gym – From the desk of Adam Thomas

What happens in a gym?

Work.

Being focused in a gym means a little short-term hurt for long-term results.

You are purposefully beating yourself up to get stronger.

We have to do the same thing with our ideas.

What is an idea gym?

Salon – A salon is a group of friends that discuss ideas. They critically discuss them, as opposed to just talking. Put your ego by the door. The idea is strong ideas, weakly held.

Yourself – Self-talk works. Try to probe the idea in your head for weaknesses. Where did it come from?

Market – Put it out as is. Stop building at a date you set and put it out. No polish.

Like the gym, the first few times, it’s going to suck. You aren’t going to like being “sore.”

However, no pain no gain.

Remember that transformation you’ve seen when someone went to the gym, with focus, for a year? Now think about that same change for your ideas.

Powerful.

I don’t go to the gym as much as I should, but when I am there, I love to see the level of focus.

When you are on the bench press, lifting 250 pounds, you find laser focus when there is a chance that the weight will fall on your neck. You’d better put all your attention on that bar. There is no time to talk to anyone that isn’t on your team. You aren’t turning your head to talk about the weather or the San Antonio Spurs, it’s either about this bar or nothing. When the focus is there, and the team is right, the person who is lifting can do things they didn’t think possible, all while getting stronger in the process.

Here is the rub: if the weight on the bar is light enough them to do it while not needing that focus, then they effectively have wasted their time. It might look good to other people, but since you need to focus and your muscles find it easy enough to lift without thought, then you don’t get stronger and you didn’t prove anything.

In life, if you find a lack of focus taking over your life, perhaps its time to add weight? Lean into a project a little more, get a little more vulnerable, call someone you don’t want to speak to do something that pushes your chips further into the table. Put the bar over your neck* and see if you lift. You might surprise yourself…

*Like at the gym, its best to do this with a spotter, or maybe a few of them. If it is too much, call for help.