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The cliche of “daring” to set big, hairy goals for ourselves can be found in one form or another in just about every self-help book ever written and commencement speech ever delivered.
Great achievements start with great imagination…you have to hitch your wagon to a star just to reach the top of the trees…imagine your beautiful future down to the most minute of details and you’ll be on your way to making it a reality…yada yada yada.
I’m all for thinking big, but I think these bromides can set people up for failure just as much as they can propel them toward success.
I think there’s a “dangerous” side to thinking big. Especially when you really mean it–when you’re not just indulging in playful fantasy but actually drumming up real desire.
The danger is this:
Big goals require big effort, big courage, and big sacrifice. Much, much bigger than many people think.
They have no clue how many thousands of hours of practice came before the Carnegie Hall performance…how much thankless toil came before the bestselling novel…how many hours of sleep were lost building the company…how many risks must be taken, how many failures are experienced along the way, how many distractions life offers you, how many justifications for giving up you can invent, and how many times you’ll have nobody but yourself for consolation and support.
Call me cynical but thinking big just doesn’t seem to be for everyone. Some people just don’t seem to be cut out for it.
Look around for a moment and consider how many dreamers you know that are making real, tangible progress toward making those dreams a reality. Not boasts of what could or will be but actual results.
My guess is you don’t know very many. Why? Are they just not thinking big enough? Did they just forget to envision the wheel color of their imaginary Lamborghini or number of cents in their imaginary Swiss bank account?
No. Thinking better thoughts will have absolutely no bearing on their circumstances.
These people just don’t realize that big goals are to be respected. Feared, even.
Trifle with them at your own risk because they can break you–they can split you open and lay bare your every weakness and insecurity. Some people’s spirits just never recover from their disastrous encounters with big goals.
If, at the outset of a “big think,” you feel nothing but excitement, assuredness, and optimism…and not even a twinge of sobriety, humility, or apprehension…you’re probably going to fail. Don’t pull up the anchor just yet.
If you’re not ready to sacrifice damn near everything at the altar of Big Think…your weekends…your social life…your social media accounts…your hobbies, TV shows, and video games…turn back. You’re not ready.
But if you can confidently stand in the shadow of the monolthic Big Goal…if you can steel your gaze, harden your jaw, and begin what you know is going to be a long, hard march through treacherous, hostile lands, you probably have what it takes to survive the journey.
The moral of this article is choose your goals carefully.
Take a ruthlessly realistic look at what you’re getting yourself into and what it will entail and ask yourself if you’re ready. Believe in your abilities, but don’t put on rose-colored glasses. Plan for success, but don’t let optimism make you soft.
You can achieve big goals, but they’re probably going to take more effort, time, and sacrifice than you think. If you can face that comfortably, then you’re ready to begin.
Legion Featured Author
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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That’s why we test every ingredient of every supplement we produce for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants and ensure they meet the strict purity standards set by the FDA.
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That’s why all of our supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and contain no artificial food dyes, fillers, or other unnecessary junk.
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Many ingredients in supplements don’t have any scientifically validated benefits. That’s why we only use choice ingredients shown to be effective in peer-reviewed scientific studies.
No Chemical Junk
“Natural” doesn’t always mean “better,” but in many cases, natural ingredients are superior to artificial ones for various reasons, including purity, safety, and efficacy.
That’s why all of our ingredients in all of our products come from plant and animal sources, including sweeteners, colors, and flavors.
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In consideration of the services and/or products offered by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) including, but not limited to, nutrition plans, exercise routines and coaching, and in addition to the payment of any fee or charge:
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
Pulse contains no harsh stimulants that wind you up and burn you out. Instead, it contains a 1:1 ratio of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a smooth energy rush and comfortable comedown.
We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout drink.
Every bottle of Pulse is guaranteed to provide exactly what the label claims and nothing else—no heavy metals, microbes, allergens, or other contaminants.
While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
It's hard to know for sure, but this probably makes Pulse the most-popular all-natural pre-workout supplement in the world.
If you don’t absolutely love this product, just let us know, and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No forms or return necessary.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients’’—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
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