Wednesday, October 28, 2009

ME, TIGER, AND PEACH COBBLER

I ate peach cobbler with Tiger Woods. Well....not exactly. At an Orlando Magic home game last year I made my way to the Blue Room for the half-time dessert menu which featured delicious peach cobbler. Much to my surprise, sitting next to me, with a nice size portion himself was Mr. Woods. As he sat with his arms crossed waiting for the cobbler to cool off to an eatable level, I friend of mine took a 007 like picture of him:0

Fortunately this week's MMM does not have anything to do with mine or Tiger's affinity for peach cobbler. It does however, lead me into the example of the lesson for the week. This week is about how you. And just like Tiger, with a lot of work, you can be "awesomely, amazingly, and world-class excellent" at what you do.

I just finished the book, Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin. This is one of the best books I've read on performance. I highly recommend reading it if you are an athlete, parent, coach, or are just intrigued with the psychology of performance. About a week ago I posted the last paragraph of this book on my Facebook. Here it is:

"The evidence offers no easy assurances. It shows that the price of top-level achievement is extraordinarily high. Perhaps it's inevitable that not many people will choose to pay for it. But the evidence shows also that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better. Above all, what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating new: that great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone else."

Back to Tiger...

Most of us think that Tiger Woods was born to play golf. That he was a child prodigy. That he was destined to be the greatest golfer of all time. But the may not be exactly the case.

Tiger had a few things going for him that helped him achieve his status in the game of golf. First and foremost, his father Earl. Earl Woods was a teacher, specifically of young men who had a passion for sports. In the army he was a teacher, he was a star baseball player in high school and college, and between college and the army he coached little league baseball teams. He said in his book, Training a Tiger, "I love to teach."

Second, when Tiger was born, Earl had time to teach him. When Tiger was born, Earl's older children were grown up and he was retired. Earl was a golf fanatic and after being introduced to the game only a couple years earlier he had worked at it hard enough to achieve a handi-cap in the low single digits.

Colvin wrote, "So here's the situation: Tiger is born into the home of an expert golfer and confessed "golf addict" who loves to teach and is eager to begin teaching his son as soon as possible. Earl's wife does not work outside the home, and they have no other children; they have decided that "Tiger would be the first priority in our relationship," Earl wrote. Earl gives Tiger his first metal club, a putter, at the age of seven months. He sets up Tiger's high chair in the garage, where Earl is hitting balls into a new, and Tiger watches for hours on end. Before Tiger is two, they are at the golf course playing and practicing regularly."

By the time Tiger was 19 years old he had been through 17 years of intense practice. First, with his father and then at the age of 4 began having professional teachers and coaches.

The evidence, research, and examples of great performer such as Tiger Woods indicates that, "deliberate practice," is far more an identifying factor of high level performance than "natural ability." Deliberate practice is not your normal half-focused practice that most people go through. Deliberate practice is performance based, difficult, mentally, and physically exhausting, and is constantly being evaluated.

So here is my question for you. How is your deliberate practice schedule? In three, five, or 10 years, where will you be because today you decided to be that person who practices more, practices harder, and practices smarter than anyone else. And where are you today because of your past years of deliberate practice? For most of us, probably not where we want to be.

There are so many people who say they want to be the "best" at what they do. They, for the most part, do not understand the pain, the suffering, the commitment, and discipline that comes with that statement. Most people would rather try a little bit and if they do not get to the top just go with the fact that they just didn't have the talent or genetic ability to make it. According to Colvin's research, that is now just an excuse.

"Great performance is not ordained for the preordained few. It is available to you and everyone else."

This week decide to take what you do seriously. Do you want to be the "best." Do you want to be known as "world class" at what you do. The research has shown it's possible, but it would be a good idea to start right now.

Monday, October 19, 2009

MICHAEL'S MOJO

I love the question..."What have you done for the first time today?

Last Friday I had a new first. For the first time I was mad that I missed Oprah.

Oprah was hosting the first meeting between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield since the infamous ear biting incident. Unfortunately, I had to miss the show because or work, but to my pleasant surprise, Oprah airs more than once per day. So, Friday evening I came across another airing of the episode.

With all the excitement of watching the two champs reunite, this week has nothing to do with them. However, in this same episode, Oprah interviewed Kenny Ortega, the producer and director of the film, This is It, the movie that may smash all the box office film records beginning October 27th.

This is It, is a film that shows Michael Jackson's final tour rehearsal preparation. A tour that never happened due to his premature death. During the interview Oprah asked Ortega to clarify what she had heard about Jackson while rehearsing for his final tour. This is what this MMM is about...

Oprah: "You said, even though he (MJ) was 51, the younger dancers would get tired, and he would dance and dance and dance, and not be breathless because he became one with the music."

Kenny Ortega: "Yea he was. He was channeling. It's as if he was the music, he embodied the music."

