Everything You Want Is On The Far Side Of Hard Work (NQM005)
“Every day is a test of your performance, to make the most of the 24 hours you are given. To succeed, not just for yourself, but for everyone who depends on you. You can rely on each hour passing, but you cant rely on what each hour will bring. Be prepared, so you dont have to waste a moment to worry about what is around the corner. It means having the tools to face any challenge head on without hesitation. it means getting the job done every time, and ending each day with the confidence, that you can do it all again tomorrow.” - Tim Kennedy
No matter how much you work on being a better version of yourself, no matter how much you grind away at your goals, there is always someone who is outworking you. This that can be one of the most motivating sources of inspiration driving you to do better. Tim Kennedy is that guy. No matter how much you are working on being the best possible version of yourself, Tim Kennedy is doing more than you. He leads by example, and takes every opportunity he can to share his love of life and help others along the same path.
After watching planes fly into buildings on September 11th, he interrupted his graduate school career to join the US Army. This has led to a career spanning almost 15 years and more than a dozen deployments as a Special Forces Green Beret Sniper. During all this, he was a top 10 worldwide ranked Mixed Martial Arts middleweight for the majority of his pro MMA career, which started before he joined the Army, and included a successful run in the UFC. Mind you, he took his fights in between deployments. He owns multiple successful companies (Ranger Up and Woobies Shoes), and runs a tactical defense company called Sheepdog Response. If that is not enough, he has hosted multiple TV shows including The History Channel’s Hunting Hitler and The Discovery Channel’s Hard to Kill. Again, all of this while deploying a dozen times around the world. This man uses his time and talents very wisely.
Needless to say, Tim is on a different level, mentally and physically. He works his ass off and stands for a lot of great values that all of us should strive for. It is a no nonsense, no excuses approach to become the best version of yourself, all while being probably one of the most full-of-life, light-hearted guys you could come across. He has shared a lot of great insights on a number of podcasts, with some of the highlights below. I highly highly suggest that you check them out.
Tim Ferris Podcast: Hurry Up and Fail — Tim Kennedy (#310)
On the mantra “Hurry up and fail”: “I want to get to the breaking point of where I can not go on any longer, and I want to stay there, I want to grow there. Because then the next time I train, that wall, that breaking point, has moved, ever so slightly, but it has moved.”
Fail during training, so you succeed while it really matters: “I can fail all the time in training, I can rush to failure, I can fail at any opportunity when I am getting ready, but when finally bullets are going to fly, or I am going into the octagon, or kicking that door in, not today. Not a f’ing chance are you going to beat me on that day.”
On the value of hard work: “When people look at me they say: Easy for him to say, he is a green beret, has been to combat 12 times, has fought in the UFC, ranked top ten in the world, he is a black belt in a handful of martial arts, but I am the exact same person as the other 7 billion people on this planet. I didn't grow up with kryptonite in the fridge; there is nothing that is different to me in any way shape or form. I just work. And at this point I am just fighting, not even for getting 1% better, I am fighting for percentages of a percent, just for a little increment.”
Just get started: “All you have to do is start. Where do I start? Anywhere. If you haven't ran in a few years, get off the couch and start by walking around the block. Anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, will make you that much better. Those little tiny decisions start building on top of each other, until you are an unstoppable force.”
James Altucher Show: Ep. 235 - Tim Kennedy: A US Special Op's Reason for Serving - "Win Hearts and Minds"
Violence of action: “You can have a great plan, but if it is not executed violently, it can fail. Even a fair to decent plan that is executed violently, has a better chance of succeeding versus a good plan executed mediocrely.”
On the value of Preparation: “Everyone can have a plan, but where does the plan go once you get punched in the face? Ultimately, you are going to do what you prepared for, and what you are capable of doing. What training have you put in for that moment? What preparation have you put in for that moment? When it comes to the execution of that moment, how committed are you to seeing it succeed.”
On the art of learning: “Learning is the spirit of adventure. You want the desire to go learn something new, that is just being an explorer. Don't ever lose that. Why do people lose it? It’s so easy to be comfortable. It’s so easy to know where the nearest Starbucks is on your corner and go grab that crappy cup of coffee. What is that? Is that us peaking as a species? How do you get it back? 1% change. Looking at what you did yesterday to today, 1% change. You cannot change completely overnight, its impossible. Yes you may have a mortgage; you may have kids, all these things vying for your attention and time. But you have to look for that one thing you can change incrementally, and do that. 1% change from yesterday to today.”
JOCKO PODCAST 21: TIM KENNEDY, POLICE SELF DEFENSE & USE OF FORCE, WOMEN IN SPECIAL FORCES, UFC, CHAOS
Joe Rogan Experience #497 - Tim Kennedy
On seeking out challenges: “It first has to be a choice that you want to challenge yourself. From that choice, every person is going to have a different need or requirement. You have to do something that is going to challenge yourself as a human, that will then eventually metamorphosis into something great, otherwise its just going to be stagnant for the rest of your life. If you aren’t being challenged, if you aren't being worked, if you aren't being broken, you aren't growing. Everything you could ever want, is on the far side of hard work.”
