In the original Karate Kid, Daniel-san seizes the moment to impress his love interest and get back at the school bullies (win-win).
He puts a hose over the bathroom stall of the antihero, Johnnie, at the Halloween dance.
…and then proceeds to run back through the crowded dance floor, chased by Johnnie and his goon friends (dressed up as skeletons in case we forgot who the bad guys are ;)
Daniel pauses on his way out just long enough to give Elizabeth Shue’s character a kind of “fleeing kiss.” With a grin he blurts, “It’s comin’ around!”
As in, the bullies are finally getting their just desserts.
This line — and Daniel’s gumption — were forever fired in my then 6-year-old brain. The new kid in school pranks the toughest, blondest, most popular kid in school.
Daniel might as well have said, “Seized it!”
Mindset tricks that work
A night like this doesn’t come along very often.
I seized it.
—Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 5 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬.
Dr. Seuss wrote 'Cat in the Hat' at 54. It's not too late.
1. 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲.
↳ Today is Saturday, but the idea of a weekend is a made-up concept.
↳ Prioritize yourself for once(!) by doing 1️⃣ thing today that moves you forward toward your dream.
↳ Once you build the habit of working toward your future, it becomes intrinsically rewarding (read: you feel good!).
2. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬
↳ Ambitious people set big goals, but this can be self-defeating.
↳ You are more likely to make progress when you lower the stakes of every day’s work.
↳ If the “ideal” win is to write a chapter of your book today, apply a “winner’s discount” and celebrate if you write just 250 words.
3. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬
↳ Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams crusades against goals. He advises that habits are how most people succeed.
↳ James Clear: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
↳ Enjoy the journey. Be present in what you do now.
4. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫
↳ Hot take: ‘Zero to One’ by Peter Thiel does more to harm entrepreneurship than help.
↳ 99.9% of wealthy people did not do anything truly original. They found a strong customer need and served it better than others.
↳ You can’t know the perfect idea at the start, so don’t waste time trying to find it.
5. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤
↳ The ceiling of your potential is as high as the pillars you surround yourself with.
↳ Don’t try to find a mentor on Day 1. Let it happen organically.
↳ Try a new coffee shop or coworking space where the people energize you. Find a meetup. Book a ticket to a conference. Just go!
No one is coming to save you.
You have to start.
Seize the day, my friends.
Seize a Coach
If you’re looking to unlock your own elite potential — and that of your organization, give me a shout.
I provide 1:1 coaching based on my experience in:
- the military (including leading in combat)
- Harvard Business School
- Amazon and other top companies
- venture-backed startups
I will work with you on your:
- mindset
- goals
- habits
- systems
- mindful leadership
If there’s a chance I can help you as a thought partner (not to mention accountability), then grab some time with me for a free exploratory call.
It’ll be just 15 minutes. No sales pitch.
Let’s chat.
PS. The call is FREE, but there's a $25 charge for no-shows to stop bots.
Coda
I didn’t care anymore. I had lost the ability to bulls—t.
I was 35. I had started my life.
—Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire
Outro
The group Art Brut is so excited to be making progress that they sing a song so annoying that it’s actually good enough to make me laugh.
Cheers
Find me on LinkedIn.
