PDF Summary:Be Useful, by Arnold Schwarzenegger

To live up to your potential, you need a direction to strive for while honing your abilities and pushing yourself to your limits. In Be Useful, Arnold Schwarzenegger lays out his principles for achieving success and making an impact, first by defining your ambitions and then using your achievements to better the lives of others. He argues that by “being useful” you'll find satisfaction, build strong relationships, and lead a more purposeful life.

Schwarzenegger brings a unique perspective from his career as a world-renowned bodybuilder, movie star, and politician. In this guide, we’ll lay out Schwarzenegger’s advice for finding your purpose, adopting a positive mindset, and fully committing to your work. We’ll also compare Schwarzenegger’s ideas with those of other motivational writers and experts on lifelong personal development. Lastly, we’ll explore how Schwarzenegger’s experiences propelled him toward achieving his dreams and led him to value a life of public service.

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The road to achieving your dream is full of challenges, which is why Schwarzenegger insists that you shift toward a positive mindset. You're bound to encounter obstacles, but it's beneficial, if not essential, to view your struggles as opportunities to develop your skills. We all tend to focus on the negative—an instinctive remnant from our ancestors who were primarily concerned with survival. However, this instinct is less useful if we want progress instead of mere survival. Adopting an optimistic outlook helps you engage constructively with your circumstances, so next time you feel like complaining about life's difficulties—don't. Instead, verbalize the potential positives that might emerge from those hardships.

(Shortform note: Instead of thinking in positive and negative terms, educators and psychologists distinguish between “fixed” and “growth” perspectives. In Mindset, Carol S. Dweck explains that people with fixed mindsets believe their abilities are unchangeable—struggles are therefore a sign of weakness and persisting through difficulties is a waste of effort. What Schwarzenneger advocates is adopting a growth mindset in which you understand that the abilities you’re born with are merely a starting point that you can improve on with work and perseverance. Since many people learn a fixed mindset at an early age, it often takes deliberate effort to switch your thinking to a helpful growth mindset.)

For most people, a life-threatening medical scare like Schwarzenegger’s botched 2018 heart surgery would be a cause for despair. But Schwarzenegger recalls that after his initial wave of fear and frustration, the shock wore off and his mind shifted into its familiar “I can do this” mode. Schwarzenegger zeroed in on his next goal—making a full recovery, no matter how difficult the road ahead. He viewed his health crisis as merely another challenge to overcome, and the setback became a spark to reignite his drive to overcome whatever challenge was before him. He achieved all his recovery goals and went right back into making action movies.

(Shortform note: One might expect that Schwarzenegger’s decades of peak physical training primed his body to recover from illness, but there are other less-athletic people who’ve fought their way back from even more debilitating injuries. In My Stroke of Insight, Jill Bolte Taylor describes how she was able to recover from a stroke that destroyed much of the left side of her brain. As a scientist, Taylor understood how important it was to keep her mind active, maintain her energy, and strengthen her body after losing motor functions. Like Schwarzenegger, Bolte set goals and doggedly worked to meet them until, after several years, she’d made a full recovery.)

Use Your Time Wisely

Just as you need to reframe your circumstances, Schwarzenegger says it’s equally important to shift your mindset toward time. Rather than lamenting how little time you have, critically evaluate how you're spending it. If you identify and repurpose wasted time, you can significantly increase your productivity. You can surely allocate an hour or two every day toward your aspirations—even if it means sacrificing some “down time.” Ask yourself, “What’s genuinely more important?” If your goals truly matter, you’ll have to carve out the necessary time to pursue them. If the overall time frame to fulfill your ambitions seems too intimidating at first, then break your goals down into smaller tasks that require less time commitment.

(Shortform note: If Schwarzenegger makes time management sound deceptively simple, tech industry insiders Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky approach time management as an engineering project. In Make Time, they advocate that you identify one central task as the focus of each day and arrange your time and energy to support it. Recognizing that the modern world is filled with distractions to drain your valuable time, they suggest several ways to set boundaries, such as turning off your phone, not opening your email, and blocking off time on your daily calendar when other people aren’t allowed to interrupt you.)

Confront Challenges and Open Your Mind

Learning to manage your time and how you frame things can help dispel the unhelpful belief that life is just something that happens to you. Life provides a myriad of circumstances—both positive and negative—and the way you choose to respond significantly shapes your personal journey. Schwarzenegger explains that you need to see failure as nothing more than a call for more improvement, which you can facilitate by always keeping your mind open to new knowledge and actively being curious about the world and people around you.

