How to be successful in bodybuilding, and in life!

My advice to aspiring bodybuilders and people aspiring to be great at anything:

1) Wake up early

Laziness and procrastination is an awesome way to suck at life.
It’s ok to sleep in sometimes, but don’t make a habit of wasting your life in bed.
Get your ass up and go.

2) Don’t make excuses EVER

Nothing is going to derail your efforts faster than trying to place blame on anything other than yourself. YOU control YOU. Once you figure that out, things will start to happen for you.

3) Do shit other people aren’t willing to do

You have to be willing to get uncomfortable and go outside of the norm to dominate life. Whether you want to be a bodybuilder or a business-man, doing the things that others will not will give you confidence and an attitude of ass-kicking-ness toward life.

I became a successful bodybuilder because I insisted on doing the things no one else would do.

4) Eat well

Eating crap may not affect you now, but it will.

It’s not “cool” to be able to eat what you want and stay lean. It’s still destroying your insides and you’re setting yourself up for a shitty time when you’re older. Eat good whole foods and take care of yourself. How you eat reflects your sense of self respect. Take care of the temple!

5) Surround yourself with bright people

How you talk, walk, and act is a result of the people that you surround yourself with… so get around bright and successful people!

Become ATTILA the HUN when it comes to the noise and bullshit that people put into your ears and brain.

People, TV programs, the daily news all introduce thoughts and behaviors into your life. What goes in, must come out. Beware.

6) Always wear clean shoes

You can dress like a bum, but clean shoes say that this guy takes care of his shit. Shine those biatches.

7) Stay at nice hotels

Splurge! I know it gets pricey, but surrounding yourself with successful people and the first class lifestyle associated with 5-star hotel treatment will motivate you to work harder to stay there.

I’m writing this sitting in a hotel that is extremely well decorated and very pricey. Is it worth it? Absolutely. World class service, and I feel like a rockstar 24 hours a day.

It’s an investment in your confidence and mindset. Plus the food is much better.

8) Become a professional

I wish someone had told me this sooner in life.

Whatever you do, BE A PROFESSIONAL.

I don’t care if you’re a professional Brazilian waxer or horse stall sweeper. Do it, and do it better than anyone else and do it with pride.

Want to be a pro bodybuilder? Then THAT is your profession. Eat, sleep, walk, talk like the best of the best (although it may be hard to find a decent role model).

Write down what you would expect from a pro in your field…in my case a bodybuilder. What should a pro bodybuilder look, talk, eat, train like?

Why aren’t you doing that?

9) Enjoy life

Too many people have no idea what being happy means to them.

What really makes you happy? (if you say shopping you need to read a book…ANY book!).

Find what you enjoy and make it a large part of your life.

10) Get HARDCORE

The world is trying to breed mediocrity.
DESPISE mediocrity.
Get intense, get focused, get hardcore.

Whatever you choose to do, go HARD or go the F home.

The worst thing in the world is people who act and talk like a poster child for Prozac. Wake the F up people. Get excited. Get enthusiastic. Get hardcore!

11) Smile!

Smiling doesn’t make you a bad person… why don’t people smile?

12) Talk

I know there are 7.1 billion people in the world, but saying hello to the 30 people you encounter on a daily basis really isn’t hard. PRACTICE.

Communication is an art. No need to be afraid. Rejection is good for you too.

13) Read

Reading will improve your ability to think and communicate.

TV seems to be the new cool thing to talk about. Reading is now reserved for the very select few who choose to give a shit about their lives.

14) Choose your TOP 5

You are the 5 people you choose to surround yourself with. We all get into circumstances we can’t always control, but stop making excuses and take control of your life.

If you have a hard time finding 5 great people to surround yourself with, you simply aren’t bringing enough to the table. Respect is earned.

15) Fly first class

Yep, it’s 4 times as expensive and you’re often paying a lot extra for a crappy meal, but flying first class will motivate your brain to start thinking about HOW you can start affording this all the time. MUCH better than spending the entire flight thinking about how much the fat person beside you smells bad and how the leg-room sucks in coach.

16) Choose what you put into your brain

A single drop of brown dye in a bucket may go unnoticed, but continue to allow drops of brown dye into that bucket and eventually you’re going to have a big bucket of shit. Don’t let people drop their shit in your bucket. Negative people are like the cancer of life.

17) Never talk negatively about others

Your brain can only hold one conscious thought at a time. Why would you waste that talking about someone elses life? Life is too short to waste it on other peoples problems.

18) Buy a suit

If you want to be successful, first impressions matter. Save up and buy an expensive suit that makes you look like a boss. It will get you much further than dropping a few hundred at the bar every weekend.

19) Dress one step above everyone else

You never want to be under-dressed.

If you’re expected to wear a shirt and tie…. you wear a jacket. Stand out from the crowd. If everyone in the room is wearing a black tux, go out and buy a fkn fedora.

20) Always choose the road less travelled

When given the choice between picking the easy road and the road that would make something of you, always choose the road that others aren’t willing to take.

Rest less, work more.

21) NEVER quit

This is the number one thing learned from my dad. If you start, you finish!

No matter how much it sucks. You chose to start, you’re committed, and there may be someone relying on you.

22) Be grateful

This should be number one on the list.

If you suck at everything else and refuse to try anything outside of what you’re already doing, do this one.

Anything and everything in life has gratitude hidden somewhere inside it. Find a reason to be grateful for everything in life.

I got a huge speeding ticket today… I can think of 10 things to be grateful for about that statement. Truthfully. Can you?

23) Get a mentor or coach

You are only one person and you have no time to do everything.

Hire someone or ask someone to help guide you in one area of your life you need most help with. I’ve had a life-coach since 2007 and it has changed my life.

24) Enthusiasm moves the world

Get enthusiastic.

Why does it seem most people are afraid to show their enthusiasm for fear of ridicule. If someone puts you down for being enthusiastic, think about it, tell them to take a walk. Good people encourage enthusiasm.

25) MAN UP

The feminization of the men in the world is repulsive.

Accept responsibility for your actions, be confident, take control of your life. The world is dumping estrogen down your throats to chemically castrate you.

Be a man!

BONUS POINTS:

26) Save money.

27) Be the first to help others.

28) Treat your lady like a queen.

29) The world waits for you to TELL them who you are. Decide the person you
want to become and show the world.

30) Give back!

I recommend you head over to the MI40 Nation forums now and discuss this article. What would you add? Do you agree with everything?: forums