Knowledge For Men

Craig Ballantyne has been the Editor of Early to Rise since 2011. He’s also a Strength & Conditioning coach in Toronto, author of Turbulence Training, a contributing author to Men’s Health magazine, and a member of the Training Advisory Board for Maximum Fitness and Oxygen magazines.

“Success is simple”

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do”~Epictietus

1. The First Mistake You Make in the Morning is Reacting vs. Responding

In the mornings, it is so easy to sleep through your alarm, start your morning in a frenzy and get put into a mode of reaction vs. responding.

When you start your day this way, the day is already lost, you have already fallen into the trap of reacting to your environment instead of responding to circumstances that you had already planned and prepared for.

To beat this, wake up 15 minutes before you have to and focus on your goals.

Not one hours, not two hours, just 15 minutes. 15 minutes to allow yourself to focus your intentions for the day and get into peak state. Consider it a gift to yourself, and after a few weeks of this your results and productivity will sky rocket.

2. Do a Brain Dump at the End of the Day

As we go on through our days, our brains become cluttered with all sorts of stuff from work, family, personal struggles, past failures, and future worries. At the end of each day, do what is referred to as a brain dump, where you sit and write out everything that is on your mind so that you are no longer mulling over it while you should be present.

Doing this will allow you to clear your head and show up fully whenever you are with your family, relaxing at the end of the day, hanging out with friends, or anything else that you decide to do.

3. Create a Vision Statement 

One of the most important things that you can do is to decide where you are going and who you want to be and condense this into a mission statement that will remind you of your goals and keep you on track when decision making becomes difficult.

By having a vision that you are moving towards, you will stay focused on where you are headed instead of the pain of sacrificing pleasure in the moment for gain in the future.

4. Its not what you can do but what you can avoid doing

A significant portion of success is not just knowing what to do, but knowing what to avoid doing.

If you can understand your stumbling blocks, the things that cause you to fail and fall, and the distractions that prevent you from achieving at the level that you want to be, then you have won half of the battle.

By finding ways to use accountability and leverage to eliminate these distractions entirely, you will boost your productivity, happiness, and success 10 fold over.

5. Create Personal Commandments 

In adittion to your vision statement, one of the best ways to add structure and simplicity into your life is to create personal commandments, rules that you follow no matter what that can guide you and make decisions easy.

Some examples of personal commandments could be

• I will not watch adult content
• I will limit alcohol consumption to 3x a week, and never more than 2 drinks a night
• I will stay faithful to my wife no matter the temptation
• I will always give 10% of my income to a noble charity

I can’t tell you what your commandments should be, but having a list of rules and guidelines that you follow is absolutely essential to becoming the man you want to be.

6. Structure Creates Freedom

Throughout much of the interview Craig discusses creating rules and guidelines for your life, and many of you may be turned off by the concept. But what you may not realize is that structure creates freedom.

By having rules in place you are free making difficult decisions based solely off of emotion, by having structure in your life, you will increase your success and free time and have more freedom to pursue the things you love and spend time with people that you love.

7. Follow the Law of Action Attraction

While many peopele may ascribe to the “Secret’s” law of attraction, Craig suggests the law of action attraction.

Basically focus on what you want, create the vision board, write the goals out, say your affirmations, and then take MASSIVE ACTION to achieve those goals.

Surround yourself with A+ players, create a mastermind, enlist the help of smarter people to aid you in achieving your goals, and take massive action.

Not only will you attract what you want into your life, but you will have taken the proper proportion of action required to ensure that you are ready for it.

8. Before You Start on the Journey Ask If It’s Worth It 

Before you start down any journey, you must decide if it’s worth it. You have to have a strong enough reason for doing anything, or you will fail,. Plain and simple.

Whether the journey is a new instrument, sport, business, or relationship, ask if it is worth it before you begin and  compare the opportunity to your vision statement and personal commandments

Jack Donovan is an author known for his writing on masculinity and tribalism. He is the author of The Way of Men which answers the question, "what is masculinity?"

