Passion fuels success

Many long-term projects require sustained mental and physical focus.  Without focus, it is difficult to get excited about the routine tasks necessary to complete a project.  That's why we often set goals – to provide a target, an achievable benchmark, a destination.  Goals mean different things to different people, but those who create an emotional tie to their goals will achieve success more often than not – and that is passion.

I was visiting New York City for the very first time in early November 2012 for the New York Marathon.  That's the year that Superstorm Sandy ravaged the East Coast, and the marathon was abruptly canceled 36 hours before the race was to start.  Without a marathon to run, I had a few extra days to be a tourist, and while many places in New York were closed, the Empire State Building was open for business.

The story of the construction of the Empire State Building is fascinating.  The art deco building, which was built in 1930, stood as the world's tallest building for 40 years, and is still the fourth-tallest building in the United States.  Today it is the second-tallest building in New York City, running second to the One World Trade Center building.  What was fascinating to me was the story about how the Empire State Building was built – the passion of the people working the project, and the relatively short amount of time it took to complete.   

The construction project started in January 1930.  At the time, New York City had a few construction projects happening – all vying for the title of the "worlds tallest building".  The Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street had already started construction, so the Empire State crew was already behind schedule.  The entire team was passionate about winning the title, and they kept building at a frantic pace.  In fact, workers did not know how tall the building was going to be – that was kept a secret.  When all was said and done, the 3,400 workers built the world's tallest building, 102 stories tall, and 1,454 feet high.  What is truly remarkable is that the entire project wrapped up in April of 1931 – exactly 410 days after they started excavating.  As a comparison, the One World Trade Center building took over 7 years to construct.  The building is now 85 years old, and still stands strong.

As the tour guide told the story of the building, I thought about how exciting it must have been to be on that construction team.  Going to work every day with the goal of completing the world's tallest building – not to mention the competition between building crews in the City at the time – must have been thrilling.  That passion was transferable to every member of the team, and they achieved a mark that stood for almost half a century.

 We don't always have the opportunity to build the tallest building in the world, but we do have the chance to link passion to our goals.  How can your life (or others) improve if you reached your goal?  Perhaps it is driven by money, health, fitness, or creating a better future for your family.  It makes the everyday task(s) of going to work, going to the gym, going to class, or simply jumping out of bed before the snooze alarm goes off that much easier.  Passion can make that a whole lot easier, and passion can help you reach new heights.

 

Train to finish strong - and reap the rewards

There is a saying in the marathon community that “the race begins at mile 20”.  When you are in competition, or competing for a goal time, mile 20 is a place that represents a start point of a final battle – often where the race is won or lost.  Like a lot of things in running, this is a lesson that can be transferred into everyday life.  As Mike Tyson once eloquently put it, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.  Whether running, boxing, or in the office, game-day adjustments are critical to achieving your goals.  The notion that high achievers are strongest and most effective in the final – and toughest - stages of any process is almost always the rule, rather than the exception.

It has taken me several marathons to truly appreciate the value of feeling good at mile 20.  Consider all the factors that are at play in a race.  There are the internal considerations – your training, your fueling/hydration, your mindset – and the external considerations – temperature, wind, terrain, and your competition.  Having the ideal combination of these factors working for you at mile 20 is a gift that provides you the best chance to run your best race.  With a foundation of solid training and preparation, good strategic choices along the way, and having the strength, determination, and momentum to finish strong will often make the difference between good and great.

The same can be said in everyday life.  Everyone at the starting line has put in the training to go the distance.  That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s also the price of entry.  Those who achieve stretch goals have something special to help push them through the last few miles.  As a sales professional, I think back on some of the big sales deals I’ve won in my career.  Deals typically are not won at the start of the process, but rather after an often relentless battle, learning about the competitive landscape, overcoming customer objections, and out maneuvering my competition.  The early part of the process can set the tone, but a price and proposal is simply the price of entry.  The winner usually outlasts the field because they have executed a better plan, they understand the customer and competition, and they have delivered more value in the end.  Perhaps most important – they have time their strategy in such a way where it is most meaningful to the client. Being mentally and physically tough, especially in the last stages of the deal, often separates the best from the rest.

