How To Stay On Top Of Your Game

The course was called Love and Logic and our instructor was a former grade school teacher and counselor named Ron Chidsey. He reminded us how important it was for us to come to the class because, not only did we get the chance to discuss our experiences over the past week, but it was important for us to do something every week to get better.

Well, it turns out that my wife and I haven't been doing as well as we'd like. We both expressed some frustration about how quickly we'll snap at the kids to get them re-focused. A big part of the Love and Logic approach has to do with reducing the stress level for everyone.

This got me to thinking about how hard it is to form new habits. You really have to stick with it for a long time. And it's not like you're ever really done.

For instance, two groups I meet with every week are my BNI group and my Rotary Club. It's good to meet every week because it keeps me going. Keeps me practicing. Keeps me sharp. And we all get more done because of it. If we met every other week or once a month, the groups would not be nearly as effective.

That's probably a big reason why we set our coaching practice up to be weekly meetings for the majority of our clients. Forming new habits is tough, even when it's your business or your kids. Repetition and getting into a new routine are key when trying to form new behaviors.

Just because I've been to this parenting class doesn't mean I can do everything they talked about and taught us. I haven't had enough time to practice it yet. But I certainly found a handful of things I use all the time. So I definitely got something out of it long-term.

My favorite takeaway is the concept of giving your children choices, both of which are acceptable outcomes for you as the parent. The better our children get at making choices, the better they'll be when they're out in the real world by themselves. Because they'll be thinking about the consequences of their choices.

Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we all lived that way? If we all focused on making good choices and accepted the consequences of our choices, even when they aren't so favorable. How much better would that make your business?

So here are a couple of ways to stay on top of your game:

1. Do It Every Week: take a look at some of the top athletes. They rarely take more than a week off at a time from practicing their craft. Everyone from Tiger Woods to LeBron James to Peyton Manning. They know that to stay sharp, they have to practice all the time. What makes you think you're any different in your chosen profession or business?
2. Find Someone To Do It With: make sure you partner up. This is true whether you're trying to start or stay on a workout routine or trying to make changes in your business and your behavior. I can't stress enough how far our business coaching business has come because Jack and I have each other to keep things moving forward. Most of the coaches we see are single practice folks who have a hard time creating a sustainable business model. We see it with our clients until we can get them into a rhythm where they make that time each week to work on the "strategery" of their business.
3. Commit To It: if you don't commit to it with your entire heart and soul, the changes you make won't be sustainable. It's like that old saying of "use it or lose it," if you aren't committed to reaching your goal (e.g staying on top of your game and the competition) then you won't work at it enough to keep improving.

Those are just a few thoughts for how you can stay on top of your game in both good times and bad. I'd love to hear what you're doing to stay on top of your game.