“DO” less “BE” more

Often when people want to know how we earn our living they will ask; what do you do? This is because most people see earning a living as work and work is supposed to be hard and painful. It is something that you must put a lot of effort into and still produce average. They do not believe it must be easy, yet those who are the best at what they do are said to make look easy what others struggle to do. There is a difference between being and doing besides the obvious.

Being refers to allowing what one already is-- it is freedom in performance. Doing is trying to be- it is an attempt at the real thing. Doing is therefore a struggle. This is why the better question to ask when you want to know how a person earns their living will be, What are you? But then again, you might confuse the situation with that because most people are doing which is why we have more average performers than high performers. This idea is better explained by my favorite performance theorist Abraham Maslow with his self-actualization idea;

“Self-actualization is the intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the organism is”. (Psychological Review, 1949)

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.” (Motivation and Personality, 1954.)

When a person is endowed with natural skills and naturally gravitates towards something, all his resources both internal and external must be directed at that specific activity. This gives him a head start when others have to struggle to pick up the basics. This when polished by training intensifies the level of skills so that a task becomes effortless. This is the difference between peak performance and what some refer to as hard work with the former being the most potent. Being also means to be united with something-- an occupation for our purpose. It is when a person is so good at something he becomes an icon for that activity. This comes about because of the depth of his involvement in that activity.  When one unites with the task he begins to access a new level of intelligence as the task begins to reveal its secrets to him. His love for that vocation is rewarded with the love of the vocation and they are united as in a kind of performance intercourse. As a general rule, love begets love and lover is likely to divulge her secrets only to the love of her life.

So that Lionel Messi is an icon of football because of the depth of his involvement and the quality of his output. This depth has a lot to do with love. For this he receives the best reward football can give. Such persons when undertaking the tasks, sheds all their physiological needs and travels to a place in the mind where there is total bliss as the task tends to be the only thing that matters. A sense of security and happiness also creeps in; so much so that working for the sheer enjoyment is primary and monetary gains become secondary. It is a kind of Occupational orgasm that is experienced by so few people, it is a rarity.

A person in the being state enjoys focus, persistence and determination all by default and never by effort. When a person is doing, they need to create focus. Creating focus becomes a task in itself as it needs to be cultivated with effort. Whiles this can be really difficult, it also reduces the amount of energy actually spent on performing the task itself. The effort to create focus could have been better spent on performing the task itself. This can be compared to putting some task on autopilot so you can direct all your energy into what you are really about. The feeling is similar to spending time with someone you don’t really like and having to tolerate them. You struggle to maintain a conversation. The conversation itself becomes stressful and may often lead to conflict.

Words like determination and persistence imply friction. It means forcing oneself to do something they are not made for. Any kind of friction leads to faster wear and tear which equals stress in humans. Stress on the other hand is known to be responsible for most diseases and an unhappy life. One’s life becomes difficult and going to work or undertaking a task requires a lot of effort in the middle of pain and reluctance. Even the people at work are not friendly and the world becomes a burden. All things being equal a person who performs the same task effortlessly will always be ahead while a persistent person may think of himself as working hard with little or no results. When one experiences this feeling, it will be time to re-examine the motives behind one’s involvement in the specific task or vocation. From the above we must see that a person who has identified his or her life purpose is a more likely to attain peak performance.

Being also has spiritual dimension. In his book “the Tao of Jeet Kune Do” Bruce Lee the world famous martial artist wrote about a psychological state: where actions become effortless. In martial arts, students are taught to be united with a punch in order to produce maximum impact. They are encouraged to pack every inch of energy (ki or spirit) in their very being into one punch so that for a split second, the whole being is concentrated in the one punch- unity. This makes possible the breaking of bricks and the other seemingly impossible things they do.  The potential of a punch then goes beyond what can be seen and it is at its best when it is united with that which cannot be seen. When one’s energies (both physical and non-physical) are disconnected, the impact of the punch is reduced to the amount of physical strength exerted and the effect is minimal. Because of this the student must first clear their minds of everything else in order to focus on that which matters. It is a mastery over the various dimensions of one’s very being. It is a complete control over internal and external resources in a determined direction. It is therefore the unity of the two- the tangible and the intangible that ensures maximum impact. When the balance is right one requires little or no effort at all to create miracles. This is what happens with those we call geniuses. In this state one is inseparable with the task at hand. It is the state where something greater has taken over the operation of the person and he does not know where the information, creativity and performance is coming from. It is when one finds it difficult to stop even to meet bodily needs. Actions become effortless and output surpasses normal and one beats their personal best.

