A comfort zone is a dangerous thing. It can lull us into a sense of satisfaction and feeling of false growth. Pushing ourselves to do new things, meet new people, and start new activities is key to personal growth. At Elite Force our goal is to constantly improve. We don't need to grow by a lot every day, just by a tiny bit. However if we never tried new things and never stepped out of our comfort zone, instead of inching forward, we would instead start inching backwards.
This is why we let one phrase define how we approach business and life "Sucess is being uncomfortable." We take a negative emotion, being uncomfortable, and we turn it postitive. When we approach discomfort this way it starts to create this feeling of supreme satisfaction when facing difficult situartions. The more we tell ourself this, the more we force our brain to believe it. Having the confidence and desire to step out of your comfort zone, can take your busisness & your life to the next level. So don't wait to change your mindset when it comes to stepping out of your comfort zone. Do it today!
Giving 100% Effort
Posted: March 15, 2021
One lesson we try to pass on to our students is to always apply yourself as much as possible. In martial arts we have many different areas of training. There is self defense, sparring, weapons training, katas and much more. Often, a student becomes drawn to one particular aspect of training. Naturally students put more effort into the things they enjoy. However sometimes our students put more effort into one area at the expense of the others. While we should put more effort into the things we enjoy, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of being lazy while doing everything else.
In the world outside of martial arts average people can find themselves in much the same situation. In college, for example, most students have some kind of job outside of school. Majority of these jobs do not directly relate to the students preferred career path. This sometimes makes students feel like they have license to slack off or not try their best at the job. Afterall, why would a rocket scientist need to be good at waiting tables?
This mindset is dangerous. The truth is when we apply ourselves to every task we get, we can only benefit. I call this the theory of 100% effort. No matter the relevance of the task, or job, if you give 100% you will find some kind of benefit. Waiting on tables might not directly develop skills that someone needs to become a rocket scientist. However it might allow that person to build better social, and public speaking skills. Both of which are skills that can make or break someone's career. So next time you are confronted with a task you don't feel is relevant, give it 100% anyways, because you only stand to benefit.
Leadership By Example
Posted: March 08, 2021
If we wish others to act a certain way, then we must first begin with ourselves. If we expect to get respect, we must first give respect. Our actions are more influential than we acknowledge. One person can change the atmosphere in a room just by how they act, and what kind of attitude they project. So on the road to becoming a leader we must constantly evaluate how our own actions are affecting those around us.
The best way and most powerful way to get what we want out of people, is to just do it first ourselves. Want to help your children lose weight? Then start eating healthy yourself. Wish that your coworkers treated you with more respect? Then give it to them first. When we lead by example we don't have to force the people around us to follow. It happens naturally.
So next time you expect people to act a certain way, don't tell them what to do. Show them.
Frustration Leads to Success
Posted: February 22, 2021
As a child, I routinely found math to be my hardest subject. My biggest problem would always occur when I hit some kind of mental block. I'd end up trying to solve the same problem over and over again. Each time I restarted I became more dejected and more frustrated. Eventually I would get up and maybe walk around the house, or eat something, just to give my brain a short rest. When I returned I would contemplate skipping the question or giving it one more shot. Normally I would end up trying again, but a few times I did give in to frustration and quit.
What often happened when I decided to try again was that I found the problem to be simpler than I thought. Frustration had clouded my problem solving skills. Now that I was calm the problem that had previoculy given me so much trouble, was easy. I had without realizing done the problem so many times that I knew it really well. Once I got through my frustration, the way to find the answer was staring me right in the face! So frustration didn't stop me, it merely pointed me in the direction of success. If we change how we view and deal with frustration we can accomplish so much more!
Frustration is not some random roadblock, it is a sign that you're getting close to success. If you're getting frustrated, getting tired of trying to accomplish a specific goal, don't give up! You are probably even closer to it than you think. There is almost nothing sadder than watching someone give up a goal they were so close to achieving. So next time you encounter a wave of frustration, remind yourself, this is the gate way to success. If you want to accomplish anything you must embrace and overcome your own frustrations!
The 3 Laws of Concentration
Posted: February 15, 2021
To help our students focus better in class we developed the 3 laws of concentration. As the years progressed we found that while it was made for our students, our staff benefited from it greatly as well. When we followed these guidelines, we were not only more focused, but also more driven and efficient. So without further ado here are our 3 laws of concentration.
LAW 1 - FOCUS YOUR EYES
Getting into a car with someone wearing a blindfold is not a good idea. Why? Well, because they can't see the road. Not keeping your eyes focused on whatever task you are trying to accomplish is like driving blindfolded. Instead of efficiently getting from point A to point B, you instead wander all over the place, making distracting turns, not to mention crashing. Not keeping your eyes on a task, tells your brain that it is ok to wander, to take wrong turns, to get distracted. So instead keep those eyeballs in line and channel their focus in the correct direction.