Bill Nelson

So here we are for the last time in 2008. And for this auspicious occasion we are getting into the second part of the information that will hopefully bring perspective and understanding from 2008 and help you prepare, implement and pursue an even better 2009.

Remember last month I said to you that my philosophy of coaching/leadership has been based around the following:

"That each individual has a certain amount of ability. It is my job to get them to acknowledge, to understand and to respect that ability. Each and everyday they must do what they can to maximise that ability without compromise."

So it was this principle that led to the content of the blog from last month and to the continuation of it for this month.

Its Purpose?

To raise in you an appreciation for the ability, the knowledge and the opportunities that you have available to you, and then for me to do what I can to see you maximise those opportunities in every way.

So as we bring 2008 to a close here is some further information from me to you to help you realise your potential in 2009.

6. AS GOOD AS YOU ARE, BETTER IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE



This is a statement I have made many times during my career. There is nothing magical about the realisation that better is available, in fact it is fairly obvious to most. The real test is not in realising that better is available but in believing that you can be better and taking the necessary steps to see it realised.

7. TRAIN TO WIN



As part of an athletes pursuit of success they have to continuously put their body through a rigorous training regime. Each and every day, applying a different, and in most cases a new stress on individual muscles so they will be developed to their full potential. Each time developing the capacity required to deliver either the power, endurance or speed that is needed.

My purpose is to ask you; how will you continue to train ? What type of training program will you develop too continually train and increase the capacity within you?

What type of exercises will you incorporate into your training regime?

• Reading


• Motivational and inspirational CD's, audio tapes DVD's and videos


• Attend lectures and conferences


• Play games-Chess, draughts, cluedo, pictionary, cards


• Become part of a mentoring group


• Get a coach (Contact Bill?)


• Do crossword puzzles


• Spend time conversing and understanding people


• Resource information on the Internet

But after doing this for a prolonged period of time I know this to be true that those that are committed to the pursuit of success don't just go out and train their regime has purpose and it has meaning they do what I call deliberate practise that is everything they do has a reason.

8. WHERE IS THE REAL LEARNING



In recent times I have had reason to have to explain to a number of clients the theory behind my belief that true education is not just from the material that you study but also from the education and the gaining of skills that you acquire on the pursuit of that educational outcome.

You see the first thing to understand in all of this is, although the outcome that you achieve or the education topic that you become proficient at, is a significant addition to ones individual knowledge base. The bottom line is, this information or knowledge is one dimensional. In saying that it is one dimensional I mean, if you learn about something, then you learn about it, nothing else. However the skills, the attitudes that were required to gain this knowledge are able then to be applied to many other areas of life, hence
their benefit is multi dimensional.

All of the outcomes and lessons you will learn from these will be important, but take a look at what you learn along the way and where and how this education can be transferred into other areas of life.

9. ON IT NOT IN IT



For the last couple of years probably one of the most used questions in regard to business and business owners. Are you working in your business or on it?

More often than not, the question is asked to highlight the fact that the person concerned is probably spending too much time doing things within the business and not enough time planning where the business is going or analysing where the business is at.

But as we are not all in that position in our professional lives that question may not apply to all in this context. So what I would like to do is change the question slightly and then aim it straight back at you.

Are you working in your life or on it?

Rather than just working the day to day in your life and all that it brings, what can you do to start working on it? What can you do to start identifying specific outcomes you might
desire?

What are some of the things we should look at to develop better personal prosperity? Although not a complete list, here are some of what I believe are the key elements.

• Personal prosperity


• Develop vision


• Develop a philosophy


• Develop standards


• Develop guidelines


• Develop integrity


• Develop character


• Develop communication


• Develop true perspective


• Develop belief


• Develop truth


• Develop enjoyment


• Develop understanding


• Develop reality


• Develop tolerance


• Develop honesty


• Develop perseverance


• Develop commitment


• Develop discipline


• Develop personal responsibility


• Develop forgiveness


• Develop goals and aspirations


• Develop fun

As you can already see there are some challenges within this list and I am quite sure that you have already thought of other things to add to the list. Fantastic, but don't just think about it. Do something about it.

10. WHERE WILL YOUR SUCCESS COME FROM



Is your success because of your system or inspite of it?

This is a question I ask people each and everyday. But what is it that should go into that system? What are the key elements that is going to allow you to go ahead confidently?

a. Goals, Targets, Outcomes,
Call them what you will. But basically your system has to have you working towards something.

b. Process, Strategy, Blueprint
How is it you are going to achieve these goals or outcomes? What do you have to do and how?

c. Discipline, Commitment, Dedication
What will you have to personally do to see these goals or outcomes realised?

d. Attitude, Mindset, Focus
How tough, how committed, how focussed will you have to be to see these goals or outcomes become a reality?

e. Price, Toll, Cost
Each and every goal you purse will come at a price. What will the price be for these goals? Time, energy, enthusiasm, skill.

f. Skills, Knowledge, Experience
Of course there will be a certain requirement of skill, insight or experience. What is it you need? Do you have it? Where can you get it?

g. Influences, Distractions, Impact
What are the things that can help you and or hinder your progress? How, where and why will they come about? To what degree can they really effect what you are doing?

h. Awareness, Understanding, Insight
What is going on around you and why? What could happen along this journey and why?

i. Timeline, Deadline,
When is this goal to be achieved? What is the time line for each stage of the process? Do you have any breathing space?

j. Roles, Rank, Delegation
Who is going to do what? How are they going to do it and why?

k. Analysis, Scoreboard, Statistics
Other than the goals being achieved how is it that you know you are on the right path? How will you monitor and analyse performance?

l. Accountability, Answerability, Responsibility
What is accountability as it relates to these goals and outcomes? Is the process of accountability relevant, specific, fair? Does the process of accountability work towards the end result?

11. LIFE, PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE



Take a minute to ask these and other questions so that you can get 2008 and what has happened into some type of order and detail.

• Did you achieve what you set out to do in 2008?


• What was your motivation to see it achieved?


• Which people helped you the most and why?


• Do you like what you achieved in 2008?


• Were your standards at the right levels?


• Did the completion of you goals bring you the result and the feeling that you were looking for?


• What did you learn about yourself in 2008?


• What lessons from 2008 can you apply in 2009?


• Are there goals from 2008 that should also transfer to 2009?


• What will you need to change from 2008 to get a better result for yourself in 2009?


• Did you judge your success against your results or against your potential?

One of the great things about life is you have the opportunity to make choices. There will be no better choice that you can make, than to determine what it is you want out of the year 2009 and then what it is you will have to do to see it realised.

By doing this, ultimately the goals you will set for 2009 will be a reflection of the life you want?

Now before we get into 2009 let me just take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support of Total Performance Concepts in 2008.

You have a choice to what information you access and we feel very privileged that you continue to select TPC as a source of information and inspiration. We will be back in 2009 with some new ideas for you.

In the meantime all the very best for the upcoming Christmas/New Year season and I wish you and those around you a very safe, enjoyable, and successful 2009.

Regards,
Bill

P.S. The Journey Continues!