Friday, October 2, 2009

BRIAN TRACY'S THREE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING

From my Brian Tracy newsletter: great for coaches, players, managers, all those involved with your program:

The following three strategies are simple, and they are also extremely powerful. However, they require consistent and skillful application in order for your personal strategic plan to become reality.

These are the exact same changes that an individual must make in order to create personal change, that a company must make in order to create a lasting competitive advantage, and that a community must make in order to best serve its citizens.

Step One—Raise Your Standards
Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. Simply put, you MUST expect and demand more from yourself and from those around you. That means having zero tolerance for mediocrity, procrastination, and any behavior that robs you of potential and increased performance.

Step Two—Change Your Limiting Beliefs
If you raise your standards but don't really believe you can meet them, then you've already sabotaged yourself. This is one of the biggest challenges people face when constructing their personal plan. Why? Because you won't even try; you'll be lacking that sense of certainty that allows you to tap the deepest capacity that's within you even as you read these words. Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands; telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and cannot do. They shape every action, every thought, and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief system is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives.

Step Three—Change Your Strategy
In order to keep your commitment, you need the best strategies for achieving results. One of my core beliefs is that if you set a higher standard, and you can get yourself to believe, then you certainly can figure out the strategies. You simply will find a way. I can tell you with confidence that the absolute best strategy in almost any case is to find a role-model, someone who's already getting the results you want, and then tap into their knowledge. If you don't have one, you must find a coach or mentor.