I distinctly remember the first time I saw Arnold. It was some time around 1988 and my brother was watching Predator on HBO or Prism. I was about 4 years old at the time and unlike other movies with monsters, I didn’t get scared at this one. I was too busy loving the movie!

There’s a scene in the beginning of the movie where all the guys are getting off a helicopter to go meet with the general and Arnold is the last to get off. He just sits there lighting his cigar and taking a moment before finally getting up. As a 4 year old kid, I realized something which was if you are physically big, it gives you power.

I can remember saying to myself, “How is that guy’s arms so big?” This was perhaps not the greatest start to watching movies because from here on out I was mostly disappointed by everything I saw. Nothing was better than Predator and Arnold was cemented as my favorite actor.

It wasn’t until much later that I learned about Arnold’s life and how it motivated scores of people around the world. Two videos that I found really stuck with me. I often will look back on them when I’m in a rut.

0:56 – I remember seeing this video years ago and being blown away. Often times when we see successful people it’s a mystery how they got that way. Here, arnold explains how he read about Reg Park, and how Reg became a successful actor by parlaying his bodybuilding career into acting. Instead of just sitting back, he took that formula and did it.

1:33 – Arnold’s father didn’t understand his vision and didn’t like it. He tried to get Arnold a job in the military. I know this is a big thing with people who have a family business. The kids may not want to go that route and go their own way. There’s a lot more risk in that though.

2:06 – Even though he was in the army, he had a bodybuilding goal and would do anything to get there. A lot of people talk about doing whatever it takes, but how many are willing to go to solitary confinement just to get it done?

4:49 – Though he was having serious doubts at this time, all he had to do was remember that Reg Park did it, so it was possible. This is key. Find someone who did something you want to do, and use them as a model when doubts creep in. If one guy can do it, so can you.

7:00 – Arnold gets caught when he comes back to the base and has to spend time in solitary, but impresses his superiors by winning the competition. The worst case scenario is only in your head and doesn’t usually happen. Even if it does happen, it’s never as bad as you think it is and you can easily bounce back.

11:10 – Despite people telling him he couldn’t do it, Arnold didn’t care and just did it anyway. Fuck what anyone tells you. Just sit down, work, and you can absolutely do it.

I had no idea that Arnold had to go through all this stuff just to get started in bodybuilding. Gives a whole new perspective on the man. You have to remember, weight lifting at this time was nothing like it is today. They had to build him all sorts of equipment on the base because you couldn’t just go out and buy stuff or go to the closest LA Fitness like you can today.

Arnold’s 6 Rules

I remember finding this video during a particularly trying period of my life when I was working for a medical records company. I was living in Philly in kickass house in a great neighborhood. I was out there on my own, but I was miserable because I was doing something I hated. Not only that, but the atmosphere there was getting more stifling. I knew I had to do something or I was going to jump in front of a bus.

I always knew I wanted to have my own business online. I first started reading about adwords and SEO in the early 2000’s and always wanted to get into it, but at the time I was so unsure of everything that I never really jumped in. As a result I worked a string of jobs that just gave me money and continued looking into online ventures.

I can remember having a real difficult time getting to sleep at night because I knew I’d have to get up to work the next morning. I started listening to this video just to put my mind at ease because I knew I was about to make huge moves.

The most important rule here is rule #5: Work your butt off. If you work your butt off, you will succeed. There’s something about having a schedule of work you will do in preparation for achieving some goal. When it comes time, you’ll be prepared because you did everything you could have. It’s not even that you are physically more gifted because of the training, but because you are training your mind. When you do training, you have a lot more confidence in knowing no one else did what you did.

Need motivation on this Monday to get something done? Watch those two vids, then work your butt off.

-Tate

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