‘Tis the Season
“There are three stages of a man’s life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus”
- author unknown
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la do you love this time of year, or do you loathe it? Perhaps you’ve already got your decorations up and your “Santa Stop Here” sign out in the front garden, or perhaps you’re doing your best to ignore it all, hoping it’ll all just go away. Well, even if you are The Grinch personified, I bet you can still remember a time back in your childhood when this time of year was simply magical—go on, admit it!
If you’ve got kids, it’s not hard to remember the excitement of believing in Santa Claus, and even if you don’t have kids, it’s not really that hard to remember being one yourself, is it? Do you remember writing out your letter to Santa? I do. I don’t remember writing anything in particular, but I do remember the feeling of belief. I totally believed that if I had been “good” and made it onto Santa’s “nice” list, my efforts would be rewarded with that something that I really, really wanted.
So at what point in your life do you stop believing in Santa, and, at what point in your life do you stop believing that you can have what you want? Yes! If you’re not happy with your lot in life and you believe that you’re stuck with it, you’ve stopped believing that you can have what you want. Okay, before you get all “bah humbug” on me, I’m not suggesting that you should write out what it is you want and then sit back and wait for a jolly man in a red suit to deliver it to the foot of your bed! But, I am suggesting that you should think back to your childhood thought processes.
Take a look around you at the kids you know today. As Christmas approaches, they begin to think in terms of what they need to do-over and above what they normally do in order to receive what they want in return. It’s a simple trade—they do good things and they get good things in return! Now you might argue that life is not so simple once you’re all grown up, but I’m here to argue the point that it is. The only thing that changes between childhood and adulthood is belief.
You already know that positive thoughts lead to positive actions, and positive actions lead to positive outcomes. Well, think about it again now; when a child writes a letter to Santa, they are thinking positive thoughts about what they want, and they are thinking positively about the positive actions they can take to ensure that Santa brings them the things they want in return. And, when they hold up their side of the bargain, Santa delivers that’s the positive outcome!
You can do the very same now, today. If you’re not happy with your lot, switch your focus away from what you don’t want and write down what you do want. Look at your list and think positively about what you could do right now to move towards those things, then add the “magic” ingredient: belief. Believe that you can have what you want.
Positive thoughts are not just for Christmas, they’re for life!
Don is taking on individual clients in January for an individual, one year coaching programme based on his Amazon best selling book “The 12 Hidden Laws of Performance” email freyja@zonedinperformance.com if you think this is the programme for you in 2012.
Superstition, Self-Belief and Success
Football fans of a certain age might remember the comic book story of Billy’s Boots, a feature of Scorcher in the 1970s that continued to appear in various other “boys’ comics” for many years. The stories revolved around a young aspiring footballer called Billy Dane who was actually a pretty poor player until the day he found an ancient pair of football boots that had once belonged to a professional footballer known as Dead-Shot Keen. When Billy wore the boots, they appeared to have a magical mind of their own, allowing Billy to effectively follow in Dead-Shot’s footsteps and play superbly − scoring eight goals in one episode to bring his team back from the brink of defeat!
So, I hear you say, what has a daft story about a pair of “magic” boots got to do with the real world? Well, recent research suggests that amateur athletes who use a professional athlete’s equipment perform better − could this be scientific evidence that the magic in Billy’s Boots was real? The participants in the study were all keen amateur golfers and part of the experiment was to putt some balls. Half of the group were told that the putter they were using belonged to professional golfer Ben Curtis, the other half were not. Guess what? Even though both groups were in fact using the same bog standard putter, the group who believed it belonged to Curtis consistently sank more putts! It would appear that perceived success is contagious.
In all areas of life, what we believe to be real has a direct impact on our actual reality. Clearly, in sport, believing that a piece of equipment has been used by a successful professional can have a powerful ‘success placebo’ effect − demonstrating beautifully the “magical” power of our own beliefs. Half of the amateur golfers in the study believed they would putt successfully because they were using a successful golfer’s putter, and they did. The other half had no reason to believe their putting performance would be any different, and it wasn’t. But, here’s the thing, the only real difference between the two groups was simply belief. It wasn’t Curtis’ putter so we can safely rule out any magic of the Billy’s Boots variety, the improvements in performance were purely the result of believing that improvements were a real possibility.
