The Courage To Be Brave

Click To JOIN! Just Keep Learning Newsletter 
I WILL HELP YOU GET CLARITY, BUILD YOUR GROWTH MINDSET AND OWN YOUR BIG DREAMS

I feel like that’s sort of the same thing. Haha. 

They could probably be flipped too. 

“The bravery to have courage”

On their own these things are easy to drop as buzzwords. 
We could use them interchangeably in a way that pretty much everyone understands.

But understanding it is less than half the battle.

You probably know that it’s helpful to be brave, I mean that’s kind of obvious.
You likely wouldn’t set a goal to be less brave.

In the last episode I talked about the fact that there are hidden opportunities in every challenge we face. 

But this isn't just about perseverance towards external goals. 

It’s just as much, maybe more important to win the internal battle, too.

One of my favorite thinkers, Seth Godin, talks about how schools should focus on teaching courage and bravery. 
That it’s critical we explicitly teach these skills in today's world. 

But how do you do it? 

Winning the Battle Within

Life isn't just about chasing milestones like getting a million podcast downloads or reaching a business target.

Those are great. But, the real victory lies in how we handle the obstacles life throws our way.

Can we take heartbreak, failure, or grief and channel it into something positive? Can we remain kind, generous, creative, and full of energy, even when times are tough?

I used to get this wrong. I thought working harder and longer was the key. 

But I’ve learned through experience and from conversations on my podcast, like the one with Taylor Simmons, that balance is critical. 

It’s not about burning ourselves out to achieve external goals. True discipline comes from building a strong foundation of mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. 

Then and only then layering our ambitions on top of that foundation.
But this isn’t as much fun. 

And thus why it’s a “battle” within.

Finding Balance Amid the Hustle

Fellow podcaster Ali Abdaal often asks his guests whether work-life balance is possible when pursuing big dreams?

Can you achieve balance early on? Or is it something we only attain once we’ve "made it"? 

What do you think?
Is it possible to achieve “work-life balance” throughout your journey?

This is a bit of a trick question.
I believe we should always strive for balance from the beginning.

There’s no reason not to.

I used to strive for hustle and hardwork like I was always going to battle.
Life can be a lot easier than this. Even with massive dreams.

I have hundreds of goals.
Books to write, podcasts to record, business deals to close, but I’ve learned to prioritize my well-being.

I used to pull all nighters, or go without proper water, or nutrition. But now I can shut ‘er down in favor of wellness.
That’s real discipline. That’s something to be proud of. 

It’s about saying no to the grind long enough to eat well, sleep well, and spend time with family and friends. 
Once we have that foundation, we can stack our dreams on top of it and use all other obstacles as stepping stones, not barriers.

What Is The Path To Discipline?

Discipline is another one of the beautiful, infinite, forever games.

Building mastery over this battle within requires a shift in mindset. 

One of the things that really helped me was recognizing that I’ll never get all of my ambitions achieved and that rather than it being scary, this can be a relief. It’s just facts.

Here are a few other things that can help increase discipline:

• Focus on what you can control: To preserve energy for the most important tasks.
• Detach from outcomes: Focus on the process and effort, instead of results.
• See setbacks as setups: To keep moving forward without being perfect.
• Embrace consistent action: So you don’t get stuck overthinking.
• Design routines: That will almost guarantee consistency.
• Build emotional control: To make better decisions.

FOLLOW Justin
Instagram – @JustKeepLearning.Ca
YouTube –@justkeeplearningpodcast
Twitter – @JustinNolan_JKL
Tiktok – @justkeeplearning.ca
Pinterest – JustKeepLearningca
Facebook – JustKeepLearning
LinkedIn – Justin

I'm so happy you found this podcast. I am here to serve you, the creative solopreneur & aspiring content creator to get clarity on building your publishing business. Write a book, create a podcast, share content, and build a business, design the life of your dreams.

Let's make it happen. You got this! 

See how we can work together. https://stan.store/justkeeplearning