“You do not succeed because you do not know what you want, but because you don’t want it intensely enough.”

Frank Crane

Whether it’s in relationships, health and fitness, sports, or business/career, it all boils down to intensity.  Over the weekend, I attended a regional high school wrestling tournament.  There were over 20 teams in attendance, most of them were ranked in their respective states.

As a Mental Toughness Coach, I honed in on the coaches of the various teams.  I watched them over the course of the event, but immediately picked out two coaches whose intensity was unmatched by the other coaches.  Guess what? Those two teams finished first and second in the overall tournament.

The top two coaches weren’t out of control, ranting after a loss, or arguing with the refs. They were dialed in tight, to every one of their athletes’ matches.  While most other coaches, were standing with their arms crossed, discussing how many points were needed to win the match, and calculating the final tournament standings, these guys were completely and utterly concentrating on each individual’s performance, coaching every second of every match.

Intensity isn’t rage, it isn’t going berserk; it is a laser-focused energy, a channelling of fervency, speed and earnestness.  To illustrate the importance of intensity (and all the street cops said, “Amen”), I recall the first time a perpetrator tried to take my gun from me, after answering a domestic violence call.  The second you realize, “This guy is trying to kill me” is the second you become laser-focused, your training kicks in, and you go to work, knowing failure is not an option, there will be no rematch, no next time.

In this situation, remaining laid back, looking cool, or being anything other than the one who is going to win, is the day your life is over.  When the stakes are that high, it is much easier to operate with intensity, no question about it.  But I carry the principle of intensity into every area of my life.  Love me or hate me, I operate with intensity.

You can get good, and even great, at anything if you operate with intensity. How much intensity do you bring to having successful relationships? To your health and fitness? To your business/career?

If you are just going through the motions, why waste the time?

Boo yah!