"There is a difference between being good at being a man and being a good man." – Jack Donovan

1. Build Your Strength

If you want to be seen as a real man and have the self-confidence and respect that comes with it, then you must become a master of the four tactical virtues: Strength, courage, mastery and honor.

Strength is just what it sounds like.

If you want to be a truly masculine man, you need to have a high level of physical and mental strength.

You must be able to lift heavy objects, endure pain, and handle yourself in conflict.

Subconsciously, women and other men will judge you based on your perceived strength.

If you are constantly displaying signs of weakness in your body, your mentality, or your conviction, you will lose trust from the people who matter most and lack the confidence you need to thrive in life.

2. Be Courageous

Courage, the second virtue, is typically a by-product of strength.

Whenever you have high levels of self-confidence and real strength that you have tested in battle (the gym or the octagon), you will be able to charge into unknown situations with courage and fearlessness.

This is imperative for success in all areas of life.

How can a woman trust you if you don't have the courage to speak your mind and be honest with her?

How can you business partners trust you if you don't have the courage to make difficult decisions?

How can you trust yourself if you are constantly cowering away from challenges and never pushing yourself to be more?

The more courage you display, the greater trust you will have in yourself and the more trust others will place in you.

3. Practice Mastery

The third tactical virtue and the topic of much discussion in recent years, mastery is what truly separates the boys from the men.

Regardless of the craft, all men respect a master.

They respect a master marksman, a master programmer, a master weight lifter, master seducer, and a master entrepreneur.

If you want to truly be held in the highest level of esteem by your peers and by society, then you must commit yourself to mastery.

Whatever craft you decide to master, you must be willing to endure the brutal hours and sustained periods of practice.

But at the end of the day, when you are one of the greatest in the world, all of the pain and hardship will be worth it, and you can consider yourself an even better man.

4. Embrace the Importance of Honor

Honor, the final of the four tactical virtues is where the rubber truly meets the road.

If you are strong, courageous, and masterful, but you do not have honor, if other men cannot trust you, if you do not keep your word, and you do not manage your reputation, then you are not a real man.

Honor is not about dying for a noble cause or serving in battle, it's simply about guarding your reputation.

It's about doing what you said you would do and showing up in all situations with integrity and conviction.

Without honor, the other four virtues are for naught.

5. Build Your Tribe and Complete Your Rite

To embrace masculinity and become the best man that you can be, you must build your tribe of men and go through a rite of passage.

Men need time with other men away from the influence of women.

We need time to fight and be wild, time to embrace our wildness, and time to let it all out.

Once you have found that group, it's important that you undergo some sort of rite of passage signaling your passage from boyhood to manhood.

It might seem simple, but creating an intentional rite and seeing it through is one of the most powerful things that you can do both for your psyche and your confidence.

Jack Donovan is an author known for his writing on masculinity and tribalism. He is the author of The Way of Men which answers the question, “what is masculinity?”

“There is a difference between being good at being a man and being a good man.” – Jack Donovan

1. Build Your Strength

If you want to be seen as a real man and have the self-confidence and respect that comes with it, then you must become a master of the four tactical virtues: Strength, courage, mastery and honor.

Strength is just what it sounds like.

If you want to be a truly masculine man, you need to have a high level of physical and mental strength.

You must be able to lift heavy objects, endure pain, and handle yourself in conflict.

Subconsciously, women and other men will judge you based on your perceived strength.

If you are constantly displaying signs of weakness in your body, your mentality, or your conviction, you will lose trust from the people who matter most and lack the confidence you need to thrive in life.

2. Be Courageous

Courage, the second virtue, is typically a by-product of strength.

Whenever you have high levels of self-confidence and real strength that you have tested in battle (the gym or the octagon), you will be able to charge into unknown situations with courage and fearlessness.

This is imperative for success in all areas of life.

How can a woman trust you if you don’t have the courage to speak your mind and be honest with her?

How can you business partners trust you if you don’t have the courage to make difficult decisions?

How can you trust yourself if you are constantly cowering away from challenges and never pushing yourself to be more?

