Make Consistent Progress: 4 Tips to Choose and Work with an Accountability Buddy

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World-class athletes and business professionals do not achieve and maintain greatness alone, and neither can you. Accountability is one way you can set yourself up for consistent progress on your march towards your Olympics.

So how do you choose the right peer, friend, or colleague as an accountability buddy?

Well, they should be:

• More experienced than you (ideally)
• Have your best interests at heart
• Not in competition with you in any way
• Not threatened by you                               

It’s also important to take care of some housekeeping early on. Here are four important things to discuss prior to getting started with an accountability buddy:

1. Be explicit about what is important to you, what you are committed to doing, and what help you are hoping for. If you ask someone and...

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Have you ever been told that you will never improve, or you are not a good fit?

After the London 2012 Olympics, Mariya Koroleva thought she would be in serious consideration for the next Olympic team in 2016, but she was not. Mariya was told she was too old (at 23) and that she did not fit into the team that was being considered which would be much younger.

She had a choice: 1. Give up on a second Olympics 2. Go for it and train for another year with no guarantees of being placed on the team.

Mariya went for it.

She felt in her gut that the world had not seen the best of her, and she had not seen the best of herself. Mariya did not want to have any regrets. She’d commit to being "all in" for that year before the decision for the next Olympic team was made. Mariya felt that if she gave 100% and still did not make it, then she could be at peace that she gave her...

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WOW! The year is flying by, and I am SO excited that you are part of this amazing community of action takers!

If you missed the live (global broadcast) Master Class last Thursday, stay tuned! The attendance and feedback was so incredible that we've schedule a NEW "Mental Toughness in the Workplace" webinar on March 8, 2018 at 10:00am PST! Reserve your spot today ... the 60-minute training session is absolutely FREE!

In the meantime, here are a few important points we covered ...

Are you ready to nail
your next "Big Win?"

Here’s the thing, sometimes dreaming and doing big things is hard ... really hard. So what sets the best apart from the rest, and how can we use these same tools to next-level what matters most?

Below are 3 tips to help you succeed:

1. Get clear on what you want.
   I mean really define it. Lack of clarity is the death of productivity and progress, so it’s time to articulate what you want and WHY it...

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In this week's Facebook Live video we talked about the importance of dreaming big.

Consider the following, and start thinking about YOUR big dream:

• In 1976, Steve Wozniak shared with Hewlett Packard (his employer at the time) the idea of creating a personal computer. He was rejected. So he and his friend Steve Jobs got to work themselves on their dream of individual creativity for each user
• Martin Luther King had a dream that someday there would be equality for all.
• When Michael Phelps was 7 years old, he had a dream that there were no limits on what he could achieve.

Is there anything big or small that you dream of doing? Maybe a trip, running a half marathon, a career change? The books Peak and Talent Is Overrated are just two (but impactful) books that have proven over and over that you are only limited by what you think is possible. So start dreaming big!

Why is this SO important?

Believe It and Become It.

When we believe...

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From an evolutionary standpoint, fear is useful. If you are in danger, fear triggers your body to release hormones that prepare you for fight or flight to get out of harm's way.

Fear could save your life. When it comes to high performance in a critical moment though, fear can be problematic if not managed properly. Fear of failure may stand in the way of getting started or encourage you to quit. Fear is also distracting. It can take you from the present moment back to a past failure or into a future irrational thought (i.e. ‘This is never going to work out’). Fear is normal in many cases but needs to be managed properly to encourage you to perform your best especially when it matters most. It’s even common for world-class performers to experience fear as well. The difference is they have the (learned) skills to manage their fear and deal with it at a time that is appropriate, not when they need to shine.

Let’s take it...

NEW!  Join the Saturday Morning "Live" Round Table with Q & A

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be hosting FREE round table discussions via Zoom.us for the next 3 Saturdays at 8:30-9:00 a.m. PST (the first one will be September 30th).  I will be sharing Mental Toughness tips, tools and habits, and then open it up for plenty of Q & A.  Log in details are below, and I encourage you to share with any colleagues, friends or family members you think would be interested in attending.

• Mental Toughness Community Round Table #1: Sep 30, 2017 8:30 a.m. PST
• Topic:  World-Class Tips to Control Your Day
• Video conference log-in:  https://zoom.us/j/339398229
• Or Telephone dial-in：US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 646 876 9923 
• Meeting ID: 339 398 229

Now to today's topic: One World-Class Tip to Control Your Day

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Have you ever had a week where the sh%@t hits the fan? If so, you are most definitely...