Looking in the Mirror

Getting knocked out on live television last April really changed my life. I was faced with my own mortality of being a fighter. It set me on a path of maximizing myself in every area of life. It’s the sole reason I wrote a book (finalizing now and will publish this fall); it’s why I created (with a lot of help) Addicted to Excellence and focused myself on helping young athletes achieve their goals.

I could go on forever; I won’t.

My point in all of this is to share with you an extremely valuable and difficult exercise I did. Through all of this self-reflection and introspection, it occurred to me that I was flying by in life. I went from being Señor Brenneman to “The Spaniard” in a matter of minutes. In reality, it has been eight years since I left my position at Hollidaysburg. In that time I have grown and evolved more than I had ever imagined possible. I was a different person; not better or worse, just different.

Which brings me to the exercise…

I had heard this several times on podcasts and interviews before actually doing it, so if it takes you awhile to complete, no problem. I emailed five of the closest people to me (family, friends, mentors, etc.) and asked them to identify and briefly explain my three best characteristics and my three worst characteristics. Trust me, it was not easy. When I saw the first few words in the response emails, I got that little “ugh” feeling in my gut. I immediately had a stomach ache. One of my weaknesses, taking things too personally, was put to the test. (I am no longer friends with any of these people…joooooooke!)

These emails and suggestions have been instrumental in moving forward. I highly recommend you taking the time to do this exercise. It’ll be tough and uncomfortable, but the payoff is HUGE.

Email five people and ask them to identify and briefly explain your three best and three worst characteristics.

I’d LOVE to hear some feedback so please email or post your results!

– Spaniard