The more courage you display, the greater trust you will have in yourself and the more trust others will place in you.

3. Practice Mastery

The third tactical virtue and the topic of much discussion in recent years, mastery is what truly separates the boys from the men.

Regardless of the craft, all men respect a master.

They respect a master marksman, a master programmer, a master weight lifter, master seducer, and a master entrepreneur.

If you want to truly be held in the highest level of esteem by your peers and by society, then you must commit yourself to mastery.

Whatever craft you decide to master, you must be willing to endure the brutal hours and sustained periods of practice.

But at the end of the day, when you are one of the greatest in the world, all of the pain and hardship will be worth it, and you can consider yourself an even better man.

4. Embrace the Importance of Honor

Honor, the final of the four tactical virtues is where the rubber truly meets the road.

If you are strong, courageous, and masterful, but you do not have honor, if other men cannot trust you, if you do not keep your word, and you do not manage your reputation, then you are not a real man.

Honor is not about dying for a noble cause or serving in battle, it’s simply about guarding your reputation.

It’s about doing what you said you would do and showing up in all situations with integrity and conviction.

Without honor, the other four virtues are for naught.

5. Build Your Tribe and Complete Your Rite 

To embrace masculinity and become the best man that you can be, you must build your tribe of men and go through a rite of passage.

Men need time with other men away from the influence of women.

We need time to fight and be wild, time to embrace our wildness, and time to let it all out.

Once you have found that group, it’s important that you undergo some sort of rite of passage signaling your passage from boyhood to manhood.

It might seem simple, but creating an intentional rite and seeing it through is one of the most powerful things that you can do both for your psyche and your confidence.

Steven DeSalvo's first book 'Relationship Dynamics' in the EVOLVE series helps to answer the question: 'How can we change our world and the course of human evolution with positive outcomes for this planet and all of its inhabitants? This first book in this series has helped many to change and navigate to healthier relationship dynamics.

As a certified Permaculturist, his goal is to serve others in the attaining their highest evolutionary potential through writings and personal appearances to increase awareness and personal responsibility.

He moved to northern California in 2011 where he now resides and works as an independent writer, publisher, speaker and life coach. Often called a Renaissance man, Steven DeSalvo has a diverse background of creative, artistic, business and personal interests including writing and blogging on his web site www.BecomeAnAdult.com.

"Live your true authentic self"~Steven DeSalvo

1. Introspection is the First Step to Better Relationships

You will never succeed in relationships with others until you are in a great relationship with yourself. And creating a great relationship with yourself requires that you spend time in introspection, truly learning who you are and falling deeply in love with yourself.

If you want to develop healthy relationships with others, start by spending time by yourself and investing in the man that you want to be, the rest will follow.

2. You Have to Create Systems for Conflict Resolution

In all relationships, no matter how "perfect" they may seem, you will face conflicts. It is inevitable. But what separates relationships that last from those that crash and burn is. There is such a thing as an elegant argument, but you have to be willing to let go of your need to be right.

Put yourself in your partner's shoes, truly listen to them and what they are saying, not just the words that are coming out of their mouths, but the underlying message behind everything that they say. If you do this, your relationships will be happier, you will be happier, and life will be far more fulfilling.

3. A Healthy Relationship is Two People Setting Each Other Free

A healthy relationship is two people setting each other free, it is not one person completing another person, or one individual trying to fix another individual, it is two whole individuals who both have something unique to offer each other, coming together and sharing their gifts, talents, and love with one another.

If you get into relationships looking for someone to complete you, you will always be disappointed, but if you go into relationships looking for someone who is already complete whom you can join with and create an amazing life together, you will live a life of fulfilling and happy relationship.

Steven DeSalvo’s first book ‘Relationship Dynamics’ in the EVOLVE series helps to answer the question: ‘How can we change our world and the course of human evolution with positive outcomes for this planet and all of its inhabitants? This first book in this series has helped many to change and navigate to healthier relationship dynamics.

As a certified Permaculturist, his goal is to serve others in the attaining their highest evolutionary potential through writings and personal appearances to increase awareness and personal responsibility.

