Charlie Brenneman: Inside the Mind of a Professional Cage Fighter

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Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitor in the lightweight division with an overall fight record of 19 wins and 8 losses.

After leaving the UFC two years ago, Charlie has devoted himself to helping other people achieve the success that they desire and deserve through professional coaching, speaking, and entrepreneurship.

Favorite Success Quote

“You are what you repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit” ~

Key Points

1. Success is About Giving Everything You Have

In our materialistic and results driven society, it is easy to get caught up in this idea that success is all about making a certain amount of money, winning every competition, and reaching every goal.

But the truth is much deeper than that. While accomplishment should certainly play a central role in every man’s definition of success, the missing piece of the puzzle is the effort that you devote to achieving your goals.

If you put everything that you have into the attainment of a goal, if you are relentless and driven to a point that many people consider you insane and you still don’t achieve your desired outcome, then guess what?

You are still a success.

You showed up, you put in the work, and you did everything that you could do. Sometimes despite your best efforts, the stars simply don’t align. And it’s times like this where you can look at yourself in the mirror with pride, knowing that you gave it your all and are still a man of success despite the perceived failure.

2. A Life of Fulfillment Comes from the Habit of Pursuing the Uncomfortable

So many people believe that fulfillment will come whenever they reach a certain goal. Whenever they have seven figures in their bank account, are married to the model wife, or driving the Ferrari.

In reality, however, as men, we derive our true sense of fulfillment from constantly pursuing a life of “uncomfortability.”

A life where we don’t know whether we will succeed, a life of struggle and triumph, a life, as Teddy Roosevelt put it, “In the arena, with your face marred by blood, and sweat, and tears.”

If you want to be fulfilled and live every day with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, then get out of your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable and start pushing the boundaries of what you think is possible in your life.

3. Humility is a Hallmark of the Greats

No matter how successful you become, there is always someone out there who is better than you. And if you want to truly succeed at any endeavor, then you need to have the humility to learn from others and devote yourself to constant improvement.

If you look at any great man in sports, business, or life, you will notice that no matter their stature, they were always willing to take criticism and look for ways to improve their craft.

From billionaires like Sam Walton to All-Stars like Kobe Bryant, they all approached their field with a deep and genuine humility, accepting that they did not know everything and had plenty of room to improve.

If you truly want to be one of the greats, then you need to take the same approach to your life.

4. Accept the Struggle

Whenever you start out at anything, whether it is a business, a sport, an instrument, or improving your social skills, you are going to suck.

It’s not pretty, it’s not nice, but it is the cold hard truth. You are going to suck, and you are going to suck for a long time.

The quicker that you can come to terms with this and accept that the journey is part of the joy of mastery, the sooner you will be able to overcome your own egotistical nature and truly become an expert in your craft.

So embrace the suck. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and get ready for months or even years of fumbling through until you become proficient in your field.

5. Surround Yourself with the Best

The quickest way to accelerate your own growth is to surround yourself with people who are playing the game of life at a higher level than you are.

Find people in your field who are performing at a level 10X your current level and get around them.

Figure out what habits, tactics, and mindsets are separating them from the 99% and putting them into the proverbial hall of fame.

The sooner that you can build up your circle of friends and mentors who are playing at a higher level, the quicker you will achieve your own goals and truly embrace your own potential.