Each night before my children go to bed I ask them what their success of the day is. The idea came from a story I read about the Olympic gymnast, Bart Connor. Turns out 9 months before the 1984 Olympics he tore his bicep muscle. They said he would never make it back in time to compete in the Olympics. But not only did he make it back, he won two gold medals.

When Charlie Jones, the television broadcaster, was interviewing him, he asked Bart how he did it. Bart thanked his parents. Charlie Jones said, “Come on Bart, everyone thanks their parents when they win a gold medal.” Bart told Charlie that this was different. He said, “Every night before bed my parents would ask me what my success was. So I went to bed a success every night of my life. I woke up every morning a success. When I was injured before the Olympics, I knew I was going to make it back because I was a success every day of my life.” Talk about a confidence booster.

Since engaging in this practice with my children I can attest it works. I also know it works because I share this story in my keynotes and hear great stories from people all the time who are doing this with their children.

I also know it works for adults in businesses, schools, and organizations because when we focus on what people are doing right, they do more things right. It’s the simple, powerful message in the classic book The One Minute Manager and it’s an important part of the work I do with organizations.

Teams and organizations that focus on and celebrate success create more success. Success becomes ingrained in the culture and people naturally look for it, focus on it and expect it. That’s why certain football coaches and business leaders are always successful. They implement systems and principles that create a culture that celebrates and expects success and this drives behavior and habits that create successful outcomes.

So how do we put this into practice? The ideas are endless but here are few: If you are in sales have a sales meeting each week (in person or by phone) and share success stories. If you are in management recognize people and their success throughout the year. Not just during annual meetings. Celebrate the small wins as much as the big wins. Celebrate successful projects and implementations. As a leader you’ll want to praise people and reinforce successes that shine a spotlight on important goals and growth initiatives. For your own personal growth, keep a daily and weekly success journal. Write down your success of the day. Do this for 30 days and you’ll see amazing results. What we focus on shows up more in our life. If we look for and celebrate success we’ll see more of it. It works for Olympic athletes, children and us.

How do you and your team celebrate success? Join the conversation here.

Stay Positive!
Jon

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I love July 4th. Not just because of the fireworks, barbeque and excitement that Independence Day brings. I love it because it’s a holiday that celebrates the greatest gift to humanity… freedom.

Freedom is not something many of us think about on a daily basis and yet if you consider the great struggles and triumphs throughout history they are stories of an oppressed group of people who sought, desired, and found freedom. The quest for freedom is also a story that lives inside each and every one of us.

I remember two years ago when I went on a book tour for The Energy Bus. I drove thousands of miles and visited 30 cities. My wife and kids joined me for part of the trip but I also spent many hours, days and miles driving alone.

At one point on the journey I looked in the rearview mirror and realized I had all this stuff on my bus that I didn’t need. Why did I travel with all these bags of useless stuff for so long, I wondered?

I believe every one of us can say the same about our life journey. We hold on to bags that only weigh us down. For some it’s the bags of “the past” or the bags of disappointment. For others, its bags of distrust, self-doubt, mistakes, fear, anger and pain.

These bags hold us back from greater success, joy, love and prosperity. They slow us down, and drain our positive energy—keeping us from the success and life we desire. We may live in a free country but we don’t feel free. Inside we feel imprisoned by the bags we carry.

You know which bags I’m talking about. I don’t have to tell you what they are. They affect your work, your life and your relationships. Just as I looked in the rearview mirror of my bus, you can look in the rear view mirror of your life and know which bags need to be left behind.

Then you can do what I did. I didn’t want to drive heavy. I wanted to travel light. So I let the bags off the bus. You can do the same. As author Max Lucado says, “You can release the burdens you were never meant to carry.”

I remember the moment I let the bags off my bus. I was somewhere past Phoenix driving through the desert. I found a big trash can and put the bags where they belonged. I got back in the bus with the past behind me and a road full of daylight ahead. A big smile came upon my face. I was now free to enjoy the ride.

I hope you’ll do the same… and experience true freedom.

What does Freedom mean to you? Join the conversation on our blog.

