Don’t start before completing Challenge #52.
If you want to join the IntelliMen Project, start from Challenge #1.
Challenge: Verify that all 52 challenges are complete… all of them.
Explanation: Did you think you could slip through without completing all the challenges? Sorry. Desculpe. Lo siento. You wouldn’t be an IntelliMan if you didn’t finish what you started. Real men go all the way. Even when it means that they won’t finish when they had planned to, they don’t fool or lie to themselves. A mission taken on is a mission accomplished.
The purpose of this challenge is to force us to understand and practice being tough on ourselves. Giving up is an extremely common characteristic among people. That’s why those who don’t give up, those who are hard on themselves, always stand out.
Did you complete all the challenges up to this point, down to a tee? If so, congratulations! You are one of the few. Congratulate yourself and enjoy the taste of success. Now what I want you to do is create a pleasant highlight of the challenges, remember the ones that helped you the most, the hardest and the easiest. Think of how the friendship between you and your partner developed throughout the Project. Ultimately, summarize it all.
On the other hand, you might have made it here like the rest of us, struggling to keep your head above water.
You might have left some challenges incomplete, skipped over others, used your Notebook once or twice (once in the beginning and another time when you doodled during a challenge). You might have gotten discouraged about sharing with your Partner (or the other way around), or you might not have posted your comments on the social networks. You may have made up your own rules and forgiven yourself saying, “I don’t have the time, I’ll do that later,” “This one isn’t that important,” “My partner gave up, it’s not my fault,” or “God knows I couldn’t do that one because I had my grandmother’s funeral.”
These would all be acceptable if you were any man. But it’s unacceptable if you want to become an IntelliMan. So, if you really want to feel the pleasure of knowing and feeling that you really finished the Project, you will have to be honest with yourself and complete what you left undone, no matter how long it takes or the difficulties you will have to face.
An IntelliMan is an intelligent man. He overcomes himself, honors his wife and helps his partner. If the challenge is hard, he finds a way through. If circumstances instill fear, he faces them. If his goal is taking a long time to achieve, he perseveres. He knows his value before men and God, he loves discipline, good character and what is good. His mission is to inspire others to become IntelliMen.
Hold on to the words above. They are your motto, your daily confession from now on. Memorize them. Put it in a visible place so you can read it every day. Read it out loud. Practice what it says.
Notebook: Review your notes from the first challenge. All the challenges required taking notes. If you skipped any of them, go back and finish them. Look back at the complete list of challenges and see if you failed to complete any. make a list of the challenges you still need to complete in your Notebook.
Official Partner: Motivate your partner to finish all the challenges with you.
Deadline: You may begin this challenge immediately and conclude it as soon as possible. You can do more than one challenge per week in order to finish them all.
Attention: “The Next Step” is coming — what happens after you conclude the Project.
IntelliMen Challenge #53 done: I am officially an IntelliMan — and I have 52 completed challenges under my belt to prove it! (Add any other comment in regards.)
Links:
www.facebook.com/IntelliMenWorld
www.twitter.com/intellimenworld (when tweeting, use @intelliMenworld)
Verification Checklist
☐ I completed all 52 challenges
☐ I updated the notes in my Notebook
☐ I spoke to my Partner about the challenge
☐ I posted my comments on Facebook/Twitter
Phrase:
The pride of finishing or the shame of giving up, the choice is yours. — Renato Cardoso