Eastern philosophers refer is to a state of mind as the "action of inaction" or "doing without doing". This is the same state referred to as flow by Czicksentmihalyi. Many high performers have described this state as having occurred to them in various disciplines including athletics.

"No longer conscious of my movement, I discovered a new unity with nature. I had found a new source of power and beauty, a source I never dreamt existed."

Those were the words of Roger Banister in description of the state he was in when he first achieved the four minute mile record. He tells us what he is

I was always a great bundle of energy. As a child, instead of walking, I would run. And so running, which is a pain to a lot of people, was always a pleasure to me because it was so easy.

In running therefore he was being. The expression be yourself is therefore well placed. It must be clear at this point that it is in this state of mind that one is able to go what is described as the extra mile and explains why it is very difficult for others to achieve this no matter how well known the idea itself is. Being the best we can be is therefore not a matter of just knowing and practicing a trade. It is about being the trade. It is perfect unity only found in the action of inaction. Scientifically this has been proven.

The following questions help you make a valuable assessment.

Re examine the reasons why you are involved in your current occupation and clearly explain how it makes you feel.

Does it allow you to be your best consistently?

Is there another occupation you think you can be better at and why?

Do you have trouble focusing on your work?
Interested in a One month free performance coaching?  

Email the answers to  info@csdafrica.com to join our no-obligation,  one month free performance coaching program.

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A bag full of confidence

A bag-full of confidence

The lessons I have learnt from the man Usain Bolt since he got on the track is mind blowing if you consider the fact that all he has done really;  is run a race that lasted for less than a minute. This also demonstrates the quantum of meaning that can be captured from a single event. It demonstrates the infinite nature of life and learning. Nothing really has limits because within those seconds of sprinting lies a wealth of learning- I must not stray too far. This one is about confidence-- one thing Mr. Bolt has never been short of as far doing what he does best is concerned. My warning though is that this article will disappoint you if you are looking for the usual discussion on confidence.

The titans of performance theory insist that one of the key influences on performance is confidence. It is born out of the belief that one is capable and that one is doing the right thing based on the right choice. Confidence sits comfortably at the very foundation of any achievement. Now if we take away belief from most of the great achievers in the history of mankind, it is possible that the world as we know it will come crumbling down into something significantly different. Belief triggers action and confidence ensure engagement with certainty and power. So if confidence is so important why is it so lacking. Is it a deficiency from birth? In my work as a performance coach, I have had the opportunity to peek under the hood working with some individuals. Knowing that it is generated by various elements of our very being makes it almost shocking that it is in such short supply. It appears though that, we all start off with a bag-full but somewhere along the way, some loose theirs whiles others grow theirs. The factors responsible for this are both internal and external.

With confidence, you have won before you have started - Marcus Mosiah Garvey

Information is a key trigger that releases confidence. When we see somebody with extreme confidence we must begin to ask; what does this person know or perhaps a more loaded question will be; what he or she is thinking? On the part of the honorable Bolt, being raised in a country that produces more world class sprinters than most nations is a key driving factor although not the only one. He has the benefit of many forerunners. Besides that he also has feedback from his trainers, friends and family that ensures his certainty about what he is involved in.

In a documentary I saw recently, Bolt made a profound statement about how having a capability like his can help him play his role in society. The depth of his awareness was interesting given he was only twenty three years old when he made the statement. Most importantly it seems he understood the idea of “Autonomy within integration”. Does this build confidence? The untrained mind could easily be fooled into saying no. But the kind of power such an almost esoteric idea holds is incredible if you understand it correctly. I shall address the matter in a later writing but here is what it means to have confidence based on your integration with a larger whole.

