I woke up this morning glad to be back to my routine: coffee,
breakfast, a little news and a workout! It felt good, after the holiday,
to be back to normal. As I started the coffee, still waking up, the
lead story on the morning news caught my ear; partly because it was
refreshingly positive and partly because it was the type of story that
just touches the heart and draws you in.
The
news anchor was reporting about a veteran -- a young soldier who had
lost his leg and was training for a climb -- the climb of his life. The
reporter went on to explain that he was an elite marine from New York
whose leg had been destroyed and then later amputated after an IED
attack in Iraq. The marine, now wearing a prosthetic, was attempting to
climb -- yes, climb -- one of the steepest, most dangerous routes on icy
Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States.
The
reporter shared that his ascent was a way for this marine to honor his
fellow soldiers who did not make it back from Iraq. In addition, his
hope was to use this climb to raise awareness and funds for the Special
Operations Warrior Foundation, an organization that supports wounded and
hospitalized soldiers and the children of those killed in combat.
The
marine, who is just 26, admitted that while the IED may have ended his
career in the Marines, it had not stripped him of the "determination,
perseverance and mental toughness I've gained." The anchor went on to
share this marine's story: all that he had gone through on the
battlefield, to recovering from his injuries, and then the tragic loss
of his leg. Yet, despite all of that, the anchor shared the amazing list
of achievements this marine is accomplishing now, against all odds. His
story, as you can imagine, is nothing short of remarkable.
While I
was moved by his story, I was far more inspired by his words and his
actions. He was conveying the powerful message that no matter what
happened to him, no matter what challenges or obstacles lay in his path,
he was not going to be defeated. I reflected on the power of his
attitude and mental toughness, and how closely those are connected to
what we can overcome, and what we can accomplish. It is, like this
marine, nothing short of remarkable. Not to mention the impact an
attitude like his has on those around him, how it positively influences
others.
So as you look at 2013 and begin to set your goals, define
your focus, and get ready to take action, think about your attitude.
Ask yourself: How mentally tough are you? Are you ready, mentally, for
the year ahead and how tough this economy is going to be? How prepared
are you to be flexible and responsive to your customers' ever changing
needs? How will you stand up to the new competition that is certain to
come your way? Do you have the courage to take risks and try new things?
Are you resilient enough to get back up after you fall? Because trust
me, you will fall, make mistakes, and make some bad decisions.
How
mentally tough and prepared you are has a direct impact on your success
in this Trust & Value Economy. So how do you get ready? How do you
know if you have what it takes? Are there exercises you can do to get
your mind and your attitude in shape? Absolutely!
There are six
techniques that I like to follow. I personally use and practice these
six ways to keep my attitude positive and my mental state strong:
1. Embrace Failure
- We have all heard it said that if you are not failing enough, you are
not taking enough chances, and in my opinion, you are missing
opportunities. Unfortunately, failure is something that our culture does
not accept or appreciate, so we have lost sight of one of our greatest
learning tools. Understanding why something did not work is as
important, is in fact part of, learning how to make it work. So make the
choice to embrace failure as a learning tool, and consistently ask
yourself these questions: What went well? What did not? What do I need
to do differently going forward? Let go of your ego, learn from your
mistakes, and failure will become a way to propel you forward instead of
holding you back.
2. Forget Outcomes - You have
far more control over the process than you do the outcome, so focus your
attention there. Especially in today's economy, with so many outside
forces influencing your success, your goals and expectations need to be
flexible. Put your time and energy into perfecting your process,
delivering a better product, improving your sales strategy, etc. Become
the best at what you do and how you deliver it. A strong process will
put you in position to be flexible and responsive to market changes, and
give you the courage to take risks no matter what this Trust &
Value Economy has in store for you.
3. Take Action
- Just do it, as Nike would say! Every single day, every single week,
move forward and take action. With your process firmly in place, you now
need to work it. Make the sales calls you said you would, coach your
employees, follow up on customer service requests, etc. In the Trust
& Value Economy, those CEOs, business owners and
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