4 Ways to Power Through Life Like John Wick — Without Shooting Anyone
Secrets to John Wick success anyone can use, even you
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John Wick?
This post title might seem like it isn’t related to health, fitness or food. But please, bear with me.
John Wick is a ruthless assassin. But that doesn’t mean that he has nothing to teach us about a successful, productive life.
The John Wick movie franchise isn’t for everyone. It features a lot of bloody shooting sprees where countless assassins fall to the bullets and fists of the ultimate killing machine, played by Keanu Reeves.
Oh, and he likes dogs.
You are probably familiar with the movies and the storyline, but here’s a quick summary of the first movie’s setup:
A hitman retires and marries his sweetheart. Unfortunately, she gets sick and passes away. She gifted him a puppy as her last act on Earth before illness stole her from him. The hitman (Keanu Reeves) loves the dog. It’s his only reason to keep going.
That’s when some fools break into his house, kill his dog, and steal his treasured 1969 Mustang.
It turns out that the culprit behind the break-in is the son of his old assassin boss. Now he has to come out of retirement and kill a lot of people to make them pay for his grief.
I have some thoughts about John Wick’s life ethic. I think that’s why he’s such a popular character, because we all want to be like him. Sure, his skills in gun-fu, his underground connections, and his aptitude for assault rifles are one thing. But what about the way he conducts his life?
Here are my takeaways from John Wick that I think we can all apply.
Disclaimer: I am not advising or promoting the use of violence, revenge, or assassination. I am only discussing John Wick’s mindset and positive mental qualities, not his ability to kill in cold blood. This story is for entertainment purposes only. Please disregard any humorous hitman instructions and leave the killing to trained assassins.
1. John Wick Is Prepared and Professional
When you see John Wick getting ready to take on a few hundred deadly killers, you see a master at work.
Long before he needed them, he stockpiled pistols, rifles, ammo, bulletproof vests, and any other tool he could think of. Not to mention suits, shirts, and expensive shoes.
John Wick practiced and learned a wide variety of killing techniques. He was ready because he trained for these fights.
Before the battle, he carefully selects what he will wear and bring to his next kill-fest. He optimized his chances of success by planning and preparing.
Let’s not forget the clothes. He puts expensive suits on top of those bulletproof vests. When you see him step out of a car wearing shiny leather shoes, you know you’re looking at a professional.
If he dressed like a hobo, he wouldn’t strike the same fear into the hearts of his enemies.
How you can apply this:
Invest in good tools for your trade. Don’t try to get by with old junk. John Wick doesn’t pick up his killing tools in a back alley or a pawn shop (unless he has to) and neither should you.
Get training and learn new skills. If you’re a coder, upgrade your skill set to include more than one language. If you’re a killer, train to kill with a pencil as well as a Glock. Be a lifelong learner and stay ahead of the competition.
Buy appropriate work clothes. when you look sharp, you’re already winning. And nothing beats the performance of an expensive suit with dress shoes when you get in a gun battle in the rain.
2. John Wick Sets Audacious Goals and Makes a Plan
He plans and sets goals, and likes to think big. He doesn’t aim for small, easily achievable targets.
When someone kills his dog and steals his car he doesn’t just get his car back. He takes down their entire operation from bottom to top.
When a marker gets called in and he is forced to go after a nearly impossible target, he doesn’t give up. He sets the audacious goal of making it happen no matter what.
John gets more guns and tools. He comes up with an infiltration plan. And he pulls it off.
How we can apply this:
Set big career and life goals. If you want to become an assassin and quit your day job, stop dreaming and decide to do it.
Make a bold plan and start following it. How will you become a top-level assassin unless you have a solid plan?
Take action. Work your plan. Get on Upwork and take those assassination gigs. Put a ad in Fiverr as a gun-for hire. Start making your dream a reality, or you’ll never be able to quit your day job at the sludge factory to begin your life of full-time killing.
3. John Wick is Persistent and Determined
He never gives up. If he was just knifed, shot, and thrown down a flight of stairs, he doesn’t quit. He gets up and kills more people.
No matter how much pain he’s in, he keeps trucking. Now that’s persistence. We can all learn something from a guy that can’t be stopped when he sets his mind on something.
How you can apply this:
WWJD — When the going gets tough, think “What Would John-Wick Do?”
If you’re being attacked by what seems like hundreds of deadly assailants or work problems, don’t despair. Just dispatch each of those attackers one by one by one.
Start with your emails. Read then delete. Read then delete.
Running low on energy? Check into The Continental and regroup before continuing. But never stop until you achieve your goals. As long as the killers keep coming, you need to fire those bullets and punch those faces.
4. John Wick Doesn’t Complain — He Just Kills It
You never hear John Wick whine about his problems. He isn’t big on useless words.
But he is big on action. Instead of sitting around complaining, he’s out there killing.
He knows what he needs to do and he sets about doing it. He’s efficient and brutal and silent.
If a line of attack doesn’t work, he tries another one. Throw John Wick off a balcony, and he only lies there groaning for a few seconds before he gets up to finish killing you.
How you can apply this:
Stop complaining about reality. Instead of moaning that you’ve got two asshats shooting at you, take them out with a few well-placed bullets. Start taking action.
Never whine. It only makes you look weak in front of your co-workers, spouse, or any hit-men you might be up against.
When you have nothing useful to say, choose silence.
If your enemies call you on the phone, answer it but say nothing. Let them talk until they trail off in the uncomfortable silence. Then hang up. This will fill them with dread and cause them to make dumb mistakes, so you can kill them easier later.
John Wick is a master at survival, gun-fu, and general-purpose killing. He has a lot to teach us regular mortals:
Always be professional and prepared. Wear a suit to a gunfight. And never skimp on the tools of your trade. A programmer needs a REPL program, a browser, and a rubber duck. An electrician needs a good multimeter and a wire-stripper. An assassin needs a trusty pistol, rifle, or knife.
Set big, audacious goals. Aim for the stars. But don’t stop there. Now work on a practical plan to achieve it. Don’t just kill one enemy. Kill all of them.
Be persistent and determined like John Wick. Don’t quit if you just took a bullet or got a sucking chest wound from a knife-wielding assailant. Ask yourself, WWJD? Then get up and finish the fight.
Stop whining about reality and change it. Don’t complain. Just be a silent, persistent killing machine and mow those problems down one after the other until that email box is empty.
If we all took a page from John Wick’s book, there would be a lot fewer problems in our lives. Mainly because we would have killed the troublemakers and gotten tons of respect.
All Killing Aside, Though
Borrow this one trait and you’ll live a happier life:
Stop complaining and take action.
If you don’t like your situation or how the world is going, then do something to change it. If someone throws you off a balcony, you’re allowed to let out a groan before you get up to deal with them. Otherwise, no whining.
Just ask yourself, “What Would John-Wick Do?”
I can tell you that it wouldn’t be whining or complaining. Now let's get busty and kill it out there today.
For an in-depth examination of the movies and John Wick universe, check this out.