Yesterday on a seemingly routine trip down south to Farmington, NM (I do this every Tuesday afternoon) I popped in a an episode of the Rich Roll Podcast. I listen to his podcasts about half the time (Dave Ramsey takes up the other half, usually). I always enjoy his fresh perspective on "plant-powered" athletes, specifically endurance athletes. Yesterday's episode was a special treat. Yesterday, he interviewed Dr. Jeff Spencer a chiropractor for people like Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and has served on teams for 9 Tours de France. He also went to the Olympics during the 60's as a cyclist on his own merit. Here's a link to the podcast: http://www.richroll.com/podcast/rrp-57-dr-jeff-spencer-champions-blueprint-prolific-peak-performance-optimizing-your-best-self/ . Admittedly, I was a little skeptical that I would hear a rehash of Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" since there are seven steps he gives on the way to the top. Some are quite similar others are a little more unique. I think what Dr. Spencer has carefully unearthed is the human traits that lead to our best performances... something this blog is uniquely dedicated to revealing. The world seems to be overcrowded with people merely "getting by" and doing "good enough." I truly wonder if they realize there are a large number of people who are determined to be the absolute best. Maybe those people just don't live near me. I've never lived in LA or NYC but I perceive those places to be overrun with the self-importants who are looking to excel. Maybe I'm wrong. Please feel free to leave comments agreeing or disagreeing. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Yankees and the New York Phil are in the same city, and it is not the Middle of Nowhere, South Dakota.
I thought it would be a helpful exercise for us to go through his steps one-by-one and really come to terms with what the implications of this blueprint are for musicians and endurance athletes. Each day I'll explore a new principal, as I see it, and maybe together we can crack this code. The really interesting part about this is that, he explains, these steps can be as large or small a scale as we desire. So maybe for you, start a small project with these in mind and learn how it works, then ramp it up!
1. Legacy: Start with the End in Mind
This one, admittedly, sounded a little Covey-ish (since his Habit Number 2 is Begin with the End in Mind). Putting the label legacy on it, though, implies a larger sense of what is meant by "the end." As he explains it, what do you want to leave behind on this earth after you are gone? That is your legacy. For me, I intend to leave a legacy that proves people can do both music and sports with equal success simultaneously. I am working to have a few big wins in each category (my personal definition of success at this endeavor). As I see it, it is like having a job as a computer programmer and being very skilled at it while training for and winning marathons. Google Rod Dehaven's bio and you'll see that feat has been done. I don't know Rod personally but I do remember that he held a "normal" job as a computer programmer while training for and making the 2000 US Olympic team in the marathon. What is your legacy? What feats will your grandchildren look upon and say proudly, "My grandpa was a _____." For me, personally, (this is probably the driving force behind all that I do), I look very proudly upon my maternal great grandfather and both my paternal grandparents. They are in my thoughts daily. My great grandfather, John Harlan "Speedy" Rush, was an an outdoorsman, college football coach, youth camp founder (Dunmore, Keewaydin and Songadeewin), and tied the world record for the 100 yard dash. My paternal grandmother was a church organist and music teacher, her husband was a true Renaissance man; expert craftsman, built his own house without ever owing a cent, great with people, could quote Shakespeare and Carl Sagan in the same breath. Yeah, I'm cut from that cloth, alright. I've always felt like God and I sat around before I was born and came up with the idea: what would happen if we put elements of these people into one person? Here I am! My legacy will be to my grandchildren: "Grandpa was a champion long distance runner, professional clarinetist, highly college teacher, outdoorsy guy, vegan..."
So as an experiment, write down what you want your legacy to be. You may assign a timeline to it, or leave it open ended. If you want some accountability, post it as a comment on here! I think writing it down really helps clarify and possibly quantify our intentions. Also, when you're rummaging through your drawer for a lost item and come across it, you'll remember your purpose. Or, you could experiment with http://www.futureme.org. Send yourself an e-mail in a year. I promise you'll have forgotten it is coming and be surprised when it shows up.
Tomorrow, we'll cover Mindset: View the world through the lens of your legacy. See you then!
I thought it would be a helpful exercise for us to go through his steps one-by-one and really come to terms with what the implications of this blueprint are for musicians and endurance athletes. Each day I'll explore a new principal, as I see it, and maybe together we can crack this code. The really interesting part about this is that, he explains, these steps can be as large or small a scale as we desire. So maybe for you, start a small project with these in mind and learn how it works, then ramp it up!
1. Legacy: Start with the End in Mind
This one, admittedly, sounded a little Covey-ish (since his Habit Number 2 is Begin with the End in Mind). Putting the label legacy on it, though, implies a larger sense of what is meant by "the end." As he explains it, what do you want to leave behind on this earth after you are gone? That is your legacy. For me, I intend to leave a legacy that proves people can do both music and sports with equal success simultaneously. I am working to have a few big wins in each category (my personal definition of success at this endeavor). As I see it, it is like having a job as a computer programmer and being very skilled at it while training for and winning marathons. Google Rod Dehaven's bio and you'll see that feat has been done. I don't know Rod personally but I do remember that he held a "normal" job as a computer programmer while training for and making the 2000 US Olympic team in the marathon. What is your legacy? What feats will your grandchildren look upon and say proudly, "My grandpa was a _____." For me, personally, (this is probably the driving force behind all that I do), I look very proudly upon my maternal great grandfather and both my paternal grandparents. They are in my thoughts daily. My great grandfather, John Harlan "Speedy" Rush, was an an outdoorsman, college football coach, youth camp founder (Dunmore, Keewaydin and Songadeewin), and tied the world record for the 100 yard dash. My paternal grandmother was a church organist and music teacher, her husband was a true Renaissance man; expert craftsman, built his own house without ever owing a cent, great with people, could quote Shakespeare and Carl Sagan in the same breath. Yeah, I'm cut from that cloth, alright. I've always felt like God and I sat around before I was born and came up with the idea: what would happen if we put elements of these people into one person? Here I am! My legacy will be to my grandchildren: "Grandpa was a champion long distance runner, professional clarinetist, highly college teacher, outdoorsy guy, vegan..."
So as an experiment, write down what you want your legacy to be. You may assign a timeline to it, or leave it open ended. If you want some accountability, post it as a comment on here! I think writing it down really helps clarify and possibly quantify our intentions. Also, when you're rummaging through your drawer for a lost item and come across it, you'll remember your purpose. Or, you could experiment with http://www.futureme.org. Send yourself an e-mail in a year. I promise you'll have forgotten it is coming and be surprised when it shows up.
Tomorrow, we'll cover Mindset: View the world through the lens of your legacy. See you then!
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