To get the most out of ourselves, we must first understand that:
We all have roles to play and we do need to identify this role in order to fulfill the grand mission that though we are a part of, is beyond us (please do not say this is confusing). We need to acknowledge the unity of all things and how the whole is greater than ourselves- an idea which was captured beautifully by Ken Wilber’s and his Holons idea. This demands that we have a good understanding of ourselves as units of a larger whole with a purpose we must serve in order for the whole to work. This makes us important instantly. Any level of distortion in this area will lead to ambiguity and confusion; and confusion saps confidence and negatively affects performance. We need clarity of purpose, and an awareness that transcends everything else in order to formulate the basis of our very existence. Knowing what power we posses and how to use it; builds confidence, self appreciation and the self esteem we need to engage with power. Confidence rest within the bigger picture of thought in which there is such a thing as internal dialogue. So that what we tell ourselves plays a role but its true source of power is knowledge of ourselves and the larger system we are a part of as well as the certainty of our roles in the larger scheme of things. This is what I have broken down in my writing as occupational and life performance.

If we truly understand the nature of our being as spirits in material bodies, we will know what we are capable of. This is an experience like no other. If we lack confidence therefore, we need to know that it is an absence of self knowledge, and that we are capable of correcting this by changing the images we have of ourselves.

We also need awareness of the much talked about incredible power that lies within and what it is capable of and how to activate it. We need to know the mechanism we posses that can enable the expression this power. We need to know that the use of this power is not just about us; but feeds into a larger picture. And that we are interconnected with everything else as we are made of the one substance. And that our reward depends on the extent to which we have served our purpose in the grand scheme of things as it comes from the larger entity (please do not say this is confusing either).

We need to know; that our very existence depends on the existence of others and as such, there is no need for losers. That we are not here to serve the same purposes, our unique combination will depict a unique mission very different from the next person and therefore we cannot be in competition with each other. Instead, serving each other is where our survival truly lies. Goals must not in any way go against the progress of humanity as a whole as it will mean defect and the effect cannot be a good one. In order to reach high performance therefore, we must live a mission that serves the larger purpose. Living a mission in my experience makes life painless and almost effortless, for every single step you take feels good because it is purposeful. The mission must excite you enough to wake you up in the morning on the right side of your bed almost every day. Your attitude towards this mission must be outrageous in a good way and your high level of discipline must be almost by default.

People around you must be amazed because they cannot understand why you can be so into something they might consider worthless. They don’t understand why walking in the forest all day can be a sensible thing to do. They don’t understand why a certain river is of such concern to you. They don’t understand why a grown man can spend so much time with children. They don’t understand why that building fascinates you so much. Of course they don’t.  They can’t. Yet your confidence that the one thing you must do is spend all your time studying one building must remain intact courtesy internal dialogue. Nothing can shake it. No one can see what you can see. It is a lonely yet exhilarating journey full of certainty.

It is then and only then that the building will begin to reveal its secrets to you. It is then that any occupation will start rewarding you with its treasures. The more you get out of the building or the occupation, the more your confidence will grow. Many only saw the Bolt when he ran in the Beijing Olympic. He has been running much longer than that. He has faced many challenges including loosing races he was expected to win. Some people lose their confidence at that point.

If you have trouble believing how delicate this confidence issue can be, scan through the list of world class athletes, politicians, and others you think of as great people. Find out how many challenges they have had and how their confidence has failed them in the most crucial moments. And how they have had to be rescued by those who understand what is happening to them. Anthony Robbins is in possession of such a list. There is a reason why you are weird and you understanding of it will give you the confidence you need.

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Meet Peak Performance PT 1 | Occupational orgasm

Not a day goes by without one person asking me what this whole peak performance thing is all about. That’s because not a day goes by without someone referring to me as a motivational speaker and I have to quickly correct them. I have tried to answer the question in many ways and this article will be another attempt to bring clarity to the matter.

We have all had that magical moment when you did something beyond what you believed to be our standard. That moment when you surprised yourself and everyone else; you felt fantastic and rightfully so. It is a powerful moment when you felt on top of the world. Not even superman could stop you. The downside of this phenomenon is that, whiles it is impossible to forget, it also seems impossible to repeat. You have thought about it and longed for it to happen again but that has at best, remained an exercise in futility. So you gave up and called it a fluke. Perhaps you have even imagined what a wonderful life you will have if you can repeat it regularly and permanently be this phenomenal person. Won’t it be wonderful?

That is peak performance and here is a piece of comforting news; according to psychologists this moment can be repeated consistently if you could trace all the events that led to it and follow it again to the letter. It is a state of mind that triggers a physical output that has always been there. You just didn't know. For this reason it can be triggered at will only if you knew how. In most cases one will need the help of an expert – a coach. Someone who understands the mechanism that creates the state in which this peak performance can be experienced and how to create it at will. There are many people who experience it almost by default. Whiles it appears to be natural for some, some have found it by accident. Others are very aware of it and have taken steps to find it. Yet many are they who know nothing about it all (You will not among that lot from today).

