Being physically, verbally and emotionally abused by his dad, called racial slurs and having a handful of learning disabilities didn’t make anything easy for him. By the time he was in his early twenties, he was overweight, working a dead-end job at a pest control company and overall, not headed anywhere. I’ll be honest: This book was hard to listen to at times since he shares raw experiences of his life while he was growing up.
However, it makes you realize if a person can overcome things like that, we can too! In this book, Goggins recounted his first-ever 100-mile race … I’ll leave the physical details for you to find out (just threw up in my mouth a little) and share what stuck with me about his mindset.
Here’s his 40% philosophy: “When you think that you are done, you’re only about 40% into what your body’s capable of doing. That’s just the limits that we put on ourselves.”
That blew my mind.
And made me realize HOW impactful our mind + body connection really is. We think we’re done but we have so much more to give. This goes for our mental capabilities as well. Once we realize we can do so much more in so many areas of life…
Life is changed forever.
Bonus: Never Finished
Goggins’s second book continues with more of his story and shares more of his experiences that make anyone reading understand that they can do hard things, too.
Related: 32 Entrepreneurs Share the Books They Always Recommend
Book #2 — Endure by Cameron Hanes
Hanes’s famous hashtag, #keephammering, pretty much sums up everything. Born and raised in a small town outside of Eugene, Oregon, Hanes had an okay childhood — his parents divorced when he was young, and Hanes spent most of his time staying away from the tensions of his house and didn’t seem to have much interest in anything other than partying and getting by … until his first hunt at 19.
That changed him. He started following his passion for bowhunting. He realized he wanted to be the best, so he started running marathons (not halves, but whole) daily before his 9-5 job and would shoot arrows when he got home from work. He is a huge believer in not letting others outwork you, being obsessed and training hard so you can hunt easily.
How can you apply these mindset tips to your business?
Are you passionate about what you do? Hopefully, the answer is yes.
Are you doing everything you can to achieve your dreams and live your passion? I know that every day is not rainbows and butterflies, but if you’re not passionate about what you do, you’re going to have a hard time putting in the work to make your business a success.
Are you doing the hard things so the “hunt” is easy? This is different for everyone, but doing something physical daily that pushes you will make your day-to-day tasks, headaches, etc., easier to deal with since you’ll mentally be in a better place.
P.S. It’s no surprise Hanes and Goggins are friends!
Related: 5 Books That Paved My Path to Entrepreneurial Success
Book #3 — Relentless by Tim S. Grover
To be honest, I had never heard of Grover before this book, but I saw someone share it on Instagram and said it is a must-read for business owners, and they were right.
Grover’s first client starting out on his own? Michael Jordan. He sent handwritten letters to everyone on the Bulls team … except MJ. But Jordan heard about this and reached out to him!
Other clients included Kobe, Dwayne and Sir Charles. This book goes into depth about the hard physical work and mental fortitude these greats endured to hit and crush their goals. The title says it all: These guys were relentless in their pursuit of their dreams, and that comes with blood, sweat and tears.
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Honestly, I’m not great at explaining how pushing myself physically with inspiration from these books has changed my life, but I encourage you to push yourself so you can see how it feels.
Set a physical goal that seems out of reach and complete it. You don’t have to be the best or the fastest; you just have to complete it. Or try Goggins’s 4 x 4 x 48 (run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours … don’t worry, I didn’t think I’d complete it the first time either!)
I can promise you that you will feel different, and your perspective will completely change — about yourself, your business, the world, what’s actually possible, everything.
