The Vision Answers Why

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Arnold Schwarzenegger had a dream; then a goal; and finally - a fully believed in vision of himself standing on the stage one day, winning Mr. Olympia – a title given to the world’s greatest professional bodybuilder annually.

Growing up in Austria, bodybuilding wasn’t popular but that didn’t stop Arnold. He began lifting weights at the age of fifteen and won his first Mr. Universe title just five years later, at 20 – the first of six consecutive victories, and seven in total.

Arnold believed in creating a vision of the future – painting a vivid picture of what he wanted to achieve, in order to answer the question of why? Why was he pushing his body to the limits? Why was he going to suffer the pain of extremely disciplined dieting? To fulfill his vision!

He explained his process simply. At the end of his workout, why would he do 200 extra sit ups? He reframed it in a positive, and inspiring way. “These 200 sit ups will help me become Mr. Olympia.”

Athletes of any sport can learn a lot from Arnold’s mindset (and certainly not just athletes, as well!). You have to live your life backwards. Who do you want to become? What do you want to achieve? What do you want your life to look like?

Have the courage to dream big! Set audacious, lofty goals. It’s vital to create a vision that’s truly going to inspire you. Why? Motivation is fleeting.

You need a vision that will get you out of bed in the morning when you don’t feel like it. You need a vision that will reign you in when you feel like taking shortcuts. You need a vision that will keep you on the path of discipline.

It’s very easy to work hard and do all the things you know you’re supposed to be doing when the stars are aligned, and you’re motivated and feeling good. However, life isn’t always easy. It can, and will be unpredictable, harsh, and at times unrelenting and merciless.

You must strive to build a work ethic and a resilience within yourself where your daily habits and actions are not dictated by your mood. They’re not dictated by external circumstances. You’re able to stay on the hard path, the path that’s far less trodden – because you’ve identified what it is you truly want.

As a result, you don’t have a choice in terms of how hard you’re going to work today because you’ve connected the dots between what you do right now, today (and even more importantly how you do it) and your vision of the future.

Ken Ravizza, a world-renowned sports psychologist stated:

TODAY + TODAY + … + TODAY = YOUR CAREER

Driven athletes are driven by their why; their mission; and not how they feel in a particular moment. This vision of your future self can be your guiding light, your North Star – and it alone dictates your choices and habits on a daily basis.

Want to achieve what only 0.0000000001 % of the population does? Work harder than 99.999999999%.

Do it today.