Most people do not know that some of the world’s top performers go through certain specific routines before they engage. Many have personal coaches who ensure they are always tuned up to perform at their peak. It doesn't really matter what it is they are involved in. An entrepreneur needs a performance coach as much as an athlete does.

In sports they refer to it as being in "the zone”. Some refer to it as "flow". It is when you enjoyed what you are doing so much that you become one with the task you are performing. You are functioning from somewhere deep within. You are so united with the task that you seem to be on autopilot. The feeling is earth shattering. Writers experience this very often: that moment when you are punching away on a keyboard and you do not even know where the information is coming from. You totally ignore all the physiological needs and you continue to type as if that is all there is to life. You do not want to stop! You cannot see a separate you from what you are doing. You and the task are one. You have found beauty and it is worth dying for so you give it the best and you do not even have to try. Actually it is not you trying to do something anymore. It is something using you to manifest itself. It is what I described in my book “the philosophy of peak performance” as occupational orgasm. You can experience this feeling regardless of what you do. The world’s best psychologists have studied it and shared their findings with the world. It is not a secret anymore and you too can learn to be the best that’s possible for you to be in your occupation and in your larger life.

Roger Banister is one person who describes this very clearly. His comment after his four-minuet-mile record is one of my very favorite quotes ever;

"No longer conscious of my movement, I discovered a new unity with nature. I had found a new source of power and beauty, a source I never dreamt existed."

Please readthe part two here. I noticed long articles are intimidating for some so I broke them into parts for easy reading. That’s because I really want you to get this thing.:)

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The Cain and Abel of the Expectation bloodline

Expectation has two offspring; disappointment and confidence. As with any family there is always a favorite which ironically happen to be disappointment in our scenario. Strange you might think—well it is in fact the case that we spend more time on our disappointment than its older brother.  Confidence is the first of the two and disappoint is the last; you know what they say about last babies. Disappointment gets the most attention for most people and there is a reason why. People tend to remember the bad things more than the good ones. Like most last babies, too much attention breeds some sort of a negative behavior. 

If you have ever been disappointed you know it is because of your expectation. You also know that your expectation has given you confidence either to do or not to do something in other situations. Disappointment themselves are not always a bad thing so you may want to consider not throwing out the proverbial baby with the bath water. Very often, we find later that the disappointment we cried about was in fact, a blessing in disguise.  Go through your list of major disappointments and you will find a few that will make you feel foolish for crying. It is not everything we think we need that is the best for us. And it is not true when we decide to think we cannot live without someone or something. Spousal disappointments are probably the most devastating and I have had a few of my own.  There are many stories about people who have ended up in mental hospitals because of non-conforming spouses. The depression list is much longer. Of the many women I know who have suffered this; most have later decided that they didn’t really need him anyway. They are in fact better off without the man they wanted to die for. They soon learn that there is a better man and a world of new possibilities awaiting them.

In the final analysis, it is expectation that is the root of the problem. Even when the signs are as clear as day light, we choose to hope for the best. That’s the other one— HOPE is an accomplice in this matter. Well the signs are always a warning of what is coming but we choose to ignore them; not necessarily because we want to give the benefit of the doubt—that will be more purposeful. But more because we are comfortable leaving the work to others and we do not really want to shift from expectation’s comfort zone.

Humans love predictability. If we didn’t, prophets won’t have a job and they do get a lot of clients I can tell you that. People go to very serious lengths to be able to know and control the future. They want to shape it to meet their expectations.  We are more comfortable and confident when we think we can predict what will happen next. So we expect a spouse to do this and that. We expect staff to do this and that- after all what are you paying them for? We expect a friend to do this and that— yeah what are friends for? We expect good customer service— doesn’t the book say we are entitled to it. We expect everything and when they fail, the emotional price is quite high if we do not know what to do. Disappointment is on the loose and he is no easy child to control. His cuts are deep and almost impossible to forget. Since our lives are full of expectations (and we need them), it doesn’t appear to be something we can get away from. This means that we are going to experience a lot of disappointments and you probably have a few stories of your own. The emotional price can take a very heavy toll on your performance in your occupation and larger life. Don’t forget to run the race, you must shed the weight. Emotional baggages are among the worst kind and they without a shadow of doubt force low performance.

