Mastery and Peak Performance

No matter what activity you are engaged in, mastery and peak performance, are critical mindsets to cultivate. Mastery creates the energy necessary to build successful processes and achieve amazing outcomes. At the same time, mastery can be a struggle or even elusive for many of us. Understanding this mindset and setting your intention and daily habits for peak performance can launch you to success.

 

Key components to Mastery and Peak Performance:

• Having a Plan
• Removing Obstacles
• Past Successes
• Daily work on Plan
• A Coach or a Mentor

Having a Plan

A Plan is needed to define our goals, processes and keep us moving forward. Without this we can get lost in the details of the situation or project. Partializing goals into smaller components is a necessary first step. Then we can use the necessary tools to formulate and document the plan. Each tool we select has pro’s and cons in terms of speed of development, ease of use and tracking and sharing information amongst a team. Task lists or note cards are good for tasks that we will accomplish today or tomorrow. They are quick to create but lack the ability to track progress easily over time. Mind maps are great tools to conceptualize a project and to see a visual representation of interconnected pieces and impact on each major goal. Project plans are very useful for complex tasks with various phases and deliverables that can be tracked over time. Project plans can ease communication with a team and can update automatically when related objectives are completed. Any of these tools can greatly enhance our productivity, reduce feeling overwhelmed and help us feel successful.

Removing Obstacles

Any plan will encounter obstacles and challenges. How we perceive and relate to this obstacles says a lot about our mindset, growth potential and leadership. If you get angry and see every obstacle as a threat to your success you may become overstressed, frustrated and get burned out. In America, in particular, we have been trained in problem identification and resolution. We believe strongly that if we can only anticipate the problems and have creative solutions in place that we will be comfortable and successful. Paradoxically, it is often the unexpected that leads to significant  innovation and progress.

Take for instance the cure for Penicillin or invention of the lightbulb. These were not straight forward plans that led to amazing results right off the bat. Rather, thru dedicated effort and clear intention, these goals were accomplished over many years. In fact, Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, was ridiculed by his towns folk and belittled. Laughing at his many set backs. However, Edison understood the concept of good research and trial and error very well. Edison saw these not as one more failure, but rather as one more successful identification of a way that won’t succeed.

Truly overcoming resistance and obstacles often has to do with both a strong intention to preserver but also humbling acceptance of the complexity of our world. Remember if it were easy, it wouldn’t really be worth doing, and there certainly wouldn’t be the same reward.

 Past Successes:

In order to have confidence in the present, it is very helpful to have had successes from which to draw on. These successes remind us, and those invested in our projects and activities, that we can overcome and see a project thru to completion. These successes create a fabric of potential strength, encouragement and belief systems that comfort and support us.

If you have had limited successes or a string of failures mastery of this concept is crucial to your peak performance. First off, language is extremely important, particularly your internal dialogue. Remember failure can also be thought of as  successful identification of approaches that won’t succeed. This is not simply a rephrasing of failure, but a Masterful mindset. Truly identifying and working thru a story of failure, or negative self-defeating beliefs, launches you to success but also greatly enhances the ride. Keep in mind everything that you have ever been given, was given freely. You had nothing when you arrived here. Yet all was freely given including water, food, air, roads, electricity and even an education. Simply put, your successes have more to do with our shared culture and leveraging that culture and an abundance mindset than heroic efforts.

In order to create successes think small, very small. A small course correction today will make a huge impact of where you end up in the future. Surround yourself with people that are interested in your success and cultivate these relationships.

Daily Work on a Plan

Simply said daily efforts toward completing a plan build momentum and energy. They also communicate the importance of the plan and what it means to you. This is important because we often need support from other people and resources to be successful. If we communicate a lack of conviction or intent thru starting and stopping projects, or getting side tracked, people won’t galvanize their support. If however, we have a compelling vision and put forth daily effort and updates, people get it. And when people get it they often want to be involved.

In addition, daily work toward a plan helps move from a outcome mindset to a process mindset. This is so important it can be overstated. Being a social worker and a counselor, I am always working within the balance of the dialectic between people being accepted just as they are and the need to change. With such challenge to motivation and outcome resistance it is crucial to gain and keep momentum. When we focus on the process we can remove many of the obstacles of self-judgment and fear of failure.