I have learned that the path to success is not a straight line, and it is often a very different journey than what we expect at the onset.  Every marathon is 26.2 miles, but that’s the end of the similarities. I’ve never known one to look and feel like another.  I think of “mile 20” often, and not just in the context of running.  I remind myself that in business and life – most things are process, not an event, and I am prepared to take my game up a gear when the time is right.  Whether you are facing mile 20, getting punched in the mouth, or fine-tuning a final proposal, success is often determined by the final push.  If you prepare to expect and execute that final push, you will dramatically increase your opportunities to find yourself on the right side of success.

 

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Sharpen your mental game in 3 easy steps

A good race training program will prepare you physically to get to the start line of your next race. By race day, the hard work is in the bank, and you are ready to go.  Once you step up to the start line, the real challenge is executing the mental part of the event - a critical piece that most programs fail to cover.  Whether it be in a race or at the office, wrapping your mind around goals and tasks is as important as the work you put into complete them.

In running, we spend the majority of our time focusing on preparing our body for a race – and for good reason. I argue that standing at the start line with a 26.2 mile long road in front of you is as mentally challenging as it is physically, and the real challenge on race day has less to do with your body, but more with your mind.

Whether it is the start line of a race, or the beginning of a new fiscal year at work, we are often challenged with wrapping our minds around the sheer size of the tasks ahead of us. At times, trying to figure out how I could hit a sales goal was simply overwhelming.  In hindsight, I was burning a lot of emotional energy before I even got the year started.  That’s where I’ve been able to apply some of the basic lessons of running – specifically endurance running – to everyday life.  How can we better manage seemingly gargantuan tasks?  Here are three tried-and-true methods of mental preparation I’ve learned over the years:

1. Break down your goal into smaller, familiar parts. Whether time or distance, a big number is overwhelming. You can wear yourself out just thinking about it. I’m a big football fan, and I like to break things up into quarters. What do I need to accomplish in the 1st,, 2nd, an 3rd quarters to be in position to win the 4th? Breaking a large goal into manageable, measurable tasks delivers incremental wins, confidence, and mental clarity.
2. Visualize your progress, and remove mental traps. Reaching the half-way point of an 18-mile run on a treadmill isn’t that much fun when you realize you have 9 more miles to go. I often use the mental image of climbing a mountain – up and down. Replacing thoughts of fatigue and pain that I could be associating with later miles are replaced with images of descending down a mountain, and that helps power me through. In my last marathon, I visualized myself as a jet flying over the ocean – fully fueled, fast, and gliding toward the destination.   When my body was begging me to stop, my mind was focused on an entirely different image.
3. Synchronize body and mind.   Don’t worry – I’m not talking about some crazy metaphysical experience here. Rather, I’ve learned to simply focus on breathing. Breathing is a release valve and trigger for our nervous system. Think in terms of our natural fight or flight reactions, and how we often have to take a deep breath to get things under control. A few moments of breathing will help offset our normal physiological reactions. Using our mind to help control our body will allow us use our valuable energy to focus on the task at hand. Whether it is a few moments of clarity before a race, or a big sales presentation, a focused mind and body is a winning combination.

Find more articles and updates at http://runningatthespeedofbusiness.blogspot.com/ and http://businessaccelerated.blogspot.com/

A new mantra... become "harder to kill"

“Strong People Are Harder To Kill”

That’s the message delivered in an April 2015 podcast by Ben Greenfield*, a renowned fitness trainer, coach, and author.  I listen to all of Ben’s podcasts, and he’s constantly testing new life hacks to gain an edge.  Ben spent time with a group of arguably the toughest people in the world – Navy Seals – to learn about how they train and achieve success. 
 
Iron sharpens iron

It is hard to find a group that is collectively and individually stronger, faster, and smarter than Navy Seals.  They have to be prepared for almost any imaginable obstacle, and almost always come out ahead.   In most situations, their balanced and diverse training will simply out-duel any competition they face.   They are at the top of the food chain because not because they are specifically smarter, faster, or stronger, but rather, they are superior at training to be harder to kill.

Well-rounded preparation changes everything



A Tough Mudder race is a humbling and valuable experience.

You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who can compete with a Navy Seal.  That being said, I believe we can learn a thing or two from how they prepare.   We face regular moments of truth that separate us from our competition.  Our jobs and responsibilities are far different from the Navy Seal, but I argue we often take for granted the complexity of the battles we face every day. 

