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Winning
the Mental Game of Self-Management: How Peak Performers Get Control
Of Their Lives.
Is
your work and life organization out of control? Do you read all
the time management books but still never seem to have enough time?
Take a page out of the peak performer's book of life and hear what
they do to organize, choose tasks wisely, execute well, achieve
highly and enjoy their success at the same time.
725
words.
Winning the Mental Game of Self-Management
How Peak Performers Get Control of Their Lives
Bill Cole, MS, MA
Founder and CEO
William B. Cole Consultants
Silicon Valley, California
Is your work and life organization out of control?
Do you read all the time management books but still never seem to
have enough time? Take a page out of the peak performer's book of
life and hear what they do to organize, choose tasks wisely, execute
well, achieve highly and enjoy their success at the same time.
Here are ten mental game success strategies that peak performers
use in self-management.
1. Know What Motivates You: Top producers
know what makes them tick. They know what it takes to get the creative,
competitive juices flowing. They know how to tap their passion and
create the energy needed for a project. They assess what they enjoy
and what motivates them and then seek opportunities to match those
energies.
2. Be Self-Aware So You Have Options: People who race through
their day are like a race car driver. The view around them is a
blur. Slow down to notice your options and be able to sense new
opportunities. This does not mean to move slowly, but to create
such a mental state that you have clarity over your day. You create
this clear focus by starting each day and each task with a quiet
time that realigns you with your purpose, mission and values. The
quiet brings you into the zone of peak performance.
3. Have A Bias Towards Action: Reflection, planning and strategizing
is essential. When the time comes to act, the peak performer goes
for it full out. This person also is aware of how much time they
devote to pulling the lens back to see the big picture, and they
pride themselves on taking action above all else.
4. Realize That You Never Arrive: Listen to high achievers
and they all say that they wish they knew early on that success
and happiness is not something "out there" in the future. Success
is striving toward a goal while being content and grateful for what
you have today. Seek your dreams with reverence for the gifts you
have been given now and don't put happiness off until something
"better" arrives. Use your happiness and love for life as a springboard
for even more success every day.
5. Use Success To Energize Yourself: Do you celebrate your
large, obvious successes? Do you celebrate the smaller, day-to-day
victories? Peak performers do both and more. They seek opportunities
to reinforce their efforts so they are continually energized and
motivated to stay on track and to perform at higher levels more
often.
6. Realize That Life Is A Do-It-Yourself Project: Peak performers
don't wait for anyone to save them, or to coach them, or to help
them overcome obstacles. They of course seek help as needed, but
first and foremost they take an "I must help myself first approach
to life". They realize that success begins and ends with them, and
that they must take the initiative in helping themselves first.
7. Understand That Life Is Not A Dress Rehearsal: Life is
short. Life is unpredictable. Life needs to be lived today, in the
present. Peak performers carry a continual sense of mortality around
to remind themselves that every second is precious and that we only
get one go-around, so they realize this had better be their best,
highest-quality effort.
8. Get Ready To Act: Peak performers use rituals, or psych-up
systems to prepare themselves for springing into action with laser
focus. They purposely take time before any "performance" to mentally,
physically and emotionally get ready so they are operating optimally
for that special moment.
9. Use Journaling To Stay On Track: Top performers use a
written journal to sharpen self-awareness, have a place to brag
to themselves about victories, make corrections, dream, see connections,
set goals and objectives and have a private confidant. They cherish
this private time to collect thoughts, re-energize and re-focus.
10. Understand Yourself And Stop Procrastination: To ignore
something you must do is actually a decision you made not to do
it. Productive people decide to have the mental discipline it takes
to make reasoned decisions, to hold themselves accountable and to
minimize the number of tasks that they "forgot about". They realistically
assess what is possible and release those to-do's that are not in
their sphere of duties or interest.
Your Mental Game Action Plan:
What action will you take this week in becoming
better at self-management? Here are three questions to get you started.
1. What system can you develop to increase awareness about yourself
as an organizer? Can you hire a coach? Work with a friend? Write
in a journal?
2. How can you celebrate your successes more often to create energy
and momentum for achieving? Instead of waiting for the "big" success
at the end of a month, quarter or year, what can you view as a success
worthy of enjoying every day?
3. How will you translate what you learn about yourself into immediately
useful action? How can you be so aware that you know how to motivate
yourself, create more urgency to achieve, enjoy the process more,
and get more done? Peak performers realize that life is fleeting.
They create a healthy sense of urgency to energize and propel themselves
along their exciting path. Take a page out of their book and write
your own success chapters in that very important book--your life.
Copyright © 2011-
Bill Cole, MS, MA. All rights reserved.
Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority
on peak performance, mental toughness and coaching, is founder and
CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps
organizations and professionals achieve more success in business,
life and sports. He is also the Founder and President of the International
Mental Game Coaching Association (www.mentalgamecoaching.com),
an organization dedicated to advancing the research, development,
professionalism and growth of mental game coaching worldwide. He
is a multiple Hall-Of-Fame honoree as an athlete, coach and school
alumnus, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published book author
and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league
pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For
a free, extensive article archive, or for questions and comments
visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.
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