At parents night, my first-grade teacher told my mother that I was “reckless” and “would never amount to anything”. My mom left in tears and from that point onward, I was sent home with behaviour notes every single day.
When I was 12, after years of begging, my parents finally enrolled me in Martial Arts. While part of me wanted to be the Karate Kid so that I could beat up the bullies in my school, I remember another part of me being fascinated with ‘painting the fence’ and ‘waxing the car’. Even at that young age, I wanted to know what WORK I could do repetitively to CULTIVATE an ability to knock a kid out with one kick.
What I loved about martial arts, even more than the fighting was the discipline of practice. I set my sights on the black belt at a young age. I knew from age 12 that it would take me years to get there and I also knew I wouldn’t stop until I got it. I loved practising the art forms and drilling the self-defence techniques over and over again. I loved the experience of developing more and more nuanced awareness through doing the same thing over and over again. I learned so much about my body….how to balance and how to move it in ways that still serve me today. (I haven’t done martial arts for over 15 years now, but the neuromuscular foundation of my relationship with my body and movement is well set.)
As a teenager, when I was getting into music, I applied this same fascination and capacity for vigilance and discipline that I’d developed through martial arts to learn to play the guitar. Within a few years, I was playing in bands and recording albums.
At University, my choice to study Physics and Mathematics meant that I would be required to work with a level of focus far beyond anything I’d achieved before. During my senior year, I literally taught myself Quantum Mechanics while practically living in the library. My ability to focus was miraculous considering my natural tendency to be hyperactive and distracted. I put this down to The Karate Kid and my falling in love with the work of ‘paint the fence’ and ‘wax the car’. It was not necessarily the enjoyment of the work that powered my commitment and focus, it was the PURPOSE it served. I knew the end of the story. I knew what I’d be able to do once I finished painting the fence.
Today, when people learn I went straight into entrepreneurship after University, they sometimes ask me “Did you ever use your Physics degree?” I answer; “Every single day.” It wasn’t the information I was after. It was the capacity to think, analyze, understand, problem solve and create that drew me in.
Since then, I have applied my well-developed – and sometimes maybe obsessive – capacity for vigilance and discipline to learning and growth in things like business, technology, travel, prosperity, happiness, performance magic, self-growth, coaching and spirituality.
I’m not sure if I took inspiration from The Karate Kid in this way as well, but for the last eight years, I have been professionally supporting others in their own personal and professional growth. Over that time, what I’ve discovered is that I have the most impact with individuals who are similar to me in the way that something in their life has led them to relate to doing actual, tangible work with a kind of passion and obsessiveness. Driven by a purpose for growth, they are consistent and persistent. They have an unquenchable yearning to wake up every day and hone their craft – whatever that is.
My clients are entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, CEO’s, non-profit directors and coaches. An obvious common thread is that they are Creators of some kind – they are generating and leading their world. Another common thread though is this one. They are a little bit crazy in that, in our work of cultivating a beautiful and extremely powerful state of being in them, they are willing to ‘paint the fence’ and ‘wax the car’. They know what putting in the work actually yields. And they aren’t willing to settle for anything less than that.
My coaching scares most people off. Not because I’m scary (well, one client did call me a ‘flamethrower’), but because when they see the length of the fence and how many cars there are to wax, they’d rather just go tinker with their website or watch Netflix.
If you’re someone who resonates with this kind of commitment to excellence – and if you’ve been following my work and enjoy what I share – then we should probably talk. So much more can be created when we are in partnership than you are likely aware of.
My work requires substantial investment and you can read about my Coaching offers on my website: https://jpmorganjr.com
In a couple of months, I also begin a year-long journey with a group of 13 individuals (including myself) called CREATORS CIRCLE . This will provide a similar experience as my 1-1 work, but at a considerably lower fee. I still have spaces available, so please contact me if you would like to learn more.
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It is only when our zealous quest for information meets vigilant and disciplined action that insight becomes embodied and learning gives its fruits.
If you are feeling filled to the brim with ideas, solutions and how to’s in the realm of personal and professional growth, and you want to experience actual tangible development in your state of being and the results you create in every area of your life, then contact me.
