Fight Science
Posted by Mystery Book on January 29, 2008
I recently caught an episode of “Fight Science” on the National Geographic channel and was awestruck by some of the techniques deployed out there for sport and performance. This particular episode was about the military special forces from around the world. Each of the three subjects were subjected to extreme conditions that would be close to fatal for an average Joe and their ability did not diminish and in some cases actually improved a little bit. How is this possible?
Being healthy and exceptionally built are one part of the answer but the main reason is sheer will power and determination combined with years of extensive training that pushes them to their mental and physical limits. Only then are they able to make split second moves without doubting their abilities.
I had a poster in my office room for a long time that said “Success is like a stream cutting through the ragged rocks”. In time, the rocks smoothen and bend to the will of the stream. In every aspect of our life, we need to keep pushing ourself a little bit outside our comfort zone. Only then will new opportunities present themselves. The willingness to take risk is often rewarded.
Some examples from real life:
1. Do you want to exercise regularly? Does your body reject the idea and the mind finds excuses to avoid the initial uncomfortable feeling? Then get off your butt, and take the first step. Start with a 5 minute workout and add a minute every few workout till you reach you target. If the target is 30 minutes on the treadmill, then it could take a month or so to achieve but you will get there. The satisfaction of achievement in itself is an adrenaline rush.
2. Do you want to take those extra courses to further your career? What is stopping you? If it is the thought of working weeknights or spending long hours on the weekends away from the family then just do it. Talk to your family that you want to take these courses but it will take your time away from them for a few weeks(months or years), and chances are you will get support from them. Take the first step by enrolling in the course.
3. Have you been dating a person for some time now and are ready to make a commitment but just delaying it? Talk to the other person about their thoughts on a commitment from you. This will either free you from the current dilemma or send you on a honeymoon. Either way, you will feel proud of yourself for doing this.
4. You have taken the first step of making a to-do list but are overwhelmed by the number of tasks? Take the most important task, start working on it now. Chances are you will have covered up a lot of ground within a short time. Keep at it and soon that list will start shrinking. Sit on the list and it will only get bigger and many times those small pesky tasks end up being bigger problems.
5. You feel your skills are not being appreciated in your current job? Talk to your manager and ask how your skills can be used in the organization. Ask how you would be compensated for taking on the additional work. Without you speaking up, it is very unlikely your manager will know of your skills and growth requirements. If your manager doesn’t appreciate your skills, ask what is lacking and what can be done about it. If you end up with a jerk as a manager it might even be time to look for another job within that organization or elsewhere.
The lesson to take away is “The best time is now” and “You need to constantly push yourself slightly out of your comfort zone in all aspects of life”.
Related Links: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/fightscience/