He moved to northern California in 2011 where he now resides and works as an independent writer, publisher, speaker and life coach. Often called a Renaissance man, Steven DeSalvo has a diverse background of creative, artistic, business and personal interests including writing and blogging on his web site www.BecomeAnAdult.com.

“Live your true authentic self”~Steven DeSalvo

1. Introspection is the First Step to Better Relationships

You will never succeed in relationships with others until you are in a great relationship with yourself. And creating a great relationship with yourself requires that you spend time in introspection, truly learning who you are and falling deeply in love with yourself.

If you want to develop healthy relationships with others, start by spending time by yourself and investing in the man that you want to be, the rest will follow.

2. You Have to Create Systems for Conflict Resolution

In all relationships, no matter how “perfect” they may seem, you will face conflicts. It is inevitable. But what separates relationships that last from those that crash and burn is. There is such a thing as an elegant argument, but you have to be willing to let go of your need to be right.

Put yourself in your partner’s shoes, truly listen to them and what they are saying, not just the words that are coming out of their mouths, but the underlying message behind everything that they say. If you do this, your relationships will be happier, you will be happier, and life will be far more fulfilling.

3. A Healthy Relationship is Two People Setting Each Other Free

A healthy relationship is two people setting each other free, it is not one person completing another person, or one individual trying to fix another individual, it is two whole individuals who both have something unique to offer each other, coming together and sharing their gifts, talents, and love with one another.

If you get into relationships looking for someone to complete you, you will always be disappointed, but if you go into relationships looking for someone who is already complete whom you can join with and create an amazing life together, you will live a life of fulfilling and happy relationship.

Neil Strauss is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Game, Rules of the Game, Emergency, and Everyone Loves You When You're Dead and The Truth, An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships

He is also the co-author of three other New York Times bestsellers – Jenna Jameson's How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Mötley Crüe's The Dirt and Marilyn Manson's The Long Hard Road out of Hell. A writer for Rolling Stone, Strauss lives in Los Angeles.

"The underlying cause of most unfulfilled lives, is simply that we are too close to ourselves to see clearly enough to get out of our own way"~Neil Strauss

1. Understand how to Gauge Feedback

Life will often give you feedback about how you are doing across various areas. You may find yourself repeating the same patterns, getting into the same type of relationships, or making the same mistakes. Whatever the case, if you want to make a change you have to gauge feedback.

You have to look at the patterns in your life and discover what lesson they are trying to teach you. What does it say about you and your life that you are constantly dating the same type of girl and falling into the traps of "project dating"? What can you learn from the fact that you are constantly losing jobs after a few months?

Take a cold hard, honest look at your life and look at what the feedback is telling you and then change accordingly.

2. Your Level of Self Esteem will Equal the Level of Your Relationships

Have you ever heard the phrase opposites attract?

Well that's bull shit. Like attracts like, and if you are finding yourself getting into relationships with women where you are both in an unhealthy emotional relationship, odds are, your own self esteem is lacking.

If you want to attract better women, first become better yourself and change what you accept from others and from yourself. If you have low self esteem you will never be able to attract a woman with high self esteem, and if you have high self esteem, you will never get sucked into a toxic relationships with a woman who has low self esteem.

3. Finding Your Passion is Simple

If you want to find your purpose, and passion, do stuff you love.

That's it. If you love doing something, then keep doing it, don't worry about whether it's your real purpose or whether you should change careers to follow the money, simply do things that you love doing and you will never fail.

Neil Strauss is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Game, Rules of the Game, Emergency, and Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead and The Truth, An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships

He is also the co-author of three other New York Times bestsellers – Jenna Jameson’s How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Mötley Crüe’s The Dirt and Marilyn Manson’s The Long Hard Road out of Hell. A writer for Rolling Stone, Strauss lives in Los Angeles.

“The underlying cause of most unfulfilled lives, is simply that we are too close to ourselves to see clearly enough to get out of our own way”~Neil Strauss

1. Understand how to Gauge Feedback

Life will often give you feedback about how you are doing across various areas. You may find yourself repeating the same patterns, getting into the same type of relationships, or making the same mistakes. Whatever the case, if you want to make a change you have to gauge feedback.

