Force of Nature

1. Mindset Shapes Reality: Your Thoughts Dictate Your Actions

Everything comes down to attitude: You determine what yours is, and the external world will reflect it back.

Power of Belief: Your thoughts have a profound impact on your reality. If you believe you can't do something, you're likely to fail. Conversely, if you believe in your ability and see the beauty around you, you're more likely to succeed. This isn't just positive thinking; it's about cultivating a mindset that empowers you.

• Negative thoughts are a luxury, a way to avoid work.
• Mental discipline is key; negativity is the easy way out.
• Cultivate positive thoughts to give them life.

Attitude is Everything: Your outlook determines how you perceive and interact with the world. If you wake up in a bad mood, you're more likely to encounter conflict. If you focus on enjoying yourself, you'll find more opportunities for joy. The external world is a mirror reflecting your internal state.

• Your mind has 100% power over your reality.
• What you believe, you cultivate.
• Choose to see the best in every situation.

Action Over Thinking: When negative thoughts creep in, take action. Physical activity, like clearing brush or paddling, can help shift your mindset. Don't let negative thoughts become dominant; instead, channel your energy into productive activities.

• Negative thoughts are a way to avoid work.
• Get out of your own way to do well.
• The work will actually be the fun part.

2. Risk is Essential: Calculated Courage Beats Reckless Abandon

A little adrenaline every day keeps the boredom away.

Risk is in Our DNA: The need for adventure and risk-taking is deeply ingrained in human nature. It's a part of our survival instincts, harking back to our hunter-gatherer days. While modern life is relatively safe, we still need to challenge ourselves to feel truly alive.

• Survival meant risk in our primitive state.
• The need for adventure is part of human nature.
• Challenge yourself daily to feel alive.

Calculated vs. Reckless: There's a crucial difference between being courageous and being reckless. Courage involves calculating the risks and making informed decisions. Recklessness, on the other hand, is impulsive and without foresight.

• Courageous means you're able to calculate what you're doing.
• Reckless is without foresight.
• Take calculated risks, not inadvertent ones.

Embrace the Jolt: Challenging yourself, even scaring yourself a little each day, can provide a valuable jolt of perspective. It reminds you of life's fragility and helps you appreciate the present moment. Risk doesn't always have to be life-threatening; it can be as simple as putting yourself in an unfamiliar situation.

• Risk doesn't have to be life-threatening.
• It can be as simple as putting yourself in an unfamiliar situation.
• A little jolt of perspective reminds you that life’s fragile.

3. Fear is Fuel: Harness It, Don't Hide From It

The ability to harness it constructively, that’s the tricky part.

Fear is Natural: Fear is a natural and essential response. It's not something to deny or ignore. Without fear, we wouldn't survive. The key is to understand and harness its power.

• Fear is a natural response.
• Without it, we wouldn’t survive.
• Denying fear is misguided.

Fear as Energy: Fear is an energy source designed to increase performance. Adrenaline and the hormones your body produces when scared are more powerful than any drug. The challenge lies in using this energy constructively.

• Fear is an energy source designed to increase performance.
• Adrenaline and natural hormones are powerful.
• Harness it constructively.

Commitment Over Panic: Don't overanalyze or let fear paralyze you. Thinking too much about a frightening situation causes your mind to chatter and gets in the way of your body. Instead, meet your fears head-on with commitment and intelligence.

• Thinking too much causes your mind to chatter.
• Meet your fears head-on.
• The flip side of fear is commitment.

4. Instincts Matter: Tune In, Don't Tune Out

Not only is it real, it can save your life.

Sixth Sense: Animal instinct is a real, powerful sense that has developed over millions of years for survival. It's that prickly feeling on the back of your neck that warns you of danger. Modern life often dulls these instincts, but it's crucial to cultivate them.

• Animal instinct is real.
• It's necessary for survival.
• Modern life has removed the necessity of being on our toes.

Inner Knowledge: Most mistakes happen when you ignore your inner knowledge. Learning to interpret what your sixth sense is telling you is as important as living and dying. Pay attention to those subtle signals.

• Most mistakes come when you don’t pay attention to that inner knowledge.
• Ignore it and you end up going against your natural instincts.
• Learning to interpret that sixth sense is as important as living and dying.

Cultivate Your Senses: Consciously turn your senses on. Be still, stay rooted in the present moment, and you'll become aware of subtle things you hadn't noticed. Exercise your instincts like a muscle.

• Be still, stay rooted in the present moment.
• Detect faint smells, adjust to the dark.
• The more you use your senses, the better you get.

5. Beginner's Mind: Embrace the Joy of Being Bad

Trying new things keeps you perpetually young.

Challenge Yourself: Don't shy away from new things because you think you'll be bad at them. The willingness to subject yourself to failure is essential for growth. It forces your mind to engage and keeps you sharp.

• You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure.
• That’s the ideal mind-set in sports and in life.
• You have to be willing to have people laugh at you at first.