Take a presentation at work as an example.  We often think that content is the key, but in truth there are many obstacles that may impact the success of your presentation.  Are you a skilled presenter?  Do you project a sound image?  Are you agile enough to adapt on the fly?  What if your time slot was cut in half?  How will you address objections that could derail your presentation?  A person armed with great content, but not prepared for the other obstacles, would ultimately not see the success they had hoped for.  Like the Navy Seal heading into combat, you need to be ready for anything, and you have to rely on your preparation to achieve success.

Success is a process, not an event

This is where training and preparation come into play.  To be a great presenter you need to invest in your body of work – including your ability to create content, but to be the best at delivering it, understanding how your audience perceives you and your message, how you adapt to your environment, how you defend and overcome obstacles, and how you maintain composure in a world of chaos.  All of those skills take separate and distinct work, refinement, and practice.  Finding ways to develop these skills requires us to often branch out, try new things, and get out of our comfort zones.  You may find these volunteering, coordinating an industry event, or joining your local Toastmasters chapter.  Bringing them all together can be the difference between winning and losing.  Mentally and physically, you want to be harder to kill in the conference room, too.  What do you need to do to be tougher in your everyday job?

It’s easy to lose touch with many of our basic ancestral skills.  We are fortunate – we don’t wake up in the morning and think about how we are going to simply survive the day.  Lost in the exercise, however, is realizing how to interpret our own personal definition of survival.  Whether it is making the big sale, or striving for that next promotion, it will take more than mastery of a singular skill to be successful, and that takes continual development and practice.  We rarely face the life-and-death consequences that Navy Seals deal with, but we can learn from their preparation and focus to be “tougher to kill” in what matters most to us.

 

* I want to give credit where credit is due… you can find more great articles and ideas from Ben Greenfield at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/articles/

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A change of pace to boost productivity

Time management is a lifelong challenge for most of us.  The exercise of getting organized is often a knee-jerk reaction, and in practice taking charge of our own calendar is a process, not an event.  While blocking off calendar time is a good first step, I've found that literally changing the pace and focus of my work throughout the day helps to generate some monumental productivity gains. 

As a runner, we know that in order to optimize our performance we need to employ a number of different workouts.  Running at the same speed is a recipe for burnout and diminishing returns.  We mix up our workouts to help keep us sharp - physically and mentally.  There is a place for those long, slow runs, but there are reasons why we amp it up with a tempo run, or when we really want to take it up a notch, some intervals on the track. 

There is a physical and mental aspect to work, so why can't we create similar exercises for getting things done at the office?   Here are some time hacks you use to mix things up, borrowing some of our lessons from running:

• The Interval Session.  On the track, we're running at a fast target pace for a defined distance and/or time.  Think in terms of running an 800 meter sprint.  There are few distractions, our mission is clear, and our focus is sharp.  All of our energy is focused on what it takes to get to the finish line.  Transfer this mentality to the office, and you will love the results.  I read about a time blocking idea called the "Pomodoro Technique", which involves setting a timer for 20 minutes and focusing only on that one task.  I literally set a kitchen timer on my desk and allow myself to only focus on one thing.  For me, my interval workout at the office is cleaning up email at the beginning of each day.  Most often, I've got my email box organized and down to one screen, all before the timer rings.  Sometimes that used to take me all day!

 

• The Tempo Session.  This is a longer run than an interval run, but as the name suggests, at a spirited tempo.  It's focused, timed, and done with a purpose – to help lock in a faster pace, or for work purposes, knock out a list of to-do items.  I've employed this technique with external-focused tasks, such as setting appointments and client follow-ups.  I schedule an hour for myself to fire up my CRM and calendar and shut down my other windows to get my schedule set.

I've kept these sessions focused and distraction-free, and I've been pleasantly surprised at the outcomes.  Running at the same pace all of the time won't make you a better runner, and working at the same pace without structure and boundaries won't make you more efficient and effective at the office.  With a little creativity and discipline, your goal of being a better time manager just got a whole lot easier!

Find more articles and updates at http://runningatthespeedofbusiness.blogspot.com/ and http://businessaccelerated.blogspot.com/

Running for good

Martin Luther King Day is a celebration of the life and work of generations of people, recognizing how far we've come, but also how far we have yet to go. It's more than a day off work – it's a day to remember, pay tribute to a great American, and get out and do something positive for the community.

