The journey of discovery toward stopping speeding bullets and leaping tall buildings in a single bound can be rather extraordinary. We’ll see if we can pull it off in 45 minutes! The journey of discovery toward any worthwhile pursuit is important. Typically it involves a fair amount of introspection. Most Superhero’s don’t do it for fame and fortune. Typically, it is a higher calling. One filled with meaning and mastery. Passion and purpose. Everyone has the Superhero inside them. Or is capable of discovering and delivering their very best.
Here are 10 key considerations to aid in tapping into our own passion, purpose and potential:
1. Decide What You Want (and why): This is the hard part. For a caped crusader or mere mortals. The act of decision is important. The best decisions usually include supporting rationale. Examine the what and the why. Once you decide write it down. Be specific. Be intentional. Have a deadline. Want to make President’s Club? Lose 10 lbs? Find a new job? Improve a relationship? Write it down. Give it a deadline. {Tip: make Bold Choices}.
2. Action Plan with Milestones: Build a plan to get what you want. Pay attention to the details. Big things are accomplished in the little moments. Plans helps you focus. Plans help you manage time. Plans help you feel the progress. Plans help you evaluate. Plans help others rally around you. Plans help you maintain the emotional engagement required for big results. Plans help you establish and maintain momentum.
3. Tell Other People: Involve other people you care about. Friends. Family. Have a team. Nobody becomes the best of who they are alone. You need support. You need people holding you accountable. You need allies to champion your cause. {Note: Had I skipped this step I wouldn’t be keynoting this event next week…or any other. The team held me accountable.}
4. Report/Record Activity Against the Action Plan: You need to monitor progress, performance indicators and benchmark against the desired outcome. Hitting the small milestones are signs of progress toward the big goal. Having a record of results helps you stay the course and maintain the emotional commitment among those supporting you.
5. Celebrate: Don’t wait. Celebrate incremental achievement. Progress toward the plan. The milestones matter. Recognize the effort that produces a desired outcome along the way. This is critical for the modern day leader. You’ll get more of what you inspect and recognize!
6. Modify the Plan: The world changes. Life changes. Plans change. Modify, update, adjust, adapt and evolve accordingly. Don’t use the accelerated pace of change as an excuse for not having a plan. For not writing things down and recording progress. For not moving through a process of discovery and decision. Plans change but process is still important.
7. Don’t Quit: Not at the first sign of resistance, setback, mistake, misstep and considerable concern that embarking on this adventure simply wasn’t a a good idea. The resistance is coming. Rejection. Failure. Fear. Doubt. Insecurity. Stress. Anticipate the hard parts. Work through them. {Tip: The Dip is an excellent resource for determining when to quit and when to stay the course. Many people give up on the cusp of a breakthrough). 8. Get Better: Mastery takes time. Hard work. Help. Practice. Most people don’t practice work (hard to do when you are busy working). This makes it hard to improve. The 10,000 Hour Rule in Outliers suggests that the key to extraordinary performance and success is a matter time and practice (20 hours a week for 10 years should just about do it) and doesn’t have as much to do with talent. The good news is we all have exactly the same amount of time and decide how to invest it. Even a little practice can accelerate breakthrough performance.
9. Help Others: The Superhero ethos. Help. It is amazing how much we can improve and evolve through service. It is often when we’ll experience the most profound growth. It is often a catalyst for elevating our own emotional engagement. I see it everyday. The best sellers. The best leaders. The best people I know give first.
10. Have Fun: Enjoy the ride. At the end of the day success = happiness! I look forward to the event in the hometown next week! MSAE has done a fabulous job building momentum toward next week with a progressive pre-conference promotional initiative (my video prompt included). I may get inspired enough to break out the cape!
