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You don't have to climb Mount Everest to be on top of the world! Discover how you can accept the challenge of climbing your personal mountains and be successful in life. There are things you can do to continue your climb up even if you start to slide down. A monthly ezine for organizations, business owners and professionals who want to excel.September 2003 IN THIS ISSUE Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us. Summer has quickly come and gone! I hope you enjoyed yours. We will soon be welcoming our Indian Summer with warm days and cool nights. We've even had a few thunderstorms with a little rain to clear the air. It's a great time of year to go outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature. The feature article this month is about developing mental toughness to help you climb your personal mountains. Learn how to keep climbing up when you start to slide down. Our commitment is to give you practical information and inspirational ideas to benefit your business and personal life. We are committed to "bringing out your best"! We welcome feedback so we can improve and offer real value to you. Keys to Success is written and published by Carol Gegner. Are you ready to excel? Check out http://www.coachexecs.com. We are ready to help you. Any questions about your subscription? Check the end of the newsletter for information to subscribe or unsubscribe. If you like what you see, will you please help us grow by forwarding the ezine to your colleagues and friends? We truly appreciate your support. Climbing Life's Mountains Imagine climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. What do you need to reach the top? Of course you need to have all the necessary mountain climbing gear to help you with the physical part of the climb. Climbing a mountain is more than a physical challenge requiring muscular strength. The true challenge is having a mental toughness to overcome your doubts as you climb upward. I just finished reading "Annapurna" by Arlene Blum who led the first woman's expedition up one of the highest peaks in the Himalaya Mountains in 1978. Quite a feat for a group of 10 women 25 years ago! The book is as compelling as Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air". Krakauer describes what happened on the 1996 expedition up Mount Everest. Everest and Annapurna are extremely dangerous climbs. Sadly, some climbers were lost in both expeditions. Can you fathom the difficulty of continuing the daunting ascent knowing team members died? Well, mountain climbing is a wonderful metaphor for life. It reminds us that sometimes we must travel unmarked trails as we climb up peaks and down into valleys. We each have our own Mount Everest to climb. To accept the challenge and endure the climb, you need to increase your mental toughness. How can you do that? First, develop a positive attitude. Zig Ziglar tells us our attitude determines our altitude. Believing that you can accomplish what you set out to do increases your possibility. Having a positive attitude is a great self-filling prophecy. Next be committed to your dream. How badly do you want to make your dream come true? On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest score, rate your level of commitment. A high score increases your chances. Third, believe in yourself. You will face barriers along the way. When self-doubt begins to nag at you grab hold of that positive attitude and remember your dream. Fourth, take small steps. Break your dream down into bit size pieces. No one reaches the top of high peaks using giant steps. Sometimes it might feel like you aren't making any progress at all because you have to step backwards before you can step forward. Create a support team. Use your friends, family and associates for feedback and suggestions. You can even hire a coach. We all can use a helping hand from others. There is no need go it alone. Having support boosts your morale and confidence. Finally, be patient. Success is seldom an overnight phenomenon. It takes time to reach the summit. You know the old cliche that Rome wasn't built in a day. It's true. We all need to remember that when we start to feel discouraged with the time frame. Success in life is not so different from mountain climbing success. Each peak you reach prepares you for the next peak. To strive and meet the challenges use the ideas above to strengthen your mental toughness and keep climbing the mountains in your life. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." "Success seems to be connected to action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes but they don't quit." "There is no security in life, only opportunity." The Top 10 People to Include for an Award Winning Team by Bea Fields One of the most powerful strategies for multiplying the effects of your team is to include a diversity of personalities, backgrounds, ages, and fresh opinions. The next time you are choosing an award winning team, consider including these ten people. The person new to your company has not been processed to see things the way your company has seen them for years. A fresh perspective may be just what your company needs to move a good idea to a fantastic new product or service. 2. The Right Brain Dominant Person A person who is right brain dominant will bring creativity, big-picture thinking, and subjectivity to the table. 3. The Left Brain Dominant Person A person who is left brain dominant will bring strategic thinking, a linear approach, and objectivity to the table. 4. The Retired Adult The retired adult has the benefit of wisdom and the long view. 5. The 6-Year Old Kids are totally engaged in the present moment, are incredibly persistent, are filled with wonder and excitement, and are not concerned about what others think of them. A child will add to your team the discipline of playfulness, inquisitiveness, and amazing energy. 6. The Team Player The team player will find a way to overcome differences among team members and will build consensus in the group. 7. The Philanthropist Philanthropists are proven and trusted servants. They usually place a high priority on meeting the needs of others, and can teach you how to meet your followers where they are...not where you are. The philanthropist knows six of the most magical words for success: "What can I do for you?" 8. The Wild Card The wild card is the person on your team who will push the edges of the conversation, stretching the envelope to challenge your team to look to the absurd and move beyond the norm. 9. The Devil's Advocate The devil's advocate can evaluate potential future problems and will poke holes in risky opportunities. The devil's advocate will exercise a "checks and balances" process when your team is facing a tough decision. 10. The Spiritual Leader The Spiritual Leader will provide a gift of insight, compassion, and support when the heat is on. The Spiritual Leader can move things forward by teaching life lessons and drawing out individual contributions and the soft skills of team members. Copyright 1997 - 2003 CoachVille This piece was originally submitted by Bea Fields, Coach, who can be reached at bea@fivestarleader.com, or visited on the web. Return to the Newsletter Index. |