(1) Create a can-do winning mindset. It all starts inside your own head. Stay unflinchingly positive (within the boundaries of reality). Block out negativity, disbelief, past failures, bad advice from well-intending friends and loved ones. Use positive affirmations or self-talk - CEP. “I’m capable of anything I put my mind to.” “I succeed despite negative conditions.” “I overcome all obstacles that block my path -- I let nothing stop me.”
(2) Take massive action. When you start any new endeavor, discipline yourself to sit quietly for a short time and list everything you must do to get the outcome you want. Maybe it’s 5 or 6 big actions, maybe 20 or 30 small. Put them in time sequence and affix deadlines to each. Then dive in the deep end. Failure is often caused by half-hearted effort. Consistent winners ‘flood the zone’ with overwhelming action.
(3) Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Engage the difficult conversation. Take a risk of failure. Push past your perceived limits to get what you want. Get over that your actions will anger or disappoint some people. If you try to please everyone, you’ll accomplish nothing. Withdraw from the popularity contest. Some people will dislike you. Deal with it.
(4) Be accountable -- do what you say you’ll do. This is integrity… living up to your commitments. You’ll create allies and win people to your cause by being reliable. You can win alone occasionally, but life is a team sport, and you’ll need help most of the time. Being dependable is being there for them, so they’ll be there for you.
(5) Do only what you’re passionate about. Let others do the rest. And pick people who are passionate about what you’re not. I’ve surrounded myself with an amazing cadre of reliable and enthusiastic people to help me where I am weakest. I hear people bellyache “Living your passions all the time is impossible.” Baloney. I enjoy what I do each day – if you don’t change your routine.
(6) YOU own your time, your cell phone doesn’t. People whine and moan incessantly that they get nowhere because there aren’t enough hours in the day. They let the cell phone interrupt their conversations or work. What bothers me the most is people who interrupt a conversation to take a call from a number they don’t even know whose it is – now that is rude. If that’s you, stop it. Take back your time. Stop letting friends, co-workers, video games, and email control you. Plan your day – schedule time for the email, and other interruptions – you will take your time back.
(7) Deal with facts, not assumption. It is easy to believe what others say, even if it isn’t based on facts. The phrase “People say” drives me up the wall. Get the facts. ‘Facts’ matter more than our flimsy wishes or unfounded thinking. Winners design and build their futures around universal facts that don’t and won’t change.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
High achievement is not a one-time event… it’s all about consistent, winning behavior over a lifetime. If you diet for a few days, then quit… or exercise for a couple weeks, then quit… or manage your time well for a month, then quit… you’re toast.
Discipline is required. Yes, it means following through, it’s painful and may require sacrifice. Just put on your grown up pants and get to it.
You eat every day, sleep every day, brush your teeth every day… without thinking about it. If you want repetitive success, you need to develop the same rigorous habitual disciplines about all winner behavior. It’s what high achievers do.
(2) Take massive action. When you start any new endeavor, discipline yourself to sit quietly for a short time and list everything you must do to get the outcome you want. Maybe it’s 5 or 6 big actions, maybe 20 or 30 small. Put them in time sequence and affix deadlines to each. Then dive in the deep end. Failure is often caused by half-hearted effort. Consistent winners ‘flood the zone’ with overwhelming action.
(3) Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Engage the difficult conversation. Take a risk of failure. Push past your perceived limits to get what you want. Get over that your actions will anger or disappoint some people. If you try to please everyone, you’ll accomplish nothing. Withdraw from the popularity contest. Some people will dislike you. Deal with it.
(4) Be accountable -- do what you say you’ll do. This is integrity… living up to your commitments. You’ll create allies and win people to your cause by being reliable. You can win alone occasionally, but life is a team sport, and you’ll need help most of the time. Being dependable is being there for them, so they’ll be there for you.
(5) Do only what you’re passionate about. Let others do the rest. And pick people who are passionate about what you’re not. I’ve surrounded myself with an amazing cadre of reliable and enthusiastic people to help me where I am weakest. I hear people bellyache “Living your passions all the time is impossible.” Baloney. I enjoy what I do each day – if you don’t change your routine.
(6) YOU own your time, your cell phone doesn’t. People whine and moan incessantly that they get nowhere because there aren’t enough hours in the day. They let the cell phone interrupt their conversations or work. What bothers me the most is people who interrupt a conversation to take a call from a number they don’t even know whose it is – now that is rude. If that’s you, stop it. Take back your time. Stop letting friends, co-workers, video games, and email control you. Plan your day – schedule time for the email, and other interruptions – you will take your time back.
(7) Deal with facts, not assumption. It is easy to believe what others say, even if it isn’t based on facts. The phrase “People say” drives me up the wall. Get the facts. ‘Facts’ matter more than our flimsy wishes or unfounded thinking. Winners design and build their futures around universal facts that don’t and won’t change.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
High achievement is not a one-time event… it’s all about consistent, winning behavior over a lifetime. If you diet for a few days, then quit… or exercise for a couple weeks, then quit… or manage your time well for a month, then quit… you’re toast.
Discipline is required. Yes, it means following through, it’s painful and may require sacrifice. Just put on your grown up pants and get to it.
You eat every day, sleep every day, brush your teeth every day… without thinking about it. If you want repetitive success, you need to develop the same rigorous habitual disciplines about all winner behavior. It’s what high achievers do.