A Coach or Mentor

Having a coach can truly set you up for success for several reasons. First off, when we look at a set of goals and plan our approach we are high above things and have not yet met any external resistance. It has been my experience that the bigger the goal or more important the goal the higher the external resistance will be at first. So, having a coach will help you understand this process and the psychological effect it may have on your motivation. The second reason to have a coach or mentor is that when we get stuck, having someone support us and reorient our thoughts toward success and not problems can have a profoundly motivational effect. Our coach can remind us of the way resistance works and help us understand it better and relate to it from a more masterful approach. Our coach can help keep us on track with schedules, accountability and encouragement. A coach or mentor can also help identify and find the people and resources we need to be successful. And finally our coach will be there with us at each significant accomplishment to celebrate and truly soak up the joy of our accomplishment. Celebration is such an important part of this process. How often do we accomplish a goal and trivialize it or sweep it under the carpet. One of the greatest joys in life is achieving goals and celebrating. Don’t short change yourself or your motivation by skipping this important step.

 

Peak Performance at Work

To be our best at work it is important to have clearly stated values that are meaningful. Modeling these goals conveys meaning and dedication to the people who matter most. When we model our stated values with coworkers, customers, and our team these values take on a vibrancy and forge the culture of our organization. This builds trust a common language and understanding. Another important aspect to peak performance at work is setting realistic goals. When we set and achieve realistic goals, particularly when all eyes are on us, we develop a reputation for excellence and further increase trust and our reputation.

 

 

Key components Peak Performance at Work:

• Stated Values
• Modeled Values
• Under Promise and Over Deliver
• Grace Under Pressure
• Reputation for Excellence

Stated Values

Wherever you look businesses have values and mission statements listed for all to read. They are buried in employee manuals that run 70-100 pages, they are printed on brochures, and on websites and sometimes on business cards. These values can create the foundation and groundwork for an organization and all decisions. If the people working in an organization know these values and regard them throughout their day to day activities these values take on great strength and potency. They become a cornerstone for the development of the organization and keep things on track. However, when these values are not well thought through or communicated they can fall flat. Another thing that can limit the effect of our core values is how they are modeled by leadership

Modeled Values

Whether you are working with a client or a colleague or having a conversation at lunch, modeling the values of your organization is key to establishing credibility and significance. When a leader walks the walk and talks the talk we all pay attention. And when a leader talks the talk, but their actions contradict their words, we wonder what is true. Most of us have learned to pay much more attention to the actions than the words people use.

Under Promise and Over Deliver

Setting reasonable goals that we achieve communicates respect and trust. Respect is communicated because people feel they understand, that they know what to expect and that their time, energy and hope will be rewarded. Trust is communicated because we not only did what we said, but went above and beyond. Under promising and over delivering is a key aspect to building a great reputation, helping others know what to expect and feeling successful.

Grace Under Pressure

We all have had that boss or team leader who is grumpy, high strung, and difficult to approach. They seem overwhelmed and difficult to talk with or consult. But, the leader who takes time to check in with his team, get feedback, and is concerned not only with getting the work done, but helping people feel accomplished and enjoying the work sparks loyalty and commitment in us. Grace under pressure is an amazing quality in many leaders and it helps bring out our best. Whether it is feeling competent, supported or joyful grace under pressure can bolster commitment, process compliance, productivity and successful outcomes.

Reputation for Excellence

What is your reputation? Are you known as someone who is easily approached, who goes above and beyond the call of duty? If so, I imagine you are busy at work with lots of people vying for your work and attention. Word gets around quickly when we deliver on important promises, are approachable and have clear values that we model. More than advertising, marketing or great SEO having a rock solid reputation can truly launch a business into success.

Making the Next Steps Toward Mastery and Peak Performance

Making a commitment to mastery and peak performance can transform your life and help you feel much more accomplished and successful. As with any change, resistance and challenge are to be expected. With the right support from Lions Heart Counseling, you can

• Identify and Clarify your Goals
• Outline a successful process for obtaining your goals
• Get the Support you need throughout this heroic journey.

 

Because You’re Worth It!

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