Stop worrying about shit.
It’s as simple as that.
And doing so can dramatically change your life.
Never worry about that which you cannot control.
To spend time thinking “what if,” or stressing about things that potentially may go wrong is a total waste of your time here on this planet.
If something is beyond your control there’s no use even thinking about it. Focus only on what you can control and don’t waste time worrying about anything else.
“What if my boss yells at me for trying this new approach?”
“What if this marketing campaign fails?”
“What if I decide to start my own business but I can’t cut it?”
“What if I get cut from the team?”
“What if we lose some of our current clients to the new business down the road?”
“What if I don’t have the genetics to get bigger and stronger?”
“What if a plane crashes into my house today?”
“What if I get a flat tire on the way to work?”
Fuck it! All of it. Don’t worry.
Just focus on moving onward and upward, without stressing yourself out about all the possible negatives that could come from any risk you take.
Every day has the potential for catastrophic disaster. But that doesn’t mean you should sit around focusing on it and waiting in fear.
Derek Jeter could take a wrong turn and end up at the Bronx Zoo instead of Yankee Stadium and get eaten by a tiger before the next game.
As ridiculous as that sounds it’s really no different than half the bullshit people waste their time worrying about.
Do you think that any truly successful people- those you watch on TV, read about in magazines or listen to on the radio sit around obsessing over those types of negative thoughts?
The Real “Hardgainer” Problem
Unsuccessful people and chronically skinny-fat “hardgainers” have one thing in common- they stress out and worry about EVERYTHING.
I’ve worked with thousands of these guys over the past 18 years and I can honestly say that the biggest thing holding them back is their never ending worrying and constant over-analyzing.
“Shit, I tried higher protein for two days and it didn’t work. Maybe I should do high carbs.”
“I increased my volume but now I’m sore. I’m overtrained. Back to Heavy Duty.”
“My biceps don’t cross my elbow joint like Larry Scott’s did; is it even worth me training?”
“I hit failure on my squats today, should I go back tonight and redo the whole workout?”
“The hill I ran sprints on was only about a 30 degree incline, but I could have sworn I read that 45 degrees was better. Was that a waste of my time?”
“I lost five pounds of fat but now I look tiny. What should I do?! HELP ME!!!!!”
Obviously, guys like this will never get anywhere. Their lives will be miserable and their gains in the gym will be piss poor.
That’s because they second-guess every single aspect of their diet and training.
When you do that you’re destined to fail. You have to have confidence and believe in what you are doing or you’re doomed from the get go.
When you start a new business or walk on to a team to tryout you have to have the confidence (and almost brash cockiness) to know that you will succeed. Seeds of doubt will squash your dreams instantly. You’ll never have a chance.
If you have constant doubts about your training and nutrition program the same thing will happen.
You will never make progress.
EVER.
What Would Arnold Do?
Do you think Arnold or Ed Coan or Walter Payton or Michael Jordan lived with constant worrying and doubt?
Of course not.
They went to the gym or field every day and worked their asses off with complete confidence that they were doing exactly what it took to be the best. They weren’t switching up their workouts or their shooting or running style each week.
“Well so and so said I should shoot like this and Phil Jackson said I should shoot like that. I wonder who’s right? I don’t even know how to shoot anymore. Maybe I should retire.”
Do you see how ridiculous that is?
Did you ever see Arnold worry in Pumping Iron? He had absolutely no doubt that he was going to win and he did. And he continued doing so throughout the rest of his life.
Anyone who hears about Arnold’s career and wants to claim steroids or bring up any recent scandals doesn’t truly get the success mindset and will never achieve anything in life or in the gym.
To be jealous of someone else’s hard work and success is the loser mindset and sets you up for a lifetime of failures, one after the other.
Don’t worry about it! Focus on you and what you can control. When you develop the ability to worry less you can actually start to enjoy your training and your life.
Unfortunately, a lot of people let their training become a source of stress rather than a source of stress relief.
When you constantly worry your stress and cortisol levels go up. That makes you fatter, smaller and weaker… Just what you were worrying about happening.
You have to choose a proven path, believe in what you’re doing and enjoy the process.
Think Like Magic
Learning to worry less is a skill. And like any skill you want to master it must be practiced regularly so that it becomes habitual.
This is no different than learning to play the piano, hit a baseball or perform a snatch.
Reading books like “F*ck It” and anything by Leo Babauta can help.
