I wasn’t born a whizz kid, a super athlete, nor born into a super-wealthy family. I’m a kid from the Hunter Valley in NSW who’s always had a burning desire to overcome my limitations and be the best at everything I strive to achieve, writes Steve Brossman, bestselling author, presenter and business coach.
In my last year of high school, I set a goal to win my high school running championships. I hadn’t won it in the previous five years, but I believed I could, and had a burning desire to make it happen. So, I made a plan, got a coach, and trained more than anyone else with ruthless focus. It took nine long months and in that time, I won the high school title, Regionals, and the State finals. Within 2 years I had won a National title.
Every moment of this journey, I was exceeding my own expectations, and gaining momentum; and I have attacked every goal since with the same belief and focus.
30 years later, I’m proud and privileged that I’ve inspired success in so many people. I’m a successful entrepreneur, coach, speaker, and author, without official qualifications. My advice and expertise all comes from years of learning from experts, infused with my life experience – successes and (importantly) failures.
Now I’ve melded my decades of experience with my coaching success, to devise the 6 winning principles that anyone can apply to life and help them exceed their goals.
- Belief
Believing that you can do something gives you the power to apply everything you have to make it happen. Athletes, encouraged by their professional coaches, tap into self-belief to take them from good to great.
When you train yourself to truly believe, and start setting goals that will stretch you, you can achieve more of what you want in life. Nurturing a positive mindset and developing a routine will encourage 100% commitment.
The foundation of success is a belief that you can achieve the goals you have set.
- Set momentum goals
It’s okay to have lofty dreams, but smaller, more achievable momentum goals along the way mean you can capitalise on the ‘winning effect’ to continually propel you.
What’s the winning effect? It’s the psychological and physiological boost you get from small successes, conquering challenges that the smaller goals represent.
So set goals that are achievable (and believable) but that will stretch you, giving you the momentum to achieve the next goal. The momentum goal is designed to continually, or regularly create a heightened state to bring about what I call the ‘Slingshot Effect’.
- Create an action plan
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” We’ve all heard that little gem before.
Write your goals down. Break them into tasks to help you plan to achieve them. Knowing ‘why’ you are doing things, what it achieves for or means to you, and how you are feeling when it’s achieved will help you focus.
Ensure you consider a contingency plan as things can go wrong. Create a timeline, keep checklists and celebrate your wins to create and maintain a positive and winning attitude. If you find you are ahead of schedule, keep accelerating, you will exceed the plan, and slingshot yourself onto the next goal.
- Build a team
Who can you learn from? Who will support you and keep you accountable? Nobody can work or operate ‘solo’, even in small businesses. Athletes need at least one coach, business people need mentors or advisors.
Selecting the right people to have around you is critical to your success. They need to contribute and add value. Your ‘team’ also needs to buy into your ‘why’ and support your vision.
- Do more than is expected
No one is ever operating at full capacity. Always look for small ways to do more. Then if something goes wrong, which it usually does, you’ll have capacity to deal with the setbacks.
Doing more also gives the capacity to exceed your own expectations.
In physical training ‘progressive overload’ means lifting a little bit more weight, running a little faster or longer, or doing a few more reps. By consistently improving, you cannot fail to get better, stronger, fitter.
In business and personal development, the same principle applies; you can always find some way to go that little bit further. Small, continuous improvements over and above expectations at regular intervals, means increasing success ongoing.
- Ruthless focus
Get rid of deadwood, distractions, and negativity. Focus on your goals and team long enough to achieve momentum and create success. Be relentless!
Don’t multi-task. Remove distractions. Set yourself up for focus; without social media is a good start. Find your most productive time and space. Remind yourself why you set the goal and focus on that – this can help you identify a way to do that little extra.
It’s also important that between tasks you take the time to refocus. Take regular breaks to help you stay sharp.
Exceptional you
When I look back at my patterns of success, which mark both my clients’ and my own personal and business achievements, these 6 principles have underlined every one.
So no matter where you are at, or what your perceived limitations are, there is always a way to break through and achieve amazing things; to exceed.
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