The One Thing You Can’t Outsource

Outsourcing is so hot right now. I blame Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4 Hour Workweek and Chris Ducker’s book, Virtual Freedom for starting the outsourcing phenomenon. In Tim’s book he tells you why you should do it and Chris tells you how to do it. In fact, Chris Ducker has a new book for entrepreneurs entitled, The Rise of the Youpreneur.

This outsourcing topic started during a recent consultation I had with Mike Kim. We discussed the theme of each of my recent years. 2015 was the year my fitness journey began, and I lost 70 lbs. In 2016 I lost an additional 15 lbs.

So, four years after my diagnosis, I realized the one proven weapon I had against Parkinson’s disease was exercise and fitness. Drugs and surgery only affect the symptoms of the disease.  Scientific evidence has proven that exercise slows down the progression of Parkinson’s disease and may even reverse the damage already done in the brain. I cannot outsource physical exercise. No one can do the pushups or road work for me.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Tip of the Week

Today’s Tip of the Week is a toy, an iPhone app called the 8mm Movie Camera App. It will spice up your videos and make cool movies for Instagram and Facebook. Don’t overdo it, but use it when you want to create that special 8mm movie feel.

Spiritual Foundations

I’ve been having lots of conversations lately about grace and Christianity.

No, I’m not talking about the judging and protesting brand of Christianity. I’m talking about the grace-offered-by-Jesus-over-2000-years-ago Christianity.

Grace is “favor you get without earning it.” It’s possible to earn forgiveness, but it’s not possible to earn grace.

When Paul discusses grace in 1 Corinthians [6:12], he states, “All things are lawful for me but not all are helpful.”  When this was written, the Corinthian Church had gone wacko. They were engaging in outrageous sin such as the practice of sleeping with their mother in law and having sex with temple prostitutes.

Paul was stating that grace means all things are lawful, but all things are not going to grow you or develop you. Grace is not a license to sin. Although many people believe this concept of grace, they shy away from teaching it out of fear of appearing to give people permission to sin.

Feature Presentation “The One Thing You Can't Outsource”

Outsource things you’re not good at and don’t like – Why there’s one common denominator running through the one thing we can’t outsource. ([11:18])

No one can do this for you – Why the power of habits requires self-discipline. ([11:28])

We always have time for what we prioritize as important – How we make excuses for not doing the things we don’t value. ([11:30])

You always have time for what’s important – How self-discipline is the key characteristic in each zone of progress. ([11:32])

Paul struggled with self-discipline – Why the thing I want to do, I don’t do. The thing I hate, I do.  ([13:10])

You aren’t born with a finite amount of self-discipline – How to increase your capacity for self-discipline with a 3-step plan. ([13:43])

We are wired for our survival to avoid pain – Why human nature places chasing after pleasure as secondary. ([15:40])

Why we allow momentary, fleeting pleasure to sidetrack our long-term gain – Learn how anyone can increase capacity for self-discipline. ([16:19])

How expanding self-discipline is like building a muscle – Why the pain and discomfort of pushing against resistance are part of self-discipline. ([18:00])

Practice polarity – How the pain/pleasure paradigm undergirds our motivations and actions. ([19:32])

Why it’s not enough to know Tony Robbins’ pain/pleasure paradigm – Pushing yourself to do something uncomfortable increases your self-discipline muscle. ([20:25])

Most people are not happy, yet they’re not unhappy enough to do something about it. ([20:40])

Living in no-man’s land – How no attraction and no repulsion keeps you stuck in the pain zone. ([21:02])

Do your actions make God want to vomit? Why being like lukewarm water makes God sick. ([22:00])

Jim Edwards’ principle applies to all areas of life – “Love me or hate me, but there’s no money in the middle.”  ([22:39])

The power of transformation hinges on changing your view of pain and pleasure. ([23:09])

The practice of practice – How increasing capacity for self-discipline is rooted in just doing it…the power of habits and situational awareness. ([24:15])

What we can all learn from Cliff Ravenscraft – How to stick to your commitments and change your life (even if that means running the stairs). ([26:08])

The practice of perseverance – Why starting with momentum is never enough. ([26:58])

Why steadfastness is the key to success – How to resume as quickly as possible (and avoid wasting time repenting).  ([27:25])

The 3 practices to increase your capacity for self-discipline – How you can't outsource polarity, practice, and perseverance. ([29:05])

Examine your goals – Why you will not persist in goals that aren’t worthy of you. ([29:40])

 

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

The Rise of the Youpreneur by Chris Drucker

Virtual Freedom by Chris Drucker

The Power of Leverage by Tony Robbins

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Ray Edwards is a world-renowned copywriter and communications strategist, writing for some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. Ray is a sought-after speaker and author, hosts a popular weekly podcast, and blogs at RayEdwards.com.