Back in Mexico when I was a kid, arcades were very popular. I used to spend a lot of time playing there, especially the fighting games- Street Fighters, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fight and many others. Of course, I was not good in the beginning, but I became so obsessed about being one of the best players in town that I spent all the no money and time, I did not have, playing. I became so ruthless in the game that kids will turn around once they see me playing instead of challenging me on the game.
I loved video games. I also played a game called Megan; that was my motivation to wake up at 5 am and go to sleep at 1 am. I also became an expert on the game. I would not stop playing all day until I could pass all the levels and be undefeated.
Now that I think about it I am not proud of the time and money I wasted in that behavior. But I could discover a trait I had since I was a kid…
Later in my life when I turned 16 years of age, I wanted to learn how to drive. But I was so poor in Mexico that I could barely make money to eat, let alone for a bike and it was close to impossible to buy a car. So I started to hang out with guys who worked as drivers. I used to ride with them. I asked them all kinds of questions- “How to start the car? Why are you pressing that pedal? Why are you pressing that pedal at this moment? What does this button do? What are you moving the stick each time you stop accelerating?”
It came at the time that I felt I knew enough to drive, so I started asking them to let me drive and they would reject me- “No, I won’t. No means no. You are very stubborn. You don’t get it. You are annoying. Stop! But I will continue until one day a friend let me drive on a street and little by little started to teach me.
When I moved to the US I met a bodybuilder who taught me how to transform my body. He did not have faith in me in the beginning, but I proved him wrong and showed him that I was serious. It came to the point that I had three jobs and the only time I could go to the gym was at 2 am, but no matter what happened in my life, unless there was an emergency, I would continue with my weight lifting routine. This is how I transformed my body.
The trait I discovered that helped me achieve many things in my life is being persistent (you can also call me stubborn)...
When I want something in life, I don’t stop until I get it. I overcame all the obstacles. I spend time learning how to get it. I don’t succumb to rejection. In other words, I persist. I am obsessive compulsive and having OCD is a virtue.
I go all in or I don’t even start when it is about a serious goal. For example, when I started Custom Body Fitness I knew I had to sign a lease and make Custom Body Fitness sustainable or get into debt with the contract lease.
I became obsessed with making Custom Body Fitness a place where people can transform their bodies and life…
I learned everything that has to be with the business. I study in tune free times; I gave flyers away; I trained people for free in the beginning and did many other things. I was rejected, embarrassed, scared and I failed many times before I could see any profit. But I persist because I am an obsessive compulsive person.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with you being stubborn and pushing until you get what you want. Of course, you are going to turn heads and many people are not going to like and even they may call the police on you (that happened to me when I was hitting on a girl that she thought I was creepy). But this trait will help you achieve any goal you have set for yourself and help you live a fulfilling life, so don’t be ashamed of you being different then the rest, just make sure your energy is focused on goals that are worthwhile for everyone else and you.