Billy’s Boots might be a bit before your time but how about Buzz Lightyear? If you’re familiar with the Disney Pixar movie Toy Story, you’ll know that he’s an action figure who doesn’t believe he’s a toy; he thinks that everything it says about him on his packaging is real. He believes that he is a spaceman and that he can fly into space, so he does! Of course, as the story unfolds, Buzz comes to realise that he is in fact only a toy and that nothing he believed to be real actually is − he can’t really fly at all. Okay, he’s a fictional character and he’s a toy fictional character at that but there is a point to all of this! Before the movie is over, Buzz learns that not being able to believe in the blurb on his box doesn’t actually change anything, he can still “save the day“ by simply believing in himself.
So, yet again, I hear you say, what’s that got to do with the real world? Think about it for a moment; it was the amateur golfers’ belief in the “packaging” that inspired their improved putting performances. What would happen if they were asked to putt again after discovering the real facts? It’s only by believing that success is a real possibility that you can become successful. With self-belief, you have all the “magic” you need to make your way to infinity and beyond!
Related articles
- It Boils Down to Commitment! (donmacnaughton.org)
- High Performance Keys (donmacnaughton.org)
Copyright © 2009-2010. Don MacNaughton. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without written permission.
High Performance Keys
How Committed Are You to Your Best Game?
“Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the ‘right stuff’ to turn our dreams into reality”
- James Womack
Do you know a committed individual; someone who is committed to a cause perhaps, committed to their job, their family, or their sport? We often describe people we admire as being “committed” and it’s considered an admirable quality to be someone who is “not shy of commitment,” so what does it actually mean?
If you are a committed individual, you are committed to achieving a particular outcome in your life and you will accept nothing less. So how do you know how committed you are to your own cause and how do you know if you have the “right stuff” to turn your dreams into realities? The bottom line is, there’s a big difference between having an interest in achieving something and being committed to achieving that something. When it’s something you’re interested in, you’ll do what you can to achieve it when it’s convenient, but when it’s something you’re committed to achieving, you’ll do whatever it takes whenever it needs to be done, no matter how inconvenient!
Commitment means knowing what it is you want; having a clear vision of what it is you want to achieve, and then sticking with it, accepting no substitutes or excuses. Legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen endeavour in life.” In other words, if you’re committed to your cause and you’ve got the “right stuff,” you will accept nothing short of a best performance in whatever it is you do – and you won’t sell yourself short.
Of course, not selling yourself short means knowing what you’re worth! How do you know what your best performance is: if you’re committed to excellence, how will you know you’ve achieved it? Commitment is all about seeing things through. You can’t know what your best is unless you keep challenging yourself, so being committed to success and achieving your dreams means continuing to do just that. However, it also means remaining open to change. Management consultant Peter F. Drucker once said, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” You do need an action plan to commit to but you also need to accept, even with the best will in the world, things don’t always go to plan. Commitment is keeping your eye on your goal no matter what life throws at you, and finding another way. With commitment, you might need to take a few detours to get to where you want to go, but you’ll keep going and you won’t settle for any other destination.
Related articles
- “Coaching yourself through changing fortunes like a Pro” (the12lawsofperformance.co)
- The 12 Laws of Performance – A Passionate Business (zonedinperformance.com)
Copyright © 2009-2010. Don MacNaughton. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without written permission.
Being flexible to achieve your goals
We’re all familiar with the concept of being hard, being steadfast and pursuing things in a straight path to our goals. What about being flexible? What does this hold for us?
“Just as a sapless tree will split and decay So an inflexible force will meet defeat” – Tao Te Ching
Flexibility can have as much power or more as sheer force of will and determination. Think of the power of water. One of the greatest athletes of all time, Bruce Lee, used the example of water in his philosophy in life. What is more flexible and soft than water? It can flow between gaps we cannot even see. It molds itself to any situation or container, yet over many years it can carve deep canyons. Though its methods are long and we may see it as a slow and weak flowing substance, can it not crash and cause devastation, or seep into cracks and then freeze, splitting things apart?
This relates to us in ways that may not be immediately clear. Just as water may be immediately diverted from its path, so may we. That does not mean that we stop. We continue on, find the little cracks and crevices in life and flow toward our goals.