Not everything in life is under your control, but how you react certainly is—whether to a setback, a problem, or even an unexpected stroke of luck. Schwarzenegger suggests that bemoaning your past or current problems wastes time that could be spent chasing your dreams. To reclaim this lost time and learn from your hardships, you need to pause and shift your thinking to an optimistic view. Even failure doesn’t mean you’ve been wasting your efforts—instead, consider it a teaching moment on your journey. Schwarzenegger mentions weightlifting as a sport in which failure is used to measure progress every day. It’s only when a weightlifter pushes her muscles until they fail that she knows she’s putting in enough effort.

(Shortform note: As with the “fixed mindset” discussed earlier in this guide, we tend to view struggles negatively because we’ve been taught that struggle signals weakness, when it’s actually a sign that we’re experiencing growth. In Limitless Mind, educator Jo Boaler writes that having a hard time working through a problem is good for mental development. Brain scans prove that people who make mistakes and correct them show more mental activity than people who don’t have to struggle through a problem. Therefore, people who fight through their difficulties exercise their brains more than people who don’t. Thus, Schwarzenegger’s example of physical progress via pushing muscles to the point of failure applies equally to the mind.)

Just as pushing yourself is key to physical fitness, it’s vital for mental acuity as well. Schwarzenegger writes that your learning must extend beyond the confines of traditional education and carry on throughout your life. You can and should gain whatever knowledge you can from anyone, anywhere, and in any way. Real-world experiences—taking action, solving problems, pushing your boundaries and, yes, even failing—offer invaluable lessons that you can't learn in a controlled academic setting. Remember that knowledge functions like a muscle—you have to apply it or you risk losing it. But if you actively maintain and make use of what you learn, you can significantly improve both your life and the world around you.

(Shortform note: The lifelong learning Schwarzenegger advises is no longer optional in today’s evolving job market. Technological advances and automation have blurred the correlation between traditional education and how much you earn. There’s a rising demand for employee roles requiring new, diverse skill combinations, but employers are less likely to invest in workforce training. Therefore, you need to take the initiative to constantly update your skills throughout your career. Some business and government initiatives aim to bridge the gap between formal education and the needs of modern employment, but Schwarzenegger might argue that it’s primarily your job to keep up with whatever changes your career requires.)

Always Be Curious

Curiosity is key to lifelong learning. Schwarzenegger says that being curious transforms the people around you into potential teachers and attracts those who recognize your eagerness to learn. Don't hesitate to inquire about others' experiences and their fields of expertise; people are often glad to share their knowledge if you adopt a humble approach. Asking "how" and "why" questions is particularly helpful when it comes to retaining what other people teach you, as they help you make connections with other things you’ve learned, leading to deeper understanding. Through continuous learning, your grasp of the world expands, and with it, your control of your life’s circumstances, easing your path to achieving your dreams.

Teachers, Coaches, Mentors, and Sponsors

Whereas Schwarzenegger lumps everyone you can learn from into the general category of “teacher,” other experts classify them by the nature of the teacher-student relationship. For instance, in Empowered, Marty Cagan and Chris Jones write about the importance of having a coach to inspire you, help set your overall direction, and encourage you to stretch your abilities. However, in The Motivation Myth, Jeff Haden suggests finding a high-achieving professional to emulate because a professional who isn’t a coach by trade won’t cheer you on or cut you any slack—they’ll just explain what it takes to succeed and expect you to do it on your own.

There are other types of teachers in line with the relationships Schwarzenegger describes who can help you advance toward your goals—namely, mentors and sponsors. A mentor is distinct from a coach in that your relationship isn’t transactional. It’s a coach’s job to help you develop skills, whereas a mentor helps guide you as a way to “pay it forward” and invest in the future of their field. A sponsor, on the other hand, is someone who helps you move forward not just by developing your skills but by boosting your visibility and reputation, which is essential in fields like film and politics where networking is of paramount importance.

Schwarzenegger writes that throughout his various careers in bodybuilding, movies, and politics, he’s never stopped being a student. His hunger to keep learning propelled his growth at every stage of his life. By viewing himself as a perpetual student, he learned valuable lessons from every available teacher who crossed his path. Even when working out in a gym—an arena in which he’s an undisputed master—he’ll still approach his fellow weightlifters to inquire about any exercises they’re doing that he’s unfamiliar with. As governor of California, he was surrounded by policy experts whom he questioned incessantly so he could understand every angle of the complex issues he faced.

(Shortform note: Schwarzenegger shows how the line between teacher and student is often blurry, and an expert can learn from anyone, even someone who’s not as expert as they are. More than that, you can learn by teaching, because when you teach, you reexamine your knowledge from a different perspective—your student’s. This is called the “protégé effect,” by which your understanding of a concept is improved when you explain it to someone else, not just because you have to retrieve it from your mind, but also because you need to make it clear enough that someone else can understand it too.)

