We recently gathered eight men at Akera in Upstate New York for Valhalla Ascend VI, my 2-day retreat geared for those seeking to expand beyond typical societal rules and expectations.
We traded the usual conference BS for something different:
- 2-hour forest hikes instead of 1-hour Zooms
- Campfire camaraderie instead of boardroom presentations
- Farm-to-table dinners instead of seed oil filled lunches
- Diving into an ice bath instead of diving into email
With two special forces veterans joining, it was hardly a retreat for crystal-loving hippies. Everyone swam in the deep end – practicing meditation, powering through breathwork, and creating camaraderie while dissecting their own mental programming.
It wasn’t easy. Especially the daily ice baths. So why bother?
Because if you don’t reset your mindset regularly, you end up on autopilot. You end up unconscious and unfulfilled, which Tony Robbins calls the “ultimate failure” – ouch.
Our aim is to make clearer, more conscious choices each day. Choices that rely less on our egos and more on our intent. Anyone who has witnessed a leader making decisions based on ego and insecurities knows how badly this can end up.
Lately, I’ve witnessed two highly successful founders make a series of emotionally driven choices that turned catastrophic (<—chose this word specifically) and expensive.
In the moment, they think their choices are good. But afterwards, they realized that a lack of perspective and inner certainty clouded their judgment.
Let’s avoid that.
By recognizing and resolving our habitual thought patterns, we become more aware of our biases and blind spots. Even though peeling back our mental onion can be painful, avoiding the work is far more costly.
In closing, I’ll just say that I’m proud of these men. They’re already successful in many ways, yet instead of being complacent, chose to invest in their mindset and health.
Warmly,
Navin
P.S. What do you think of the ice bath pic? We’re not being spiritual, just keeping our hands warm! See you in Park City for Valhalla Ascend VII.