Individuals who become incredibly successful in their field have arguably similar thought processes about success. They envision their success long before achieving it. If not all, then at least?bodybuilding?icon?Arnold Schwarzenegger?and basketball legend Michael Jordan are great examples of the idealogy. In 1984,?Michael Jordan?signed with Nike despite being an Adidas loyalist. Jordan saw that Adidas wasn’t ready to make a push for the American market like Nike. Signing with Nike while turning down the $31 billion shoe manufacturer (Adidas) helped him earn millions.

Earlier, seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on The Howard Stern Show. While speaking with Schwarzenegger, Stern asked him about something that happened shortly after coming to America. Schwarzenegger’s hardworking nature and zeal toward striving for success impressed Jack LaLanne (the godfather of fitness and owner of a gym chain). LaLanne offered him $200,000 to represent Jack LaLanne Gyms. However, Schwarzenegger turned down the offer. The 76-year-old recently explained why.

Arnold Schwarzenegger had planned for long-term success

The seven-time Mr. Olympia said Jack LaLanne approached and offered to manage all his gyms.?”You will be the perfect person. And also, you be the face of the gymnasium chain,”?LaLanne told Arnie. He offered Arnold Schwarzenegger $200,000, a massive sum of money in the late 1970s. However, Schwarzenegger didn’t accept the offer.

Schwarzenegger said he considered his vision of the future.?“I said to myself, wait a minute, my goal is to be a leading man in movies… To be another Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson,”?Schwarzenegger told Stern. The then-young bodybuilder knew stars like Eastwood and Bronson earned a million dollars for each film.

“I want to make a million dollars a movie,”?Schwarzenegger thought. However, if the Mr. Universe winner took the job, he would have to work 10?12 hours. It would hinder his studies and acting lessons. So Schwarzenegger politely declined the offer.?“I had a very clear vision of where I wanted to go with my acting career,”?he told Howard Stern. This was a trait Schwarzenegger developed as a kid.

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The seven-time Mr. Olympia always visualized his success

In the Netflix docuseries Arnold, the 76-year-old opened up about envisioning success as a teen. After the Austrian Oak fell in love with bodybuilding, he would regularly train in silence. The aspiring bodybuilder wouldn’t turn on the radio or music. Instead, he concentrated on his workout and envisioned himself on the bodybuilding stage.

The only sound the bodybuilding icon heard during his exercise sessions was the clanking of heavy metal weights. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would also envision himself as a future bodybuilding champion. The seven-time Mr. Olympia channeled that hunger and desire for success during his workouts until he reached the zenith of bodybuilding.

While accepting LaLanne’s offer would’ve made Arnold Schwarzenegger a rich man, he wouldn’t have become a film star. Arnie might not have won so many Olympia titles either. However, the Austrian Oak followed his dreams and later earned millions of dollars.

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