Focus and Concentration: When you're a novice at something, it takes more focus and concentration. This is beneficial for your brain and nervous system. It's also easier to have fun when you have fewer expectations.

• When you’re a novice, it takes more focus and concentration.
• When you’re new at something, you have fewer expectations, so it’s easier.
• You’ve worked your brain, your nervous system—your entire body—more than you know.

Humility and Naivete: Beginner's mind keeps you humble and naive. It allows you to say, "I don't know how to do that," which is an important part of being young. Trying new things keeps you perpetually young.

• New things are always hard, of course, because you don’t know what you’re doing.
• Humble is saying “I don’t know,” and naïveté is not knowing!
• Trying new things keeps you perpetually young.

6. Goal Setting: Visualize, Challenge, Adapt, Accept, Savor

If you chart your destination, you have a better chance of arriving.

Visualize Your Goals: Imagine your goals in every detail. Envisioning things makes them tangible. Don't be afraid to let your imagination run wild; it's one of the most powerful tools you have.

• Imagine it in every detail.
• Envisioning things makes them tangible.
• Don’t be afraid to really use your imagination.

Set Challenging Goals: Don't underestimate yourself. Set goals that are a stretch but still attainable. Strike a balance between goals that are too easy and those that are impossible.

• People often underestimate themselves.
• Set goals that aren’t too easy to obtain.
• A goal that’s a stretch, but maybe you could do it if you approached it right—that’s the one to go for.

Adapt and Improvise: Don't be rigid about how you'll achieve your goals. Be willing to adapt and improvise along the way. Life doesn't always follow a straight line.

• Don’t be rigid about how you’re going to get there.
• Sometimes you have to go backward to get to a goal, or sideways.
• Don’t be afraid to improvise if you need to.

Accept Obstacles: Expect setbacks along the way. Don't let them discourage you. Face reality and accept that struggles are a necessary part of the process.

• You have to expect the odd setback.
• No one enjoys a struggle, but it’s a necessary process.
• Face reality.

Savor Your Achievements: When you accomplish a goal, take time to savor the moment. Don't rush on to the next thing. Allow yourself to enjoy the satisfaction of your hard work.

• Make an effort to savor what you’ve just done.
• Let yourself enjoy a moment of satisfaction.
• The next big thing isn’t going anywhere.

7. Excellence is a Blend: Talent, Work, Sensitivity, and Integrity

If you can check off the list on the following pages, you’re building a champion’s résumé.

Basic Strengths: Some things can't be learned or trained; they have to be there from the start. You can't make an eagle out of a chicken. Courage and self-belief are essential.

• Some things have to be there from the start.
• You can’t train courage, either.
• Self-doubt is as good as kryptonite.

Work Capacity: The best athletes have a high tolerance for work. Your work capacity is often established when you're young. How you grew up and what you did during your growth stages determines your work capacity.

• The best athletes have a huge tolerance for work.
• Your work capacity is established when you’re young.
• How you grew up determines your work capacity.

Mental and Physical Toughness: Mental and physical toughness are both important. You don't cave in. The toughest athletes push their limits and redefine what's humanly possible.

• Mental and physical toughness are both important.
• You don’t cave in.
• The toughest athletes push that threshold so far out that they redefine what’s humanly possible.

Sensitivity and Details: Be sensitive to everything around you. Be aware of the little details that others miss. Sweat the details and strive for technical perfection.

• When you’re sensitive, it means you’re aware of everything that’s happening around you.
• You’re going to make a point of being technically immaculate.
• Half-assed is not part of your mind-set.

Integrity and Character: There's a depth of character that underlies all great performances. Be someone who cares about others, who's honest, and who has principles.

• There’s a depth of character that underlies all great performances.
• Who are you?
• If you cut corners in your integrity, it doesn’t matter how many trophies you’ve got stuffed into your case.

8. Body as a Vehicle: Train Intelligently, Not Just Hard

I don’t have on-season and off-season training—I’m training for life.

Body as a Machine: Think of your body as a vehicle. It needs the right fuel, timely maintenance, and a driver (your brain). Fitness isn't just about muscles and body fat; it's about the engine running between your ears.

• Think of your body as a vehicle.
• It needs the right fuel, timely maintenance, and a driver.
• The most important factor in your overall health is the engine that’s running between your ears.

Training Intelligence: Don't just train hard; train intelligently. Build functional fitness, be creative, work your balance, and practice breath awareness. Avoid training for what you don't want to happen.

• Build functional fitness.
• Be creative.
• Work your balance.

Variety and Fun: Your routine should change depending on the conditions. Fitness doesn't have to be a duty; it should be a pleasurable part of your life. Include activities that you enjoy.

• Fitness doesn’t have to be a duty.
• It should be a pleasurable part of your life.
• Fun is an ingredient that people often forget in their fitness program.

9. Variety is Key: Mix Up Your Training, Embrace the Unconventional

Once you become too efficient at something, it benefits you less.