Do the Work

Once you’ve clearly defined your ambitions and embraced the mindset that you can achieve them, it’s only the transformative power of hard work that can shape you into your best self. Schwarzenegger's perspective underscores that work isn’t simply a means to an end, but is integral to taking pride in your accomplishments, and that while it’s demanding, it’s necessary for making real progress. Furthermore, making the most of the work you put in requires showing commitment and adhering to high standards.

Schwarzenegger extols the value of working hard, which he says is about more than just reaching your immediate goals. Hard work is the engine that drives you to appreciate any achievement, no matter how small. Imagine climbing a mountain without having to struggle—would you value your accomplishment as much as if you fought for every inch you gained reaching the summit? Probably not. The truth is that struggle itself gives value to what you've accomplished. Moreover, hard work prepares and perfects your skills for when it counts, molding you into an expert who performs at your best regardless of the situation.

(Shortform note: Many writers agree with Schwarzenegger that hard work is necessary for you to appreciate your accomplishments, but not everyone is sure that hard work is sufficient. In The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath suggest that hard work alone isn’t enough to create feelings of satisfaction—we want the results of our struggles to be noticed. This isn’t something we can guarantee for ourselves, but it’s a form of recognition we can provide for others when we take the time to lift other people up, as we’ll cover later in this guide. In the meantime, remember that your hard work has value, even when what you’re working for still seems to be far away.)

Don’t look for immediate results or an easy payoff when working toward your goals. Schwarzenegger writes that you should never expect hard work to be exciting or comfortable, because it won't be. Hard work requires tremendous effort and a lot of repetition that at times will feel grueling and monotonous. But remember: That very discomfort you feel indicates that you’re making progress because it shows that you're pushing beyond your comfort zone, improving your skills, and making them second nature—ready to serve when they’re needed the most.

(Shortform note: The difficulty you feel when you try to leave your comfort zone may actually be a product of your ego. In You Are a Badass, Jen Sincero explains that your ego creates comfort zones as a mechanism to protect you from potential harm—in this case from embarrassment due to the derision of others. Your ego, in a way, acts like an overprotective parent who keeps you from taking risks or stepping outside of familiar territory. These barriers your ego imposes may be comforting, but they limit growth. If you try breaking free, your ego resists, creating even more emotional hurdles in an attempt to maintain the status quo. Therefore, the progress Schwarzenegger recommends involves pushing against your ego.)

Commit to the Work

When working toward your dreams, you have to commit wholeheartedly. Half-baked efforts won’t yield the results you want, and it may make the difference between realizing your dream and falling short. However, Schwarzenegger suggests that wholehearted commitment goes beyond merely giving your best effort—it also means not holding back on the scale of your ambitions. In other words, dream big! Then if you fail to reach your grand ambitions, you'll likely achieve success to some smaller degree. Don't do yourself the disservice of setting small targets, and if you've charted a course toward a particular dream, resist the temptation to give yourself a backup plan—such thinking can only undermine progress toward your primary goal.

(Shortform note: In The 12-Week Year, Brian P. Moran agrees with Schwarzenegger that total commitment is vital to executing your plans to follow your dreams. However, Moran goes on to spell out four necessary components to developing a strong sense of commitment. First, you must have a strong desire to act—your emotional connection to your goal can’t be weak. Next, you have to understand what key actions will bring you to your goal. You have to consider the cost of commitment before you agree to make sacrifices—otherwise, they might derail your progress if you haven’t thought about them in advance. Lastly, you have to ignore your negative feelings when following through on your commitments becomes hard.)

Schwarzenegger writes that hard work in practice and preparation is only half of what you need. The other side of wholehearted commitment is to carry through on what you start to the end. He illustrates this by recounting when, as California's governor, he made sure emergency response agencies rigorously practiced their wildfire protocols. When actual fires ravaged the state, he rolled up his sleeves and continued to work, identifying where the existing plans fell short and adapting them to fill in the gaps. Going through the motions in practice would mean nothing if Schwarzenegger didn’t bring the same commitment he devoted to his prior careers—a refusal to settle for anything less than an all-out effort from himself and his team.

(Shortform note: Following through on your commitments also means being ready to do so repeatedly if needed. For instance, though Schwarzenegger only writes about one instance of wildfires that he had to manage, California endured repeated fire disasters during his tenure as governor. In 2007, Schwarzenegger positioned himself at the forefront of the relief efforts, maintaining a positive and proactive image. In 2009, Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency as another wildfire unexpectedly grew in Santa Barbara, forcing 14,000 people to evacuate. The next year, Schwarzenegger issued an executive order to increase California’s wildfire preparedness, increasing the state’s ability to follow through on protecting its citizens.)

