Do you feel entitled to win?
Jul 09, 2021 3:30 pm
Happy Friday,
I hope your week has been a productive one.
Two controversial messages for you today:
- Stop trying to be positive
- Are you really working hard enough?
I hope these get you thinking about how you approach your preparation, as I discussed in the last newsletter. (Go back to your Inbox and check it out if you missed it. It was a good one!)
Get 1% better today,
Dr. Eddie
Stop Trying to Be Positive
Forcing positivity can create pressure to feel better. And then you feel like something is wrong with you because you can’t be positive like everyone tells you to, adding to your frustration and distress.
Listen … We have four basic human emotions: happy, sad, mad and scared. Only one of them is positive. And if you are trying to always be happy, you are cutting out 75% of the normal, healthy human experience.
This is why positive thinking is not the answer to your problems.
There is a time to be depressed.
There is a time be be angry.
There is a time to be anxious.
The problem isn’t that you feel these emotions.
The problem is what you do to control or avoid them.
You don’t have to stop when you are sad.
You don’t have to act out when you are angry.
You don’t have to hide when you are scared.
You already do a lot of things independent of what you think and feel. You get up in the morning when you want to stay in bed. You don’t yell at everyone who aggravates you.
You don’t have to think positive and feel confident to behave in a way that helps you move forward.
Accept the negative emotions as an unpleasant experience, and choose to do the right thing for you and your goals bringing the unpleasant thoughts and feelings along with you.
If you’re having difficulty getting started or sticking to your goals, I'm available for 1:1 consulting at https://dreddieoconnor.com/telehealth-services/
Are You Working Hard Enough?
Obstacle:
You’re working hard but you aren’t getting the results you want.
You’re frustrated. It felt unfair.
I’m thinking you might feel entitled.
How to Overcome:
Realize that hard work is the bare minimum for participation. If you are an athlete or want to be considered a high-achiever, hard work is a basic requirement. It is just the beginning.
Remember, if you want to be in the top 3%, you have to do what 97% of others can’t or won’t do.
And remember, your opponents are working hard too. Do they deserve to beat you because they put in the time?
Or do you want them to earn it?
Hard work entitles you to nothing.
Prepare. Focus. Be intense. Practice deliberately. Recover well. Study. Learn. Grow from your mistakes.
Hard work is just the beginning.
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
