Blog
Read Blog Posts by Category:
Passion: Articles that deal with the inner drive that we all need to want to MOVE from where we currently are to where we dream to be.
Preparation: These posts reference articles, books, documentaries, speakers, quotes, and other inspirational and formative ideas that I have found that helped me and the people around me.
Practice: Articles in this category have a heavy sports and performance training lean.
Performance: These articles focus on how you go about your work. From networking to communications to finding a better way to do what you do.
Perseverance: Articles in this category speak to the mechanics that we go through both mentally and physically to stay on track and not get STUCK.
How To Be the Best
I was blessed to be in the coaching / teaching profession for 35 years. During that time, I saw how the worst prepared and I have seen what it takes to be the best.
The one thing that determined either outcome was not an outside opponent or element. The key was how much coaching would each individual accept.
If the individual or the team didn’t care about the results, then the ending was set in stone. My issue comes with those who expect to be the best, but aren’t willing to receive constructive criticism to help them get out of their own way.
To be the best means you are putting out your optimal effort in everything that you are doing in pursuit of being the best. Effort alone does not make one the best.
Love the Person in the Mirror
Truth Time: When you look at yourself in the mirror do you admire all the good parts or do you start nitpicking the tiny flaws?
Don’t be embarrassed if you only see the negative parts. Most of us do.
The more I go out and speak and the more clients I become associated with I continue to find how many truly are embarrassed or genuinely dislike the person that they look at in the mirror.
And by this I don’t mean the physical features they see … I’m talking about the “person”.
This negative messaging is literally killing us.
I am a truth teller and I tell them as much. How can you continue to be the best version of you when your early morning pep talk to yourself is, “I hate everything about you.”
Stepping Away from the Chaos
But in most cases, individuals cause their own chaos. They’ll argue and give you “excuses” for why they are always running out of time. Why their work is substandard. Why they had to stay late. Why they came to the meeting late. Why they lost the information that they needed. Why their car ran out of gas.
Yes, they always seem to have legit excuses for all the chaos. Shit does happen. But not the same shit every week. When it becomes repetitive then it’s not the “shit” that is happening, it becomes the “shit” that you are neglecting to do when you have time to do it is not getting done. This traffic jam of projects that need to be done builds up, which leads to the chaos. The problem is not “chance”, it’s caused by the person.
Don’t Use a Spoon to Cut a Steak
Don’t use a spoon to cut a steak! That makes sense right? Nobody in their right mind would try to cut a piece of steak with a spoon when there was a steak knife right on the table in front of them … right?
Sure, it can be done, for all my contrarians out there. But, if you try to cut that steak with a spoon it’s going to be messy, sloppy and you, and the people depending on you to get the job done right, will be disappointed.
Can we agree that attempting to cut a steak with a spoon is ridiculous?
Or is it?
Each week I am either talking with or watching a business leader, corporate leader or sports coach who tries to cut their steak with a spoon. Not literally but metaphorically.
They continue to put the wrong person in the wrong place to do a job that they are not intended to do.
Conquer Your Fears
Do you watch TV news anymore? That’s some scary stuff. The doom, gloom and general hopelessness that is expounded in every word will leave you afraid of the world coming to an end any second.
Think of the fear that is being spewed out to those who actually watch these programs. It could make you shelter in place and never leave your house again.
“Fear” is a powerful emotion. It can stop you from moving forward. It can close off new ideas. It can keep you awake. It can keep you stuck. It can be such a force that your life stops completely.
That is what “fear” can do when you allow it to control you. But when you control your mindset, your fears will vanish.
Narrowing Your Focus
In life when we try to make everyone happy, we end up disappointing most everyone.
In business if we try to take on too much, we end up going broke.
With our goals in life if we have too many, we don’t accomplish any of them.
Chase The Match
Some people will find their motivational sparks from EXTERNAL sources. These might be found in videos on the internet, a motivational speaker, or a book that you just read. Watching and listening to speakers such as Eric Thomas or Les Brown always help to push me through some slow times.
You might find your spark from an INTERNAL source. It may be a person you work with who always gets excited about being better at what you are doing. These INTERNAL motivators can come from anyone. It also may be a negative comment that sparks us to say, “We’ll see about that.”
