The New Year is often a time where we take stock of where we are at in our life’s journey and make minor course corrections, often called resolutions. Or maybe you do this in Springtime, when everything feels fresh and new again. Or for some it might be September, which most of us still associate with ‘back to school’, and feels like another time where we can start fresh.
What’s the Destination?
Whatever your course corrections (“join a gym” or “lose 10 pounds” or “start writing my book”), it is worth pausing and looking at the bigger picture. Rather than react with a minor course correction or two (often made from a place of autopilot) you want to be intentional about this. Remember, there is a captain on this journey (you!) and the first thing the captain needs to be clear on is “where am I going?” and “what are the values I want to honor on the way there?” These are big questions that are easily put off for another day. But not if you have an ‘unbeatable mind’.
Getting Navy Seal clarity
In reading retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine’s book, Unbeatable Mind - Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level, I was intrigued by how mindfulness is an integral part of his SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind programs. These programs guide average people like me through the mental and physical transformation needed to navigate life like a SEAL.
The following quote from Unbeatable Mind makes this very clear:
" The happiest and most successful people in the world are also the most aware of their internal and external environments. They are constantly scanning both for threats and opportunities to grow and lead. To make a change, awareness is the starting point.”
It starts with your mind
Awareness is everything - whether you want the physical and mental toughness of an elite level Navy SEAL or an elite level employee, entrepreneur, wife or Dad! Every one of your choices emanates from either a place of clear conscious awareness - or from a place of autopilot. So the warrior mindset is really about moving out of autopilot and into a place of awareness and mindfulness. It is about being present, paying attention and accepting the reality of what’s here now. It is about challenging yourself to be open and curious and looking at the world with a ‘beginner’s mind’. It is about being intentional and ideally compassionate in your choices.
As you consider your goals, why not make upgrading your brain and connected nervous system one of them? When you are operating from a place of calm-yet-alert, your entire nervous system is operating in a state of high performance and resiliency. You will have greater clarity, and yet remain far more curious, connected and concentrated. You will live your life with far less frenzy, frantic and frazzled. You will be able to see the bigger picture and make intentional choices rather than simply reacting. What if you commit to the discipline and practice that allows you to develop an unbeatable mind and bring that to every role you fulfill in your life?
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I coach amazing people like you to delete the overwhelm, discern what matters most and drive your future. Schedule a FREE consultation with me HERE if you want to explore what life would be like for you with a more resilient brain and more masterful habits.