Say what you will about Michael Jackson, the man had something about him that was deeper than any other musical performer that I have ever seen. You may or may not be a fan of Michael Jackson, but there is one thing for sure, no matter how old you are right now, you know his music and when you hear it, it makes you want to move a little.

But as big of a fan as I am of MIchael Jackson (He's my favorite musical artist ever), I never really understood why people at his concerts would be crying and shaking uncontrollably, and even passing out! I did not really understand why he had this type of effect on millions of his beloved fans. But after many years of studying some of the most successful athletes, politicians, generals, CEO's, and religious leaders, I believe I have finally figure it out. It's called "Mojo."

Mojo is simply your passion coming through you. Ortega said that "he was the music, he embodied the music." Watching Michael Jackson perform, is like watching an artist perform his greatest work of art. It's like watching Michael Jordan in his unstoppable prime, It's like watching a great speaker deliver a message that forever changes you.

The greater your Mojo, the greater your ability to inspire others. The greater potential you have to lead, the greater potential you have to build followers who will do anything to support your passion, your cause, and you talent. Your Mojo has the ability to change peoples thoughts, which changes their actions, which changes their lives. If you're capable of touching enough people, this exponential passing could even change the world.

In the book, The Invisible Touch, author Harry Beckwith wrote, "Passion is worth billions, it attracts clients. Even more clearly, it keeps clients for life."

In a study done by authors Robert J. Krigel and Louis Palter, they studied 1500 individuals over 20 years to see if passion makes a significant difference in people's career. They began the study by putting the individuals in two groups, group A (83% of the participants) and group B (17% of the participants). Group A were in a career they chose to make money now in order to do something that they love later in life. Group B were choosing the career they wanted now and would worry about the money later. At the end of 20 years, 101 of the 1500 became millionaires. All but one were from the second group. The group that decided to follow their passions.

How have your decisions to do what you do affected your Mojo? How has it affected people around you? Inspired them? or helped them to decide to go the other way?

If you feel that you can turn it on and off, you can't. Eventually you and everyone else you know will see your lack of enthusiasm for what you do. From then on, Mojo is history.

This week, get motivated to find your true Mojo. Re-think what you really love to do. Set out to be inspired to live with passion and energy, so you can inspire others to do the same. Do not waste your life doing something that does not bring you true joy, energy, and passion.

So do you know if you've got Mojo? Read Below:

NINE WAYS TO KNOW YOU'VE GOT MOJO


1. If you wake up before the sun, without an alarm clock, ready to show the world what you've got, you've got it.

2. If someone asks you about what you do and you almost feel as if you are coming out of your seat when talking about it, you've got it.

3. When watching, reading, listening, or being a part of what you do brings you to tears, inspire you to tears, or brings you tears of joy, you've got it.

4. When you can't stop thinking about new ways to be creative in and solve problems in what you do, you've got it.

5. When others tell you that you inspire them, you've got it.

6. When you do what you do and those who are witnesses leave you with more energy then they had when they left, you've got it.

7. When you're idea of fun is mastery of your craft, you know you've got it.

8. When you've got more critics than fans, you've got it.

9. When make a better living or perform at a much higher level then the average person trying to do what you do, you've got it.

I will miss Michael Jackson for his music, but much more for Mojo, his ability to channel his passions into his art, and then inspire his millions of fans with it. Luckily I can forever watch him because of You Tube:) Oprah said that when she watched the a piece of the new film, she just thought to herself, "What a loss." What a loss indeed.

On October 27th I will see "This is It." I said to my wife, if you are coming with me be ready to be embarrassed, because I may cry the whole time:)

Watch the "This is it Move Trailer" here


Monday, October 12, 2009

HOW FAR CAN YOU GO?

Ahhh success. What we are striving for each day. To get to that place that says, "I'm here. I am known for what I do. I am respected for what I do. I am accepted because of what I do. I am loved because of what I do. And I get paid better than others, and sometimes, a whole lot better than others because of what I do."

But how high can you go? The answer is simple. Most of us don't really think about this. But the fact that most do not is what ruins thousands and thousands of people's lives, families, careers, and opportunities each and every day. You would think that we would be able apply wisdom from the mistakes of others. You would think that while traveling down a similar path of other broken individuals, we could stop, turn around, and run like hell in the opposite direction...

BUT WE NEVER BELIEVE IT WILL HAPPEN TO US

Humble yourself, my friends. I do not care who you are, how much money you have, how much status you have, how great you are, how spiritual you are, it will. I have seen it, experienced it, and in my own mistakes lived it.

SO HOW FAR CAN YOU GO?

The answer to the question is simply this: How far you go is limited by one thing and one thing only...Your Character. If you are a sports fan, all you have to do to get a small glimpse of this is watch ESPN. There are entire shows dedicated to showing the rise and fall of these glorious athletes. The old adage says, "If you want to know how long it takes to get to the top, consult a calendar. If you want to know how long it takes to get to the bottom, consult a stopwatch."