Lift Others With Your Efforts

Schwarzenegger’s discussion of his governorship shows that success doesn’t ride on the shoulders of one person. All of our accomplishments are collective endeavors built upon mutual aid and support. Schwarzenegger emphasizes that we should reciprocate the help we receive from those around us by uplifting others whenever possible. This selfless benevolence is a force that elevates both you and society at large. Dispelling competitive notions of success, Schwarzenegger depicts life as a cooperative game where everyone benefits from mutual assistance.

(Shortform note: Western culture holds contradicting views regarding competition—some people believe it’s responsible for society’s success, while others believe it’s divisive. In The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey offers a middle ground. He writes that if we don’t use competition to define our self-worth, then “winning” is only valuable if it helps you achieve a meaningful goal. Your opponent is therefore a valuable ally because they’re doing their best to be a difficult obstacle, helping you improve your skills. In this way, competition is a form of cooperation. Each competitor benefits from the other’s attempts to make goals difficult.)

Schwarzenegger is clear that “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is nonsense. Any success you achieve doesn't happen by itself. Every step forward is made possible by someone else's teaching or guidance. Achieving our dreams is a collective process that not only shapes one person’s future but also sets the stage for the accomplishments of others. Even if your past was tough or unpleasant, it shaped you into a survivor, which in itself is instrumental for success. This interconnected nature of accomplishment underscores why we should reciprocate the efforts of those who helped us succeed by lifting others up when we’re able.

(Shortform note: In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey points out that the interconnectedness of human lives goes deeper than the mutual achievement Schwarzenegger talks about. After all, if you think about your most important goals, you’ll probably find that most of them relate in some way to other people. For example, if you want to get promoted at work, it may be rooted in a desire for your family’s financial security or a personal wish for the respect of your peers. In fact, nearly every role you play depends on others—being a parent, spouse, sibling, child, employee, friend, or community member can only make sense in the context of other people.)

The Highest Accomplishment—Helping Others

Helping others isn’t only morally rewarding—it elevates you and society around you. Schwarzenegger insists that life isn't a game where one person's success means someone else's loss. In fact, it’s quite the opposite—when you extend help to others whether in your career, your friends and family circle, or even just as part of a hobby you’re engaged in, it creates a positive feedback cycle that benefits everyone involved. If you find yourself struggling with how to help others, simply start with small gestures of kindness. You might be surprised to discover how much value and assistance you can offer—be it through sharing your skills or simply dedicating time to help a stranger in need.

(Shortform note: Schwarzenegger’s feedback cycle of kindness, which extends to people outside your immediate family and social circle, is a trait that seems to be unique to humankind. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt calls this the reciprocity reflex, through which humans, unlike other animals, work with, care for, and protect people with whom they have minimal or no blood relation. This impulse is so deeply ingrained that we hardly think about it, yet we practice it all the time. From an evolutionary perspective, this altruistic behavior increases everyone’s chance of survival, creating networks of mutual obligation.)

Schwarzenegger learned the joy of helping others when he began working with the Special Olympics. There, he witnessed the courage and perseverance of the disabled athletes who competed, especially considering the hurdles these individuals overcame daily. When Schwarzenegger took time to coach them through basic weightlifting routines, he saw their initial trepidation melt away as they tapped into new reserves of strength. Schwarzenegger says he discovered that helping people unlock their potential represents the truest measure of success. Working to inspire the Special Olympians taught him that real greatness lies in our power to elevate society itself through acts of selfless compassion.

(Shortform note: Schwarzenegger's ongoing involvement with the Special Olympics continues to reinforce his belief in helping others as well as his view that the Special Olympics is a unifying force that promotes positivity and learning from Special Olympians' courage and compassion. Overall, Schwarzenegger continues to champion inclusivity within sporting communities, signaling that sport is not merely about competition but an avenue for promoting unity and mutual respect among diverse individuals despite societal barriers.)

In conclusion, Schwarzenegger states that by reflecting on how other people have helped you and repeating those acts of kindness for someone else, you can make a significant difference in the world while at the same time turbocharging your personal growth.

Making a Practical Contribution

Living up to Schwarzenegger’s challenge to make a difference in the world through your actions might seem out of reach to some readers. In Minimalism, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus offer practical advice on how to make the most meaningful contributions with the time and resources you have. Though many people give money to charity because they feel they don’t have time to volunteer, Millburn and Nicodemus insist that the personal contact and satisfaction you get from doing hands-on work is more rewarding.

To start, they suggest that you visit the website VolunteerMatch to see which organizations in your area are looking for help. You should explore different organizations until you find the one that’s right for you, and you can serve in a variety of ways so you don’t get bored and lose motivation. However you decide to contribute, periodically ask yourself how what you are doing adds value to the world and whether you could help more effectively in other ways. Over time, you’ll learn to replace contributions that don’t add value to your life or those of others’ lives with efforts that make better use of your skills.