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.
Performance Mindset: Nerves or Excitement?
In the high-stakes arena of performance—whether it be in sports, public speaking, or any challenging endeavor two powerful forces often come into play: nerves and pent-up excitement. Understanding the distinction between these emotions can have a significant impact on your performance and overall experience.
Embrace the Moment!
Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about the "good old days"? Maybe it’s the carefree moments of youth or the thrilling adventures from a few years back. Yet, what if I told you that the “good old days” aren’t just a thing of the past? In fact, they’re happening right now! Twenty or thirty or forty years from today, you'll likely look back and wish you could relive these exact moments, but with a newfound understanding of how to make them even better. No matter how hard things are, you will look back and remember these moments. I thought I would write about how I have slowed time down by enjoying the moment, the old “carpe diem” that Robin Williams spoke of eloquently to his students in the movie “Dead Poets Society”.
Unlocking the Secrets of Rest
Sleep is not just a time to recharge my body; it is a powerful force that shapes my mental, emotional, and physical well-being. If you can’t do anything else to take care of yourself—workout, eat right, walk, do yoga, hydrate—getting a full night's rest will be a bridge to staying healthy.
Own Your Work: The Journey to Career Success
When I was coaching, the pace of work accelerated daily. I knew my career would never grow if I waited to be told what to do. I was also smart enough to know that in order to make an impact on my professional journey, it was essential to adopt the mindset of ownership—"owning MY work." This proactive attitude enhanced my personal development and contributed significantly to the success of the organizations I work within. So, how do you OWN your work?
Leave Your Mark Using Your G.I.F.T.S.
I am a professional watcher. I sit back and observe people's actions and their effects on that person and others. I have watched people fail and succeed. The ones who fail usually do the opposite of what those who succeed do. Each individual defines “success,” but being successful enough to leave your mark is an entirely different level of achievement.
Beyond the Flowers: Cultivating Substance for Lasting Success
I was reading The Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi when I came across a pretty cool sentence. Musashi was talking about the way people work in their professions. He says, “Of the two, flowers and fruit, the world is full of more flowers than actual fruit.” He goes on to say that martial arts schools were focused more on the flash and flurry of handling the weapons (flowers) rather than using the weapons in life-or-death situations (fruit).
It's easy to get swept away by the allure of flowers—those glitzy gimmicks and empty promises that seem enticing but lack actual value. We see this everywhere: in our careers, personal relationships, and even within ourselves. But to achieve real success, we must dig deeper, moving past superficiality to discover the fruit of genuine effort and authenticity. This journey is not just about what we say but what we live through our actions.
Living on the Cutting Edge
In today’s sports and business world, the “status quo” is often the path of many organizations, while thinking outside the box is seen as treasonous. Yet, for those willing to step outside their comfort zones, calculated risks are not merely an option but a key to innovation and growth. Imagine standing at the crossroads of opportunity and fear. Each path represents a choice that could either catapult you to the top of your profession or keep you firmly anchored in the same old, tired ways of maximal effort and minimal growth. But how do you know which path to take?
The Art of Choosing Your Battles
We are bombarded daily with opinions, debates, and disagreements; it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of arguments and internal battles we face. Social media platforms buzz with fiery discussions, information-gathering meetings can turn into battlegrounds of contrasting beliefs, and even family gatherings can turn into battlegrounds of contrasting beliefs. Even with all of this going on, there is the simple truth: “You don’t need to attend every argument you’re invited to.”
Defining an Alpha Leader
"Alpha Leader" conjures images of confident individuals who inspire others through their vision, charisma, and decisiveness. An Alpha Leader means more than just holding a position of power; it's about understanding how to handle the qualities that foster trust, respect, and unity. This concept reassures us that true leadership is not about control but building a strong, united team.
Get To Work … NOW!
Stop procrastinating. Get to work … NOW! I mean it, not later, not tomorrow, not eventually. Stop procrastinating NOW!
Procrastination happens to all of us. It is always hiding in the shadows of our ambitions and dreams. We all know that feeling: the sinking realization that another deadline is looming. Yet, we find ourselves scrolling through social media or binge-watching another series instead of tackling our to-do list. But what if I told you that overcoming procrastination is not just about discipline? It’s a journey, an adventure waiting to happen.
Dualism: Committed vs Involved
We often encounter situations where we can be committed or involved. While these terms may seem similar at first glance, a subtle yet significant difference between them can greatly impact our overall success. Let's delve into the differences between commitment and involvement to understand better how they can change the course of your career and your life.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
Dualism: Comfort vs Courage
Comfort to me is something that is safe. Courage is taking steps to be less than safe. Comfort is where you go when you want to slow down. Courage is where you go when you want to move forward. Comfort is when you stay in the same job that you hate. Courage is reaching farther than you ever could have imagined.
Which one are you? How have you lived your life? Comfort or Courage.
We Are All Originals
We are all originals. If we understand WHAT makes us original and use all those Crayons every single day, we will live our optimal life. Until that time we will continue to struggle to move forward.
What happens is that after we struggle and struggle, we eventually get tired of a lack of progress and we begin to slow down, we begin to make excuses and then we begin to blame others. When the truth of the matter is that we are the to blame.
Understand you are the answer to all of these problems. Miyamoto Musashi, the great Samurai, tells us as much in his seminal book “The Five Rings”, “There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”
We have everything we need to be as successful as we want to be. If you don’t use all of your talents (Crayons) then that is your choice. But, be prepared to continue to be frustrated as you work to accomplish other people’s dreams while your years fade away. TRUST in YOU!