One big highlight of recent months was speaking at the BT advantEDGE conference on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in November. Reflecting on this presentation and others, I have summarised a few key themes. I want to thank Hal Elrod ('The Morning Miracle') and John O'Leary ('On Fire') for provoking me & giving me the confidence and structure to soar to new heights and live life #allin! I want to live generously and share what I do so people find the confidence to reach their true potential.
- Self-development is THE key! It builds self-confidence, belief & a sense of growth progress and momentum. Whether its reading, podcasts, Ted talks or other videos a consistent investment in yourself pays huge dividends over time. 'Always learning' is the mantra for 2017 and beyond. Matt Church taught me two things today: download Blinkist so you can 'read' a book in 5 swipes! Adopt the TedMill - watch 2x20 minute TedTalks whilst on your treadmill & you exercise and educate at the same time. Time matters so make it count.
- It's a 100% attitude game. Ability gets you into the game, attitude determines whether you win the game. Hal Elrod's 'SAVERS' morning routine is initially difficult but once mastered it provides a great platfrom to start everyday with a superb, positive, can do mindset. It is the best set-up. 'I had no shoes and complained, until I met a man with no feet' is my favourite quote in this regard. Be happy, be positive and be grateful for what we have and not lament what we have not.
- As Jack Welch once said: 'the future belongs to action orientated leaders.' My process is 'Decide - Commit - GO!' to ensure I do not over-think things and get stuck. Planning matters but actions matter more. As one of my coaches once said 'the only way to start is to START.' Develop pace and urgency as #speedstuns.
- Actions need to be centred around achieiving your goals. When your goals line up with your vision you live life with purpose. My new coaching framework centres on this as I see many people who need help to link their purpose to a clear set of goals underpinned by the right actions to help them make progress. Progress creates momentum & thereafter success breeds success.
- When you hit a bump in the road, #rhinorationale matters. This is the ability to keep going. Have a thick skin. I see this as a key differentiator in today's world. Without #rhinorationale people stay in their comfort zone and hence fall well short of achieving their true potential. Thanks to Shane Cai for teaching me today about the Adversity Quotient.
- Self-talk matters. The power of affirmations has grown in my life over the last 12 months to be a critical part of my daily routine. Start everyday by saying: 'I am a fantastic..........' or 'I am amazing at...........'. Feed your subconscious mind with what you want to become rather than allowing self-doubt to creep in. In the picture above, the slide behind me talks about being a player (positive, can do, action orientated person) v a cynic/victim or spectator. Ensure your self-talk is always at the player level as the other 'types' will take you away from the ideal performance state.
- As per a previous Linkedin post I wrote, visualisation AND vision boarding play a big role in so many ways to ensure you go in the direction of your goals and dreams. Reinforce the words you use with the images you want to see both mentally and physically. As well as a vision board, ensure your screen savers show something you want to achieve. Repition and positive reinforcement matter for both self-talk and imagery.
- Winners go to winners' - choose who you spend time with. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you feel good and challenge you to stretch and soar to new heights. Relationships are the foundation of everything, so choose them wisely. Networks matters even in today's technology driven world. I believe the old cliche of A grade players choose A grade players and B grade players choose C grade players rings true.
- Slow down to speed up. I have learnt that 'greatness requires stillness'. It is a wonderful combination and, at times, contradiction to live with pace, urgency and passion and yet be able to slow down to think, reflect and innovate/create. 'Mozart' time matters - time to yourself, time for yourself & the time to think about what matters most. It enables you to think about what makes you unique & how to live true to your 'why.'
Whether you are stuck at the 'craggy rock' or in the 'sky blue', 'chinese bamboo' or 'rhino' zones I trust the above will help refresh your thinking so you create movement towards your own 'golden meadow.'
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