Get to the Start Line!

For a few years I have been trying to get into a highly coveted race down here in South Florida; the 7 mile Bridge Run in Marathon Florida.  They only accept 1,500 participants of which many are Florida Keys residents so there are few slots open for others.  This year I woke up at the crack of dawn to register online and I finally got in!  For me its a cool race not because of the distance but because very few people get to run on this historic bridge.

The race was supposed to be this past Saturday.  I drove the 2 hours to get to Marathon, FL on Friday night to stay with some friends.  We all had a feeling the weather would be terrible and it was very likely we would be running in the rain.  Come Saturday morning it looked like we were in the middle of a tropical storm.  We were all concerned they would cancel the race due to bad weather but we all got ready anyway.  We drove down to the race start area and patiently waited in the car for news about what they would do with the race.  Finally, with 5 minutes left till race time we heard on the radio that the race was going to start so we all got out in the pouring rain and ran to the start line.

At the start line with us were a few hundred of the registered racers standing in the pouring rain ready for the race to start.  Most of us were shivering and trying to warm up while being pelted on the head with rain drops.  With one minute left to start the race I look to the right to admire the vast ocean surrounding us, then "Bang" I see and then hear a huge lighting strike roughly 5 miles away.  The race committee was forced to call off the race.  Needless to say, most if not all, racers were disappointed by the cancellation.  A race I had been waiting to run for years was now cancelled for the first time in the 31 year history of the race.  I was bummed about it but I was also happy to be able to get into some dry clothes afterward.

On the 2 hour drive home that afternoon I began to think of how this unique situation could be translated into something positive for me to write on my blog.  First off I wanted to share a story of disappointment so that my readers see that positivity and inspiration is not always rosy and also to show you how to change the way you look at certain situations.  As Wayne Dyer said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."  If you look at things differently you can change the way it affects you.  The situation itself doesn't change but you can change whether it affects you negatively or if you can use it as inspirational juice to keep you strong.

I started to think how many people don't even make it to the start line much less finish a race.  How many people don't even begin to reach for their goals?  How many don't even take the first step to be ready for the opportunity when it comes to them?  How many quit before even making it to the starting line?  Just as crazy is; how many are ready, they train their butts off for the race and then decide to back out at the first sign of an obstacle.


Although I didn't get to race on Saturday, I trained for it and I was ready to make it happen.  I was prepared for the opportunity whether it presented itself or not.  I had the courage to stand on the start line when all evidence showed it was going to be a terrible race day.  Many people on Saturday, I'd say more than half, didn't even make it to the start line.  Regardless of why they didn't make it to the start line, in life you need to not only prepare for the opportunity to achieve your goals but you must also be willing to stand on the Start Line when all signs may be pointing toward difficulty or failure.  If for some reason your opportunity is denied or your race canceled, at least you are ready both physically and mentally to take on the next opportunity.  Rather than getting down on yourself about the denied opportunity, use the momentum of your training and the confidence it gives you to propel you to the next opportunity which is sure to come your way.  Stay grateful my friends!

Personal High Five and a Fist Pump!

We get down on ourselves when things don't go our way, we're all guilty of it.  It's a normal reaction to be disappointed or sad.  The more dramatic people will take it to the extreme and let it ruin their day, week or year.  How you react, or preferably, how you respond is up to you.  What I question is, why don't we have the same level of happiness and excitement when things do go our way?  I'm not just referring to the big things, like being accepted to the university of your choice or landing your dream job.  Those events are easy to get excited and happy about.  I'm referring to the small daily or weekly victories that get you one step closer to achieving your goals. 

What small daily victories?  If you promised yourself on Sunday that you would wake up early Monday morning so that you could get a work out, and you did it.  No one is going to come to your door and congratulate you and most people won't even know you achieved what you committed to achieve.  Imagine you told yourself you would read a few pages of a book each day so that you could complete one book a month, and you did it.  These are small daily victories that get you one step closer to achieving your goals.  

In order to stay motivated consistently, day in and day out, you need to acknowledge your small victories and give yourself the proverbial "personal high five".  Zig Zilgar said it best when he mentioned that, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."  We are all in a constant push to stay motivated, when things don't go our way we sometimes get frustrated and lose some of that motivation.  That is why it is critical that you acknowledge your personal victories and use them as fuel to keep you inspired on your quest to success.

