“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” – Paulo Coelho I relish professional sports! I’m sure you have your favorites, me too! Here are a few of my favorite athletes/coaches from both the present and the past. Russell Wilson & Pete Carroll (NFL), Joe Giardia & Kevin Trout (MLB), Chael Sonnen & Georges St. Pierre (UFC), Nick Sabin (SEC), Bubba Watson & Jack Nicklaus (PGA). Each of these men are great examples of accomplishment and were great representatives of their sport. However, in my opinion, the all-time best athlete for any sport is the PGA’s Jack Nicklaus. He holds the record for the most major tournament wins. I loved the way he would handle the extreme pressure on that week’s course and engineer his success. To this day, he remains a great ambassador for golf at all levels. I recall once watching Nicklaus on television competing in a tournament. It was his last stroke, on the 18th hole, on the final day of the tournament. If he made the putt he would win the tournament. The television cameras followed his every move on the green as he meticulously read the slant and the condition of the putting surface. Finally, he took his stance and lined-up his putter. The cameraman zeroed-in on his golf ball. I anxiously watched for Nicklaus to wait until the fly moved off of his ball. To the contrary, he smoothly drew back the club and firmly stroked the ball and sank the putt for the win! He kept his attention focused! The post-game interviewer was obviously eager to speak with Jack Nicklaus after another amazing win. After congratulating him, the interviewer asked the question that everyone fan at home wanted to ask: “Didn’t that fly disturb you? How did you sink that putt with that distraction?” Nicklaus’ response was pure genius! He replied, “I didn’t come to this tournament to chase flies; I came to play golf and win!” By understanding the simple eloquence of that response, it’s easy to grasp our next Step to Sure Success: “Focused Attention.” If you remain able and willing to say “no” to any and every distraction that clamors for your attention and keep your attention focused, you will be successful. Knowing your strengths will help you stay focused. It can also encourage you to seek help in order to further develop areas in which help is required. Many of our hidden strengths are under-developed and additional education and mentoring have the ability to boost one’s potential. Like a golfer getting lessons under the watchful eye of a great swing coach, your talents can be developed into greatness! Perhaps another name for this step could be “Burn...
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“It’s like a cast of actors; you’re all working together closely under pressure to produce something everyday. And when we put up an issue, it’s like the curtains opening on a new play. I really like that daily sense of surprise.” – David Talbot The Sochi Winter Olympics recently came to a close. Every two years, I find that special stream of patriotism rise as I cheer for our American athletes watching them compete with the best of the best on the world’s platform. When I recall the Olympics, specifically the summer games, I often envision the weight lifting competition. There are a multitude of special events, but the “snatch” and the “clean and jerk” require the lifter to pick-up the barbell from the ground and push it over their head, keeping it under control for a specified time determined by the rules. A buzzer then sounds when the time has expired. While the lifter is holding the weight in the air, he is “under the pressure.” To stay “under the pressure” is to be patient, waiting for the judges to sound the buzzer. The judges are watching to see if the lifter maintains control while “under the pressure.” That pressure can expose bad technique, weakness in the body, or loss of self-control. No one in business, or sports for that matter, disputes the fact that they are always in stiff competition and that competition can get pretty cut-throat! Just ask Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan about nasty competitors! As you may recall, she was the female skater from the 1994 Winter Olympic Games who had her knee smashed severely by a member of her competitors team. Even more disturbing, they were both on Team USA! Ouch! But weightlifting is a personal competition. Sure, one is competing against the others, but the event itself is a solo performance; just you and the weight. If your competitor wins, it wasn’t because of their preventing you from winning; it was because you were not as strong, your technique was weak, or you just couldn’t handle the pressure! Forget about what your competition is lifting! Rather, focus on your event – your business – your team – your opportunity to win with what you do have. Don’t waste your time agonizing over your opponents muscle mass. Learn from their techniques but always remember that while they may win the event, that doesn’t necessarily mean you lost. In business, your competitor may win the contract or earn more wealth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also win and profit immensely. Even in the Olympics, silver and bronze are still noted as winners on the podium alongside the gold! In Olympic weightlifting, the competition isn’t allowed to heckle or jeer you. But in business, no such rules exist! Your competition may try to make your path to success miserable...
