Tag Archives: success

“Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

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“Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

– Jon Acuff, New York Times Bestselling author

Photo from Flickr bykevandotorg

Photo from Flickr by kevandotorg

Have you or do you know anyone close to you who started a new job, hobby, or sport?

Although we all know cognitively that it takes time to build competency and eventually mastery, many people compare their own beginning skill level to others who have been on this or a similar journey for some time.

They see where they are limited or falling short because the comparisons they make are not equal, and actually unfair.

EXERCISE

As you strive toward excellence in any area of life, be inspired by the mastery and  capabilities of those you admire, yet compare your current capabilities only to those of what you were capable of yesterday.

Worry is like a rocking chair

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“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

—Erma Bombeck, humorist and author

Photo from Flickr by Jeff Hand

Photo from Flickr by Jeff Hand

Many people are familiar with the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle.

An example of this rule is that 80 percent of our results comes from only 20 percent of our efforts.

On the other hand, 80 percent of our time and efforts account for only a small portion – 20 percent – of our results.

Bombeck would probably include worry as a significant part of this non-productive yet time-consuming aspect of our days.

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your professional and personal worries, then apply this two-step process:

  1. Look at each worry through an objective lens, not only from a negative or emotional perspective.
  2. Consider these issues from an optimistic perspective and explore some new or different approaches to stop rocking and start improving your situation.

Also consider Mark Twain’s statement: “I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”   Read more about it here.

“To teach is to learn twice.”

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“To teach is to learn twice.”

—Joseph Joubert, French Esssayist

Photo from Flickr by Duane Schoon

Photo from Flickr by Duane Schoon

Have you ever considered that learning is a multi-step process? Do you recall times in your education when you would read, re-read, and literally memorize information to prepare for a quiz or test?

What happened to this information when you tried to recall it even a few weeks later? If you are like most people, non-essential information is wiped clean from your “cerebral hard drive,” to make room for information that is essential, or critical, to your existence.

EXERCISE:

A simple yet powerful technique to deepen and sustain things you wish to learn and master is contained in these three steps:

  1. Watch others who are very skilled at some behavior.
  2. Try to practice those skills for yourself.
  3. Teaching this skill to others will cement and sustain the lesson.

Remember it this way: Watch One, Do One, Teach One.

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”

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“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”

– Frank Capra, American Film Director

Photo from Flickr by Dania J

Photo from Flickr by Dania J

Do you have them?  Hunches, that is.

Sometimes they are called intuition, instincts, gut feelings, or inklings.

For some reason, almost everyone has them, but they tend to be elusive in our ability to harvest them at will.

Over the last decade or two, the subject of creativity and non-linear thinking has gotten considerable attention, particularly in our ability to harness it to fuel the economic engines of business.

All you have to do is generate your own list of the most innovative and creative companies that have become mega stars and economic powerhouses.

EXERCISE:

How can you bolster your own capacity to tap into your own hunches to further develop your own creativity muscle to enhance your personal and professional worlds?

Two books I recommend on this subject are:
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
Blink by Malcom Gladwell

Feel free to reply to this message to share some of your own favorite hunch-expanding ideas and resources.

 

“Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle.”

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“Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle.”

– Robert Anthony, PhD and Hypnotherapist

Photo from Flickr by Martina Yach

Photo from Flickr by Martina Yach

During coaching sessions, I often refer to the reasonably extensive collection of books in my office.

I highlight, underline, and do a good bit of writing throughout the pages of these books, to enhance my ingestion and digestion of these nuggets of knowledge.

For me, a good book is not only an investment of $20, it is an investment of many hours of my life. It is time in which I intend to embrace the considerable value each author hoped to share with readers such as myself.

EXERCISE:

Notice where you drink and/or gargle from the fountain of knowledge. What small or large adjustments can you make to these efforts to impact your life for the better?

Pay particular attention today to your engagement with all forms of information, including everything from the great works of fiction and non-fiction to the wide variety of social media choices available.

“Big shots are little shots who kept shooting.”

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“Big shots are little shots who kept shooting.”

– Christopher Morely, American Journalist, Novelist, Essayist and Poet

photo from Flickr by Simplistic.designs

photo from Flickr by Simplistic.designs

What are your favorite examples of people who achieved great success through the power of persistence? Some of mine are Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and of course, Michael Jordan.

What are some of your own personal stories where you stayed the course to achieve some important professional or personal victory?

Consider how you might break your “big shot” wins down into daily “small shot” behaviors you can easily practice on your journey of personal mastery. If this exercise is one you enjoy, both the journey and the results will reward you.

EXERCISE:

Consider picking up a copy of one or more of the following resources to enhance your resolve to keep shooting to realize your most deeply held desires:

Three Feet From Gold by Sharon Lechter & Greg Reid
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson & John David Mann
The Power of Persistence by Justin Sachs
The Dip by Seth Godin
Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden

Want your own copy of “The Quotable Coach”? Click on the image below.
TQC-cover-welcome

“You have to believe in yourself.”

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“You have to believe in yourself.”

– Sun Tzu, Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher

Photo from Flickr by Jennifer

Photo from Flickr by Jennifer

I am writing this post on a Sunday – the day many people practice their faith by attending church or another religious institution.

Many faiths believe that God created man and at the same time gave us free will and the ability to create our own lives through our beliefs and actions.

Central to our ability to manifest our world, Sun Tzu might suggest through this quote that a deeply held faith and belief in ourselves is essential.

EXERCISE:

Take note of the areas in your life where you have the strongest belief and faith, and notice what results you have achieved.

How would an even greater belief in yourself make the biggest difference in your personal or professional life?

To Conquer Ourselves

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”It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

– Sir Edmund Hillary, the first climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Photo from Flickr by Popeyed

Photo from Flickr by Popeyed

Sir Edmund Hillary is one of the world’s most famous mountain climbers. His adventures to the top of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, are legendary.

Hillary knew that we must first face and climb our internal mountains if we are ever to surmount the challenges we face in our outer worlds.

EXERCISE:

What external mountains do you need to face or climb? How will you summon the courage to conquer the internal barriers that appear to keep you safe and limited at base camp?

“Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.”

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“Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.”

– René Descartes, French Philosopher and Writer

Photo from Flickr by William Warby

Photo from Flickr by William Warby

There is no such thing as an “overnight success,” but there is a formula to become one. Before you argue the inherent contradiction in that statement, consider this:

An “overnight success” is the result of the journey of personal mastery, which is built on continuous self-improvement gained through experiential learning over considerable time. The “formula” IS the journey, which demonstrates itself through the phenomenal capacities we achieve beyond those of our previous selves.

EXERCISE:

Envision the simple, ordinary, and daily problems you are solving today. How might they be the beginning or early stages of your journey of personal mastery, in some aspect of your professional or personal life?

“Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pockets.”

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“Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pockets.”
– Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Travis Hornung

Image from Flickr by Travis Hornung

The spring and fall seasons here in Michigan require a “clean-up process” of leaves and other plant-related debris. This includes the need to climb up ladders and clear out the gutters on our roofs.

Imagine taking on this task and being told you had to leave your hands in your pockets as you climbed. Would you do it? Of course not!

Notice when, in your personal or professional life, you take on tasks half-heartedly, thereby leaving your hands in your pockets.

Exercise:

Where would grasping the ladder of success with both hands make the biggest difference for you today?