Last week the article was about gaining
more willpower and how to keep it
going. After all I think most
would agree that champions do have a
great deal of will power!
So what is it that keeps the champions
in the front of the pack?
What is it that each of us could be
doing to be more of the champion?
But wait, we have to get up each
morning, get the kids moving, get to
our job, do our job, deal with the
daily issues, get home and more kids,
do the lawn, the laundry, cook a meal
and then have the energy to get excited
about our goals and being a better
champion!
Let’s get real! We are bushed and
exhausted!
So how do we take more control over our
lives direction and be more of the
champion?
Here are some thoughts……..
The first is Focus,
yes this has been mentioned before, yet
the champions do have a focus that
seems to take them past the noise and
on to the goals.
I believe far too many of us , me
included, get caught up in the whir of
our daily lives, doing what everyone
else is doing and feeling comfortable
about it. Yes, everyone has wishes for
a better life, but is their focus on
conforming and being comfortable or on
a large more productive goal.
I still think back to my early work
encounters and how several different
people looked at life. Most of us
worked for a pay check so we could
party over the weekend. Why, because
that what everyone else was doing! Or
were they?
Jay liked to party too, but he had a
different focus and invested time in
researching sunflower seeds, sounds
boring doesn’t it.
He got married and has kids like
everyone else that partied together,
but his focus was different.
Soon he started a new seed company that
struggled but kept growing and soon Jay
sold it for millions and the rest of
the party group said “Wow, how did he
do that?”
Now each person in that party group had
the potential to do more. IF each had
focused a bit differently, what might
have happened?
This does not mean you eliminate the
family, kids and fun. What it does mean
is you focus your energy in a different
way and disallow the conformity to set
in. The focus is on what you want your
life to be, not what everyone else
wants it to be!
Check your focus, ask yourself why you
do the things you do and what is the
focus in that choice. This does not
mean to be so self-consumed you shut
everyone out. Absolutely not, you need
family and friends to help you
accomplish your goals.
Just make choices based on your focus
and not what we assume others might
want.
This brings in the second point
of Confidence. Have you ever
seen someone with capability not move
forward? They seem to hold back as if
they were paralyzed by something.
It could be they are waiting for
confidence to come along and grow so
they can move forward.
The reality is one does not build
confidence by waiting around. An
athlete needs to practice and keep
pushing the envelope to gain confidence
in their ability. So does a dancer,
salesperson or manager.
Does this mean jumping into a situation
that is way over your head? It might,
but my suggestion is to take smaller
steps.
One skill many people need to build
confidence in is speaking to a group or
in public. It is still number one on
the list of greatest fears.
So do we jump on stage with 100,000
people and fail miserably? Or would it
be more prudent to start by doing the
readings in church or lead a small
group at work? Then take on more
challenging opportunities as our
confidence grows, yet each time we push
that envelop?
By the way, I know of successful
speakers who have done both approaches
early in their career.
You see, confidence helps you to keep
the focus on where you want to go. The
more you are willing to push that
envelop and develop the confidence the
easier it is to keep the focus!
Third understand that
contentment and happiness are
different!
Ok, what do you mean?
I know a great many people who say they
are happy, yet when you ask them what
they would really need to be really
happy, they always want more of
something.
So are they happy or just content?
In this great USA we can easily become
content, and feel ok about being just
like everyone else. We can say we are
happy, yet why is divorce over 50%,
bankruptcies running rampant and so
many other anti-happy things happing at
a growing rate? Is it contentment or
true happiness?
When I am around a group of very
successful people that have focus,
confidence and will power they truly do
show happiness!
Even when things are not going the
greatest in their business or personal
life, they still seem happy inside
because they know their focus,
confidence and willpower will get them
through like it has before.
That is why I differentiate between
contentment and true happiness. We can
be content at times and enjoy the
moment. Yet, how is the feeling
different when we have successfully
pushed the envelope and accomplished a
new personal level? Is this contentment
or true happiness?
So, with focus, developing more
confidence, applying will power we can
come out with more happiness in our
lives versus just contentment!
Which is your choice? After all it is
up to each of us to determine our own
outcomes.
Consider these points and start making
the changes you choose to, I’ll
guarantee a different outcome for you!
Till next week, to your continued
success.
Harlan Goerger
National Director of Training
© Harlan Goerger, 6/2007
|
