Balancing Act

Below is the second part of Uncork Your Performance.

Idea 6. Talk Nicely To Yourself

Okay now it is time to come clean. You talk to yourself. It is okay, we all have an inner dialogue running in our head. In fact, if you are like most people you probably have some pretty negative things to say to yourself. Just like thinking in terms of failure is harmful to your happiness, so is this negative inner dialogue. And just like everything else in life we have a choice about this inner dialogue. It does not have to be negative.

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When we change our inner dialogue to something more positive we almost cannot help but to increase your performance. It is amazing what kind of power a positive inner dialogue has on us. Your energy level changes, your mood will improve and in many cases, others will treat you differently because we tend to project the voices in our head in our outward actions.

Fortunately this change is accomplished by becoming self-aware and being willing to choose more positive thinking. Try keeping a diary that lists your inner dialogue and compare with the result. Then try replacing your negative thinking with positive thinking and watch your results improve.

Idea 7. Think Different - Be Specific

With our fifth idea we talked about the power of thinking big. While thinking big is a powerful way to unleash your performance potential there are some other things we can do to that complement the idea of thinking big. Here we are talking about thinking differently and the power of specificity.

For any issue, challenge or problem we encounter it is easy to apply the same old thoughts and actions. The problem is that we often get the same results. Getting the same result is fine if you are satisfied but to be certain this is not the case if you have read this far. So to get a better result we need to approach challenges with a difference in our thinking.

Assume for a moment that you are faced with the pressure of paying for your child’s college housing. The knee-jerk response would be to tap into savings or tell your child that it just is not in the cards. But what if you thought about the goal from an investor’s perspective? You could purchase student housing as an investment, providing housing for your child while at the same time recouping your expenses by renting out space to other students. As an added bonus, you could enlist your child to take some responsibility in managing the property, giving your child a leg up in the world by providing some real world experience. Maybe this is not an appropriate solution but it demonstrates the power of thinking differently and the endless opportunities that are available when you do.

Think specific. It has been said that goals are only attainable if you are clear on what the goal is. All too often is the case that we talk about a broad goal or objective but fail to fix any clear details. Examples are everywhere. I want to lose weight. I want to earn more money. I want a new car. I want to travel. While these are good starts they lack the necessary specifics to take action.

Compare the examples above with the following. “I want to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year.” That is a good specific goal. A more specific goal would be “I want to lose 10 pounds per month for the next 5 months.” Now the goal has some meaning. Being specific gives you the power to determine exactly how you are going to accomplish what you have set out to do.

While you are doing this you should also think about the specifics of your goal. How will you feel? What will you experience? The more vivid the picture in your mind, the more likely you will be committed to accomplishing your objectives.

Idea 8. Understand How Others Think

Lets face it; unless you are the next Unabomber or Boo Radley none of us go through life in a vacuum. We deal, interact, transact with and depend on people on a daily basis. Sometimes more than we care to but they are out there and we need them.

In fact, sometimes we need to get the best out of them to get the best from ourselves. Consider a family that is traveling. It sure is easier and more enjoyable when everyone is on the same page and with the program. Consider your co-workers and meeting office goals. These are just a couple of examples where getting the best out of those around you will help you immensely.

So how do we get the best out of those around us? Try looking at the situation through their eyes. Stand in their shoes and really consider their perspective. Even if you do not agree with their way of thinking this exercise will allow you to at least understand what you are up against. Another way of saying this is seek to understand before being understood.

Armed with this perspective you will be able to share with others empathetic and intuitive qualities that will help you reach agreement of purpose and develop a sense of teamwork with those around you.

Idea 9. Get Out Of Your Rut

It is natural to develop a standard way of doing certain things in our life. We form habits and many of these habits are good. We develop a set of procedures and routines for going about our day. In the near term these routines are necessary but over time these same routines can become quite limiting. In many cases these processes served a very necessary purpose when they were created but we grow, our lives evolve and our circumstances change.

So what can we do about it?

Mix it up. Take a goal and create a new way to accomplish the objective. Challenge yourself in a far off and radical way. Then come up with a way to meet that challenge. Essentially this exercise is designed to stimulate thinking and create new life changing opportunities.

You would be surprised just what you are capable of if you push your limits. For some this will mean learning a new language. For others this will be the opportunity to create. Developing a strategy for breaking free of your rut will serve as fuel for your next great adventure. Do not shy away from the opportunity. If this means making a career change then look for a new way to stand out.

Ultimately the goal is to create a life that suits your needs instead of becoming victimized by your habits.

Idea 10. Specialize

Between our job, our family, our PDA, our cell phone, computer and every other manner of diversion we have become a society of multi-taskers. We consume more information in ever smaller amounts of time. We are, in a word, fragmented.

Take a look at your desk, your home or your to-do list. Chances are you have a number of half completed projects. We become constipated with too much everything. There has to be a better way.

I suggest the following: Instead of trying to do a number of things just to get them done, try only doing a few things exceptionally well. This requires prioritizing all of your tasks and goals. Protect those few objectives that you hold near and dear to your heart and dump the rest. Resist creep by going back to your priorities. Avoid the temptation of getting derailed by being brutal about saying no to all of those distractions.

Another thing that helps is going on an information diet. We seem to think the world will cease to spin if we don’t keep up with this, that or the other thing. While it is true we need to keep current, all too often we end up in an endless time suck of useless information. Don’t let this happen to you.

In practice, we should operate as though we have only 6 months to complete our tasks. If you only had 6 months before your job ended what would the most important projects be and how would you get them done in that period?

Do not be afraid to delegate. This will allow you to focus on things where you can do the most good and get the most done.

We have covered 10 big steps to making 2008 a year of high performance and success. So join me in these New Years Resolutions:

By rejecting the idea of failure we permit ourselves the opportunity to learn. In taking calculated risks we provide ouselves opportunity. We learn to grow by testing assumptions and cutting our losses through experimentation. Thinking big allows us to live life on a grand scale and make the rewards worth the risks. We will treat ourselves better by keeping positive thoughts and reminding ourselves that we have potential and we are capable of almost anything. Perhaps more importantly we will remind ourselves that we all deserve a great life.

We will define and focus our life by making a habit of thinking differently and thinking specifically. In the process, we will seek to understand others and only once we understand will we seek to be understood. While we make a habit out of thinking differently, we will seek to live a life that is passionate and not simply habitual. And with all things we do passionately we seek to do them with focus.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy New Year to All!

Jason