On my Monday run this week I ran past a few kids picking up trash in the neighborhood. Normally, they would be at school, and I wondered if the community service was part of a MLK-inspired spirit. As I often do, I started thinking about the opportunities we have every day to make a difference in our community, and I started thinking about all of the things the running community does to strengthen the neighborhoods we live in.

I've participated in dozens of races, from the tiny school fundraisers to giant marathons. In between, I've raised money for playgrounds, preventing human trafficking, First Responders, cancer research, AIDS projects, animal welfare, housing for Veterans, and pool safety awareness, just to name a few. Almost every race out there donates some of their proceeds to charity, and that adds up!

As distance running became more popular and race bibs became tougher to get, race directors decided to reserve a few coveted spots for charity runners. In exchange for a fundraising, an aspiring marathoner could gain entry to Boston, Chicago, New York.  A 5-hour marathoner won't qualify for any of these, and without a little bit of luck in the lottery, they may not otherwise have a chance at running in these events. Today there are thousands of runners that gain entry every year to races, each raising thousands of dollars each.  Depending on the race, a charity runner may need to raise anywhere from $500 to $4,000.

Think about how much money runners generate for our communities. Sure, our races shut down a few streets for a few hours every now and then. That may be an inconvenience for a few bystanders and nearby residents, but they probably have no idea what good is being done for the communities they live in. According to the New York Marathon, the 2014 race included 8,500 charity runners who raised $34.5 million – all of that money goes directly to dozens of accredited charities. The marathon also donated approximately 26 tons of discarded clothing from the race, and they sent that to Goodwill.

As a runner, I am proud that my hobby and passion can generate some good for the communities I live and work in. There's more to the story, however. The dedicated race organizers and volunteers – not to mention the Police, Fire, and EMT's that work the events - that make these events a reality never seem to get the credit they deserve. On this special week when we honor a great American, I'm grateful for those in my community who work hard to improve our neighborhoods each and every day.

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Breaking through plateaus with cross training

In my years of running I have learned one of the most important realities of personal growth - where there is progress, there is likely a plateau ahead.  Whether it be physical, mental, or some of both, our body does a great job of adapting to what we ask it to do, and we're not seeing the net gains we became accustomed to.  What can we do to avoid the dreaded plateau?

As runners, we want to "raise the bar", and early returns (often leaps and bounds) in our training provides a sense of confidence and raise expectations.  Shaving minutes off a race time is not uncommon at first, but we soon learn, our training efforts do not necessarily produce linear results over the long term.  Our results feel like a series of peaks and valleys, rather than a steady climb.  Those minutes we shave off our times reduce to seconds, and further incremental gains are even tougher to achieve.  The training "plateaus" we experience are common, and in many cases, we see performance declines during the plateau stage.  That can be frustrating, and often leaves us wondering what we are doing wrong.

I've had the opportunity to work with a number of coaches over my years of training, and there is a reason why investing in coaching works.  Simply put, doing more of the same won't always help take my training to the next level.  I've had two significant breakthroughs in my running career - the first was breaking a 3-year decline in marathon performance, and the second was bucking the trend once again and breaking through the 4-hour marathon mark.  After a ho-hum 2015 marathon, I realized that I was on another plateau, and I wanted to change things up a bit.
 
My current coaches, Simon Escorcia and Tristan Mitchell at Denver-based RunColo Training have helped me integrate a number of time-tested workouts over the past two years, and now we've added some non-running exercises into my normal routine to help me find the "next gear" of personal performance.  I've seen gains already.  From a physical standpoint I feel great, and perhaps more importantly, it's helped my mental outlook.  It's 15 degrees and snowing as I write this, and I'm headed out this afternoon for yet another winter "dreadmill" workout.  The WOD's I'm doing during the week break up the monotony of the treadmill, and provide a dose of the feeling of progress that we all strive for.  I'm hopeful that my winter cross-training will change the trajectory of my training in the spring when I add more mileage.

Our bodies are amazing machines that are great at adapting to new challenges.  What worked last year may not be the recipe for success this year.  Don't be afraid to mix a few new things to your weekly schedule to strengthen your body, physically and mentally.  Hopefully that extra work today will give you that "next gear" at mile 20 this fall!


Find more articles and updates at http://runningatthespeedofbusiness.blogspot.com/ and http://businessaccelerated.blogspot.com/