Think of a team member who is depressed all the time because his wife is cheating. Or maybe his children won’t do what he wants.   This person might not give their work all the attention it needs forcing team members to do more to fill the gap. Some people even have the wonderful talent of turning their problems into other people’s problems forcing the whole team to slow down. They infect others with their emotional viruses. One depressed person can depress a whole team with their negative thoughts and its attendant negative attitude and before you can say Nkrumah, one kiss refused at home has evolved into a corporate disaster.

So how do we maintain performance in the face of the endless network of emotions that surround any environment with human beings in it?  The solution starts with being aware of emotions themselves; how they are generated and how they affect performance. This helps to develop a management system. There are only two kinds of emotions and they are both generated from the two kinds of thoughts—negative and positive. Like generates like. Knowing what to think to generate the right emotions that will result in the right action is emotional intelligence (EI). The creator of EI (Daniel Goelman) asserts that success becomes more certain for people with high emotional intelligence. The person who is high on the EI scale also exhibits very good social intelligence and hence is socio-emotionally competent. He knows how to navigate around people to ensure they don’t become obstacles and ensures that an emotion doesn’t slow his performance. This also means he knows how to manage others well enough to ensure their emotional baggage are not transferred over. Since people are the key actors in the performance of organisations, we must see how this issue is important for organizational output. Machines are only as good as the people who man. This makes it prudent to invest more in people than in machines to ensure high performance.

To finish off, here is a promise I can make you with my head on the line: You will experience countless disappointment in all aspects of your life. Even in your bedroom. In fact you have already experienced so many already, it is shocking you are not used to it. The solution is to develop a way of managing expectations and its trouble child while maintaining your confidence. Emotions are the results of thoughts and they express themselves in our actions. No bearer of negative thoughts is able to give their best.  EI therefore is a major influence on both occupational and life performance. By all means, have expectation; in fact engage her to Hope. Because without them, you might be discouraged from taking action and we don’t want that.  No one does something for nothing and that includes you. To improve your performance however, you must learn to manage disappointment with big brother confidence. It is how you will be able to identify the famous hidden opportunities that hide behind the notorious disappointment. Like any spoilt child, he is not all bad- listen carefully to what he has to say and choose wisely or he will take you off your performance track.  It is no coincidence that the two are from the same source and you must understand the source very well. Emotional intelligence makes you more powerful and makes your success in your occupation and larger life more certain. The uptimetrics® training program includes Socio-emotional competence testing and development as part of the information management module. Join us in our next training program for more.

Answering the following questions is a great way to start.

Email the answers to  info@csdafrica.com to join our no-obligation,  one month free performance coaching program.

Recall a major disappointment in your life?
What was the feeling that came with it?
How did it affect friends and family?
How did it affect your performance at work?
How would you handle things differently if the situation repeats itself?

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Gain jet-speed performance with Compact Thinking

Compact thinking develops the mindset that insists on things being tightly put together-- nothing is left loose. It requires one to ensure a well-structured life where every asset is useful and focused on a set objective. Unnecessary gaps, loose components and unsure destinations have no place in the scheme of things if performance is desired.

Often we are not aware of the things that weigh us down and stop us from giving our best. Consider the case of an athlete who is wearing heavy clothes and high heeled shoes.  Perhaps even carrying a backpack whiles trying to win a hundred meter race. You can’t even imagine it- I know? Athletes do not dress like that for a race and there is a reason why. They strip till they are almost on birthday suit level and they run in very light shoes designed to ensure fast movement of the feet. Everything about them is organized to lose baggage and make them as light as possible. Well… the idea is simple: lighter is faster. It is the reason high performance cars now have engine blocks made of aluminum and TVRs have fiberglass bodies. It makes them lighter and hence faster. It allows the full performance of the engine to be released as it has less to carry.  You can do the same for great results in your current occupation and larger life.

However, compact thinking is not only about minimizing your baggage or weight. Most importantly it is about tightening the loose screws and a careful selection of essential tools and maximizing their application. This part of the idea while simple can also be tricky. There are a countless number of tools out there but what you really need is one that can give you the maximum while demanding very little from you.  Tools must not become liabilities and they can. A long distance biker knows he needs water to keep him going but he doesn't bring a whole drum with him; he brings a bottle. He needs to secure himself so brings a helmet with him albeit an aerodynamic and light one so it doesn't rob him of speed.

