The 7 Pillars of Greatness

I've been pursuing greatness my entire life. First, as an athlete. Then, as a coach. Now, I've spent the last 5 years working my way through mountains of content and have had hundreds of conversations trying to understand why some achieve their dreams and others don't. I've finally come to the conclusion that greatness is a skill, and some master them and some don't. 

Each week I plan on helping you become one of the few that do. I will teach you the various skills of greatness that I know will help you win in every aspect of life. That's not all I want for you. I don't just want you to know what greatness is, I want you to take action on making your dreams come true.

This newsletter will serve as a teacher and motivator for you to learn and then apply each week. I'm going to be shifting away from the weekly challenges and toward something new. Each week I will include 1 quote, 2 lessons (with action items), and 3 interesting articles, videos, books, or learning opportunities focused on making you great.

If you're still here, I bet you're wondering what are the 7 pillars of greatness? Well, I'm glad you asked.

7 Pillars of Greatness

1. Work

2. Discipline

3. Mindset

4. Resilience

5. Purpose

6. People

7. Courage

There are many things that make up greatness. And within each of these pillars are several other skills that need to be understood and developed. If you want a deeper look at the 7 Pillars check out this document I wrote going deeper into each pillar.

1 Quote

2 Lessons

1. Greatness is a skill.

If you've followed me for any amount of time you've probably heard me say this.

But what does that mean for you?

It means that no matter where you start on your quest for greatness, you can get better.

Through a little effort and learning how to do the one thing that's unavoidable to be great, work, you can achieve success.

But where do we start to develop this skill?

I've found that my ability to put in work started with finding something I truly want to become good at.

What gives you joy?

What lights you up?

Once you find something you enjoy, it becomes easier to commit yourself to the work required to be great at it.

I find that many people start to try to be great, without being in love with what they do. 

Eventually, this leads them to resenting the work and quitting.

So, your task for this week: find something you love.

That's the place everyone should start.

2. Dive into Discipline

Discipline is a key component of success.

Most people understand this.

But how do we develop discipline?

Discipline comes from our ability to follow through on tasks.

To get things done, even when we don't want to.

Something that I've found that works for me is setting daily tasks.

Pick 1 to 2 tasks (don't do too much) that you want to perform better.

Plan on doing these tasks everyday, no matter what.

Hopefully, you have days that are hard.

Because that's when discipline is built.

Doing something because we have to, even when we don't want to is where you win the discipline game.

Now your tasks don't need to be hard.

It can be something as simple as make your bed, cook dinner every night, workout for 30 minutes, etc.

If you're not sure where to start, email me [email protected] and I'll help.

Once you have your tasks, track your daily wins.

If you get 30 days in a row, add a new skill/task.

3 Things to Check Out

I listened to The Comfort Crisis on Audible this month and it's a game changer. We have created too much comfort in many areas of our lives. We are designed to thrive in discomfort. This book opens the door to a new way of approaching life. A new way of stepping out of your comfort zone and becoming just a little bit closer to greatness.

I'm nearing the end of Expert Secrets, which is the book I have been reading through January. This book is packed full of useful information about business, building a movement, creating a tribe, and much more. If you're looking to launch into business for yourself, or just wanting to ramp things up, this book is worth a read (probably 2). 

Have you ever heard of the New Zealand All Blacks? They're one of the most successful organizations in the world. Their consistency and culture are constantly studied and held as the gold standard of sports excellence. I have been a fan of their organization for several years now and if you're looking for a way to understand culture, excellence, leadership, and what it takes to be a winner I've got two things you should check out.

The book Legacy is a special inside look at the All Blacks that dives deep into what makes them so special. The other place you should look is Amazon Prime and their docuseries All or Nothing.

Thanks for Stopping By

I know this issue was long, but going forward it will be streamlined a little. I felt that a change was due, and I hope you find that this not only keeps you learning about greatness, but gives you ways to start to apply your greatness.

If you're working on a project or just need some help, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to help you get to your next milestone.

Let me know what you think of the new formatting and it'd be great if you shared this with a friend. See you guys next Sunday.