Category Archives: Results

I have never seen ordinary effort lead to extraordinary results

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“I have never seen ordinary effort lead to extraordinary results.”

—Alexander Wang, American fashion designer

Image from Unsplash by Fedor

Did you know that the Beatles developed their musical skills through intense and grueling work, particularly during their time in Hamburg, Germany?

Their extraordinary commitment to improvement involved several strategies, including:

  • Extensive practice: Playing for eight hours straight helped them develop confidence and greater technical skills.
  • Their rigorous work ethic often demanded that they play eight days a week.😊
  • Instead of playing the same sets over and over, the Hamburg performances required them to innovate and expand their musical repertoire making them more versatile and creative performers.
  • The band faced multiple rejections and were turned down by at least five record labels before finally getting a contract with EMI in June of 1962.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your world have you expected ordinary efforts to produce extraordinary results?

How can you apply more than a few hard days nights to have more extraordinary results come together for you?

Short term results come from intensity

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“Short term results come from intensity. Long term results come from consistency.”

—Shane Parish, author of Clear Thinking

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

How often do you find yourself using intensity and consistency to produce the results you desire?

If you are like many people, you probably use a balance between the two to create an optimal strategy for achievement, benefiting from areas of steady progress with the occasional acceleration provided by intense effort.

In football, we can see numerous examples where extensive practice and running routine plays consistently can be the source of many wins over the course of a season.

In recent years the “Tush Push” has been used particularly by the Philadelphia Eagles to make short yardage for first down conversions or to score a touchdown. In spite of many defenders knowing the play, this intense effort of the center, quarterback, and running backs pushing from behind is particularly effective.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you use intensity and consistency to achieve your personal and professional objectives?

How could you apply the “Tush Push” concept in your own world to score more points with the help of others behind you?

“In the long term, you can’t get better results than your consistency.”

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“In the long term, you can’t get better results than your consistency.”

—Shane Parrish, author of Clear Thinking

Image from Unsplash by Jacob Rice

During the summer Olympics I joyfully watched with amazement the levels of excellence everywhere.

Two athletes that stood out for me were Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky.

One of the highlights for me was watching Katie swim the 1,500 meters, which she won by 10 seconds over the silver medalist. Katie now owns the twenty fastest times ever recorded and has swum over 23,000 miles in her lifetime, which is almost the circumference of the earth!

EXERCISE:

Where in your life have you been the most consistent in your efforts?

How has your dedication and stick-to-it-ness served you well and supported your success over the years?

Where might some added consistency serve you best in the days and years ahead?

What is in the way of what you want

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“What is in the way of what you want? Can you come up with at least three different paths around it?”

—James Clear, author of Atomic Habits

As part of my coaching toolkit, I use a three step exercise called a Pivot Point to help my clients progress when they are stalled or stopped in their efforts.

Step one in this exercise is to assess the current reality. In the case of today’s quote, that would involve determining what’s in the way.

Step two would be to determine the outcome or preferred future they desire. In this case it would be to describe the details of what they want.

Step three mobilizes them into new patterns of thinking and acting to help them realize their path forward and the results they desire.

EXERCISE:

How and where could you use the three step Pivot Point exercise and James Clear’s quote to work around what stands in the way of what you want?

Seeking the support of a coach, mentor, or colleague can be useful in discovering new paths to pursue.

“Work hard in silence and let success make the noise.”

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“Work hard in silence and let success make the noise.”

—Anonymous

Image from Unsplash by Do Nhu

Prior to starting my coaching career over 30 years ago, I had a difficult time at my previous company. The organization was having financial challenges and realigning its workforce.

My marketing role at the home office was no longer secure, and I was left with the difficult decision to accept a demoted field assignment, requiring me to uproot my family in order to keep my employment.

With considerable soul searching and wound-licking, I was determined to put my head down and “Show Them” I still had it when many of my colleagues saw me as someone who didn’t make the grade.

With this resolve and grit, I silently went about my new job and became an acknowledged great performer, regaining my coworkers respect, and receiving an award voted on by my division.

Two months later I accepted a voluntary buyout, and the rest is history.

EXERCISE:

What are examples in your life in which you let your hard work and good results do the talking?

Where in your worlds would this approach be the way to proceed on an important issue today?

Aim higher in case you fall short

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“Aim higher in case you fall short.”

—Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games

Image from Unsplash by Ricardo Arch

I bet you learned a lot about gravity well before you studied the work of Isaac Newton in school.

The world of sports — especially the ones with balls — all taught us to aim higher than our intended target if we wanted to hit the mark.

What are some of the ways you direct your aim higher than your targets knowing well that there are various forces pulling you down?

What personal and professional games are you playing where both internal and external factors get in the way to trip you up or block your path?

EXERCISE:

Where do you need to aim higher and shoot for the moon?

Even if you miss, you might just land among the stars.

“Not seeing results? Feel like giving up? Consider this: The last thing to grow on a fruit tree is the fruit.”

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“Not seeing results? Feel like giving up? Consider this: The last thing to grow on a fruit tree is the fruit.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Jason Richard

Take a look at the past year. What was your level of productivity? What results were achieved and where did you come up short regarding your expectations? How often did you feel like giving up?

We all desire to see our actions pay off, and taste the sweet fruits of our efforts. We also know that sometimes the weather and circumstances of our lives can be harsh. Like trees, we sometimes need to conserve and reserve our energy to stay alive for the coming season.

EXERCISE:

Acknowledge yourself and others who found the courage and strength to withstand the elements of this past year, regardless of the harvest.

Consider picking up a copy of THE DIP (A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit and When to Stick), by Seth Godin.

“What is the least I can teach you that would be the most valuable?”

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“What is the least I can teach you that would be the most valuable?”

Michael Bungay Stanier, Founder of Box of Crayons

How familiar are you with the developmental and problem-solving tool called a quadrant graph?

Even if this specific term is unfamiliar, my guess is that you use some form of this concept to be productive and achieve your goals.

Take the example above, using effort and result as the two axis of the graph.

By evaluating each quadrant, we can calculate a course of action to optimize a path toward the result we desire.

The Quotable Coach blog series tries to apply a similar approach by offering a nugget of wisdom in about a minute’s read, potentially providing significant value to the reader.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom could you apply today’s quote in your role as either a teacher or a student?

Please reply to this post to describe the value created.

“When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.”

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“When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.”

—Nelson Mandela, late South African anti-apartheid political leader

Image from Unsplash by Derek Story

On most mornings I wake up very early and head to the health club to kick start my day. My club is located near my office, about 15 miles from my home.

Given the light traffic at this early hour, I do my best to avoid stop lights by adjusting my use of the gas pedal and brakes. This maintains my momentum and improves my fuel efficiency.

EXERCISE:

What are some of your personal or professional projects in which the water is already boiling?

How can and will you keep adding another log to the fires of your current momentum to achieve even more extraordinary outcomes?