How to Flip the Switch | Ep 18

Arjun: 00:00:00

If we can all stay functional 365 days a year, any period of time where it's going to be called upon us or the light is going to shine, or that opportunity is going to present itself where we need to get to really optimal, we can do it. If we have the right plans, the right systems, the right discipline in place, you can actually do that. Flip the switch.

Of course, you all heard this expression and like the actual literal translation, if you're thinking of it, it's a switch going from down to up, or up to down, whatever it is that actually turns it on.

Arjun: 00:00:36

And suddenly there's this change.

Arjun: 00:00:38

There's the shift from being down and out to now being on top, or.

Arjun: 00:00:42

From being in the storm to now.

Arjun: 00:00:44

Out of the storm, accomplishing something, finishing it. And it's always applied to someone or something or a group that just all of a sudden got it in gear, woke up and, and finished the fight.

Now that is just doing it in the moment, or reacting quickly, or just getting it done immediately.

But most of us regular, everyday humans get offered these situations at certain points where we get to sign up for a marathon, or we decide we want to make a change in our own physical appearance and condition, or we set out to change course in our business or our professional career. Maybe it's getting married or getting yourself beach ready in very short time because you have an upcoming vacation.

Here's something we all must keep in mind. In order for the switch to be flipped, you actually have to be prepared for it. It doesn't just happen by accident or by some stroke of luck.

You're generally in position so that when you are called upon to flip the switch, you can do so in very short time. Some people, that means doing it in the moment.

For others, again, like us everyday regular humans, it might be for a short period of time, like six weeks to get prepared for something, or three months, whatever that case is. Now, I think there are three stages.

Arjun: 00:01:54

That all human beings fall into and they can slip in and out of these.

Arjun: 00:01:57

It's a very fluid situation or dynamic, but when they're setting out to do something, they generally start from one of these three places. And where they ultimately start from is going to have a very profound impact on whether or not that mission is.

Arjun: 00:02:11

Going to be accomplished or whether or.

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Not they're going to win that task. So when I competed for Team USA.

Arjun: 00:02:17

As an athlete and even for the.

Arjun: 00:02:19

10 years where I coached, I explained to our athletes that what you do outside of this 6, 8 or 12 week competing window where we're getting prepared and working towards a major goal, such as a World championships. What happens outside of that is ultimately the most important, because as athletes, we fall into three categories.

There's out of shape, which is at the very bottom. There's training shape, and then there's peak shape. Now, it is impossible, I feel, for anyone to stay in peak shape 365 days a year.

That's exhausting because it requires such precise discipline and structure around your life, around every minute of your day, that it just isn't realistic. It's a little bit too stressful to operate that way.

But what I do think is possible is for all athletes to remain in training shape, which means by definition, for the athletes and for myself that I subscribe to, you can get through a difficult workout. You may not be ultimately very proud of yourself, but you can get through it without dying. You might puke, but you won't die.

You can finish and you can continually put yourself through these to the point where, if you dedicated yourself to a certain regimen, you could go from being.

Arjun: 00:03:36

In training shape, which means you can.

Arjun: 00:03:37

Get through it, to being in peak shape in very short time. Now, for me personally, that was eight to 10 weeks. If I had eight to 10 weeks, I could go from training shape to peak shape.

And I've told the athletes this when I was coach. You need to be able to do the same thing. However, if you are out of shape, it is very, very difficult to get into peak shape.

At best, you might go from being out of shape and really working towards.

Arjun: 00:04:02

It and getting yourself in some assemblance.

Arjun: 00:04:04

Either just above or just below what is called training shape. And training shape, or that equilibrium point right there in the middle is where you want to stay all year. Because again, if something comes up and.

Arjun: 00:04:15

Hits the calendar, there's an event you.

Arjun: 00:04:17

Need to be prepared for, or a tournament you might want to jump into and compete at, or a race that you want to run, or you want to go on that spring break trip.

Arjun: 00:04:26

And there's a good chance you're going.

Arjun: 00:04:26

To see your ex there and you want to make sure you look really good. You need to be in training shape, where you can flip the switch and get into peak shape in short time.

But again, from out of shape, it's just not going to happen. It's not realistic. And also, you don't ever want to be at this stage, because chances are.

Arjun: 00:04:41

This is an indication of not just.

Arjun: 00:04:42

Where you are physically, but where you are in all other aspects of your life. Professionally and personally. Now, let's tie this to business or just on a personal level.

For people that are saying, I'm not an athlete, how does this actually apply to me? I'm going to tell you how. There's dysfunctional at the very bottom, functional, which is in the middle and optimal.

Again, very difficult as an individual, as a business, as an entrepreneur, or anyone that's doing something to be in optimal shape year round.

Arjun: 00:05:35

Very, very difficult, if not impossible.

Arjun: 00:05:37

There's just too much stress attached to.

Arjun: 00:05:39

That, too much rigidity.

Arjun: 00:05:40

Where you want to be is functional. And functional, just like the word says, allows you to be able to do things. You can get through something.

You can still operate at a fairly high level, maybe not at your peak level, but you can operate at a high level, get things done and not be falling apart.

Arjun: 00:05:55

And if you need to flip the.

Arjun: 00:05:56

Switch to prepare yourself for a huge surge in business or a holiday season, if you're a retailer and you want to be prepared to take on all those sales and all those people that are coming through trying to get their shopping done, whatever it might be, apply it to your business or apply to your life, you want to be right there in that functional state. Because at the very bottom, dysfunctional is not a good place to be.

Arjun: 00:06:18

And some of you that are listening.

Arjun: 00:06:19

To this might say, well, actually, I am in a dysfunctional state where everything is a mess, everything I touch is not really going anywhere. I'm a little bit disorganized. I don't have much control over my.

Arjun: 00:06:30

Day schedule, the tasks that I'm handling.

Arjun: 00:06:33

That's a dysfunctional state. And it's going to be very difficult for you to go from dysfunctional. So optimal, just not realistic, but where you can get to with some really.

Arjun: 00:06:42

Good structured discipline, maybe it's the help.

Arjun: 00:06:44

Of a business coach or educating yourself and spending more time on your own growth as an individual is to go from dysfunctional to functional.

And again, if we can all stay functional 365 days a year, any period of time, where it's going to be called upon us, or the light is going to shine, or that opportunity is going to present itself where we need to get to really optimal, we can do it. If we have the right plans, the right systems, the right discipline in place, you can actually do that.

But if you're in a dysfunctional state, it's going to be very, very difficult.

So if you recognize that that might be where you're at or pretty close to it, get yourself to where you're in a functional operating state again, as a business, as an individual, whatever it is, entrepreneur, thought leader, student, aspiring athlete, it doesn't matter. It can apply to anyone. Anyone who's a human being that wants.

Arjun: 00:07:31

To get better and be better and.

Arjun: 00:07:33

Ultimately win needs to be in that functional state year round. Because if you are, you'll be able to make the switch. Or as this podcast is themed, flip the Switch.

I hope you got a lot out of this episode, and I look forward to hearing you guys or meeting up with you on the next one.