I enjoy listening to audio books while I work. Mainly because it blocks out the background noise, but also because it keeps me learning while I’m working.
The types of audio books I listen to are personal/professional development. The key reason is because it reminds you to be positive and grateful of every situation. No matter how crap your day is, you can always find something to be positive about. Also, I’m not a big fan of fiction – I need to get something out of what I’m listening to.
The latest book I’ve just listen to is Jon Gordon’s new one ‘The Training Camp‘. It’s an easy listen because it is a parable. I like parables – easy to digest, apply and remember the learnings (especially when they aren’t the core focus of what you are doing).
After listening to ‘The Training Camp‘ book, here are my key take outs. They are a selection of key phrases or reminders to keep you focused on ‘not being crap at life*’ or not having a ‘crap day at life’. When you are feeling unmotivated or negative, it’s a great list to come back to and read a few of them.
GET READY TO PUT YOUR POSITIVE HAT ON…..
*QUOTE: BEN PHILLIPS, Chief Strategy Office, His Life & His Board
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THE TRAINING CAMP by Jon Gordon (September 2010)
Start your day off right! Instead of the world creating you, you create the world.
Find something you love and are passionate about.
Don’t be a 50%, invest 100% and every ounce of your energy in knowing what you want and become great at it.
The best want it more.
Measure desire in turns of actions. Everyone has a desire to be great. Everyone has a desire to accomplish something meaningful and have an impact.
The best of the best are willing to do what it takes to be great. The best don’t just think about their desire for greatness – they act on it. They have a high capacity for work, they do things that others won’t do and they spend more time doing it.
It is selfish not to be your best. To deny being your best was to deny the gift you were meant to give others.
The best are never satisfied with where they are.
The best have a willingness to be uncomfortable and embrace it as part of your growth process.
Too many people don’t become great because they are not willing to learn and get better. They don’t like being uncomfortable.
IF YOU AREN’T GETTING BETTER, YOU ARE GETTING WORSE.
Become a life long learner!
See everyone as a teacher. Don’t ever think you have arrived.
Fear success, not failure! Don’t stop striving to be better.
Stay humble and hungry. Humble that you know you don’t have all the answers and you see everyone as a teacher. Hungry with a passion to improve and set new goals and milestones.
Future success is the result of how you work, prepare and practice. How you strive to improve everyday.
Force yourself to be uncomfortable.
Everyone needs a coach to strive to get better. Coaches need to treat each player differently based on the player.
It’s the little things that separate the best from the rest.
It’s striving to get better everyday. The best realise that it’s not about the big things. Success is all about the little things.
Being the best is the doing the little things 5% better than the rest. They are a little better at a lot of things.
The best do ordinary things better than everyone else.
Focusing on the little things.
Recipe for success is about practice and execution. They plan their day, they follow up, they committed to the process of the fundamentals.
The focus is to improve each day. Improve each day, each week, each month is a huge improvement over time.
DAILY QUESTIONS
- What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?
- Say no and yes. Yes to priorities and no to some opportunities that can distract you.
- Tune out distractions. Don’t listen to what others say about you. Zoom focus on what you need to do today. Focus on continuous improvement.
Mental toughness is something you can develop.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
- What have you ignored?
- What do you need to zoom focus on?
WEED AND FEED
Each day you need to weed out the negativity and feed it positive thoughts. Think of your mind as a garden and if you don’t weed out the negative thoughts the weeds will take over your mind, and if you plant positive thoughts the negative thoughts will have no where to grow.
You must practice thinking positive thoughts. You choose the positive.
Don’t let your fear of failure define you – focus on the performance (or now) and seize the moment. Make the most of the moment.
20 ways to get mentally tough
- When you face a set back think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
- When you encounter advertisty remember the best don’t just face it, they embrace it. Knowing it is not a dead end, it’s a detour to something greater and better.
- When you face negative people know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity not in the absence of it.
- When you face naysayers remeber the people who spoke postive words and believed in you.
- When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
- When you wake up in the morning, take a walk of gratitude and success.
- When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
- When you fail, find the lesson in it and recall a time when you have succeeded.
- When you head into battle, visualise success.
- When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where you power is the greatest.
- When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
- When your own self doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it positive thoughts and positive self talk.
- When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings and clear your mind and get into the zone. The zone can be created.
- When you feel all is impossible, know that all things are possible.
- When you feel alone, think of all the people who love you and have helped you along the way.
- When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
- When you are tired and drained remember to never, never, never, never give up. Finish strong in everything you do.
- When you feel like you can do it, know that you can do all things through him who give you strength.
- When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
- When you are in a high pressure situation, remember to smile, have fun and enjoy it. Seize the moment.
LIFE LONG LEARNER – greatness is a life’s mission
11 traits to be the best you can be
- The best know what they truly want
- The best want it more
- The best are always striving to get better
- The best do ordinary things better than everyone else
- The best zoom focus
- The best are mentally stronger
- The best overcome their fear
- The best seize the moment
- The best tap into a power greater than themselves
- The best leave a legacy
- The best make everyone around them better.