They are disciplined and highly motivated. Here's how you can be too.
Is your work and life organisation out of control? Do you read all the management books but still never seem to have enough time?
Take a page out of the peak performer's book of life and hear what they do to organise, choose tasks wisely, execute well, achieve highly and enjoy their success at the same time.
Here are 10 mental game success strategies that peak performers use in self management.
1. Know what motivates you.
Top performers know what makes them tick. They know what it takes to get the creative, competitive juices flowing. They know how to tap their passion and create the energy for a project. They assess what motivates them and then seek opportunities to match those energies.
2. Be aware of your options.
People who race through their day are like a race-car driver. Te view around them is a blur. Slow down to notice your options and sense new opportunities. You create this clear focus by starting each day and each task with a quiet time that realigns you with your purpose, mission and values.
3. Train yourself to act promptly.
Reflection, planning and strategising are essential. When the time comes to act, the peak performer goes for it enthusiastically - he pulls out all the stops.
4. Realise that you never arrive.
Listen to high achievers and they all say that they wish they knew early on that success and happiness are not something "out there" in the future. Success is striving towards a goal while being content and grateful for what you have today.
Seek your dreams with reverence for the gifts you have been given now and do not put happiness off until something "better" arrives.
5. Use success to energise yourself.
Do you celebrate only your large successes? Do you downplay the smaller, day-to-day victories? Peak performers celebrate both and more. They seek opportunities to reinforce their efforts so that they are continually energised and motivated to stay on track and to perform at higher levels.
6. Realise that life is a do-it-yourself project.
Peak performers do not wait for anyone to save them, coach them or help them overcome obstacles. They of course seek help as needed, but first and foremost they take an "I must help myself first" approach to life. They realise that success begins and ends with them, and that the initiative in helping themselves first.
7. Understand that life is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is short, life is unpredictable. Life needs to be lived today, in the PRESENT! Peak performers carry a continual sense of mortality around to remind themselves that every second is precious. Therefore, everything they do deserves their best, highest-quality effort.
8. Get ready to act!
Peak performers use rituals or psych-up systems to prepare themselves for springing into action with laser focus. They purposely take time before any "performance" to mentally, physically and emotionally get ready so that they can operate optimally for that special moment.
9. Write to stay on track.
Top performers use a written journal to sharpen self-awareness, dream, savour victories , make corrections, set goals and objectives and have a private confidant.
10. Stop Procrastinating!
To ignore something you must do is like making a decision not to do it. Peak performers strive for the mental discipline it takes to make reasoned decisions, to hold themselves accountable and to minimise the number of tasks that they "forgot about".
Your Mental Game Plan
What action will you take this week to become better at self-management? Here are three steps to get you started:
1. Think of a system you can use to become more organised. can you hire a coach? work with a friend? write in a journal?
2. Celebrate your successes more often to create energy and momentum for achieving your goals. Instead of waiting for the "big" success at the end of the month, quarter or year, think about what you can view as a success worthy of enjoying every day.
3. Translate what you have learn about yourself into immediately useful action. Learn to motivate yourself, create more urgency to achieve, enjoy the process more, and get more done.
Peak Performers create a healthy sense of urgency to propel themselves along their exciting path. take a page out of their book and write your own success chapters in that very important book - of your life.
source: ST/ANN
