I admit it: I underestimated him. I smiled at him mildly. All this fuss about powerfully tanned muscles, action-packed fight scenes with repulsively raw orgies of violence. Masses of fake blood and disgusting gaping movie wounds. No, this was definitely not for me.
It was only when the action hero showed his comedic side that I became interested in him again. I actually saw him for the first time in a movie in the lead role as a kindergarten cop. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Over the past few days, I have now taken a (originally very skeptical) look behind the scenes. What can I say? I read his book "Be Useful. Seven Tools for Life" in just a few hours.
And I am speechless. Speechless about his clear visions, his steps towards implementation. His courage to try really big things, his incredibly hard work to achieve them. And it all goes back to his father, who instilled the following sentence in him as a child: Be useful.
The circle is complete.
On Saturday afternoon, I was back at the gym. Yes, I'm training my muscles. Funny, isn't it?
I have a crystal-clear goal in mind: next year, I'm going to cross the Alps from north to south with my sister. A sisterly time-out together, a birthday present.
2024 would still be too early, but 2025 is a great year to achieve our goal - says my trainer. So let's get on the equipment. And believe me: it's incredibly strenuous, sweaty and painful. My inner bastard is quite fidgety and restless. He's definitely against it when "gym" is on the calendar again ...
So what do my eyes see on this particular afternoon?
A gray-haired couple in their 80s or 85s - small, petite, stooped and obviously newly registered. Full of enthusiasm, they are trying out the unfamiliar equipment with the lightest weights and under professional guidance. The trainer motivates them again and again, treating them with great care and appreciation.
"How cool is that?" I think.
To be very disabled and still have such a goal! Not to languish in an old people's home or in front of the TV. No, but to actively do something for yourself. To stay healthy and physically fit. And to spend time together. Apparently to try out a new hobby together. Wow! Really cool and very inspiring!
And that reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger again.
He shares his seven simple rules for a better life in his book. He writes that the most important thing is to have a clear vision. In his book, he tells his career, his very personal story of how he came to be an extremely successful bodybuilder AND action hero AND Governor of California. He names the tools that need to be implemented, no matter what dreams you have. Very captivating, inspiring and authentically written.
Are you curious to know what they are?
I'll briefly summarize his seven simple rules for you:
- The most important thing: a clear vision
- Never think small
- Work your ass off
- Sell, sell, sell
- Switch
- Close your mouth, open your mind
- Smash the mirror
Have a crystal clear vision? Hmmm, not so easy ...
I'll stick to point 1 today. Many people ask themselves where the journey of their life should go? What is important? What are their strengths? Where is their destiny? What does the universe / a God / the Almighty want from them?
Developing a vision, a strategy for your life, your career and your private life is a process. And not necessarily easy. The idea matures slowly. Maybe it starts with a small sentence that you hear or read, just pick up. And you think: Wow, I want that too! Perhaps as a child? Or only later as a young adult or even later, when you start to think about your own path in life.
It's easier to rule out goals and things in order to eventually get to the core.
I confess: I didn't know my goal for my life.
As an exhausted young mom of four, I often asked myself desperately: Is there anything else out there besides changing diapers, taking care of the kids, household, garden, husband? I want more! I don't just want to cook, clean, clean baby bottoms and organize children's birthday parties.
And one afternoon (I was sitting with my 6-year-old son in our red VW bus, affectionately known as Balduin, waiting for my big girl) the following thought came to me clearly and out of the blue: You make children strong for the future. Period.
Of course. Haha. And how is that supposed to work now? Because I don't want to work exclusively with young children.
Well, it has evolved. I've developed, my training and professional career have been geared towards this. And believe me, I've struggled with this sentence endlessly. I wanted to suppress it, erase it, give up, throw it away! But what else to do? No plan B would open up.
When I look back on my life now, this one sentence has had a lasting impact on my life:
- Raising four children to become independent, self-confident, caring, appreciative adults
- Helping young people from difficult backgrounds make a bumpy start in the world of work and seeing them through to the end of their apprenticeships.
- Providing a protected environment for people with special needs as a workshop manager.
- And today?
Today, as a mentor, I pass on all my hard-earned knowledge and my wealth of experience as a long-standing manager to young managers. I love accompanying young people and supporting them in their further development. I give them tried-and-tested tools with an easy-to-implement instruction manual for confident leadership, discussion management and self-management.
It is my long-standing vision, my vocation, my profession.
I have a suggestion: if your vision for your life and your career is still unclear and you want to move forward and focus on new goals, then let's talk.