Surround yourself with people who have already mastered this skill. Those who never seem to worry about anything. Those who are always moving forward in a positive direction, never worrying about any possible negative outcome.
I’m talking about guys like Donald Trump and Magic Johnson who seem physically incapable of worrying or hearing negativity of any kind.
Remember when Magic said, “Because of the HIV virus I have attained I will have to retire from the Lakers today?”
That was a reflection of how his brain works.
Two synonyms for attained are “accomplished” and “achieved.”
Think about it.
That’s the way all of us should think.
Myself included.
Put a positive spin on everything and stop worrying about shit you can’t control.
Do this every day and eventually it will improve just like any other skill you constantly practice.
And when it does you will have more muscle, less fat and be far happier and more successful than you ever thought possible.
***
PS. If you want to remove the stress and information overload from your life join the Renegade Inner Circle. You get a fully detailed 7 day plan every week. No more guess work, no more stress. Just more size and strength.
18. May, 2012
at 9:19 am #
Awesome, I normally don’t sweat the small bullshit but things have been eating at me lately. Persevere and handle your shit, read, write, and train your ass off and things will fall into place.
18. May, 2012
at 9:21 am #
Thanks for this Jay, I love articles like these. Mindset is HUGE.
It’s funny because yesterday I watched Pumping Iron (again) on YouTube just for the heck of it. Arnold is an inspiration and funny as hell when he’s psyching guys out haha
18. May, 2012
at 9:28 am #
Great post and actually very funny!
18. May, 2012
at 9:40 am #
That little bit about Magic and the “HIV I have attained,” is fucking awesome. Accomplished and achieve as synonyms – love it. Awesome man.
Jedd
21. May, 2012
at 1:24 pm #
Thanks Jedd
18. May, 2012
at 9:58 am #
I needed this dose of “Fuck it”. I hear you and am on board 100%. Thank you for putting things into line.
21. May, 2012
at 1:24 pm #
You got it, Dan.
18. May, 2012
at 10:03 am #
I am new here but loving reading all the archived info. Great post! Love the Arnold references.
21. May, 2012
at 1:24 pm #
Thanks Brad
18. May, 2012
at 10:05 am #
Great article Jay!
Liked, Tweeted and shared with my FB fans.
The skinny-hardgainer over analyzing comment is spot on. I’m currently working with a guy that fits this description. I’ve advised him to lean out before placing a greater emphasis on building lean mass and he is constantly asking questions about things he thinks he needs to be doing or how his diet should be structured because of articles he reads on bogus internet sites.
The next time he asks me a ridiculous question I’m going to point him to this article – and hope he doesn’t see this comment :)
Good stuff!
21. May, 2012
at 1:25 pm #
Haha. Thanks Craig
18. May, 2012
at 10:10 am #
Awesome post Jay!
I’ve noticed that when I have made these statements, I’m just trying to protect myself from disappointment. That’s really stupid. Just look at the famous MJ “Failure” commercial, he’s great because he was willing to risk failing. He did that because he knew that when he failed, he would use the moment to make himself better.
(Here’s the link to that ad if you haven’t seen it: http://youtu.be/45mMioJ5szc)
Congrats on the wedding!
21. May, 2012
at 1:25 pm #
Thanks Eddie. Always loved the commercial.
18. May, 2012
at 11:18 am #
Jason
I love these articles. keep em coming.
18. May, 2012
at 12:15 pm #
Worrying too much or obssessing can be related to a lack of self esteem and confidence, wich can both be related with how much you feel loved by others and your place in your group, or lack of one.. it isnt something you can stop just by deciding on it.. it’s much more complex than that and should be treated as súch..
21. May, 2012
at 1:26 pm #
I disagree. I cured myself of it and know others who have.
21. May, 2012
at 1:40 pm #
Sure, as i did too, both of us and a lot of others didnt have a problem we just had a bad habit..
but i was referring to more complicated cases, and they are many these days, i think those are the ones who really need help, and they need steps instead of just a finish line..
Depression is growing and i congratulate you on bringing up the subject.
18. May, 2012
at 1:08 pm #
Good stuff Jason! You gotta watch all that negative “chatter” that rambles on in your brain. You’ve got to be able to catch any pessimistic self-talk and like you said, put a positive spin on everything. Find the hidden opportunity in every problem and make success not a possibility but an inevitability… just like the OAK!
18. May, 2012
at 9:22 pm #
Wayne Dyer talked about worry in his groundbreaking 1970s mega-selling book, “Your Erroneous Zones.” It is still, today, one of the best and indelible books on how to chuck out the garbage polluting your mind. That’s all worry is; mind pollution. Futile, exhausting, and a big-ass excuse not to get stuff DONE.