You have to look at the patterns in your life and discover what lesson they are trying to teach you. What does it say about you and your life that you are constantly dating the same type of girl and falling into the traps of “project dating”? What can you learn from the fact that you are constantly losing jobs after a few months?

Take a cold hard, honest look at your life and look at what the feedback is telling you and then change accordingly.

2. Your Level of Self Esteem will Equal the Level of Your Relationships

Have you ever heard the phrase opposites attract?

Well that’s bull shit. Like attracts like, and if you are finding yourself getting into relationships with women where you are both in an unhealthy emotional relationship, odds are, your own self esteem is lacking.

If you want to attract better women, first become better yourself and change what you accept from others and from yourself. If you have low self esteem you will never be able to attract a woman with high self esteem, and if you have high self esteem, you will never get sucked into a toxic relationships with a woman who has low self esteem.

3. Finding Your Passion is Simple

If you want to find your purpose, and passion, do stuff you love.

That’s it. If you love doing something, then keep doing it, don’t worry about whether it’s your real purpose or whether you should change careers to follow the money, simply do things that you love doing and you will never fail.

Ryan Michler is the founder of the Order of Man blog and podcast which helps men to master the 8 core areas of their life. He is also the founder of his own financial planning firm and a veteran of the Iraqi war.

"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, and most of them never happened"~Mark Twain

1. Most of Your Fears Will Never Be Realized

Something that most men never realize until it is too late, is that most of the things that they fear will never come to fruition, and lead lives of quiet desperation, paralyzed by fear, and unable to take action.

Odds are, if you start that business you won't go bankrupt, if you take that trip you won't get kidnapped and murdered, if you ask that girl out you won't get wine splashed on your face and cursed out.

Most of your fears are completely irrational and will never actually happen. Realize this, take the steps necessary to mitigate risks, and GET ON LIVING!

2. Who Are You Not to Start?

One of the questions that inevitably comes up for most men whenever they look to start a business, improve their body, or their dating lives is

"Who am I to do this?"

Let me ask you a better question

"Who are you not to do this?"

Are you really so selfish that you would rob the world of your gifts, talents, and abilities out of fear? Are you really so selfish that you would rob your family, your friends, and your country of the amazing changes and difference that you can bring about simply because you don't feel worthy?

How dare you even consider keeping your gifts inside of you! You have a responsibility to share yourself and your gifts with the world, in fact, you cannot be a "real" man until you do so.

3. Take Small Steps to Get Where You Want

Whenever you have a big goal, it's easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed with how far you are from your goal. But the simple way to get around this frustration is to take small daily action.

If you want to start a business, begin by simply writing on your blog every night for an hour after work, if you want to get in better shape, start by doing 10 pushups every morning and adding one each day, if you want to get better with women, start by just casually talking to girls in line at the grocery store.

Your goals don't have to be big and scary. Start small and keep taking daily actions and you will get there.

5. Self Mastery is About Virtue

Often times, people wonder what the meaning of self master is, and simply put, it's about mastering virtue.

It's about integrity and doing the right thing even when it's hard. It's about saying no to watching adult websites even though you want to, about saying no to having another drink despite the jeers of your social circle, it's about staying faithful to your spouse, and it's about doing what you said you would do no matter what.

Ryan Michler is the founder of the Order of Man blog and podcast which helps men to master the 8 core areas of their life. He is also the founder of his own financial planning firm and a veteran of the Iraqi war.

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, and most of them never happened”~Mark Twain

1. Most of Your Fears Will Never Be Realized 

Something that most men never realize until it is too late, is that most of the things that they fear will never come to fruition, and lead lives of quiet desperation, paralyzed by fear, and unable to take action.

Odds are, if you start that business you won’t go bankrupt, if you take that trip you won’t get kidnapped and murdered, if you ask that girl out you won’t get wine splashed on your face and cursed out.