Stay Positive!
Jon

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I can recall many moments in my life where the spotlight and pressure was on me and I rose to the occasion and hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth.

I can also remember many moments where I failed under pressure and walked away knowing I didn’t do by best.

Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and change my moments of defeat. I wish I was granted a “DO OVER” and given the opportunity to change history. But that only works in movies. Unfortunately I can’t change the past, but I can learn from it to improve in the future. I can learn why I succeeded in some moments and failed in others.

During my research in writing Training Camp I found the answers I was seeking. In studying the best of the best I discovered how and why they have a knack for rising to the occasion when the pressure is the greatest. They are able to seize the moment. Whether it’s an athletic performance, a presentation to a client, a surgery, a lecture or a job interview the best are able to define the moment rather than letting the moment define them. How do they do this?

The best seize the moment because they don’t allow their fear of failure to define them. When the best are in the midst of their performance, they are not thinking “What if I win?” or “What if I lose?” They are not thinking “What if I make a mistake or fail?” The best are focused solely on the moment. They are one with the moment.

So what does this mean for you and me? It means that we can learn to think and act like a champion. We can learn to seize the moments in our life. In Training Camp I wrote:

To seize the moment, don’t let your failure define you; let it fuel you. Let it push you into the moment and beyond yourself. Let it inspire you to live and work each day as though it was your last.

Don’t focus on the past, and don’t look to the future. Focus on the now. Success, rewards, accolades, fame, and fortune are merely byproducts for those who are able to seize the moment—not those who look beyond it.

Ironically, to enjoy success you must not focus on it. Rather, you must focus on the process that produces success.

The moment is really all you have and when you engage and become one with it, you can soar to new heights. When the spotlight is on you don’t worry, don’t fear, and don’t think. Just focus your mind and your actions on the moment and the outcome will take care of itself.

I can honestly say that writing Training Camp has helped me seize the moments in my life and I believe reading it will help you seize your moments. Please email me at jon@jongordon.com and let me know if it helps you seize your moments. I’d love to hear from you.

Can you recall a time in sports, business, life, work, when you seized the moment. How and why did you rise to the occasion? Describe and share your experience on our blog.

Stay Positive!
Jon

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As a student of people and ideas I have to admit that what two guys are doing in a Northeast Florida Starbucks is absolutely genius.

The other day as I tried to pay for my green tea at my local Starbucks the cashier said, “Don’t worry about it sir. Those guys over there are paying for it today.” She then handed me their business card from a stack by the register. Turns out the guys were wealth management / financial planners who once a week, at different times, will spend a few hours at this Starbucks and buy customers their coffee or tea. Most people, like me, will walk over and thank the gentlemen and walk away with their business card in our pocket.

I thought about how brilliant this was. For many the coffee shop experience has become a right of passage that helps them take on the day. It’s become an emotional experience that makes them feel good. It’s become a bond of love. These financial planners brilliantly connected something people love with a service they offer. Not surprisingly I found out that these men do receive a good number of calls from the Starbucks customers interested in planning for their financial future.

It is said we remember one third of what we read, half of what people tell us and 100 % of how feel. Whether we are watching a commercial, listening to a teacher, or talking to a sales person it is how we feel that impacts us the most. We can’t remember what we ate for lunch a week ago but we can remember where we were on 9-11. We remember how we feel and when it comes to investing our money, buying a product, purchasing insurance or real estate, or choosing a restaurant we will make our choices based on these feelings.

This leads us to the greatest sales strategy ever-but it doesn’t involve coffee. While the Starbucks idea is brilliant it isn’t the best way to build a business. There is a far more powerful strategy to create an emotional connection and foster an emotional memory. It’s so simple and it doesn’t even cost a dime. It’s to love and care about your customers. Caffeine is temporary but a positive emotional experience lasts forever.

Customers do business with people they like and trust and who care about them. When customers feel like they matter and feel cared for they love back with more loyalty, more business and more referrals.