19. May, 2012
at 5:31 am #
Thanks for your honest approach and not worrying about selling shit and offending people. We need to hear more stuff straight….just like you did here once again. Preach on Brotha Ferruggia!
19. May, 2012
at 10:09 am #
Thank you for a great read.
Made me remember one time when I attended a lecture about physiology. The professor talked about stress and it’s negative impact on various biological systems in the body. One woman in the audience asked him what you in general could do in order to decrease and prevent (high) levels of stress. “Don’t give a shit about nothing” was his simple, yet brilliant answer.
21. May, 2012
at 1:26 pm #
Nice
19. May, 2012
at 5:09 pm #
Great job Jason! Sometimes it is hard to hear these things but ultimately success is born from positive thinking….period!
19. May, 2012
at 6:20 pm #
Jason, just wanted to relate something that happened last week. I was at a gas station, and some guy, mid-30s, I’d say and a bit out of shape, approached me and said “What do I do to look like you?” 5 seconds pause. “What you *have* to do is get to the gym. Pound the iron. What you *need* is a rabid desire to get results – you have to *want it so bad* that it becomes a priority rather than an option.” And then I promptly wrote down the way to buy your Muscle Building Secrets. So if you get a purchase by a guy in Michigan…it just MIGHT be that guy. His gratitude and thanks made my day. FYI….
21. May, 2012
at 1:27 pm #
Haha. Thanks Niel
20. May, 2012
at 6:24 am #
Excellent article. I really need to get a handle on this. And Arnold has always been a great inspiration to me. Just one comment though. There’s a problem with having no doubt you are going to win. And that is that only one person can win. So if 1000 people have no doubt they are going to win, only one of them can be right. What you can do though is have no doubt that you are going to be as good as anyone there, and if you don’t win at least you’ll come close, and you gave it your very best shot. That to me sounds sensible, but still highly positive and motivational.
20. May, 2012
at 7:23 am #
Thanks, Jay, I needed this.
20. May, 2012
at 7:24 am #
Great post as usual. Looking for the positive and moving away from the negative is a lifelong effort, but so well worth it. Everything seems so much brighter and filled with potential.
20. May, 2012
at 9:37 am #
Jason, Which Leo Babauta book(s) do you recommend starting with?
21. May, 2012
at 1:27 pm #
The Power of Less is awesome. Focus is great too.
20. May, 2012
at 11:26 pm #
Hi im looking to hear what you guys experiences are with the renegade diet. Will it do any good for a hardgainer who is 10 kilo below what is recommended? 192 centimeters tall and only 70 kilos. Not sure if this diet is the right approach or if i should just pound away with food. Thing is i dont want to gain fat and have to cut afterwards.
Hope someone with experience can help out. I pump 3 times a week for 2 months, gotten stronger, but results come in slow, especially in the abdomen region, eventhough im 11% bodyfat.
thanks.
21. May, 2012
at 1:54 pm #
G’Day Jason,
Thank you so much for this post!
I started working towards a new career path in the last couple of months and everything that could go wrong has done so and left me over analysing and questioning whether this is such a great idea.
This helped give me some perspective to kick it up a notch and plough on through.
Many thanks
22. May, 2012
at 6:46 am #
Good post, as usual. It’s the rough version of the Chinese sentence: “If you can do something about it, why worrying? And if you can do nothing about it, why worrying?” :-).
23. May, 2012
at 6:49 am #
I have a simple rule when things don’t go as they should. Here it is: As long as you don’t give up and you keep showing up, you are getting better.
There are going to be many bad days, but there going to be many great days also in your life. just keep going. Don’t worry. Every time you try, you are getting better.
24. May, 2012
at 2:44 am #
More than your training articles I enjoy your mindset-life lesson ones, Jay.
Good to remind us what you did in this one. And I like the approach like it is a skill.
Practicing starts now!
24. May, 2012
at 12:15 pm #
Like this, a lot. All success is just an accumulation of a million tiny-not-so-easy-steps. Love it. Thanks!
07. Jun, 2012
at 9:21 am #
@Jill- Very true
28. May, 2012
at 1:55 am #
I Iike this blog, its straight to the point and It’s simple to read.
31. May, 2012
at 12:45 pm #
So true, the right mindset is the cornerstone of success. If you think you will fail, than you probably will.