Podcast episode (Brian Johnson) reflecting on Bill Beswick’s book Changing You. The episode emphasizes the ‘you versus you’ struggle—strong/heroic self versus weak/self-sabotaging self—advocates accepting responsibility for mindset and behavior, seeking help and being coachable, and asks listeners to clarify what they want and how badly they want it.
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic one. In our last several plus 1s we've been exploring some wisdom from Bill Beswick's great book Changing youg How to Take Control of youf Life, Create change and Achieve your goals. As you may recall, we discussed the importance of focusing on moving from 60 to 90% versus 90 to 100%. That's really big idea. After reminding ourselves to set no limits to our potential, provided we're willing to pay the price. And don't forget to channel your inner prefontaine and be somebody today, we're going to wrap up our tour through Bill's book with another one of my favorite ideas. Let's get straight to work. Bill tells us, and I quote, the dominant theme woven through this book is that the struggle for psychological health and well being is one of you versus you, the strong you versus the weak you. The stories emphasize the power of seeking help and not trying to battle life on your own in some way or form. All my athletes and coaches have found the courage to say I was wrong, I am sorry, I don't know, or I need help. For some of these individuals, the act of sharing with a mentor or thinking partner unlocked the key to changing their story in a much more successful career and life. He continues by saying, this simple book of stories encourages you to review your own life story and reminds you that your life can begin to change the moment you accept responsibility for your own mindset, consequent thinking and behavior. If you are not leading the life you want, there are a number of ways illustrated in each lesson that you can regain control. The key questions to answer are what do I want? And how much do I want it? Change is not easy, but if you can overcome any fears and doubts and summon up the willpower to take responsibility and strengthen your mindset, you can reshape the course of your life. I wish you well in changing your story. Now those are the final words of the book and once again there's a lot we can discuss, but I want to focus on a couple things. First, here's a friendly reminder that the ultimate game we are playing comes down to two opponents, you versus you. There's the best, most heroic version of yourself that knows what you want, knows what you need to do to get it, and then consistently does the things you know you need to do and very importantly also knows you'll never do any of this stuff perfectly. And then there's the other version of you that doesn't take the time to get clarity and pay the price, et cetera. Here's the question which version of you wins? As I say, as I conclude every one of my keynotes with this wisdom, it's not debatable. The version of you that more consistently shows up as your best self will win, but only every single time. Right? Then there's the Fact that We need to be coachable. One of the most fascinating parts of my recent top secret trip to work with those elite athletes was the fact that the most powerful guy in the room was arguably the the most curious and engaged and coachable. It was astonishing. Which makes me think of Mark Devine's wisdom from Uncommon, in which he tells us that Microsoft's co founder Paul Allen once said, everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player. With all that in mind, I ask you yet again, what do you really want and how bad do you want it? Here's to forging excellence, activating our heroic potential, and fulfilling our destinies so we can change the world one person at a time together. Starting with you and me today.
