Message 5

Yesterday i was watching the Colts game watching Peyton Manning, arguably one of the best quarterbacks of all time.  I was very interested when they told the story of how he spent time with each of his receivers this summer individually.  He took them through "skill improvement" sessions to help get better and to improve his timing working with them.  

It reminded me of all the stories you would hear about Michael Jordan being the last one off the court and putting the most work in on the practice court.  If you watch Jordan dominating a game at the end of his Bulls career you would see a plethora of skills and moves that he did not have at the beginning of his career.  Even as the best player in the world he would work each season on adding to is game.

To me these two athletes personify what it is to work hard and be willing to do more then everyone else to reach your goal.  It is so important for people who want to be the very best to have this quality and to work against their peer group.  I often here national level athletes talk about how much they do compared to "normal people" but its not about that.  Its about doing more then the people you are hoping to be better then one day.

So often you hear these people like Jordan or Manning referred to as "talented" but what does that mean?  How do you measure it?  I would suggest that the greatest talent of all is the capacity to work hard.  To keep practicing and practicing in an effective way when others have given up.

The following link is a very interesting study on what it takes to reach maximal performance.  It is a heavy read but worth it if you are interested in such a thing.

http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/gel/EricssonDeliberatePracticePR93.pdf

In a conversation i had with a professional athlete recently they said "I hate the word talent".  I am not here to suggest that there is not some level of natural ability that could be possible, but what good is it without the talent to work hard and continuously? 

In the previous posts on this blog i have discussed the ideas of challenging yourself, taking responsibility for your life, having a deep inner belief, and now an extraordinary work ethic.  I have always put peoples qualities into three categories "who they are", "what they do", and "what they know".  I have always believed in the quote

"who you are determines what you do" -unknown author

Which percentage of your time do you spend working on who you are?  Are you like so many people who have goals filled with doing more or learning more?  I would suggest to you that if you work on developing yourself that the rest become much easier.  

Are you willing to do the little extra things like Manning and Jordan do, to ensure you are the best you can be?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDgKdjf7M4I

Message 4

I would like to share a story

A few years ago a man in his mid thirties was promoted to become the CEO of a major international company.  As is often the case there was some business type media people that were interested to do a profile on him so he agreed to be interviewed by a large magazine.  The writer came in to the office for the interview wanting to learn about this successful business man and what got him there.  He asked him about his family.  The CEO mentioned that his father had passed away and his mother lived in Florida while his only sibling, his twin brother was in jail for drugs and for beating his wife.  The interviewer became very intrigued about these twin brothers, one so successful the other an addict and wife beater.  He got permission to do an interview with the brother as well, thinking it would be an interesting addition to his story.  He asked both brothers about their childhood.  They both answered in quite some detail about a troubled childhood, their father was an alcoholic who was barely ever home and when he was he was always drunk and would beat up their mother and sometimes them as well.  It was a shocking story but it was the next question that shocked the interviewer most.  He asked both brothers, one a convicted felon, the other a hugely successful business man, "what do you think has gotten you to where you are in life now" and they both gave exactly the same answer....." What would you expect, look at my father"

I wish i remembered where i first read that story and partially wish i remember if it was true or not, but either way what a powerful message.  It led me on a personal journey learning of self awareness and the power that it can carry but unfortunately it has  a twin brother as well...the victim mentality. 

"The best way to predict your future is to create it!"

-Abraham Lincoln 

Are you the master of your own life, the architect of your future?  Or are you just living your life feeling the victim to anything that does not seem to go your way?

I challenge you to create a vision for your future and an action plan to bring that vision to life.

message #3

The reoccurring theme of today was "belief" In the words of Virgil
"They can conquer who believe they can"

The power of belief is astonishing, i am always inspired from the movie clip on this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ&feature=related

Confidence is something that goes up and down fairly regularly. I am sure even Lebron James loses confidence in his jump shot or Tiger in his drives but having a deep rooted belief in yourself, your value, can be your fuel when you need to push yourself or face a challenge.

I have asked athletes before...

If i could guarantee you to be the best player in the world at your sport, 100% its a done deal....how would you feel. As you can imagine they often really like the idea of that! However i then ask what if for that guarentee you would have to take a spoon and shovel manure out of my back yard for 4 hours a day for the next 8 years would you do it.....remember at the end of it you are guaranteed #1 in the world.
Most serious athletes say they would jump at the opportunity. If they would do that, why do they not push themselves everyday, every second in the sport they love, why do the not follow their nutritional plan or give it there all in the gym? When i ask that question the answer is usually......"there is no guarantee we will make it". Its that lack of belief in the outcome that makes them wander if the hard work is worth it.

Belief is an amazing thing, it empowers you to reach for the stars at one moment and then at the next it pushes you to do the most simple of tasks in front of you.

How strong is your belief, that of your althletes or employees? Do you have a strategy to develop in on an ongoing basis?

Message #2

Been an interesting and busy week. I am just completing the second week of the British Coaches workshops doing 6 presentations around the UK to around 500 coaches. Despite having 3 different options for connecting to the internet i have been unable to do so in the various cities over the last few days so message 2 was a bit delayed!

After attending a masterclass of the Professional Speakers Association over the weekend i reviewed my presentation and decided the conclusion could be much mor effective. i built a new conclussion around one of my favorite quotes.....


“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions” Naguib Mahfouz

I am now finsihing by challenging coaches to look at themselves and their coaching to find ways to help people more. The response has been good and the coaches very engaged.

The key to improving the players yesturday ended up being as simple as creating a desire to learn. Using the forumula D x V x F > cost of change. (Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps) We used simple awareness games to create a dissatisfaction in the players about the current performance which led to highly motivated learners. The power of a motivated learner never ceases to amaze me!!!

Message #1

Thank you for following my blog. This is a new platform for me and I hope to use it effectively which will only be measured by how much it helps you.
It seems reasonable to start by defining what it is about.

Performance

The manner in which or the efficiency in which something reacts or fulfills its intended purpose

Potential

capable of being or becoming

The aim of this blog will be to share my experiences as they happen and hope that you can pull on them and any other thoughts and insights i may have from time to time to fullfil your potential, and purpose, succesfully and efficiently

I believe a nice way to start this journey is with the famous words of legendary coach John Wooden

"Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming"

Lets work together to reach our potential, to become the best we are capable of and enjoy the journey!