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Rich Roll on Why Consistency is the Key to Success #153

Feb 3, 2021 1h 35m 27 insights
CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains mild swearing. Today I’m welcoming back my good friend and fellow podcaster, Rich Roll, for the third time. Rich has recently gone back through his 500 plus podcasts and collected words of wisdom from 50 of his podcast guests in his new, self-published book Voicing Change which is, quite simply, a thing of beauty. Rich was a huge influence on my own decision to start a podcast – and to evolve it into long form conversations. So, we kick off our chat talking about the craft and what we have learned from it. He explains that he likes to prepare well and research his guests but ultimately trusts in the process and his instincts. That’s advice that translates to all walks of life, from a sporting event to a job interview. We discuss how leading with your own vulnerability can be the key to putting other people at ease and helping them to open up. Rich reveals how every success in his life has been very hard fought and has been a process of work undertaken consistently, aggressively and anonymously. He believes that many of us overestimate what we can do in a short period of time and wildly underestimate what we're capable of accomplishing over a decade or a number of years. Above all, he is a believer in process over outcome, the journey not the destination. Growth is all about stepping outside your comfort zone. Over the past year, of course, that journey has been difficult for all of us. But even in the face of global calamity, Rich has some great practical advice on how best to survive and even thrive. We discuss parenting through the pandemic, Covid’s effect on the world’s mental health and our worries about its impact on our kids. But ultimately, Rich believes we can navigate through the fear and emerge from this era with more resilience, better able to handle difficulties. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/153 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace the Journey, Reject Quick Fixes

Discard the belief in quick fixes and embrace the long, difficult journey of consistent effort, as the journey itself is the most valuable part of transformation and success.

2. Cultivate Long-Term Perspective

Adjust your perspective by recognizing that you can achieve far more over several years than you might in a short period, and plan your efforts accordingly.

3. Dedicate to Daily Incremental Actions

Commit to a consistent process of small, difficult, daily actions that incrementally move you towards your long-term goals, understanding that significant achievements take years.

4. Live Intentionally, Not Reactively

Consciously choose to live your life intentionally, guided by a personal plan or principles, rather than reactively responding to external circumstances and constant stimulation.

5. Focus on Controllables

Identify and focus your energy on the things you can control, and consciously let go of worrying about everything else that is beyond your influence.

6. Reframe Challenges as Opportunities

Shift your perspective on difficulties from a fear-based ‘happening to us’ mindset to an opportunity-based ‘happening for us’ mindset, seeking lessons, learning, and growth.

7. Prioritize Convictions Over Likability

Focus on following your convictions and doing what you believe is correct, even if it means not being liked by everyone, to foster authenticity.

8. Overcome People-Pleasing

Actively work to overcome the tendency to be a ‘people pleaser,’ as it can hinder authenticity and prevent you from acting in accordance with your true convictions.

9. Establish Sustainable Personal Rules

Create hard, sustainable rules for yourself in various aspects of your life (e.g., diet, habits, work) and adhere to them strictly to stay on track, recognizing that breaking a rule once makes it easier to break again.

10. Honor Self-Commitments

Honor the commitments and vows you make to yourself, as breaking them can lead to internal friction and a downward spiral in your personal discipline.

11. Be Proactive & Seek Accountability

Proactively make commitments to yourself as an act of self-love, and then recruit a community for accountability to help you stay on track and live more consciously.

12. Prepare, Then Trust & Let Go

For important events or performances, prepare well but then let go and trust your preparation and instincts during the actual event, focusing on the present moment.

13. Avoid Over-Preparation

Recognize when you have done enough preparation and then trust the process, letting go of the need to control every outcome.

14. Focus on Work, Not Rewards

Be patient and dedicated to the work and process itself, even when no one is watching, resisting the entitlement to immediate rewards for difficult undertakings.

15. Improve Through Consistent Doing

Focus on consistently doing the work and moving forward, accepting that perfection is unattainable, and allow improvement to happen naturally through the process.

16. Engage in Enjoyable Processes

Seek to engage in processes that you genuinely love, as this enjoyment of the journey itself fosters sustained dedication and effort towards your goals.

17. Lead with Vulnerability

When interacting with others, especially if they are nervous or closed off, lead with vulnerability to put them at ease and foster open communication.

18. Prioritize Human Connection

When others are struggling or not at their best, lean in, connect with them through smiles, eye contact, and by discussing topics they enjoy, prioritizing connection before offering advice or wisdom.

19. Use Eye Contact for Safety

Maintain eye contact and use reassuring facial expressions and demeanor to convey safety and comfort to others, especially when they are nervous or in sensitive situations.

20. Embrace Vulnerability & Storytelling

Practice sharing vulnerable aspects of your life and personal narratives, as this can be a powerful tool for self-discovery, public speaking, and connecting with others.

21. Leverage Platform for Good

If you have a platform or influence, use it to speak up about issues you care about and contribute to positive change, rather than remaining silent.

22. Create Boundaries with Feedback

Establish a healthy boundary between yourself and external feedback, both positive and negative, to avoid letting it unduly affect your emotional state or ego.

23. Continuously Evolve & Push Boundaries

Don’t be afraid to try new things, evolve, and iterate on your methods; step outside your comfort zone to foster growth and avoid stagnation, knowing you can always revert if it doesn’t work.

24. Be Mindful of Ego in Performance

When preparing or performing, be mindful if your actions are driven by ego or insecurity rather than serving the true purpose, and work to overcome this.

25. Enhance Impact Through Design

Pay attention to the design and aesthetic of how you present information or products, as the method of delivery significantly impacts the user experience and overall impact.

26. Use Aesthetics as a Trojan Horse

Employ high-quality design and appealing aesthetics to initially attract attention and engage people, then deliver valuable, deeper content once they are drawn in.

27. Navigate Crises Without Fear

When facing global challenges, strive to navigate them responsibly without allowing or instilling unnecessary fear, especially in younger generations, focusing on what can be controlled.