Citius, Altius, Fortius

This is the motto from the Olympics which means "Swifter, Higher, Stronger". Think of the Olympian, who by definition is one of the world's elite athletes, arriving on the competitive stage with all the other elite athletes from other countries. The focus that each competitor must have is surely intense. What could be a better mantra to focus on than, Citius, Altius, Fortius?

As I work toward my pursuit of personal excellence, I have to constantly remind myself to avoid complacency. I think it is a natural tendency to relax our focus at times - especially right after achieving a monumental goal. It is difficult to only have a brief celebration and then engage 100% again on a new goal.

I have heard this explained as the "Thermometer Effect". Basically it is assumed that everyone has a "setting" at which they operate... just like we may set the thermometer for air conditioning or heating. As we go through our years of work, we find that we have instances where we may be above the setting, or below the setting. An example could be that in sales, we are working hard to win new business, and meet the quota, etc. We may put in extra work that results in achieving an outcome high above the goal - We may have become HOT! So, our thermostat kicks in and begins to "COOL" us down subconciously. We may find that our efforts are more relaxed and the ensuing results bring us back to the average setting at which we are comfortable.

So, how do we reset our thermostat? Using a reminder, such as "Citius, Altius, Fortius" may be the thing we need. Especially if it links us emotionally to the big hairy audacious goal we are aiming for. As I am pursuing my personal best in many aspects of my life, I am looking for those emotional anchors that will allow me to consistently attain my objectives more frequently and at a more rapid pace. Be Excellent!

"Leave it all on the court"

I heard this phrase so many times as I have played sports through the years, especially from playing highschool basketball for four years. A Coach's job is to develop each individual player to perform to his/her best and to help the team work as a cohesive group that performs at an even higher level together so they can beat all opponents. In life, we must develop that coach within ourselves.

During basketball season, our practices consisted of running drill after drill, scrimmaging, running plays, and then repeating for about 2-3 hours everyday. At the end of each practice, we would line up on the baseline and run "suicides". [This is a drill in which you run back and forth touching all the lines on the court in under 30 seconds] After several of those, the coach would pick a teammate and have them shoot a free throw while they were tired. If the shot went "in" we were done and could go shower... If the shot missed we ran more suicides. Coaches would always share analogies about our work ethic in practice and how it would relate to the game situations and real life, and I remember them saying when we were dead tired to "leave it all on the court".

We can apply this concept to our lives - work, relationships, family, volunteer work, church, etc. Last week was one of those tough weeks for me... I had so many different things to do, important presentations to prepare and deliver, something crucical for each of my clients that needed to be done NOW. As I spoke with my manager throughout the week, he realized that I was putting in the 15 -20 hours each day to get everything done. One night I woke up at 2:30am thinking about what I was going to present at noon the next day - I had not prepared the slide deck that was to be delivered because I could not decide on the right way to deliver my message. But, at 2:30am the ideas started to flow. As that happened, I lay there thinking how I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again for another hour, which would only leave another 30 mins before I was going to get up at 4am... So, I decided to start my day at 2:30am. I remember thinking that I can only do my best, and if it weren't good enough then I could be content knowing that I did everything that I could. I had laid it all on the court! I got up and went to my office and got busy -- prepared my slides and delivered my presentation to my client at noon. All went extremely well!

So, at the end of the week was I tired? Sure. The physical laws of nature and biology didn't evaporate. But, did I survive? Absolutely! And, now I am on to another week that was built upon the last. There is still a huge mountain to climb in front of me, but I know that I can conquer that mountain one step at a time. And, I know that I am not the only one who faces these types of challenges, so I hope any readers of this blog will gain the courage to keep pressing forward in their goals. Onward and upward!

Ok. Now off for a quick 5 mile run before sitting back down to do some work!

BHAGs (pronounced BEE-hag)

Do you have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal? I was introduced to this concept from my previous employer who promoted the books written by Jim Collins. Even though the book focuses on what makes companies great, I think the principles shared can be applied to the individual pursuit of personal excellence.

A BHAG is a form of vision statement "...an audacious 10-to-30-year goal to progress towards an envisioned future." "A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines." —Collins and Porras, 1996

I am working on developing my own Big Hairy Audacious Goal which will encompass all the aspects which I am writing about in my book, but at this point I will share one stretch goal which pertains to my physical health and competitive spirit... I will compete in an IronMan Triathalon within the next 3 years. For those who may not be familiar it is a race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a marathon run(26.2 miles) raced in that order and without a break.

At this point I don't know how I will accomplish the goal, I will work to find how I can fit the necessary training into my busy life. But, I know that stating a goal and working towards it is the first step. I welcome any who have met the IronMan challenge to share their experiences with me. It must be remembered that in our efforts to improve our personal best, we can gain from the experiences of others. I look forward to hearing yours.