So if you are in sales, and we all are, I encourage you to make loving and caring about your customers your top priority. You don’t have to buy them coffee to connect your product or service with something they love. You can be the connection. You can be the bridge that connects your customer with your product or service. After all, no matter what we are selling, people are always buying our energy and making decisions based on how our energy makes them feel. And while coffee is an energy source that makes people feel good it doesn’t compare to the power of our positive energy. Look out for your customers interests. Show them you care. Do your best for them. Share the love and you’ll be so successful you’ll be able to buy your own coffee shop and give away all the coffee you want.

How do you show your customers you care?
Share your comments on our blog.

Stay Positive!
Jon

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These are uncertain times. Employees are questioning how their industry and job will be impacted by the current economy. They’re unsure about what action to take. Unfortunately this uncertainly creates what I call a VOID and my theory is that where there is a VOID negativity will fill it.

When there is a void of clear and positive communication people start to assume the worst and act accordingly. At the root, it’s all about fear. When we are uncertain, fear and negativity creep in and dominate our thoughts, behavior and actions. This leads to a lack of trust, decreased productivity, poor focus, uninspired teamwork and subpar performance. Instead of taking positive actions to thrive our teams go into survival mode and just try to survive.

That’s why I believe now, more than ever, is a time for positive leadership. Now is a time to stop obsessing about the recession, get back to basics, create a plan of action, and inspire, encourage and empower your teams. Why? Having worked with countless leaders over the years in businesses, schools and professional sports I’ve realized that great leadership is first and foremost a transfer of belief. So often the difference between success and failure is belief. Positive leaders share their belief, optimism, vision, purpose and plan with their organization and in the process they inspire and empower their teams to believe, act and execute. Positive beliefs lead to powerful plans and actions and this leads to significant results.

However, positive leadership requires more than inspirational speeches. It is a process and there are several steps you need to take to get your team on the bus and moving in the right direction.

1. Make Your Culture a Priority - Negativity and fear are knocking your people off balance. It’s time to regroup, refocus, and unite them to create a winning culture and team environment. Remember, you win in the office first. Then you win in the marketplace. With a winning team you create strength on the inside that can withstand the negativity, naysayers and adversity on the outside.

I saw this happen first hand with Atlanta Falcons last season. In the face of the Michael Vick scandal, Coach Mike Smith took charge and built a winning team by making the team culture, attitude and synergy his priority. I was brought in to help with this process and we saw and immediate and powerful impact.

2. Share a Positive Vision - It has to be clear, bold and simple so that that everyone in your organization can understand and rally around it. It also has to be relevant to the challenges you have faced and the direction you must go. As a leader you must share this vision every day with everyone in your organization and encourage your managers and employees to do the same. Invite everyone on the bus and energize them towards a common vision, goal and destination.

3. Develop a Fleet of Bus Drivers - Once you share the vision and invite everyone on the same bus then it’s essential that each person in your organization understand how they can contribute to this vision. This empowers each person to drive their own bus and generates a fleet of bus drivers with your organization all moving in the same direction with a shared vision, focus and purpose.

4. Fill the VOID…Often - Leaders, you must personally meet with your company and continually share your vision for the future and your fiscal status. Now is not a time to be in your office. Now you must be seen and heard and hear and see. Managers, communicate with your team. Let each person know where they stand. Talk about their fears. Listen to them. Explain your plan of action. Tell them how you plan to win in the marketplace. If you always fill the VOID with positive energy then negativity and fear can’t breed and grow.

5. Turn Negative Energy into Positive Solutions - Utilize your current challenges, problems and complaints as a way to generate new ideas, innovations and paths to success. Study history and you’ll find that many successful companies, products and initiatives were born during recessions and downturns. Encourage each person in your organization to ask and answer the following questions:

1. What can we learn from these challenges?

2. How can we improve because of it?

3. What opportunities does it present?

4. What actions do we need to take now?

These are uncertain times and no one can predict what the future will look like but by filling the voids with positive leadership, positive communication and positive action there is one thing you can be certain of - a future where you are stronger, wiser and better than you are today.

This isn’t a lesson for tomorrow, it’s application for today.

