3 Mind Hacks to Jump Over “The Edge”

Have you ever just wanted to conquer fear?  Or actually feel like achieving a dream wasn’t just a fluffy idea, but a blueprint you could create?

I was studying one of Brandon Broadwater’s lesson that has helped me go from a place of fear and doubt, to one of real hope and action.

It’s call “The Edge” – that in between space of fear/discomfort and action.  The Edge is all around us, it’s often made with very tiny decisions that hinge incredible results:

Anne Sullivan refuses to give up on her blind and deaf student, Helen Keller, and helps her become literate.  Helen goes on to attend University.

Michael Jordan tries out again after being cut from his High School basketball team.  His perseverance and hard work earn him an NBA National Champion and MVP multiple times.

Martin Luther King Jr. speaks “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” despite numerous death threats.  He influences significant momentum towards racial equality.

Steve Jobs decides to continue pursuing his passion after being fired by the company he created – only to return and take Apple to a new renaissance of technology.  He and his team create ground-breaking digital animation’s films like Toy Story.

Each of these individuals faced immense challenges.  But what is the difference in their results?

How did they respond to the edge, that made the measurable difference?

And perhaps, the greater question, how might we replicate what they thought in those moments?

From reading their works, and practicing it on my own, there are 3 specific Mind Hacks – that work in helping jump over that edge.

1) Momentum – most home runs or big breakthroughs are the byproduct of lots of little things done with excellence.

Power Question: What is one little thing you can do that would take less than 3 minutes that would build momentum towards that result?

2) Remember – “I forgot” is the degenerative cancer of lost dreams and opportunities.

Power Questions:  A motivational coach, speaking to a group of Olympians asked two questions:

“How many of you have written your goals down?”

“How many of you have your goals with you right now?”

What visual cue do you have with your right now to remind you of your goals?  (You can find more about this from the book “The Power of Habit”)

3) Consistency – my piano teacher once told me, “10 minutes a day of practice is infinitely more powerful than 3 hours of practice in one day.”

Power Question: What is one action I can easily do consistently to build momentum towards this result?

Remember this quote from Jeff Olson that defines how our response to the edge will influence our direction in this life:

“Those who choose to be comfortable now, will be uncomfortable later, those who choose to be uncomfortable now, will be comfortable later.”

Enjoy taking on the Edge!  Sow the actions, reap the results!    Have fun 🙂