We may not take the path we originally envisioned, but as long as we keep moving forward in a positive direction, does it really matter how we get there?
P.S. I will be taking on 4 new clients for a one year intensive coaching programme starting April 1, 2010 - more details to follow. Please email me: Donald@zonedinperformance.com
Copyright © 2009-2010. Don MacNaughton. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without written permission.
The main thing is…
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
- Stephen Covey
You may know one of those people who have forged something from nothing, or you may be one of these people. Seeking their goals with a determination which is quite amazing. This could be someone in business, in sport or in any other sort of pursuit. The point is that these people seem quite amazing at first glance and our first reaction can be admiration or envy.
Let’s take a second glance. Often these people are amazing at single-mindedly pursuing one goal. This could be profit in the case of a businessperson, sometimes started because of childhood experiences or a desire to change things for their family. This could be awards, recognition, fame or other such things for a musician or an actor. It could be the next record for an athlete. The challenge with this is not the pursuit of these things. It is the imbalance the pursuit often causes.
Sometimes people often lose sight of the importance of other aspects in their lives and become so consumed with their end goal that they often damage or lose the reasons they had for starting in the first place. Forsaking family, friends, relationships. When it is all said and done, what is left when they’ve attained their goals?
The important thing is to know where your heart is, and pursue that goal in a way that is aligned with who you are and what is important to you. Never lose sight of your true reasons and don’t sell your soul regardless of the glittering prizes you may see in the distance. Your future isn’t all about wealth or fame.
It is about the sense of fulfilment you get when you practice your craft or when you’ve provided a suitable environment for your family.
It is about enjoying each moment instead of obsessing over what more you could gain.
It is about knowing when to pause and enjoy your “rich moments” rather than pursuing some future bliss, which may never come.
P.S. I will be taking on 4 new clients for a one year intensive coaching programme starting April 1, 2010 - more details to follow. Please email me: Donald@zonedinperformance.com
Step 4 to Making 2010 Amazing: Keep doing what works til you’re there!
Saints are sinners who kept on going. ~Robert Louis Stevenson
So! You know that to make 20010 you’re amazing year, you need to decide specifically what you want, take action and pay attention to what actually works.
Then you have to keep working on those things that do work until you reach your goal.
If something you are doing is working for you…
…keep doing it!
You can also try and improve your results by making changes to that process that is working for you. Tweak it here and there and see what happens.
If you have great results – continue doing that thing or improve the process again for even better results.
If on the other hand you get a bad result, don’t despair! Remember Mr Edison!
Keep going and never give up!
Persistence really is KEY when it comes to achieving your goals!
You won’t get to your goal otherwise, so keep on keeping on. Focus on the positive things that are working and give yourself rewards for that.
For instance, if your goal is to lose weight in the new year, set milestones for yourself. And once you reach a milestone, be sure to treat yourself.
If you fall off the wagon, don’t worry! Just make sure you get back on for the next day.
What will motivate you to keep on persisting is the achievement of those mini milestones. As great as that is though, you need to focus on the end goal.
Each day, take a few minutes to read your goals out loud to yourself. It’s also a good idea to create a positive affirmation and read that out aloud in the morning and in the evening as well before bed time.
The affirmation should be written as though you have already achieved your goal. For instance, “I am feeling so amazing now that I’m 10 kilos lighter!”
And when you say that affirmation out loud, feel the feelings that come with the achievement of that goal.
By doing this each day, you are staying motivated – and that will help you to stay on track. It will help you to keep on doing those things that work, until the materialization of your goal!
Have fun with it!
Goal-setting and setting up a plan to achieve the goals shouldn’t be an arduous task. Make it fun by following the four steps inspired by Anthony Robbins’ famous quote!
And remember this! 2010 WILL be your amazing year if you decide ASAP what you want, take action to achieve it, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t and NEVER give up until you get there!
P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.
Copyright © 2009-2010. Don MacNaughton. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without written permission.
Step 3 to Making 2010 Amazing: Pay attention to what works!
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost more than 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. . . and that’s why I succeed. – Michael Jordan
Now that you understand the importance of getting specific about your goals and taking action to achieve them, it’s time to elaborate a little more on the action part.
Sometimes in the process of taking action to make our dreams happen, things don’t work well.