Which of the five strategies will you begin to implement today?

Stay Positive!
Jon

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Everything!

When asked by an interviewer to explain his success, he responded:

“I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking than me. But if we get on a treadmill together you are going to get off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple. I’m not going to be outworked.”

But what about his talent you might ask. After all, he is charismatic, funny and a great actor. Isn’t that the reason for his success? Not according to Will Smith. In fact he considers himself to be slightly above average in the talent category. Rather, he attributes his success to his work ethic.

You may be surprised to hear this because popular opinion says that successful people who have risen to the top of their profession got there because “they were lucky” or “they were chosen” or “they were born with more talent than everyone else.” We overestimate their talent and we underestimate our own. In my research for Training Camp I found that people such as Will Smith are not super human and they don’t have some mutant gene that makes them better. What makes them stand out is that they work harder. It’s really that simple. When others are sleeping, they are working. When others are wasting time, they are improving. When others are scattering their energy they are practicing and zoom focusing.

Of course talent is necessary to excel at something but natural ability will only take someone so far. The key is to infuse one’s talent with hard work, passion and a drive for excellence.

So what does Will Smith have to do with you?

Everything!

If you want to take your career or “game” to the next level you must be willing to pay the price that greatness requires. You must be willing to work harder than everyone you know. There’s no easy shortcut. Hard Work has been, is and always will be the key to anyone’s success. To be your best you must invest all that you are to become everything you wish to be. Will Smith knows it and now you know it.

Are you willing to pay the price? Let’s hop on the treadmill together!

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Download a free “I Am Willing to Pay the Price” poster.

One leader at Volvo Construction equipment posted a poster on his door that said “I Am Willing to Pay the Price that Greatness Requires”. Then he had everyone on his team sign the poster so every time they went to his office they saw the poster and their signature. Click the poster image to see a larger view.

Stay Positive!
Jon

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Most people think that the best live a life of blissful ease and bask in the glow of their success but that is not the case. Rather the best are always thinking of ways they can take their “game” to the next level and they’re always pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

You can do the same. You just have to be willing to be uncomfortable. You have to stop retreating to the safety and comfort of the status quo. You have to embrace change and uncertainty. You have to see yourself as a work in progress, an unfinished master piece that is still being shaped and molded. And you have to give yourself permission to fail as strive to be your best. It’s a process and it’s not always fun but it’s worth it.

Are you willing to be uncomfortable? What steps will you take to move beyond your comfort zone. Share your thoughts here.

Stay Positive!
- Jon

P.S. If you have trouble pushing yourself out of your comfort zone find a coach to help you. Great coaches push people out of their comfort zone and help them reach beyond their self created limitations.

Article from June 1, 2009 Newsletter:
http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-060109-uncomfortable.html

I Believe in You from Jon Gordon on Vimeo.

Be humble. Don’t think you know it all. See yourself as a life-long learner who is always seeking ways to learn, grow and improve.

Be humble. See everyone as a teacher and learn from everyone you meet.

Be humble. Be open to new ideas and strategies to take your life and work to the next level.

Be humble. When people tell you that you are great don’t let it go to your head. And when they tell you that you stink, don’t let it go to your head.

Be humble. Because the minute you think you have arrived at the door of greatness it will get shut in your face.

Be hungry. Live and work with a passion to continuously improve and set new goals and milestones.

Be hungry. Seek out new ideas, new strategies and new innovations to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Be hungry. Invest the time, energy, sweat and dedication to be your best.

Be hungry. Focus on being the best you can be and strive to get better every day.

Be hungry. Because you can’t ignite the world unless a fire is burning inside you.

Be hungry. With a commitment to pay the price that greatness requires.

As I shared this advice with the young man I hoped he wouldn’t just remember it for now but for the rest of his life because being humble and hungry is not only meant for the young but for all of us who want to be our best. Whether you are in business, education, healthcare, the ministry, the arts or sports… remember to stay humble and hungry and everything else will take care of itself.

What would you add to this list? What advice would you give to a college grad? Share here.

Be Your Best,
- Jon