You might get bothered if someone doesn't recognize your contribution to a project at work or you don't get the pat on the back for a job well done.  You need to face it, people are not always going to be there handing you a trophy every time you do what you are getting paid to do.  The way to constantly stay motivated is to give yourself a personal high five when you know you kicked butt on a project or you closed a major deal.  Although you could physically give yourself the high five, your preference, what I mean is to congratulate yourself and psych yourself up for the next goal.  You also need to review the whole process of how you achieved what you did.  Highlight what you did amazingly well and underline where you could improve.  Always give yourself honest feedback while simultaneously giving yourself a personal high five.

This personal high five thing has nothing to do with bragging about successes or being humble.  I am talking about personal self-motivation that allows you to feel good about your accomplishments while fueling you with the inspiration to continue progressing forward towards your goals.  My opinion is that in an effort to be overly-humble, many people give up some of their confidence.  If they feel too good about a success or if they do a fist pump when they've completed something, some may construe it as bragging.  Get out of here!  I say, fist pump anyways!

I want you to scream "YES!!!" when you score these mini goals in your life.  You need to pump yourself up after every small win because, quite frankly, no one will do it for you.  If you are going to get sad when you lose or things don't go your way, you better be fist pumping when they do.  Cheers to a great weekend!

Be The CEO

I frequently hear people complaining about work and what they do for a living.  The first and easy response from many of you would be to say to these folks, "go find another job".  That's great in theory and sounds like a practical solution.  The problem is that many of these people will feel the same way in their new job within months.  In many cases the issue isn't the job or the task at hand, it's the person's attitude and their perception of the job.  To use a golf reference, "it's the Indian not the arrow".

 

It's also somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy, they're constantly complaining about their job and the universe happily complies by delivering many reasons for them not to like their job.  It's a viscous cycle which only grows uncontrollably if they don't make the required change.  The issue is many don't know where to start, or worse, they don't even see their attitude as the problem. 

The first step, is to begin by changing your attitude to one of gratitude.  Be happy that you have the opportunity to work, regardless of how much you get paid or even what you do.  You must begin from a place of gratitude, you need to truly give thanks that you have the ability to work and that you are employed.  This step automatically shifts your focus and will inject a much needed shot of positive energy into your life.  The key is to revisit this place of gratitude when you feel yourself reverting to negative thinking about your job or any situation.

The second step is to acknowledge that your negative attitude towards your job may be the issue.  This attitude, if left unchecked, will seep into other areas of your life and wreak havoc on your chances of success.  It's not easy, but catch yourself every time you venture into negative thinking.  At first it will be a challenge but repetition will help this become second nature to you.

Positive thinking is nice but nothing will be accomplished without "action".  Another key step is to focus your attention on the things and situations that are under your control.  Stop worrying about how bad the economy is, when you don't have an ounce of influence on how the economy performs.  What you can impact is your personal economy.  You can focus on doing better at your job, learning new skills or advancing your education so that you can better position yourself when the economy does come around.  The next time you catch yourself worrying about something, ask yourself if you can directly influence the outcome of the situation.  If you can't, then stop worrying about it and begin focusing on what is under your control.

I can understand if where you are now isn't exactly where you thought you would be.  Always keep in mind that what you're doing today is preparing you for the opportunities of tomorrow.  Focus on doing really well at your current position, learn as much as you can and use it as a trampoline to catapult you to the next level.  A crucial thing to keep in mind is, you really need to "Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want." -Jim Rohn

One personal example I can share, about four years ago I caught myself complaining to my dad about a specific event that happened at my job that had me stressed.  Nothing out of the ordinary just normal venting.  I didn't realize it at the time but he gave me a very valuable advice.  He said: "When you work for someone, when you are their employee, work as hard as if you owned the business yourself.  Treat the job with that same attitude."  I thought, okay that is an interesting way to look at it but it really didn't sink in with me.  

His advice finally clicked for me when I read an article a couple of years ago in which the author gave a very special piece of advice.  He mentioned that it doesn't matter what your job is, you could be lawyer, a stock broker, a taxi driver, a sales guy or any other occupation; be the best lawyer, stock broker, taxi driver or sales guy you can be.  He went on to say, whatever it is that you do for a living...think of yourself as the CEO of that position.  That is your domain, own it!  Be so great at whatever it is you do that no one can deny your greatness.  Again, own it!

Focus on doing the best that you can do.  Stop comparing yourself to others.  By comparing yourself you may be setting up unrealistic expectations which will lead you to disappointment and ultimately lead you down the road to negativity.  What is realistic?  Realistic is expecting to do better today than you did yesterday or doing better this year than last.  Do your best to beat your best and the rest will take care of itself.

If you haven't already, start today, become the CEO of your life.  Begin to treat all the important areas of your life with the same discipline, energy and passion of a true CEO.  The results will inspire you to continue to live this way.  Cheers to your success!