Most of your fears are completely irrational and will never actually happen. Realize this, take the steps necessary to mitigate risks, and GET ON LIVING!

2. Who Are You Not to Start?

One of the questions that inevitably comes up for most men whenever they look to start a business, improve their body, or their dating lives is

“Who am I to do this?”

Let me ask you a better question

“Who are you not to do this?”

Are you really so selfish that you would rob the world of your gifts, talents, and abilities out of fear? Are you really so selfish that you would rob your family, your friends, and your country of the amazing changes and difference that you can bring about simply because you don’t feel worthy?

How dare you even consider keeping your gifts inside of you! You have a responsibility to share yourself and your gifts with the world, in fact, you cannot be a “real” man until you do so.

3. Take Small Steps to Get Where You Want 

Whenever you have a big goal, it’s easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed with how far you are from your goal. But the simple way to get around this frustration is to take small daily action.

If you want to start a business, begin by simply writing on your blog every night for an hour after work, if you want to get in better shape, start by doing 10 pushups every morning and adding one each day, if you want to get better with women, start by just casually talking to girls in line at the grocery store.

Your goals don’t have to be big and scary. Start small and keep taking daily actions and you will get there.

5. Self Mastery is About Virtue 

Often times, people wonder what the meaning of self master is, and simply put, it’s about mastering virtue.

It’s about integrity and doing the right thing even when it’s hard. It’s about saying no to watching adult websites even though you want to, about saying no to having another drink despite the jeers of your social circle, it’s about staying faithful to your spouse, and it’s about doing what you said you would do no matter what.

Richard La Ruina is an entrepreneur London's top dating coach, and author of "The Natural." He has spent the past 10 years of his life building his company PUA training and traveling the world teaching men how to have better relationships and overcome their limiting beliefs with women.

"Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible. And if it is humanly possible, it is within your reach"~Marcus Aurelius

1. What One Man Can Do Another Man Can Do

If there is anything you want to accomplish, no matter how difficult and impossible it may seem, know that if one man can do it, so can you.

Whether your goal is to create a 7 figure lifestyle business, date the girl of your dreams and overcome your social anxiety, or build the ripped sexy physique you've always dreamed of, if someone else has achieved it so can you.

What one man can do, another man can do. If it's been done it can be done again.

2. Learn to Delegate Effectively

As you work towards building a life on your terms you have to realize that there will come a point when you have to let go and learn to delegate. The goal of every entrepreneur should be to run his business and not let his business run him.

If you can build an incredible team who can effectively do the things which you dislike and allow you to focus all of your energy on the things that you enjoy, your life and your business will flourish and you will experience more fulfillment and joy as a result.

3. Freedom Brings More Happiness than Money

A mistake that many novice's make when it comes to the pursuit of happiness is assuming that more money will always mean more happiness. The truth is that happiness comes from having an impact and having freedom.

Who do you think is happier? The corporate CEO earning $2,000,000 a year who works 80 hours a week with only one weeks vacation, or the lifestyle entrepreneur who earns $90,000 a year and spends his time traveling, enjoying time with his family, and pursuing his passions?

Pursue freedom, not an extra 0 in your bank account.

4. Stuff Doesn't Make the Man

So often in dating and relationship, men think that if they have all the right stuff, all the money, the nice clothes, the expensive cars, then attracting beautiful women will be a cake walk.

However, nothing is further from the truth.

Material objects don't make a man attractive, personality, charm, passion, and humor are what make a man attractive. While money can certainly boost your odds once you have the character traits in place, they do not work as an end all be all.

5. You Can't Find Your Purpose without Exposure

So often you hear people complaining that they do not know their purpose and their passions, but the simple fact is, they haven't gotten their ass away from the TV in weeks and have experienced so little of life, they wouldn't know their passion if it kicked them in the balls.

If you want to find what your purpose is and find what you are passionate about, you have to expose yourself to new and exciting things, take that salsa class, start that business, try things and fail.

Only by exposing yourself to new things will you have a chance at finding that one thing that you want to dedicate part of your life to.