Tips & Insights for Top Performance

Many people feel so busy they think they just don’t have time for a day off. They keep working hard, day after day. Motivational speaker, Brian Tracy, encourages people to take a FULL day off where they do not think about work at all. The benefit of this allows your brain to rest and recharge. After time off you will be more productive than if you keep trying to push it. If you do not take a break, your brain will move slower and not be efficient. This slow time and mistakes will eat up relaxation time you could have enjoyed.

Do not only take a day off, but engage in a fun hobby or downtime activity. When people take time to do their hobbies, they are even more energized, fulfilled and motivated to work hard. There is a new energy and life when people are doing things that they are passionate about and love. They seem to work faster in the job so they can be rewarded with a little spare time for a prized hobby. Has it been so long since you had a hobby, you don’t feel like you have one?

Action:

• Decide what day you can take off 100%. (This will not be perfect, but aim for this).
• Clear your calendar; tell people you are booked (appointment with yourself or family) and only put personal things on that day.
• Determine a hobby that you would like to do that you really enjoy. Often this is something that you have not done in years (play instrument, woodworking, etc.) Dust off the old tools and use that skill.
• Make time to do this hobby at least 2 hours a week.
• Watch how your energy is renewed.

A Different Way to Approach Your Future Career and Job Search

At times it can be difficult for a person to have a vision of what they want for their career future or how to recognize and find jobs/careers that fit “us”. To find the career of our choice takes work, intentional looking and design. At times people are not sure what they want and feel just need a JOB and so they wait for something to “jump out at them.” People traditionally look at the newspaper or on-line postings to see what the world has to offer. When nothing seems to be the “thing,” discouragement sets in.

WAIT! Try coming at it from a different direction. Why not ask, “Who am I and what do I have to offer the world? What are my gifts, talents, skills and passions?”

When you understand yourself and what you want, you can much more easily find careers that match who you are.  These careers become fulfilling and a natural fit – and most importantly a more obvious answer to the question, “what should I do?”

A point of comparison: I think it is like standing in front of a game aisle and trying to guess what game would be fun to buy/play. How can you know without asking others what games they like and why? Reading the box and finding out what kind of game it is? Knowing yourself and what kind of games you like (intellectual, active, strategy, etc.)? Game boxes try to do a good job of “marketing” what type of game it is on the box (i.e. funny, thinking, etc.), but you really would not know it if is one YOU will enjoy until you understand what games you tend to like (either by knowing your strengths or playing a lot of games and deducting which ones you commonly like) AND understanding the basic premise of the game. Sometimes we can short cut the process, and find games we love because they are recommended by people like us, but typically we all have different games we enjoy. It is a process to explore and uncover what we do want.

It is like this in the career world too. It would be nice if it would be obvious and the perfect job would jump off the page, but typically that doesn‘t happen. Your favorite game doesn‘t jump off the shelf either. You have to take the time and work to explore and find the best fit. There are some great books that work to guide you through this process or of course, coaching is a LIVE and 1-1 way to explore your vision, interest and passions.  It is taking the time to understand your strengths and weakness, the life you want, your skills, your passions, your standards, the opportunities out there, etc. Then it allows you to look with a clear vision, focus and understanding of what you want. You are much more likely to find a fulfilling career. Just like if you knew you were going to the store to by a hilarious, laughing game that can be played with a group that requires creativity but not intellectual knowledge, you might quickly find Balderdash and be pleased with the great fit it is for your sought objectives.

The ideal job search and figuring out what is next for my career or what I want to do with my professional life is a huge question. There are many possibilities and no “right” answer because it is different for each person. The right job will not fall out of the sky and hit you – even if it did, you might wonder if you should do that or not. Your lack of clarity usually influences a you to pass opportunities, since you don‘t know if that is “right”. You have to start with clarity of yourself and what you want and then options can be found or created.

Here are the books to help you explore on your own:

General Self-Help: a classic, What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles (understanding your personality and how you work)

General Self-Help: Remodel Your Reality By Kimberly Fulcher (book to help you reclaim your passion)

Christian: Discovering God‘s Unique Purpose for You by Dick Purnell (31 day little book of daily activates to understand your unique self, gifts and purpose)

Christian: Pathway to Purpose for Women by Katie Brazelton (book about purpose, passion and focus – men can still benefit from this book!)

