Newsletter – Issue #4
October 27th, 2009
Dedication, perseverance and planning…
Things are looking brighter – people’s attitudes to the economy and their businesses are picking up. I don’t know about you but I’m definitely hearing more positive stories than a month ago. But ask yourself is this just your mindset. Remember we can hear, see and feel what we want to see.
I overheard a conversation last night
Two friends were talking about the traffic on the M25. One said “I’m glad I wasn’t working in Dartford today as I would have been stuck in that traffic on the way home – some people were there for over 5 hours.” To which the other replied, “When I’m in a traffic jam I think to myself it could be worse, I could be the cause of the traffic! I’d rather be held up than in the crash.”
What would you rather think?
It’s a matter of mindset.
I was reading a training book this morning – for my other passion – sport. The book is the “Triathlete’s Training Bible” by Joe Friel. A fellow triathlete gave me it when I first started training for a triathlon. I regularly delve into it for tips on training better. The section that caught my eye today was about ‘Mental Toughness’. Friel discusses Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. And asks the question is it ‘genetics or opportunity?’
He says that it’s hard to separate innate ability from hard work. But one thing he says with certainty is that they all have a dedication to improvement. Research suggests it takes ten years of focussed work on one’s sport to reach the ‘threshold of greatness’.
He concludes by saying that in his experience the key to this hard work is more mental than physical. It’s the mental toughness that produces the high-level performance we’re all looking for. This applies to business as well as sport.
Have you got it, and what does it take to get it?
Ask yourself these four sets of questions:
- A desire to succeed
| In sport | In business (and life) |
| Can you train alone or do you need others to motivate you?
Do you find a way to work out regardless of environmental conditions?
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Can you work on your goals without constant external motivation?
Do you carry on despite what you are hearing in the media or from those around you? |
- Discipline
| In sport | In business (and life) |
|
Do you set goals and balance your lifestyle to help you achieve them? |
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How important to you is a healthy lifestyle to support your business goals? |
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Do your family and friends support you and your goals? |
- Belief in self
| In sport | In business (and life) |
| Do you go into a race with a success plan? | Do you have a success plan for your business? |
| Do you really believe you can succeed when he conditions are not favourable? | Do you fully believe in your abilities and those of your business? |
| When it comes to racing, which do you think about more – the controllable variables or the uncontrollable variables? | When it comes to business (and life), which do you think about more – the controllable variables or the uncontrollable variables? |
| Do you accept occasional setbacks as necessary steps on the way to success, or as signs you simply can’t do it? | Do you accept occasional setbacks as necessary steps on the way to success, or as signs you simply can’t do it? |
| Do you believe you can, or question whether you can? | Do you believe you can, or question whether you can? |
- Patience and perseverance
| In sport | In business (and life) |
| Are you in this for the long term? | Are you planning your business for the long term success or are you in it for a quick return? |
| Do you need immediate success or can you postpone it until the time is right, even if that is years in the future? | Have you got the toughness to see you through the ‘tough’ periods in your business – do you see failure or learning? |
| Do you ever skip training for days or even weeks at a time and then try to get into shape quickly? | Do you loose focus and determination regularly? Do you keep your good habits and work on the others? |
My experience of working with business owners (large and small) is that if any of these mental toughness qualities is lacking then they and their business will not achieve their career goals. As in sport understand your weaknesses and think about where you could and need to improve. What needs to change in your attitude to move your business forwards. Do you have a plan for it? Take time out to create the plan and most importantly to work the plan!
“Success is the progressive realization of predetermined,
worthwhile, personal goals.” Paul J. Meyer.
Good luck!