«I Signed A Contract With Myself» Kobe #Q-style
30 min ago I saw a short reels video of Kobe Bryant saying «I signed a contract with myself. It’s non-negotiable».
There are truths I believe in. One of them states:
My actions create opportunities.
If there’s something I don’t like about my life. If there’s something I want to change, upgrade and improve up to my potential and liking, I do something. Logic. In any inventory of my victories, I did something to get the result.
- To get a state scholarship and study in Vienna: I prepared for IELTs, I prepared for my Kazakh Language test, I failed miserably about 30 times applying to US colleges before, therefore had acquired some expertise in application process (therefore let’s cherish our failures as much as victories).
- To get into a foreign office (my dream job then): I studied in private school (thanks to my parents), I studied abroad (thanks to my parents and me), I was a graduate of state scholarship program, I passed all exams for civil service, I compiled a dossier of documents and submitted them to HR directly. I did my part. Plus, I drove 400 km daily back and fourth three days in a row to pass my interview.
- To get good at jumping on a jumprope: I asked my mom to buy me a jumprope. I went to an empty apartment neighboring ours. I trained several hours in a row for a week straight. I got good at jumping on a jump rope, better than others.
Therefore, actions create opportunities. It’s the act of doing — applying, writing, showing up, grinding — whatever that is, that brings you mastery and victory over time. Repetitive actions accruing into a force.
So, following Kobe Bryant’s advice, I drafted a contract of my own. Signed it. With all chapters included: Subject of the contract, Aims and goals, Terms and Conditions, Faurce-majours, Incompliance & infringement, Duration & Fulfillment — all in 1 page. There are 7–8 things to perform daily.
To be honest, I’m a bit scared, a bit anxious to start this journey. Crippling thoughts creep in. «What if you fail?», «Common, whom are you kidding», «Whose gonna pay for that», «You’ll still be jobless and miserable in a year, you’ll see». All those nagging, destructive thoughts and beliefs of past.
But I believe in numbers. I believe in stats. That’s what the whole AI-industry is based on. Meticulous, deliberate processing of numbers. It’s what an athletes body tells me: «I do nothing special, other than exercise 2–6 hours a day». Yes, it’s these hours a day, that make up these hours a month, these hours a year that count. It’s these hours at something for certain amount of time that define your craftsmanship and mastery. The trick is to keep yourself curious and excited about the process along the way. Not give up or get bored. Be a robot in body with soul and creative mind to make it look fun.
Another thing I’m thinking of — this idea of signing a contract with yourself is like making your own bootcamp, your own navy or CIA training, your own pre-Olympic routine. And that’s harder than doing it under guidance and surveillance, with people motivating and monitoring you. This is the real deal. This is Eliot Kipchogi style — multiple times Olympic Games winner, running marathons from Kenya. He ain’t got nothing fancy, no triathlon facilities, no super diets. Just him and his discipline. Dude in his forties beats guys twice younger. It’s the vitamin «D» (D-discipline) that he swears on.
There another example of a chess player from Russia. Alexandra (maybe wrong with her name) Kostenyuk from Saint-Petersburg, titled gross meister in a very young age. In a glimpse of an interview I watched many years ago, her dad was saying, «she runs 1–2 hrs/day for her physical shape and cognitive abilities, she runs when it’s mud, rain, snow, or any other weather». Vitamin D, as well.
God help me with this endeavor. No better time than now. Will go get my walking hours. Even if its muddy and gray outside.
Luvs.
