The Brutal Psychology of Rock Bottom...

The Brutal Psychology of Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom isn't a place, it's a

realization. Billionaire Bruce Wayne,

the prince of Gotham at the start of The

Dark Knight Rises, is in fact at rock

bottom. Not financially, of course, he

continues to live large, but he is no

longer an agent of the night. Batman has

been absent for years, and as a result

of not flexing that midnight muscle,

Batman's capabilities are significantly

diminished. His mind is sharp. He has

resources, but there is a disconnect

with his body, and that leads to a

vulnerability and injury that risks

everything. As we explore this

experience, you'll see why restarting is

an unexpected challenge, why a step

forward almost always means a step back,

and what you need to do to climb your

way out.

Strap up your leg and put your mask back

on. But that doesn't make you what you

were.

When you're starting something fresh,

you have the bliss of ignorance. You

don't know how high the mountain is. But

when you restart, you know exactly how

much pain is ahead of you. There is no

discovery. You are just remembering. And

if you've ever been here, you know that

knowledge is awful. You're not the only

one cursed with knowledge.

When you restart, you aren't actually

starting from zero. You're starting from

negative. You're fighting your own

memory of who you used to be. This is

the atrophy effect. Your mind remembers

your peak, the weight you used to lift,

the deals you used to close, the respect

you used to command. But your reality

has degraded. In more practical terms,

this is why Batman loses to Bane,

because he's still fighting like his old

self. This is the proof that he is

greatly diminished. It's a very hard

truth to reconcile. The psychological

trap here is the maintenance illusion.

You think you can pause success and pick

right up where you left off, but you

can't. While you paused, the market

moved. The competition got hungrier. The

game changed. If you try and restart

with your old identity, you are likely

to be humbled very quickly.

I was wondering what would first your

spirit or your body.

This roadblock of injury is inevitable.

It could be physical or psychological,

but it usually comes fast and you end up

right here in the pit. At the start, we

said Batman was at rock bottom, but

there is in fact a layer that's even

lower than that. The pit represents a

sober and realistic understanding of how

things are. You were already starting or

restarting from a negative position.

Then you tried and hit a setback. And

now you're even further from where you

started. And it's here in this pit where

you make the most critical decision of

your life.

In the pit, Batman attempts to escape

using the safety rope. He tries but

fails. The doctor tells him exactly why

he fails. It's only without the rope

that you can escape. The lack of safety

means you must succeed. The only option

is success because there is no plan B. The Philosopical component is your realization safe is an illusion.

This is the identity strategy. In

practical terms, it looks like this. You

say to yourself, "This is what I'm doing

right now." Or, "This is who I am." Or

even, "This is what the person I want to

become does." All are correct answers.

You form an identity around the

execution of the task. But as we learned

earlier, you have to do this with care

or you will simply end up back in the

pit. It's not enough to decide who you

want to be. You have to bridge the gap

of knowledge to make sure you don't keep

setting yourself back along the way.

What does that mean?

Rise.

So, if you're staring down a restart

right now, stop trying to be who you

were 5 years ago. That guy is gone.

Admit the atrophy. Ditch the plan B

you're still holding on to. And most

importantly, get rid of the I will do it

later thought. That thought is the rope.

And as long as you have that rope, you

will not make the jump. Cut it. It's

easier to start than restart. that the

comeback is always a better story

Rise...