Current coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joe Torre, says, "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." Most of us go through life really concerned about our reputation. Afraid to reveal our true character because we care so much about being accepted. So instead of living a life of personal freedom and living with the joy of pursuing the best of who we are, we pursue what we think we should be, or what other people think we should be. This causes us to make choices outside of who we are. These choices lead to a life of being broken down, stressed out, angry, frustrated, and eventually lead to self-destruction.

WHAT IS CHARACTER?

In my book The Passionate and Profitable Fitness Professional, I wrote this about character:

"Character is simply the sum of your decisions. Without character you will never--read carefully--never reach your potential as a professional. Why? Because people who make poor decisions on a regular basis will eventually be revealed. Character is not who you show yourself to be; rather, character is who you are behind closed doors, when nobody is watching. If you look at the greatest people in history who have fallen, it has always been a character issue. If you look at the greatest people who are never noticed, it is a character issue. Why? Because character does not care about pleasing others; character is solely concerned with doing what is right."


PURSUING CHARACTER PROTECTS YOUR SUCCESS

The only way to protect your success, it to focus on doing what is right and building character first. It may take longer. And it is for sure going to be a lot harder than the road others take. Others around you will be cutting corners to get there faster. Others will seem to get there faster, get breaks you don't get, get all the attention, achieve success when they haven't worked as hard as you for. You will say, "It's not fair." You will say, "I work harder." "I do it the right way."

I encourage you to hang in there my friend. While these one hit wonders continue to climb fast, they will drop even faster. One by one they will fall and you will steadily climb to the top of who you are and what you do. And in the end you will have protected all of your success with your character. You will be trusted, loved, humble, and will be a living example of someone who cared more about doing right than being successful.

Make a commitment this week to pursue character first. It is the insurance of your success in your family, your careers, and ultimately your legacy.


Watch this clip of Mike Tyson's movie trailer as it quickly portrays the rise and fall of a man who seemed to be on top of the world. This is a great documentary. I recommend it highly.


TYSON MOVIE TRAILER

Monday, October 5, 2009

7 PERCENTERS

A study published by a training and publishing organization, ThinkTQ, revealed how infrequently people develop strategies for achieving their goals.

Here is what the study revealed:

"-26% focus on specific, tangible targets for what they want in life
-19% set goals aligned with their purpose, mission and passion
-15% write down all their goals in specific measurable details
-12% maintain a clearly defined goal for every major interest and life role
-12% identify related daily, weekly, and long-term goals with deadlines
-7% take action daily toward attainment of at least one goal."

Where did your strategic planning take an exit on this list? It is fun, exciting, and motivating to set goals or talk about what we would like to accomplish. We say and sometimes even write down our goals. But the long road between stating (verbally or written) and doing lies a morgue of unrealized dreams and unused potential.

The rest of this article shows how each goal and dream gets progressively picked off in that journey.

Seventy-four percent fail to make it past the idea stage Goals and dreams are just that, a good idea, until they are breathed or written into reality as specific and tangible targets.

Continuing down the road, 81% set goals that lead us to a dead-end. This happens when our goals are not properly aligned with our purpose, mission, and passion. This happens when we are a) living for someone else's expectations, b) have not been honest with ourselves in our talents, skills, beliefs, and passions, or c) are too fearful to get our of our comfort zone. Many people set goals to try to appease their parents. Many people set goals way outside of their skill or talent level. Many people, once challenge, either make excuses to take another path or just quit all together. The show American Idol would not exist if this were not true.

Eighty-five percent of us getting past this point begin to write out clearly defined goals and dreams in specific measurable details. Doing this helps define the pathway for which we will follow. Specific measurable details include things such as step by step process, who can help you, identifying financial resources, identifying problems and solving them before they happen, identifying forks in the road and setting up alternate routes, and a detailed time line. But even this, still, may not be enough.

Moving past this stage the numbers really start to drop as 88% of us fail to identify goals for all the major interests in our life. We are usually great at setting goals in one are of our life. But we fail to remember that to live a truly successful and significant life, we must have balance and maintain perspective on all thing important. Focusing all your attention in one area of our life starves and eventually destroys the others.

The top 12% set personal goals, professional goals, family and relationship goals, health goals, financial goals, and contribution goals. All of these categories are important and must be taken into consideration to live a healthy, balanced, successful, and significant life.

Now on to the 7 PERCENTERS. Ninety-three percent of us fail to do this. "Take action daily on the attainment of at least one goal." Think about that. If you take action daily on only ONE specific, meaningful, and purposeful GOAL, you will be in the top 93% of the population.

If you do this consistently. If you have identified a specific goal or dream, if you have aligned it with who you are and what you are passionate about, if you have given time to thinking and planning out how you will accomplish this goal, and if you take action on it daily, you will be at a 93% advantage over anyone you know.

YOU WILL BE A 7 PERCENTER

This week put yourself in another category. You want to be different? You want to be successful? You want to achieve your dreams? Stop talking and start taking action.


And if you ever feel like quitting, feel discouraged, or need some perspective, just watch this hilarious clip.

Don't Quit