Are you RELENTLESS? Like Tim S. Grover Relentless?
Relentless. This is the book by Tim S. Grover. Tim is the CEO of Attack Athletics and is famous world wide for working with elite level athletes. Tim's training methods and mind sets focus on excellence, commitment and the concept of "don't think." Not only does Tim's teachings have application in sports and athleticism, but it also translates perfectly into the business world. Frankly, you can be Relentless in any endeavor. You can be a relentless parent, student, waiter, sales person, anything as long as you are willing to pay the price of being relentless.
Let's examine what that is and some of the key lessons learned from the book and why anyone looking to take their game to a new level must read this book.
Reviews From Cleaners
"Tim Grover is the master of mental toughness. This book is the blueprint for discovering what you are capable of achieving, getting results you never imagined, reaching the highest level of success - and then going even higher." -Kobe Bryant
"I consider Tim Grover to be second to none in his knowledge of sports training, and he was an invaluable part of my training program." -Michael Jordan
Relentless defined
re·lent·less
[ri-lent-lis] adjective
that which does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: a relentless enemy.
Origin:
1585–95;
relent + -less
Related forms re·lent·less·ly, adverb re·lent·less·ness, noun
Synonyms
rigid, unbending, obdurate, adamant, unyielding. See inflexible.
Relentless is an adjective. It's a description. And per Dictionary.com the word carries a slight negative connotation. But does that mean in order to be relentless, you have to be negative? Is it possible to be a relentless father? A man who works hard to support the family he loves and still makes it to the game to coach the kids and shows up at church every Sunday? Wouldn't that be relentless? Is it possible to be a relentless drug counselor? Someone of such devotion to the cause that they are unbending in their quest to save the souls lost to addiction? Historically, if we didn't have certain individuals who were relentless, we might not be where we are today. Was Edison relentless? Einstein? Martin Luther King? Gandhi?
So no, being relentless, doesn't mean negative. The subtitle of Tim Grover's book is this, "From Good to Great to Unstoppable"
Where are you in that list?
Relentless is a call to action and then as Kobe mentioned, a blueprint that will lay out exactly what it takes to go beyond your perceived limits.
Good to Great to Unstoppable can also be termed as Cooler, Closer, Cleaner.
Tim lays down the gauntlet to us all to examine where we fit into the relentless scale and then challenges us to raise our own game.
Let's identify the 3:
- Good / Cooler
- Great / Closer
- Unstoppable / Cleaner
In the book, Tim drops multiple example of the differences between the three, but here's one to help you get the idea:
- Coolers can have an amazing game
- Closers can have an amazing season
- Cleaners have an amazing career
Tim's in Basketball so... Jordan's a cleaner. Kobe's a cleaner. Who else though? Elite military units are cleaners. Most national leaders are cleaners. The UFC's Ronda Rousey is a cleaner of the first order. So is Frank Sinatra.
Have you ever seen or met someone and afterwards you're like, "That guy's got it!" Then you try to figure out what "it" is really and why you don't have "it" like that. How and why are they the way they are. Ever tried to figure out "what does that guy got that I don't?"
Well, here's the good news. Relentless will tell you exactly what that guy got and the great news is that you already got it too.
The question, challenge and ethical dilemma you're now under is will you do what it takes to let "it" out.
The Relentless 13
How do you know if you're a Cleaner? Well, it's probably safe to say that if you're not sure, you got some work to do.
Relentless will give you 13 traits, attitudes and mindsets you can use to gauge your Cleanlyness (pun intended, cause if you're gonna be a Cleaner, you're gonna have to get a little dirty.)
Mr. Grover says, "There are thirteen, to remind you that there is no such think as luck." Which I love.
Also, one of my favorite parts of the Relentless Thirteen is they are all labeled #1. Why? Because they are all important equally.
Each of the 13 will have a piece of you in it. Some you'll see and say, that's totally me and some will seem almost foreign to you. This way you know exactly where the work needs to be done.
Relentless will not try to get you to be something you're not. That's impossible anyway.
If you are comfortable with an average life, if you work so you can just get by, if you're happy in the stands of life and if you're content with the mezzanine, this is not the right book for you to read right now.
But if you can wrap your head around the fact that there is more in you, that you are capable of so much more than what you're laying down right now and if the little voice in your head is leaning on you to be better, do better, and push past your current perceived limits, then this is the book for you.
I have read many books on success and Relentless will show you exactly how to get your mind right so you can have and achieve everything you want in life.
I don't know about you, but I want an extraordinary life. Not just some good memories. I'm not going to settle for "just" anything. Extraordinary means beyond ordinary. And if that's you too, this is your next book.
The How Relentless Are You Quiz (if you can't be honest with yourself, skip this)
view quiz statisticsA Few Favorite Quotes From The Book:
Here's a few juicy nuggets from Tim Grover:
- "Do. The. Work. Every day, you have to do something you don't want to do. Every day. Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable, push past the apathy and laziness and fear."
- "This is your life, how can you not invest in that? I'm not talking to the athletes here, but to anyone who places value on success."
- "The greats never stop learning. Instinct and talent without technique just makes you reckless..."
- "Stop thinking. Stop Waiting. You already know what to do."
- "Good thinks come to those who work."
- When you reduce your competition to whining that you "got lucky" you know you're doing something right."
The Journey to Relentless
Our journey to Relentless starts with, as my college professor said, "being proud, but never satisfied." He was a Cleaner. When you are ready, willing and able to push yourself for more. In the gym they tell you it's the last rep that counts. That's where the growth is.
Next we learn about how to get into the Zone. That mysterious place where Jedi's live and the magic happens.
From there we journey into who we really are. We must know who we truly are to reach unstoppable.
Also it's time to meet, confront and take control of the dark side. Every great warrior has a dark side to confront and must do this. So must anyone looking to become a true Cleaner.
Relentless introduces us to the concept of being able to thrive on pressure. Can one get to a place where pressure is not intimidating, it's inspiring? So that when everyone is freaking out, you are the calm in that storm.
Being Relentless also means we don't compete. Champions dominate. They make people want to get to their level, not the other way around. There is no competition when you're unstoppable.
As we continue through this adventure, we come to be a maker of decisions, not an asker of questions. One can't wring hands and be relentless.
Yoda was a Cleaner. "Do or do not. There is no try"
Being Relentless means work. One will grow to understand that you don't have to like the work, but the result is what you're hooked on. Super Cleaner, Muhammed Ali put it best, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
As a Cleaner, one will need to understand that it is better to be feared than liked. That may be challenging for many. It may fly in the face of how you were raised, but it may be the price you pay to have everything you want in life. Relentless will show and help you to understand that this is actually liberating and natural.
Because of this, you will need to develop your ability to not be so trustful. You want to be in control of your results. To give that to another is too risky. And the people you do decide to trust have been given a gift.
Failure to a Relentless Cleaner does not exist. There is always a way. Grant Cardone has said, "there is no failure until you quit."
Coming around full circle, being proud but never satisfied means not celebrating your achievments and wins. You did it. You won. Great. What's next?
This journey is yours and yours alone. Take it. This is one of those books that will leave you a different person.