We may find that a particular course of action works really well, yet another course doesn’t yield results at all.
Now, this is where people can fall into a pretty significant trap – one that is detrimental to the achievement of a goal.
Many people focus too much on the stuff that doesn’t work!
Say for instance you are really passionate about your £200,000 income goal. You get what you think is an amazing, earth-shattering idea when you are in the shower (yes – that’s where many of us get our lightbulb moment ideas!) and dry off with every bit of excitement!
You put your energy into the idea that you think can help you achieve your income goal.
But then you find that this idea doesn’t help you at all. In fact, the idea you had is a real flop!
What do you do about it?
It’s natural to be disappointed, but given the situation there are two things you can do:
- Be disappointed, yet get back to the task of achieving your goal by implementing other ideas; or
- Be disappointed and get into a big depression over it…that stops you dead in your tracks!
Unfortunately, too many people do the latter. They get so down about the outcome of a ‘failed’ idea that they just give up. The wheels completely fall off!
If you are to actually achieve your goals, option 2 just isn’t an option.
You have to do as successful people do!
You have to pick yourself up off the ground after a disappointing outcome and say, “What went wrong?
What can I do NOW to get on track to achieving my goal?”
It all comes down to how you approach perceived (yes I’m using that word here) ‘failure’.
All of us will encounter ‘failure’ in our pursuit of goal attainment.
But it’s not so much the failure that can make us fall short of our goal – it’s our response to it.
Failure is an OPPORTUNITY for us to assess what works and what does not. It’s an OPPORTUNITY to help us get on track.
It’s a stepping stone to success.
Imagine for a moment if that wonderful inventor of the incandescent light bulb –
Thomas Edison – gave up after the 100th attempt at getting that bulb to light up?
It took him hundreds attempts to finally make it work.
If he gave up at attempt 100, he would never have achieved success.
The reason why Edison prevailed? He saw failure as a stepping stone to success!
He even said in his own words, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
Persistence is what will get us to our goal. And we need to focus on the things that work and not the things that don’t. This way we will stay motivated and on track!
And that’s what you too must do in your pursuit of achievement!
P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.
Copyright © 2009-2010. Don MacNaughton. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without written permission.
Step 2 to Making 2010 Amazing: Take ACTION!
“To feel competent to live and worthy of happiness, I need to experience a sense of control over my existence. This requires that I be willing to take responsibility for my actions and the attainment of my goals. This means that I take responsibility for my life and my well-being.” – Nathaniel Branden
In my last blog post where I talked about step 1 and deciding what you actually want to achieve, I introduced you to a visualization technique.
It’s a technique that will definitely help you get excited and passionate about the specific things you want to achieve in 2010.
Now that you’re excited about making all of that great stuff happen, your mind – whether you realize it or not – is already working overtime to help you achieve everything!
Your mind is LOOKING for opportunities!
When you sit down and decide what you want to achieve – then feel the excitement of achieving those goals – it’s as though you’re asking your mind to make it happen.
In your excitement, your mind gets to work on your behalf.
And that’s when you start noticing opportunities.
Allow me to give you an example. Let’s say for instance – we’ll revert back to the goal of achieving £200,000 worth of income – you want to make that much money in 2010.
Now you may not have any idea how you’re going to do that. But once you actively visualize that goal – and feel the feelings of achieving it – you’ll start to notice opportunities.
You’ll get ideas in your mind geared towards helping you make that money.
And when you get an idea…
…You MUST act!
You don’t want to just do nothing! Remember, you have a very specific and very clear goal that you’re passionate about. You want that £200,000 income in 2009, so go get it!
Your mind is already working hard to help you get it. So when your mind gives you a great idea, chase it up!
Take action!
Go over every idea with a fine tooth comb, and pursue the opportunities that come to you!
It’s not enough to just write down what you want. It’s not enough to go into great specifics about something you want…then do nothing about it.
If you do nothing – if you do not act – then you will not achieve your goal.
You must take action to make it happen. No exceptions!
So keep an eye out for the opportunities that will present themselves to you. When you stay focused on your specific goals, it is inevitable that opportunities will come to you.
The people, the places, the circumstances…it will all come to you to help you in the achievement of your goals.
So have fun with that! Enjoy the journey!
Because 2010 is going to be a GREAT year for you!
P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.