There are those who walk around with tools that they do not need. Take for example a person who cannot read but walks around with an iPhone and a blackberry. These are advanced Smartphone’s that have very powerful capabilities and hence cost lots of money. They are however, rendered useless in the wrong hands. In my estimation, many only use 10% of our phones leaving the 90% capability to waste and yet the price remains the same. The two phones will set them back some $1000 or more but we will insist on having them just to belong- the need to belong is an emotional baggage. Besides walking around with two to three phones makes it easy to lose one and this happens a lot. This is a financial leakage that can affect performance in more than one way. 

Case in point:  Take a secretary who has access to a desktop computer at work. She also has two Smartphones in her handbag. She may have a laptop before she got a tablet. Sometimes she even has a desktop at home. Not to mention the digital camera and iPod she also has stashed away somewhere.  The total cost of her gear can be estimated at some $5000 and that doesn’t include maintenance (two phones means two bills). Yet she might complain about finances. It is a clear case of a lack of financial intelligence; a key cylinder that needs to fire at full capacity if one is to hit the peak. It is a leakage in a person’s life and until blocked will continue to affect output. $5000 is better invested in a financial instrument.

Compact thinking in this case will be having a really good high-end Smartphone that does it all. Perhaps having a decent laptop may solve the rest of the computing problems. The argument is that often these gadgets are barely used and will cost more money to keep. The tools in these devices when used will help improve performance in many ways but they must be focused and not scattered. You don’t need more than one calendar or appointment scheduler. You will struggle to find valuable information. It is easier to manage when it is all in one place. Synchronize your smart phone with your laptop and liquidate the rest of your gear. Upgrade your phone to a better one when the time is right.

There are those who prefer a very expensive 4.0 liter engine car to drive around town everyday burning a lot of fuel when they might be better off with a good quality smaller car with less consumption, maintenance and parking problems. Compact thinking is not being stingy and old fashioned. It is shedding your ego and emotional bagged and doing what is necessary so you can maximize your performance. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having the latest devices but we must ensure that they are assets and not liabilities. Baggages and leakages are not only physical, they can manifest as emotions too.

In performance theory, everything is either an asset or a liability and this includes people. This matter is treated in more detail in another article. Compact thinking is the reason why we now want to have three children and not ten like in the old days. We want to be able to give them the best and that won’t happen when there are too many mouths to feed. When one has a too many friends he increases the possibility of conflict and reduces quality of friendships. Wrong friends can affect your performance negatively. Friends need attention and when you have too many you will have to divide that attention among them. Chances are some might get more than others and conflict will be the result. The best thing to do is to have very few but quality friends. Quality friends are those you can call asset people. Their very presence adds something to your life but of course you have to ensure that you are a quality friend yourself. People dynamics explains this in more detail.

This idea also applies very well in your job. When you sit at your desk in the morning it will be useful to be clear about what it is you must achieve and assemble what is needed while eliminating what is not needed. What is needed must be well positioned in the right places for easy access. People needed must be made aware from early and all distractions like social media must be eliminated. It is in fact recommended that you disconnect your computer from the internet for most of the day. Of course this must all be done in the context of what you need to achieve and how you will achieve it. Don’t forget there is no one-size-fits-all solution to anything.

So let us summarize the idea for easy understanding:
People, emotions, gadgets and tools must work for you and never against you. They must not be baggage that weigh you down or obstacles that get in your way or leakages that steal your power. When assets have been identified they must be tightly put together as loose and badly integrated components can also affect performance. Loose components refer to having assets that are not well put together and hence run in directions of their own. Everything must work in unison and be closely knit together towards a specific object. No loosed ends. When they are too many, you have to eliminate wisely and focus using the best tools you can get. When aircrafts are in trouble they dump fuel. Compact-Thinking will make you lighter, sharper smoother and faster. In a nutshell it will release your true performance. It is a very simple way of thinking that has miraculous benefits as it eliminates waste from your life and seals leakages allowing you to be the best you can be.

Answering the following questions is a great way to start.

Do you have more than one mobile phone and why? Explain what impact your two phones have on your finances and where in your life extra finance is needed.

Are all the devices you have being used at maximum capacity and how have you reached this conclusion? If not, why?

Are there identifiable leakages in your life that must be sealed? What are they and how can you achieve this?

