The ABCs of BEN

At least for me, life has never been easy. Ever.

…For sure, I know what it takes for me to do “well” in life, to survive, and to prevail—not only financially but mentally, physically, and emotionally as well.

I’m talking about surviving hard times, both personally and professionally.

See, not everyone wants to see you do well and some may secretly hope that you fail.

Others, including close friends and family members, may take advantage of you, be jealous of you, envy you, slander you, create drama, and even steal from you.

Fairness doesn’t exist.

To accept this reality, to cope, and to continue to move forward in a healthy and productive way, here is how I think, what I do, and how I live.

Nothing is necessarily mind blowing.

It’s the adherence and consistency over time that makes this work for me…

1. I take care of my physical body. A strict diet, in and out of bed early, and some exercise every day.
2. I fight for my alone time (even if it’s only an hour a day) to get something done or to do nothing at all.
3. I continuously train to endure discomfort, to become desensitized to it, and to make my mind and body immune to it.  I am easy to please and have few preferences.  I don’t complain. I accept. I stay untethered to desires, outcomes, and expectations.
4. I am very conscious of the brevity of life. As a result, most information, issues, and events are pretty much meaningless to me.
5. I do my best to stay humble, to make my existence about and for others, and to take attention away from myself as much as possible.
6. Multiplication through subtraction, addition through elimination, and efficiency and leverage via deep thought, delegation, outsourcing, and evergreen-only action steps. Nothing “one off”. If my hard work can’t yield a perpetual benefit to myself or others, then I’ve wasted my time.
7. Unnecessary generosity. If a dollar or an action adds more value to someone other than me, then that’s where that dollar or time goes.  Every day I find a way to be generous, grateful, and giving.
8. I don’t waste time, attention, or conversation.  I don’t do anything to distract myself from my responsibilities, pursuits, or personal development.
9. I strive to protect my reputation, my relevance, and my relationships.  Just like “message to market match” in business, I work hard to make “Ben Altadonna” universally mean something, like a word in a dictionary.
10. I only think about today and fit everything that is important to me into each day. I stay nimble and willing & able to pivot, change my mind, and question.

That’s the ABCs of me.

What matters & what works for you may be different.

The key is identifying, committing to, and continually tweaking processes, mindsets, and attitudes that make life work for you.