Keep the Body Guessing: Avoid doing the same workout every day. Once you become too efficient at something, it benefits you less. Keep your body guessing by varying your activities.

• Do the same workout every day and you’ll get consistent—but you won’t get explosive.
• Once you become too efficient at something, it benefits you less.
• I believe in keeping the body guessing.

Let Conditions Dictate: Let the conditions dictate what you do. If it's windy, go windsurfing. If it's snowy, go snowboarding. If you're at the gym, try new machines.

• Let the conditions dictate what you do.
• If it’s windy, instead of going to the gym, you might go windsurfing.
• Make it new, not just for your body, but also for your brain.

Cross-Training Benefits: Cross-training keeps you physically and mentally sharp. Learning different sports always has a positive effect on your primary sport.

• Cross training keeps you physically and mentally sharp.
• Learning different sports always has a positive effect on my surfing.
• When you’re a novice at something, it takes more focus and more concentration.

10. Recovery is Crucial: Rest, Refuel, and Rejuvenate

You don’t get stronger during training. You get stronger after your body rebuilds itself from training.

Rest is Essential: You don't get stronger during training; you get stronger after your body rebuilds itself. Resting after a hard workout is crucial for recovery.

• You don’t get stronger during training.
• You get stronger after your body rebuilds itself from training.
• Resting after a hard workout is the smartest thing you can do.

Refuel Your Body: Within an hour after training, you need to eat to replenish your energy stores. Choose foods that contain carbohydrates, proteins, and a bit of fat.

• Within an hour after training, you’ve got to eat.
• Your body needs refueling.
• Eat (or drink) something that contains carbohydrates, proteins, and a bit of fat.

Active Rest: Alternate activities that use your body in different ways. Follow anaerobic exercise with something more cardiovascular.

• Active rest helps recovery.
• Alternate activities that use your body in different ways.
• Following anaerobic exercise with something more cardiovascular helps flush lactic acid.

Prioritize Sleep: Never skimp on sleep. It's vital for your body's ability to regenerate itself. Disrupting your natural sleep cycle is damaging.

• Never skimp on sleep.
• That downtime is vital to your body’s ability to regenerate itself.
• Disrupting your natural sleep cycle is one of the most damaging things you can do.

11. Eat for Performance: Quality, Diversity, and Awareness

Eat for performance, health, and (let’s not forget) pleasure.

Eat When Hungry: Don't eat unless you're hungry. Let your body crave food. Avoid snacking and grazing throughout the day.

• I don’t like to eat unless I’m hungry.
• When I sit down to a meal, I want my body to be in a state of craving.
• Not eating until you’re hungry means that you’re not snacking much, if at all.

Eat Close to the Source: Avoid processed foods with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients. Eat real food from the earth.

• If I can’t pronounce it or don’t know what it is, it’s not going into my body.
• Beware of any “food” that has been created by humans rather than nature.
• Eat close to the source.

Listen to Cravings: Pay attention to your cravings. They can indicate that your body needs certain minerals or elements.

• Food cravings are important.
• If you suddenly have a craving for something, that’s a real indication that your body’s looking for something.
• You have to figure out what the craving really means.

Diversity and Quality: Eat a widely varied diet. Don't just buy the same stuff every time. Make quality a priority.

• It’s important to eat a widely varied diet.
• The more diverse your diet, the healthier you’re going to be.
• Spend money; get quality food.

Enjoy Your Food: Eat consciously, chew slowly, and savor what you're eating. Don't rush through your meals.

• I’m always reminding myself to eat more consciously.
• To chew slowly and savor what I’m eating.
• Nature has given us millions of unique flavors; our job is to explore them and appreciate every one.

12. Soulful Living: Connect, Appreciate, and Trust the Flow

I think it’s our job to trust in that.

Find Your Path: Your path is yours alone. Don't let others discourage you. The world needs more people who create, question, and search.

• Your path is yours alone.
• The world doesn’t need more conformists.
• The world needs more people who create and question and search.

Trust the Flow: Life has a natural curve. Trust in that. Don't try to control everything. Instead, yield to what is.

• Life has a natural curve, an arc.
• It’s our job to trust in that.
• Fighting puts you in a weaker position.

Appreciate the World: The world is precious. Take time to appreciate its beauty, both in its smallest details and its grandest spectacles.

• What we’ve been given here is precious.
• Majestic in its smallest details and its grandest spectacles.
• Take a good look at a 50-foot wave.

Connect to Something Larger: Believe in something larger than yourself. Whether it's God, nature, or the universe, let that be your source of strength.

• Most intelligent people I’ve met believe in something larger than themselves.
• We realize that there’s something going on that orchestrated all of this.
• Whatever you believe in, let that be your source of strength.

Live in the Moment: Instead of striving to enjoy life more someday, start enjoying it now. Accept that much of what happens is out of your hands and trust in life to unfold perfectly.

• Maybe we should just start enjoying!
• Right this moment.
• Dare to accept that much of what happens is out of your hands.

Last updated: January 21, 2025