The School of Greatness summary

When you’ve imagined your ideal day, and let it guide you toward your vision for how you’d like to live, write it down as specifically as you can. Formulate it into a single sentence, in fact, and create a certificate of achievement for yourself as if you’ve already accomplished it.

For instance, it might read a “distinguished professor of literature” or “New York Times best-selling author,” as you start your English major. Or perhaps “Entrepreneur of the Decade,” as you formulate your business plan. Maybe it says “multi-platinum recording artist” and hangs in your practice room. Whatever your goal, aiming high is the point – because no one achieves greatness without it.

With your vision defined and your champion’s mindset, it’s time to set a course of action. No matter where you are along the journey to your goal, two things will help you go further, faster. The first is cultivating a sense of urgency, sometimes called hustle, to pursue your goals with energy and focus. The second is developing the daily habits that will assure progress every single day.

Remember, though, that a sense of urgency isn’t about feeling anxious – it’s about pursuing every opportunity that comes your way, and creating opportunities when none arise on their own. 

Think back to Kyle Maynard, the mountain-climber and accomplished athlete from an earlier chapter. He overcame severe physical challenges on the road to becoming a champion athlete, and has another excellent lesson to impart.

That’s because when Kyle launched his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, he didn’t do it for himself – he did it to raise money for the wounded veterans he greatly admired. His climb was followed by ESPN, and won media awards, because he was climbing for an inspirational cause. And that cause carried him forward when things seemed impossible.

While vulnerability may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you consider greatness, it's actually a secret strength in the lives of many who have achieved it. Keeping a kind of beginner’s mind in the presence of greatness means staying open to learning from the experience of others. Since the road to greatness is a marathon, not a sprint, it will require adjustments and changes along the way. Staying open helps you respond faster and more flexibly.

That’s because ego can be a roadblock on the journey to success. Getting too invested in one way of doing things, or insisting that your way is the only way, can lead to a fall. When author Lewis Howes began The School of Greatness podcast, he had already faced a number of failures along the road to success, and felt pretty confident in himself. Then one day he faced a conflict on the court during a pickup basketball game, and he lost it – he met violence with violence in a rageful outburst.

Achieving greatness means living your full potential with presence and passion. This requires both a clear vision and a plan toward specific goals. But by embracing your adversities as challenges, tackling them through daily habits with a champion's mindset, building a supportive community around you and connecting with causes greater than yourself, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Embracing your vulnerability and staying open to change will make every step of the journey feel worthwhile, too.