Tag Archives: discipline

Four ways to have a crappy performance, the first is the worst

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You have to be willing to make changes in your process to accomplish great things. Not every performance is going to be your best one. However, the secret to winning in the long term is knowing all the ways you can lose beforehand, and then preparing like hell before showtime to overcome those scenarios.

From what I have found, and I sure you have too, that there will always be some kind of reconfiguration in life’s circumstances to throw off the power process. And if you haven’t figured this out already, then take it from me, it is your responsibility to overcome what your life throws at you.

Still, there will be times when life gets the better of you. That’s just how it goes, and you need to prepare like hell for when it does. To be better prepared, what you need to know is that there are only a limited number of ways that life will best you. And after I list the following instances, I am going to discuss the one that I hope isn’t happening to you on a consistent basis:

The Four Performance Killers

  • You didn’t show up
  • You were late
  • You are in overtime
  • You focus only on the problems and not the solutions

Three of those instances can be overome by better preperation, more focused practice, and innovation. But only one of them is a total failure.

Let’s go through the one instance that I find most deplorable.

You didn’t show up

Look I get it, there are times when life is so powerful that there simply was no way you could have made the performance. Unsurmountable and unexpected things do happen. I am not going to be so brash as to say, ‘Just overcome, bro.’

Where most folks go wrong though is that people often confuse the unsurmountable with the meerly inconvenient.

So here’s a useful and simple metric to figure out which is which, it goes something like this, ‘Shit and stuff happens, so which is it?’

What I am talking about here are those times when you didn’t show up because stuff got in the way.  Not showing up on account of stuff is just a half-hearted way of saying ‘I quit’ beforehand.

Quiting before your performance got started by simply not showing up is just plain loser mentality behavior. If improving your performance and participating in your passion is still your desired outcome, you have to ask your self why you let stuff get in the way and honestly reconsider you priorities.

If your plan is consistently improve your performance, you will show up. Simple as that. Sure you might be late, you might have to go into overtime and you might only be focusing on the problems instead of the solutions, but to not show up…

Well, here’s a simple solution to not waste any more time: reassess and recommit, or simply resign.

The biggest difference between those who become legends and those who are forgotten, in nine sentences.

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You have to swing the bat.

You have to take the shot.

You have to ask them out.

You have to finish the sentence.

And if you miss the ball….

And if you miss the net….

And if you get rejected….

And if your prose falls flat…

You did more than those who didn’t, don’t and won’t.

How to build a powerful morning routine, one day at a time, to overcome all distractions

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The brain, to start this off, is an exceptionally powerful tool. However, the brain is also a terribly stupid leader.

For all the innovation and creativity that the brain can produce, it is also lazy, paranoid and distractible. Because of the flawed nature of the brain it becomes essential to discipline the mind.

One such way is to put blinders on it. Much like I was saying in my post about web-blockers.  Another such way is to put guide rails on it. As if to say, ‘Here is this track, chug along.’

One such time when the mind is the most sensitive to disctration and creativity is in the morning. After having been asleep for hours, playing in the dreamscape and the darkness of the night, the brain arises in the morning and it yearns for structure.

One such way to provide structure is to use a checklist.

However, there is a caveat. It has to be written by your hand, on paper with a pencil and the list has to be the first thing you grab when you wake up in the morning.

I know that this is a tall order for some, especially when considering that you will be following this checklist each morning. But there is power in this list like you would not believe.

The reason for this power is because each time you complete this list, you will evaluate the results and reflect on making improvements. That’s why you’ll put it down on paper.

But there are a couple of important things to consider when making and following this list:

  • No more than 14 items, and no less than 3
  • Each item must fit on one line, a single word is fine
  • Read the entire list before you start
  • Start by reading the first item, complete it, then move on
  • Only do one item at a time, in order, top to bottom
  • Once completed, stop and then reflect on the following
  • “What is one small way I can improve for next time?”
  • “How can I make that change quickly right now?”

In a very short while, you will have created a powerful tool for your personal growth and development that will set each day in order for your brain. And with each day you willl find that each small improvement will lead you to a profound implementation of the most powerful part of your day.

Now, will you get through this list everyday? No, you will not. Your children will decide to have melt downs, traffic will be jammed up, your favorite pairs of sneakers will be torn up by the dog. And when those unexpected things happen which they will, stop where you are in your list, ask your self to forgive those who tresspass, and commit to doing the list tomorrow. And if the disruption persists tomorrow, you know you have found an opportunity to iterate the list to overcome whatever it is that is disrupting you on your path to your ideal personal development and growth.