Become Unstoppable with 4 of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 7 Tools for Life
A short summary of how you can use Schwarzenegger’s mindset tools to skyrocket your success (Magical Marketing & Be Useful)
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This story will help you leverage Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mindset & tools for life to become an unstoppable force like the Terminator (minus the violence, guns or the need to terminate your competitors 😉).
He needs no intro, but get ready to learn from the man who grew up in a small Austrian village with frugal and strict parents to become…
- The world’s greatest bodybuilder
- The world’s highest-paid movie star
- The former Governor of California, he looked after the interests of an entire state belonging to the world’s sixth-largest economy
Arnold never felt like he belonged in his humble surroundings. Something clicked when he found a magazine featuring Mr Universe on the cover, and his life changed forever (Reg Park became a close friend and mentor).
He became obsessed with the American dream, sculpting and training his body with a single vision to escape Austria and become the world’s best bodybuilder.
The lesson? You only need one spark of inspiration to alter your reality.
Your path is different to everyone else
“If there is one unavoidable truth in the world, it’s that there is no substitute for putting in the work.”
Unless you're a trust fund baby, there are no shortcuts, growth hacks or ways to cut corners on the road to long-term success.
“Eventually, people either fall behind or get left in our dust because working your ass off is the only thing that works 100% of the time for 100% of the things worth achieving.”
Real Talk Time: We’d all love to find a quick and easy formula for overnight success on Medium, but chances are, you’ve gotta put in the work.
It ain’t gonna be easy either. You’ll have days when you’re mind’s as empty as a billabong in the drought season, but show up anyway.
The lesson? What works for one content creator doesn’t work for the next. Show up, experiment, and pivot until you create your own blue ocean.
Have a clear vision for purpose and meaning
“To have a clear vision is to know what you want your life to look like and a plan for how to get there.”
Arnold was ten years old when he started to dream awake about America — he called the image swirling in his impressionable mind “Viagra for dreams.”
His original vision was fuzzy, but he knew in his heart that he belonged in America. He had no clue why or what he would do in the land of dreams, but it was an all-consuming obsession for a better life. Once he discovered Reg Park, he added a new layer to his vision.
“When I fell in love with bodybuilding, I didn’t have vague hopes of becoming a champion. I had a specific vision of it, borrowed from the pictures inside magazines like Reg Park celebrating their victories… like standing on the winner podium holding the trophy.”
The lesson? A fuzzy vision of your future is better than no vision until you find the headspace to distil the message’s meaning (your imagination contains hidden messages for you to capture, interpret and harness).
Don’t worry if it takes several attempts or years to shape & design your long-term vision — don’t force it — it will come to you when the time is right (document as you go & if the same vision follows you, capture & design it).
Never think small
“I needed to show people there was more to me than muscles and mayhem.”
It might seem like the world is trying to talk you out of your dreams. But in reality, the universe sends obstacles & petty tyrants to test how serious you are about achieving your goals (shame I didn’t realise this 20 years ago).
Use these petty tyrants’ limiting beliefs as a springboard to greatness — it’s not their fault they don’t share your imagination and determination.
Do you think Arnold had it easy in Hollywood? He played the lead in his debut movie but wasn’t permitted to speak his lines (Hercules, 1970). Pumping Iron, a bodybuilding documentary, put him on the course to playing Conan the Barbarian and stardom.
The lesson? He was a bodybuilder for 13 years — acting was his side hustle. He was ridiculed for existing. But he didn’t lose hope, even after 7 years of rejection in the acting world — he had a vision, kind peeps like Sally Field, and the American Dream coursing through his veins (and some steroids).
Arnold’s a shapeshifter — not just because he’s still ripped! Yes! He had a clear vision, but his vision wasn’t static; it evolved with him. He kept pivoting and reinventing himself. You can do this too — you’re not a tree.
Work your ass off
Want to know Arnold’s motto in life? It’s simply — Be Useful.
“I bet you and I have a lot in common. We’re not the strongest, smartest, or richest people we know. We’re not the best-looking or the most talented. We don’t have the best genetics. But what we do have is something a lot of those people will never have: the will to work.”
Arnold is now 76 and starts his day by mucking out his donkeys. The man rarely sits still as his mother taught him the importance of hard work — he still trains hard, too.
He never stops. His incredible work ethic started in childhood and permeated his bodybuilding, acting career, and political stint.
The lesson? You don’t have to replicate his success, but just think how much you can achieve with 10% of his determination, vision, & work ethic.
Own the story and market yourself (the chapter is called ‘Sell Sell Sell’)
“Selling your vision means being open about what you’re trying to achieve and telling your story in such a way that it is perceived in the most positive light possible.”
- Do you think he cared that people made fun of his accent?
- Do you think the world cared about bodybuilding before Arnold?
- Do you think people took him seriously as an actor, comedian or politician until he proved the world wrong?
He’s human. Not a machine. Terminator was a character. So, of course, the world hurt his feelings. But he had a clear vision, and even Skynet and a legion of machines couldn’t stop him from making it happen.
Plus, he understood the power of marketing. More specifically, he knew he had to promote bodybuilding as a sport, his movies (all of 'em), and his political ambitions with Republicans and Democrats alike.
The lesson? Unlike other pretentious actors who solely relied on ‘talent’ agents, Arnold understood that he had to own his story. With a one-person businessman mentality, he took his image and future into his own hands.
He was humble enough to promote himself & his co-workers — he helped Jamie Lee Curtis become a household name when True Lies was released.
Final thoughts
“I’ll be back!” — Who can forget this one-liner from the Terminator?
Fun fact — James Cameron resisted the way Arnold changed his line — “Ill be back,” wasn’t in the original script.
Whether you love or hate him, he’s won the hearts and minds of millions because he refused to let the world speak for him or limit his vision.
The keys to his success…
- He finds a way to be useful every day
- When he sees a need, he fills the need
- Gets angry when people call him a ‘self-made’ man
- Disciplines his mind and body to take action (even when it’s painful)
- Changes his vision to reflect the seasons of his life while maintaining his true identity
- He dreams big dreams — it started as a small boy in the devastating wake of the Cold War
Despite his incredible success story, he’s humble enough to acknowledge all of those who’ve helped him on his journey to greatness, from childhood friends to workout buddies and Hollywood connections.
The lesson? If you only remember one thing about this story, always remember to praise the wonderful souls who believe in you on Medium (they will happily cheer for your success before it happens).
Sources: All quotes come from Arnold’s brilliant new book, BE USEFUL. SEVEN TOOLS FOR LIFE.
Good to know: The late Wayne Dyer made me realise that the universe puts “petty tyrants” in your path to help you grow.
Get your own way, The Terminator way!
Hasta la vista, baby! Wanna give up, or are you hungry for more?
Click here if you feel like your identity is holding you back (mindset story)
Click here to write with intention and purpose (writing tips)
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