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“My life changed the day I moved beyond just wishing for things and I started earning them. That is the day I learned that we don’t get what we wish for, we get what we work for.” – Steve Maraboli Along the road to success, you will likely find yourself questioning why you’re pushing so hard? So let me ask you, “why are you pushing so hard?” Over the course of this multi-part series, we’ve talked about “sure success.” What do I mean by that? My point is that success is not just an achievement or the number of dollar bills one has accrued. Success isn’t merely a nicer office or driving a bigger, more expensive automobile. My mentor once told me a (true) story about a famous American pop music singer/songwriter who confided in him his story of pursuing his teenage music ambition. This musician/songwriter had written music for Elvis Presley and others, but later decided that he wanted his own band and stardom. This man sold millions of his own albums and by every measurement of the world’s standards, he was certainly a success. But he later confided in my mentor that despite his success, he was still unhappy with his life and his achievements! His words were, “I sacrificed and hurt my wife, my children and my parents and family to get to where I was. In truth, I felt like a total failure.” He went on to say, “I thought if a man could make enough money to do what he wanted to do and go where he wanted to go, he would be a success and be happy. But I wasn’t.” I also recall a quote from popular NFL football coach after taking the reigns of a very prominent NFL team. His words have never left me. He boldly stated, “I told my family that I want a Super Bowl ring more than I want anything and I’m gonna get it, even if it means losing you.” Well, he got his Super Bowl ring and along the way, lost his family! But I’ve often wondered how his (now) ex-wife and children felt when he made that statement. Was he successful? Sure, he got his Super Bowl ring. He attained his goal and he’s arguably one of the best NFL coaches in recent history. But is the price he paid for a ring, fame, and publicity really worth it?! I cannot imagine how I would feel if my father made those statements! I am not of he opinion that you have to choose one or the other in life. But if you do have to make a decision such as family or fame, I plead with you to choose the more noble path to sure success! You see, some people attain success without having earned it; others, have earned it but have...
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“I don’t know what my calling is, but I want to be here for a bigger reason. I strive to be like the greatest people who have ever lived.” – Will Smith There are (4) ingredients to Step #7. The first ingredient is “calling,” which refers to the invitation you should be broadcasting for others to join you. I love to use social media outlets and my website to “call” others to join us! But this “calling” is not limited to people seeking employment with your company. It’s also providing an opportunity for others to learn from you. A good leader is always looking for potential team members and pupils. You should always be prepared to share, explain, and encourage others to join you in your journey to success. Let them help you and be an inspiration to reach for greater heights! The second ingredient to Step #7 is “electing.” This refers to your choosing of certain individuals from your base of followers and pupils. Success typically invites and attracts attention. More specifically, it attracts the attentive minds of those who also desire to succeed. Take full advantage of this attraction! Your “group” of followers/pupils may be small, perhaps consisting only of your employees or even your family. The power of investing in others cannot be overlooked by those seeking gnosis and therefore, success. This happens all across the world everyday. Improvement occurs when pupils stand on the shoulders of their mentors. Imagine how much more successful this country would be if those who succeeded would invest their time and energy into those who have the potential! The third ingredient to Step #7 is “training.” In my opinion, “training” is self-explanatory. Understand though, that training is not merely teaching. To teach is to explain, review, and test. When training, one begins with teaching but moves onto doing/taking action. Those who are doing the work are those who are also learning. My father taught me daily but he always had me by his side working with him….that’s training! The final ingredient of Step #7 is “empowerment.” This is the confidence that you bestow on your pupils by the responsibilities and knowledge that you entrust to them. When one of your followers experiences your trust, it increases his confidence and encourages him to reach greater heights than he previously thought possible for him to reach. It’s rare that someone has their own confidence equal to their potential. They need to have a successful mentor or leader that believes in them. That’s empowering! There’s only one more Step to Sure Success! So join us next week when we discuss Step #8 – Sacrifice. ...
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