Whatever gives you your spark, continue to use it so you don’t get stuck along your journey.
Keep Climbing: Overcoming The Struggles in Your Life
In every story of success there is a point of struggle followed by an action where the storyteller overcame the issue that caused the struggle. In every story of a person getting stuck there is a point of struggle followed by inaction, where the storyteller allowed the issue to stop them.
Read that again. I’ll wait.
Yes, it is that simple. MOVE. Keep moving forward. It may be in small steps, but you must find a way to continue to fight through whatever it is that is slowing you down.
Reach Back
Mentoring is not telling someone what to do. Mentoring, for the most part, is listening. Listen, to whoever has come to you, to understand – not to respond.
Too many people are just looking for a reason to tell the other person “How to do things right”. To listen to understand means that when you speak you ask questions that help you get to understand what the person really needs from you.
It’s Been ANOTHER Year
Wow, that was fast!
365 days have spun by so fast! As I said in an earlier Thursday Thought, “It is true that time does fly. But when you spend time with those that you love, time becomes the memories that make life worth living.” This year has been full of memories that I will always cherish. New friends and old friends have made this year fly by. Laughs and stories have filled my life as one day turned to the next!
Your Greatest Gift
That’s the problem with most gifts. They are just material things. What I’m talking about giving is the greatest gift you can give anyone.
YOU!
Live Your Best Life
It’s totally up to YOU. If you aren’t moving towards your plan, the only person you can blame is the person who you are looking at in the mirror. If you are accomplishing the steps to make the plan real, it’s the person you are looking at in the mirror that needs to get the credit. Trust yourself. You can do this!
Be Unique
I thought about this revelation. Eventually it began to make sense. Being “unique” isn’t about genetics - or talent - or skill - or environment - or race - or religion - or gender … being unique is about US … getting the fuck out of our own way. Once we stop making excuses for our shortcomings, lack of effort or self-imposed limits we can ALL become unique.
The Value of a Mentor
Things get hard. We begin to feel like we are all alone. We try to subtly reach out … but no one is picking up.
Life Lesson: WE CAN’T DO THIS BY OURSELVES
What about our Quarters can’t they help? Sure, sometimes they can help, but at other times it’s out of their realm of understanding so all they offer is encouragement.
QUESTION: So, now what?
ANSWER: Find a mentor!!
Trust: The Essential Ingredient
I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the greatest athletes that have been in their sport. I’m not afraid to say that I pushed them hard. And I am proud to say that they answered the call … again and again and again. Why?
Because they TRUSTED me!
TRUST is the key ingredient to any successful venture.
When you have trust there is nothing that cannot be achieved. When we don’t believe in each other hard times will follow.
Time: Use It or Lose It
86,400 seconds a day. That’s all you get. No more. No less.
How do you use yours? How much time did you really need today?
Rusty Trucks: Part I – Sports
The “Rusty Trucks” show up early. They show up prepared. They don’t complain. They come to work. They’re not high-maintenance.
They don’t play for the money; they play for the love of the game. You never see a “Rusty Truck” holding out. They get what they have “earned”. They don’t talk about what they “deserve”.
Are You Willing to Bleed?
My question to you is, “Are you willing to bleed?”
Are you willing to do what it takes to be the best at what you do?
I’m sure you all will say, “I work hard.”
Working hard is just the entry fee into the “game”. So, don’t give yourself a medal.
I asked, “Are you willing to bleed.” To give everything you have. Collapse into bed at the end of the day. Wake up, excited about your challenges, and then outwork everyone in your profession … EVERY DAY?
I didn’t say, “outwork everyone in your office”, I asked if you were ready to outwork everyone in your profession? EVERY DAY. Not just with one customer. Not just one day. I’m talking EVERY DAY!
That is “bleeding”. Emptying yourself out to obtain what you have always dreamt of.
Growing Pains
When we change, we have to get away from being comfortable. We need to get off schedule as we make a new schedule. We must change the way we think about and speak to ourselves. We need to change the people we hang out with. We may need to be the “dumbest” person in the room. We will need to step out of our comfort zone and change the way we interact with other people.