What kind of support do you get from your spouse and friend regarding what you do?

How many children do you have or want to have and why?

Are there any loose ends in your life that you need to tighten and what are they?

Email the answers to  coaching@csdafrica.com to join our no-obligation,  one month free performance coaching program.

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KISs your life welcome

My friend Theodore Albright is a man who has this interesting habit of teaching something every chance he gets. He manages to do this even during the most mundane of conversations. Sometimes it is so subtle you don’t notice it until much later. He recently told me a little story about Steve Jobs, a man who has by all standards left a large mark on the world. While any story about Steve Jobs is worth listening to, this one was special.

His first lesson: “simplicity is the highest form of sophistication”. I let that pass. I mean it doesn’t really sound like much until you start meditating on a deeper level. But when I chanced upon a message on Richard Branson’s Google plus page that read “complexity is your worst enemy” it all sunk in. I guess you can say I had one of those Aha moments Oprah and her friends have been talking about and the result is what you are reading now. 

I have been aware of the KISS principle for many years but its practice is another thing altogether. In case you didn’t know, it simply stands for Keep it Simple maybe even stupid. It is supposed to save time and increase speed among other things. When you think about it, the most outstanding products are those that have been made simple and easy to use. So then Steve’s iPod , iPhone and iPad fit very well with this idea with their one button control system. When I first encountered these devices I experienced a shift in thinking regarding to what a phone or an mp3 player can be. I have found that people who are easy to deal with are some of the most loved people and in most cases the most successful people. They have something called social intelligence but that is another story.

Those who make things simple for us actually put a lot of work into what would have ordinarily been really complicated.  It appears that product designers have now bought deeply into the idea. Now we hear about airplanes that are so simple to fly they can even land themselves.  Cars with sensors in so many places they can decide for themselves what a good parking spot is and take the pain out of the parking for a certain segment of our specie. Often we tend to do some very complicated stuff maybe to show off what we are capable of. In the IT industry programmers are known to spend valuable time building complicated but useless stuff when they could have built some really simple and useful things. The tendency to want to complicate things to look smart is so high most of us fall for it. Point and click thinking put more computers out there because they became easier to use. Prior to that one needed very advanced skills to do some very simple tasks with computers. This made computer literacy some kind of a rocket science. When computers got easier to use they were able to affect our world more. Now everyone is computer literate, more computers have been sold and billionaires have been made. The world has improved drastically in the last few years.

I recollect the days of DOS and what one had to go through to get a printer to work. You had to install all kinds of drivers and all kind things happened on monitors that displayed only one color. Your programs were usually on a floppy disk and floppy disks in those days were really floppy. They get damaged at the slightest opportunity which made them not so simple to manage. Just to display the content of a folder you needed a set of commands that were not so easy to memorize. Now we have what you call plug and play; stick it in and it works. Serial cables had countless pins that can easily break but a USB has only one block. You click your y through folder to find files. Now you don’t really need computer lessons to write a simple letter.

There are many service providers who do not seem to be aware that their methods and processes make it difficult for patrons. They have not thought through how they are delivering their services to see how they can make it easy for clients. Anyone who has been near a government department in Ghana probably has a few stories to share. Simplicity will raise your performance. If you cut out all the fancy gimmicks and focused on what is important and kept it simple you are on your way to great things. They do say that the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line. Long winding lines just complicates everything and make things harder.   A person who tells the truth, has integrity and is direct with concern for others makes a useful member of any team. I find that every time I have tried to look what I call my best I have ended up looking ridiculous with weird color combinations when a simple white shirt would have done the job nicely. 

I don’t know what you are involved in but I know that if simplifying something for others is your objective it will get you the right response- your performance will bear fruits then. On the macro level, it will improve your life performance and increase your chance of success. A straight rout will get you anywhere fastest. Kissing your life is a simple principle in itself. Your output must make the life of others simple and easier or your effort will not be appreciated. To be honest with you; I do not have a problem at all taking advice from Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and even my friend Theo who is arguably one of the smartest men I know and neither should you. KISS your life for the day you do that is the day your life begins a new trajectory of performance. Well guess what; Einstein subscribes to the idea too

Answering the following questions is a great way to start.

Does your work make others Life easier and in what ways?
Is there something you can do to make things even easier for others?
What is the usual feedback you get from your colleagues, supervisor and clients?

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