Daily Discipline
Unlocking the Secret to Extraordinary Success: The Power of ‘The Process
The secret behind the world’s greatest achievers
Bruce Lee was the godfather of Martial Arts. He made the Asian art of fighting known in the West.
His unique fighting ability was unparalleled in the 60s of the last centuries. Some say he was the first MMA fighter.
No matter how you look at Bruce Lee:
His excellence in Kung Fu has turned generations of young men and women into Asian martial arts.
The big question is:
Why haven't not many other "Bruce Lee's" evolved from this wave of young westerns turning into Shaolin Monks, Japanese Samurai, or cruel Thai Boxers?
When I look at other Fighters, only a few names stick out.
Muhamed Ali, Mike Tyson, Anderson Silva and Connor McGregor all are exceptionally excellent fighters with proven fighting skills.
And yet, when I think about martial arts, the first name that comes to my mind is Bruce Lee.
According to Statista, 6 Million US citizens practiced Martial Arts in 2021.
Since Bruce Lee's death, why has no martial artist replaced his legacy? Why is he still the Number 1?
What is the difference between him and all other Martial Artists?
What makes the big difference between ordinary and extraordinary?
No matter where I look. It is always the same picture.
Usually, one person stands out, and the others fall short in his shadow.
Basketball, Selling, Social Media, Music, Painting, Writing — I am sure people will immediately have a name in their mind for whatever art I name.
The big question I ask myself:
What makes them so special?
Many people say talent.
But honestly speaking, technical skill alone doesn't make a superstar.
If it was that easy…
Or it is.
What if there was one method that makes ordinary men extraordinary?
This one question followed me for over four decades.
How can someone become extraordinary in one art?
In my youth, everything was attributed to talent. When a friend was good at something, the adults said:
He is so talented.
It didn't resonate much with me. Already in my teen years, I thought that talent was rubbish.
When I started looking deeper into the talent question of children, I always found a similar pattern:
Any child had good positive validation when doing something, did it again, got compliments, and created a reinforcement loop.
More practice and more compliments lead to even more training and even more compliments.
After realizing this pattern, I looked at famous people.
Were they just lucky? Have they had rich parents buy their way up?
What I found was simple:
All extraordinarily talented people had one trait in common?
A disciplined execution of a very basic strategy.
The 80/20 success principle
It is like the old Pareto Principle:
20% of activities create 80% of revenues and profits
Find those 20% activities and focus your effort on those — every single day over decades.
Don't expect quick results, but trust in the process of training.
Keep executing, and success will follow.
Is this true?
Warren Buffett attributes his success principle to reading when asked what his success principle is.
Blinkist describes that in the early days of his career, he must have read about 1,000 pages per day. And still, in his 90s, he likely reads 500 pages per day.
Michael Jordan, one of the world's best basketball players, said in interviews:
“Nobody will ever work as hard as I work”
And what about Bruce Lee?
Chuck Norris said about Bruce Lee:
“No other human being had ever trained the way Bruce trained-fanatically. He lived and breathed it from the time he got up at six o’clock in the morning until he went to bed at night.”
A look at his training diary shows that he trained every single day. He didn't punch once a week — he often did a thousand punches and kicks in a single workout session.
No wonder his kicks and punches were exceptionally fast.
The big question is:
Is there a training method out on the market that people can use to become extraordinary?
Nick Saban's "The Process"
Today I read in The Daily Stoic and found the Nick Saban Method.
Nick Saban is one of the most successful and influential coaches in the history of American college football. He has been the head coach of the University of Alabama's football team since 2007, leading the Crimson Tide to multiple national championships.
Nick Saban's "Process" is a guiding philosophy that underscores the significance of concentrating on the steps that pave the way to success rather than being fixated on the success itself.
This method has been a cornerstone in Saban's illustrious career as a football coach, steering his teams to multiple championships.
The Process doesn’t revolve around the end goal or the final score. Rather, it’s about the journey undertaken to reach there.
It's about being in the present moment, focusing on the task at hand, and executing it to the best of one's ability. Saban's belief is simple: if you care for the small things, the big things will naturally fall into place.
The Process is built on several key principles:
- Commitment: Saban challenges his players with the question, "How bad do you want it?" He believes that a strong commitment is the first step towards success.
- Discipline: For Saban, discipline is paramount. He expects his players to be disciplined in their approach to the game, training, and personal lives. His mantra is, "It's not about what you feel like doing." This means being punctual, working hard, and adhering to the rules.
- Effort: Saban firmly believes, "You get out what you put in." He expects his players to give their all during a game, a practice, or a workout.
- Toughness: Saban's philosophy also incorporates both mental and physical toughness. He understands that football is a tough sport and expects his players to be resilient and capable of overcoming adversity. His message is clear, "You have to be able to overcome hard."
- Pride: Lastly, pride is a crucial component of the Process. Saban wants his players to take pride in their performance, team, and school. He believes that pride can be a potent motivator and propel players to strive for excellence.
In essence, Nick Saban's Process is a philosophy that underscores commitment, discipline, effort, toughness, and pride.
It’s about focusing on the journey, not the outcome, a philosophy that has led to remarkable success on the football field.
Here you have it.
Whether they know it or not — all extraordinary people who achieved outstanding success used Nick Saban's "The Process.”
They were lucky enough to find a few successful tasks that led them toward their north star, and they had the discipline to repeat those few tasks daily.
In martial arts I trained for decades, the Grandmaster has developed 13 basic training principles that he recommends practicing daily to become a better martial artist.
Warren Buffett also found his success secret: Reading 500 to 1,000 daily pages about public and private companies.
Bruce Lee: Running and throwing punches all day long.
So why are there, not many more extraordinary men and women?
Unraveling the success principles that work for them isn't easy. This alone takes a few years of disciplined practice. And here comes the next thing:
How many people have the nerve to do these few daily activities for the rest of their lives?
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