Recently I was asked, what do I do for mental renewal?  This is clearly different for everyone and there is a thin and maybe overlapping line between mental, emotional, physical and spiritual renewal. The most important thing is that  you are INTENTIONAL and have DESIGNED a regular plan to do something for this. To give some ideas, focus just on Mental Renewal, I:

• Work in my area of strength (strategic thinking, figuring things out, human mind/behavior, psychology, arranging things in a way that make sense, doing things in an orderly fashion that is effective, brainstorming, clarifying things, taking a mass if ideas and distilling into a clear picture)
• Work in my area of passion (supporting others to get what they want in life, to help people feel more clear and focused, help people understand themselves better, etc.)
• Surround myself with like-minded people (positive, up-beat, energetic, can-do, prosperity thinkers, movers) (simply 3-4 key people)
• Minimize time with people who are opposite of my energy (pessimistic, negative, glass 1/2 empty/ rainy day people)
• Connect with people who are forward moving (i.e. friends, colleagues, my clients each day)
• Live my values in all I do (work, home, volunteer, etc.) (connection to others, energy, authentic to my heart and soul, direction) 
• Design my life (daily AM and PM habits: even though I do not follow them perfectly my pattern/systems propel me, have routines and habits that support the life I want (family, fun, contributing, etc.))
• Design a strong environment (spend time in space that I love to be in, eliminate tolerations from my life, have serenity things I enjoy – a mulberry candle I burn daily, upbeat inspirational Christian music playing in my main area of my home, bird feeder outside my window to watch the birds, surrounded by books that inspire and challenge me, couch to rest and think when I need to focus, etc.)
• Trust God – As a Christian, the Lord is my center and my rock my foundation is built on. It gives me confidence and conviction to know that He has given me all I have, I am living to use what He has given me for His benefit and He is ultimately all knowing and all powerful.

While meditation, quiet prayer/Bible study time, walks, and things like that are also helpful, I have found that is more about spiritual renewal. Some of the things above overlap with spiritual and emotional renewal, but I find they also heavily influence my mental renewal. I find if I don‘t do these things I can quickly check out of my mental game. I find that managing my “mental ” energy supports me to better manage the other energies.  My mental energy is heavily influenced by what I am surrounded by and my ability to take what is in me and share it. When I can do that I am stimulated, renewed and invigorated to be alert, refreshed and ready for more. The greater my renewal, the greater my capacity.

What do YOU do for mental renewal??

Have you heard of David Goggins? You can check out his website www.davidgoggins.com. He has an impressive story with an admirable example of drive, focus and determination. Below are some quotes that he shared in his clips that I was inspired by:

The question, “What are your limits?” A great question to stop and think about. What stops you in your tracks? What will you NOT do? What scares you, challenges you or brings up your excuses, defenses or rationalizations? It is a good musing. When I stop and write them down, it brought up more than I want to have. It gives me a different way to look at what hold me back and a focus of what things to “knock off” to minimize those things that might get in my way! What are your limits?

The commitment, “Everything I do is defined by excellence.” Many people live by “good enough”. While I am not perfect and make mistakes, excellence is my standard as well. It is a noteworthy standard and point of personal evaluation. What am I doing that is excellent? What am I doing that is less then excellent? What do I want to do about that?

The statement, “The only easy day was yesterday.” Hum. What a thought. With each new day, what limits am I pushing for myself?

The motto, You “must be a good individual first before you can be a good team player.” This reminds me of putting on your mask on a airplane, before your child’s, or the Thomas Lenard coaching principle to be selfish. If you don’t make sure you are on track first, you will not have what it takes to be a team player or contribute. I took me a while to get this, as I learned to not be selfish, but it is really a refrain that taking care of yourself, developing yourself and “being a good individual” as a foundation block so you are stable and strong to contribute and give to the rest of the world. Where do you need to develop yourself so you can be a better team player?

Ask yourself these questions to consider your “edge”. Check out the David Goggins site and be inspired!